There was a rumour last week that two polar bears were in the neighborhood. I have continued to go on my walk everyday but admittedly with some trepidation.
Yesterday when I arrived at work I found out the two bears had been hunted and their bodies would be arriving for the skinning ceremony. With much anticipation we waited and watched out the maternity window for the arrival of the ski-doos. They finally arrived mid morning and a few of us hopped in the truck to watch.
There were indeed two bears - a little one and the mother. The father had been killed the day before and had already been skinned and butchered.
We stayed and watched the skinning of the mother bear and took lots of pictures. It was a beautiful sunny morning and there was certainly an air of celebration as more and more of the village made their way down to the ice.
The meat was butchered and what is not eaten fresh will be put in the storage freezer where any of the villagers can help themselves. This is the same for all of the meat and fish. There is a coop price given to the hunter or the fisherman and the food is then offered to any of the Inuk.
Tonight I will be going over to the docs house for bear stew. I will try it, I have to.
I feel a little like Michaelle Jean.
Pics to follow when I get back to Toronto.
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