The Children of Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

Although the scenery is breathtaking up north, it’s the children in Iqaluit, Nunavut who made the most lasting impression on me.

I’ve travelled across the country from Vancouver to Iqaluit for the Alianait Arts Festival, which the local kids are a big part of.

I first met Inuit children in Clyde River two years ago while on an expedition cruise of Baffin Island. The kids from the “big city” (Iqaluit is the capital city of Nunavut) were just as enchanting as in the small community of Clyde River.

A Kid’s Life in Iqaluit

Summers are relatively easy. School’s out, the sun shines all day and night, and people are looking for something to do. There’s definitely a “boredom” factor in northern communities that keeps kids out on the streets at all hours (take a drive around Iqaluit at 3:00 in the morning and you’ll see children playing by themselves, or even sleeping, because it’s still light out).

There isn’t that fear from parents that their kids will be kidnapped or hurt like we have down south; actually, kids are pretty much left to their own devices most of the time. This leads to very wild and undisciplined young ones!

So when visitors come to town and festivals like Alianait take place, the young in the city come out in droves to hang out. Kids I had never met would come up to me, throw their arms around my waist and say, “Hi!” shyly, grinning up at me. I think they just wanted some affection, which I’m only too happy to dish out

And they’re everywhere. Nunavut is a young territory (it officially formed in 1999 to separate from the Northwest Territories) and its population is mostly made up of the younger generation. It’s exciting: they’re energetic, open, wild and sweet.

Social problems in Iqaluit

The children make the social problems in Iqaluit even more heartbreaking, though. I was told that the city has the highest rate of crime per capita than anywhere else in Canada–mostly between the Inuit themselves–the majority being rape, assault and murder. There are also a lot of suicides in the north.

Although the summer is an understandably happy time, when the seasons change and darkness descends at 4:00 in the afternoon and then doesn’t really go away in the winter, crime spikes.

Yet the kids I met remain optimistic and that bodes well for the territory. If only we can keep these kids out of crime and direct their energy towards creativity and new ideas…

Surprise! An Inuk Baby
At 2:00 in the morning on Monday night, a two-month old Inuk baby was delivered to the door of the family I was staying with. Screaming his newly-formed lungs out all night, we all took turns playing “mom” and “dad” to the little guy.

I left Iqaluit after getting word that the baby would be staying one more night. I’ll never forget staring into his dark little eyes while feeding him milk and trying to calm his unrelenting screaming.

There was so much he wanted to tell me about his two months on earth and I wish he could have. Instead, I’ll be left wondering if he makes it home safely and goes on to become an energetic and optimistic child like those I have met.

I just hope he gets a chance.

Tags: Alianait Arts Festival, baffin island, canada, Cape Dorset, Children, foster parents, Inuk Baby, Iqaluit, Nunavut, Vancouver to Iqaluit