Kimmirut - heel of South Baffin Island
While winding through the Hudson Strait, the Ocean Endeavour—carrying us enthusiastic Adventure Canada passengers who were only 3 days in and still buzzing from the initial excitement of our expedition—took a side journey into the Glasgow Inlet on Baffin Island. Kimmirut, meaning “heel,” is an approximately 350-person town built into the side of a marble hill. It rose up in front of us, idling peacefully under the soft gray skies and pale morning sunshine. We made our way to the shore in zodiacs.
A group of us skirted around the town’s waterfront to take a hike, trekking the marble hills so that we may have a better view over the fjords and great placid lakes, deep blue and complementary to the clouds hovering above.
We stopped to admire the few plants that survive in the lower arctic tundra. They grow close to the ground and cluster together; the moss campion asking one another, “Can you stay close? Grow near? Hug me gently?” From there, they thrive in perfect circular patches, their purple petals waving hello to the willow trees standing only a foot or two high above them.
Robert, one of our guides for the hike, demonstrated that certain moss is great for placating acid reflex. He bent down, found a lighter, yellow colored moss, picked some of it, rolled it into a tight ball in his hands, and swallowed it with water. A simply remedy utilizing the medicinal qualities of the region’s flora.
Meanwhile, a group of kayakers on the other side of a rocky outcrop were catching sights of arctic hares, red-throated loons, and even an extraordinary gracing of a caribou. (The Ocean Endeavor kept a running list of sightings on a community board, where passengers could fill out what was seen—plants or animals—on any given excursion.)
The rest of us hikers made our way back to the town below.
In the Kimmirut visitor’s center, two elders were busy over pots and pans, boiling dough and frying it to make bannock. They invited us to try this special treat. Biting into the soft dough spread a kind of warmth that felt extra special in the chill of the arctic. Two young Inuit gobbled up the treats with me and showed me around the center, one telling me about his exciting first seal capture and the other exclaiming that his favorite kind of fish is arctic char. They were kind enough to welcome us in to learn about their town.
Dogs were running around, sprightly and eager to persuade us to share a piece of the bannock with them. Someone pointed out their short statures, explaining that these dogs have corgis in their lineage, which were introduced from the British royal family (Queen Elizabeth was a lover of this breed). A young, tan colored pup was glued to my side as I finished up my last bites of fried dough, and, naturally, he stole a bit of my heart.
KIMMIRUT HOT sweat of oil pan sizzle sizzle, sizzle…jump, arm’s length! She makes a thick ring Sweat, sweat, jump, arm’s length! Sweet bannock turning golden, like the puppy who cocks its head (some for me?) — but first! Sizzle, Sizzle… She smiles. Tunngasugit. Soft dough oil soaked paper hands, hands, hands, (some for me?) YES but HOT! Take your time. Tunnagasuppunga.
Here, I try my hand at using Inuktitut, one of the prominent Inuit languages. We were so lucky to have language lessons on board the ship with Myna, one of our Cultural Educators. From her, we learned that Tunngasugit means, “Welcome,” while Tunnagasuppunga is the response, “I feel welcome.”
I think it’s universal that sharing food is a wonderful way to say, “Make yourself at home.”
Song of the Week
I’m sending this out on Labor Day, a day off from work, lounging in my old peach armchair. Lucius, within the last year or so, has been one of my go-to artists to listen to when I want to relax and clear my mind. Their newest reimagining of their breakthrough album, “Wildewoman (The New Recording),” is my recommendation for the week. If you are a fan of Brandi Carlile, you’ll often find them as backup vocals on one another’s tracks…