In the arctic circle, the biggest festival is not the new year, but the celebration of sun rising again after a month of darkness. The Sunrise festival gathers people from all around the arctic communities and visitors in Inuvik to celebrate nonstop for three days till the sun rises.
Today I finally got to try the traditional foods that the community generously shared in the Taste of Inuvik event. Muktuk is the local version of whale sashimi. The white part is the skin of whale which is full of collagen, the translucent red part is the whale fat. The taste of muktuk is rich and long lasting – reminds me of a sushi called engawa. My local friend told me they usually eat it with HP sauce or soy sauce, we took some home so we’ll try it with soy sauce and wasabi!
Reindeer stew is also very delicious. Its texture resembles lean beef but more tender and it has more iron. The fish dishes are made by wildly caught arctic white fish and again they are amazing.
The reindeer, whale and fishes are all hunted and prepared by the locals. Non indigenous people are not allowed to hunt these animals, so it is very special for us to have this opportunity to try their delicacies.
The dance performances were phenomenal and stunning. The hoop dance is a traditional dance from southern Canada, but the dancer used LED hoops and performed in the dark instead. There was also the arctic traditional drum dancing. It is a very powerful dance with a collective of members from all ages.
The last event today was a live music performance by Reuben and the Dark in the igloo church. I saw this indie band two years ago when I was in Toronto. What a surprise to see them in the arctic again! Tomorrow the schedule is also jam packed so I’m very excited for it!
From North Point To North Pole 