Aklavik is another small town of between 600 and 800 people that by road is about 100 km west from Inuvik, located in the Mackenzie River Delta. Like Tuk, it is only accessible to road traffic during the winter by ice road.
Dan and I were fortunate to be invited by a new friend of ours to go with her to visit some of the people in the community. Andrea Hoyt is a Community Resources Specialist who helps to keep tabs on the fishery in the Northwest Territories.
Aklavik means "place of the Grizzly Bear" and was offically founded as a town in 1918 as a muskrat pelt trading post, though the Inuvialuit had been in the region for generations before. In the 1950s the Canadian government tried to relocate all the residents to Inuvik because they feared the town was sinking. Many went, a few stayed, and several returned after some years. Apparently though, another reason the government wanted to relocate the citizens was because Aklavik isn't in an area that would be good for expansion. Nevertheless the community seems to be continuing to do well. Here, unlike some native communities, there seems to be more racial harmony because of inter-marriage between the Inuvialuit and Gwich'in people - who once fought for trade rights in the area - as well as whites.
Below is a sign that notifys tourists that the so-called "Mad Trapper of Rat River" lies in this cemetary. The real identity of Albert Johnson is not known, some believe that he was an ex-con from Chicago who came up north to escape. Supposedly he made a few enemies out of his trapper neighbours and then shot several RCMP officiers, killing one in the 1930s. This lead to a man hunt of unprecidented proportions for the Territory, including the use of arial tracking by famous pioneer Canadian bush pilot Wop May. It 's something that is still an issue around, and a curiosity for passers-by. We saw a whole photo display on the subject at the Eagle Plains Lodge on our way up to Inuvik. Apparently, Johnson had some people who liked him enough to have him burried in the town.
One of Andrea's first stops was at Moose Kerr School where she met with a few students who had participated in a fish hole monitoring project at Little Fish River this past winter. She was here to encourage them to attend a conference on coastal zones that will be held in Tuk in August. Bright kids who no doubt have a bright future either in or out of Aklavik.
At the entrance to the school are murals which cover the walls depicting animals of the area, traditional activities, and contemporary scenes. The big plaque pays tribute to the elders of the community (photo below).
It's pretty cool to see a community strive to connect, or perhaps reconnect, its young people to their roots. From what I've heard, many schools have programs that try to get the kids out on the land for a few days with elders and hunters. This is done so that they can learn about the old ways. However, Andrea points out that in some cases these programs are too short. Without a larger period of time devoted to such experiences the lessons might be lost. Still, it's a good start.
The notice borad in the school's hall has many posters on it. One says, "drop the pop." I guess nutrition in these remote communities is a pretty big problem. Too much junk food high in sugar and fat has created problems with obesity, diabetes, and oral hygene for the young. However, when the price of fresh fruits and vegetables is so expensive (I'll get some photos up), it's easy to understand how the cheaper alterative of junk food wins out - especially seeing as it tastes so good!
Dan and I were fortunate to be invited by a new friend of ours to go with her to visit some of the people in the community. Andrea Hoyt is a Community Resources Specialist who helps to keep tabs on the fishery in the Northwest Territories.
Aklavik means "place of the Grizzly Bear" and was offically founded as a town in 1918 as a muskrat pelt trading post, though the Inuvialuit had been in the region for generations before. In the 1950s the Canadian government tried to relocate all the residents to Inuvik because they feared the town was sinking. Many went, a few stayed, and several returned after some years. Apparently though, another reason the government wanted to relocate the citizens was because Aklavik isn't in an area that would be good for expansion. Nevertheless the community seems to be continuing to do well. Here, unlike some native communities, there seems to be more racial harmony because of inter-marriage between the Inuvialuit and Gwich'in people - who once fought for trade rights in the area - as well as whites.
Below is a sign that notifys tourists that the so-called "Mad Trapper of Rat River" lies in this cemetary. The real identity of Albert Johnson is not known, some believe that he was an ex-con from Chicago who came up north to escape. Supposedly he made a few enemies out of his trapper neighbours and then shot several RCMP officiers, killing one in the 1930s. This lead to a man hunt of unprecidented proportions for the Territory, including the use of arial tracking by famous pioneer Canadian bush pilot Wop May. It 's something that is still an issue around, and a curiosity for passers-by. We saw a whole photo display on the subject at the Eagle Plains Lodge on our way up to Inuvik. Apparently, Johnson had some people who liked him enough to have him burried in the town.
One of Andrea's first stops was at Moose Kerr School where she met with a few students who had participated in a fish hole monitoring project at Little Fish River this past winter. She was here to encourage them to attend a conference on coastal zones that will be held in Tuk in August. Bright kids who no doubt have a bright future either in or out of Aklavik.
At the entrance to the school are murals which cover the walls depicting animals of the area, traditional activities, and contemporary scenes. The big plaque pays tribute to the elders of the community (photo below).It's pretty cool to see a community strive to connect, or perhaps reconnect, its young people to their roots. From what I've heard, many schools have programs that try to get the kids out on the land for a few days with elders and hunters. This is done so that they can learn about the old ways. However, Andrea points out that in some cases these programs are too short. Without a larger period of time devoted to such experiences the lessons might be lost. Still, it's a good start.
The notice borad in the school's hall has many posters on it. One says, "drop the pop." I guess nutrition in these remote communities is a pretty big problem. Too much junk food high in sugar and fat has created problems with obesity, diabetes, and oral hygene for the young. However, when the price of fresh fruits and vegetables is so expensive (I'll get some photos up), it's easy to understand how the cheaper alterative of junk food wins out - especially seeing as it tastes so good!