Mount Asgard is the most famous and most beautiful peak in Baffin Island, the 6th largest island in the World. There are few mountains in the World with so striking a profile as that of the North Tower seen from the Turner Glacier. It is a sight that has inspired big-wall climbers for more than 30 years.
By the Inuit, Mount Asgard is known as "Sivanitirutinguak," and is located in Auyuittuq ("the land that never melts") National Park, on the Cumberland Peninsula on Baffin Island, in the territory of Nunavut.
Nunavut is close to the size of Mexico yet has a population of around 35,000, which are most Inuit.
The park straddles the boundary of the Arctic Circle, the Penny Ice Cap flows through much of the park and is in places over 300 meters deep.
In Norse mythology, Asgard was the ancestral home and fortress of the Norse gods, and the home of slain heroes fallen in war. Located in the heavens, Asgard was only accessible over the rainbow bridge, known as Bifrost. Asgard had places of gold and silver, the most beautiful of which was Valhalla. Valhalla was the residence of Odin, the chief god. Norse myths held that Asgard would be destroyed at a battle called "Twilight of the Gods" (Ragnarok), the final confrontation at which demons and giants would overcome the gods.
Asgard is located in the Penny Highlands along the side of the Akshayuk Pass which is the 100 km long pass, that crosses the Cumberland peninsula between Cumberland Sound and David Strait, and one hikes from one end to the other where you usually arrange for transportation back to Pangnirtung, the nearest Inuit settlement, approximately 60 miles from there.
Mount Asgard towers 2,015 m, making it the 5th highest peak in the park and one of the highest peaks in Eastern Canada and Eastern North America. The peak is composed of twin cylindrical, flat-topped summits separated by a narrow, 150-metre-deep notch, 1,000 meter high. The cylindrical granitic towers along with the awesome faces on Breidablik and Mount Thor have caused many to compare the region to the area around Fitz Roy Mountain in Argentina.
The North Tower was first climbed by the Swiss team in 1953. This was one of the first technical routes done in Baffin. The South Summit, the more cylindrical of the two with the daunting sheer face, was first reached in 1971. On Asgard's West Face (North Peak) there are several grade VI routes which have been established for the rock climber eager for a very serious challenge. In terms of big-wall climbing, Asgard is most famous for the North face of the North Tower, home to what is the greatest concentration of wilderness bug walls on the planet.
In 1976, stuntman Rick Sylvester performed a base jump, skiing off the mountain with an Union Flag parachute for the opening sequence of the James Bond film "the Spy Who Loved Me," although the fictional setting was the Austrian Alps. The stunt team and film crew reached the summit by helicopter.
Monday, December 26, 2016
THE INUIT PEOPLE
The Inuit who make their homes across the vastness of Canada's Arctic belong to a much larger family that extends from the Bearing Sea through Alaska and Northern Canada to Greenland.
These imaginative, hardy and resourceful peoples are linked not only linguistically, but by a distinctly similar culture and way of life, as seen through Inuit art, song, dance, myth and legend. Their songs and story forms of myths and legends, linguistically as well as stylistically, relate most closely to Siberian. Thus, language and legend can give clues to ancient routes of migration.
The Inuit myths and legends designated the powers of good and evil to deities living in the spirit world closely entwined with the beautiful Northern landscape. Ancient oral traditions were employed as the most important method of conveying and preserving ideas, augmented by a small carvings that served as illustrations for events. Song and dances also enhanced the meaning of myths and legends. These tales were intrinsically linked to Inuit shamanism.
An Inuit shaman is a religious and mystical expert who functions as a healer, prophet and custodian of cultural tradition.
Inuit myths abound with behavioral codes that may only be fully understood by those living within that society. The stories reinforce a close relationship with all of nature, as well as the belief that animals have a way to hear and understand human words. For this reason, hunters in their camps, when singing or speaking of walrus or seal, may carefully refer to them as maggots or lice, or call caribou lemmings, thus confusing the animals that are necessary for their survival.
A fundamental tenet of Inuit mythology is the belief in other Worlds beneath the Sea, inside the Earth and in the sky where some gifted shamans (angakoks) have the power to journey in trances and in dreams, visiting places that ordinary mortals would only experience in the afterlife.
Dreams have always played an important part in their lives, serving as the basis for some myth forms, and are interpreted with care.
Among the most famous Inuit myths is the legend of the Sea goddess, known by various names: Sedna, Nuliayuk, Taluliyuk, Taleelayuk. In the myth, a young girl is cast into the ocean, where she becomes the keeper of all the Sea mammals.
The legend of Lumiuk (Lumak, Lumaag) tells of an abused blind boy who finds refuge in the Sea, where he recovers his sight and ends his abuse.
The legend of Kiviuk (Kiviok, Kiviuq), a major mythological figure in the same sphere as Sedna, explains the abundance of fish and the absence of trees in the Artic tundra; while the legend of Tikta'Liktak tells the story of a young hunter's journey home after becoming lost on an ice floe.
Supernatural beings accompany many Inuit myths, including: Mahaha, a demon that terrorizes the Artic and tickles its victims to death; Ijiraat, shapeshifter that may change into any artic animal but may not disguise their red eyes; Taqriaqsuit, shadow people who are rarely seen but often heard; Qallupilluk, scaly, human-like creatures that snatch children into the sea; Inupasugjuk, giants who capture humans; and Tuniit, who are seen as simple-minded but extremely strong ancestors of the Inuit.
The Inuit mythology is a repository of Inuit culture, passed down by elders through generations to enrich and enlighten.
These imaginative, hardy and resourceful peoples are linked not only linguistically, but by a distinctly similar culture and way of life, as seen through Inuit art, song, dance, myth and legend. Their songs and story forms of myths and legends, linguistically as well as stylistically, relate most closely to Siberian. Thus, language and legend can give clues to ancient routes of migration.
The Inuit myths and legends designated the powers of good and evil to deities living in the spirit world closely entwined with the beautiful Northern landscape. Ancient oral traditions were employed as the most important method of conveying and preserving ideas, augmented by a small carvings that served as illustrations for events. Song and dances also enhanced the meaning of myths and legends. These tales were intrinsically linked to Inuit shamanism.
An Inuit shaman is a religious and mystical expert who functions as a healer, prophet and custodian of cultural tradition.
Inuit myths abound with behavioral codes that may only be fully understood by those living within that society. The stories reinforce a close relationship with all of nature, as well as the belief that animals have a way to hear and understand human words. For this reason, hunters in their camps, when singing or speaking of walrus or seal, may carefully refer to them as maggots or lice, or call caribou lemmings, thus confusing the animals that are necessary for their survival.
A fundamental tenet of Inuit mythology is the belief in other Worlds beneath the Sea, inside the Earth and in the sky where some gifted shamans (angakoks) have the power to journey in trances and in dreams, visiting places that ordinary mortals would only experience in the afterlife.
Dreams have always played an important part in their lives, serving as the basis for some myth forms, and are interpreted with care.
Among the most famous Inuit myths is the legend of the Sea goddess, known by various names: Sedna, Nuliayuk, Taluliyuk, Taleelayuk. In the myth, a young girl is cast into the ocean, where she becomes the keeper of all the Sea mammals.
The legend of Lumiuk (Lumak, Lumaag) tells of an abused blind boy who finds refuge in the Sea, where he recovers his sight and ends his abuse.
The legend of Kiviuk (Kiviok, Kiviuq), a major mythological figure in the same sphere as Sedna, explains the abundance of fish and the absence of trees in the Artic tundra; while the legend of Tikta'Liktak tells the story of a young hunter's journey home after becoming lost on an ice floe.
Supernatural beings accompany many Inuit myths, including: Mahaha, a demon that terrorizes the Artic and tickles its victims to death; Ijiraat, shapeshifter that may change into any artic animal but may not disguise their red eyes; Taqriaqsuit, shadow people who are rarely seen but often heard; Qallupilluk, scaly, human-like creatures that snatch children into the sea; Inupasugjuk, giants who capture humans; and Tuniit, who are seen as simple-minded but extremely strong ancestors of the Inuit.
The Inuit mythology is a repository of Inuit culture, passed down by elders through generations to enrich and enlighten.
THE BAFFIN ISLAND INUIT.
The Baffin Island is the largest island in the Artic Archipelago and in the territory of Nunavut.
Baffin Island is home to a number of Inuit communities, including Iqaluit, Pangnirtung, Pond Inlet, Clyde River, Arctic Bay, Kimmirut, and Nanisivik. They live on Baffin Island as part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, the most Eastern and administrative region and also the most populated. Iqaluit is near a traditional South Baffin Inuit fishing camp.
The Baffin Island has been inhabited by the Inuit for thousands of years. Inuit from Baffin Island are descendants of the Thule, who expanded Eastward across Canada from Alaska. The Baffin Island Inuit share biological and cultural links with their ancestors.
The Baffin Island Inuit display considerable regional diversity in both dialect and culture. Those in the far North belong to the Igloolik, who also live on the mainland. The remaining groups, often collectively referred to as the South Baffin Inuit, are concentrated along the rugged East Coast, including Cumberland Sound and Frobisher Bay, and along the North Shore of Hudson Strait. The latter share many cultural traits with Labrador Inuit on the other side of Hudson Strait, which was frequently crossed for trading purposes.
Archeological remains of carved masks, yarn, and European rats indicate European contact with the Baffin Island as early as 1000 CE. Also the presence of alloys used by the Vikings in whetstones on the area suggest a trade network between the Baffin Island Inuits and the Vikings.
In 1576, the Inuit of Baffin Island made contact with English venturers, when Martin Frobisher traded with the Inuit and kidnapped one or three of them in the bay that now bears his name. More conflict ensued on his 1577 visit, when hostilities with the Inuit were renewed, prompting Frobisher to return to England. This time he brought with him four Inuit captives, who did not survive more than two months.
Throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries, Inuit along the South Coast had occasional trade contacts with European venturers and supply vessels that stopped briefly on their way to Hudson Bay. Further North, the Inuit of Davis Strait did not encounter outsiders in any numbers until after 1820, when Scottish and American killers of whales started making annual visits to Baffin Island through the heavy drift ice of Western Baffin Bay.
Inuit material culture was greatly modified by the increased flow of trade goods, including firearms, and by the large supply of wood provided by frequent shipwrecks. Contact with Westerners increased during the late 19th century when the killers of whales started to establish permanent shore stations.
Although the Inuit welcomed regular trade and occasional employment, their population declined rapidly because of the dietary changes and exposure to Western diseases. After the decline of commercial whaling in the 20th century, the Inuit of Baffin turned increasingly to fox trapping in order to satisfy their dependence on Western manufacturers.
After relocation projects in the 1950s that forcibly removed Inuit from their traditional habitat, the Baffin Island Inuit now live in homes in Iqaluit (Frobisher Bay), making it the largest and forcible settlement on the island.
In June 2014, the National Energy Board approved plans from a consortium led by Multi-Client Invest AS (MCI) to begin 5 years of "seismic" testing around the island, mapping the sea floor and under sea geology using high-intensity sounds. Many Inuit opposed the program, arguing that the testing harm and disturb local food sources, including seals, whales, and walruses. Also Inuit people fought against offshore and oil and gas extraction. After the protests, the Federal government placed a "moratorium" on offshore development near Coral Harbour in 1971. Seven years later, the Canadian government placed another "moratorium" on oil development in Lancaster Sound after Inuit groups successfully expressed their opposition to the program. The only way in which these projects can go on is by having the Inuit population reduced in numbers and in the forcible way of life they live now away from their former habitats, it is not going to last long the life of the new generation of Inuits. In this way, not only the Baffin Island will pay the consequences of human greed, it will be paid off by the lack of resources in natural life around the whole World.
Baffin Island is home to a number of Inuit communities, including Iqaluit, Pangnirtung, Pond Inlet, Clyde River, Arctic Bay, Kimmirut, and Nanisivik. They live on Baffin Island as part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, the most Eastern and administrative region and also the most populated. Iqaluit is near a traditional South Baffin Inuit fishing camp.
The Baffin Island has been inhabited by the Inuit for thousands of years. Inuit from Baffin Island are descendants of the Thule, who expanded Eastward across Canada from Alaska. The Baffin Island Inuit share biological and cultural links with their ancestors.
The Baffin Island Inuit display considerable regional diversity in both dialect and culture. Those in the far North belong to the Igloolik, who also live on the mainland. The remaining groups, often collectively referred to as the South Baffin Inuit, are concentrated along the rugged East Coast, including Cumberland Sound and Frobisher Bay, and along the North Shore of Hudson Strait. The latter share many cultural traits with Labrador Inuit on the other side of Hudson Strait, which was frequently crossed for trading purposes.
Archeological remains of carved masks, yarn, and European rats indicate European contact with the Baffin Island as early as 1000 CE. Also the presence of alloys used by the Vikings in whetstones on the area suggest a trade network between the Baffin Island Inuits and the Vikings.
In 1576, the Inuit of Baffin Island made contact with English venturers, when Martin Frobisher traded with the Inuit and kidnapped one or three of them in the bay that now bears his name. More conflict ensued on his 1577 visit, when hostilities with the Inuit were renewed, prompting Frobisher to return to England. This time he brought with him four Inuit captives, who did not survive more than two months.
Throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries, Inuit along the South Coast had occasional trade contacts with European venturers and supply vessels that stopped briefly on their way to Hudson Bay. Further North, the Inuit of Davis Strait did not encounter outsiders in any numbers until after 1820, when Scottish and American killers of whales started making annual visits to Baffin Island through the heavy drift ice of Western Baffin Bay.
Inuit material culture was greatly modified by the increased flow of trade goods, including firearms, and by the large supply of wood provided by frequent shipwrecks. Contact with Westerners increased during the late 19th century when the killers of whales started to establish permanent shore stations.
Although the Inuit welcomed regular trade and occasional employment, their population declined rapidly because of the dietary changes and exposure to Western diseases. After the decline of commercial whaling in the 20th century, the Inuit of Baffin turned increasingly to fox trapping in order to satisfy their dependence on Western manufacturers.
After relocation projects in the 1950s that forcibly removed Inuit from their traditional habitat, the Baffin Island Inuit now live in homes in Iqaluit (Frobisher Bay), making it the largest and forcible settlement on the island.
In June 2014, the National Energy Board approved plans from a consortium led by Multi-Client Invest AS (MCI) to begin 5 years of "seismic" testing around the island, mapping the sea floor and under sea geology using high-intensity sounds. Many Inuit opposed the program, arguing that the testing harm and disturb local food sources, including seals, whales, and walruses. Also Inuit people fought against offshore and oil and gas extraction. After the protests, the Federal government placed a "moratorium" on offshore development near Coral Harbour in 1971. Seven years later, the Canadian government placed another "moratorium" on oil development in Lancaster Sound after Inuit groups successfully expressed their opposition to the program. The only way in which these projects can go on is by having the Inuit population reduced in numbers and in the forcible way of life they live now away from their former habitats, it is not going to last long the life of the new generation of Inuits. In this way, not only the Baffin Island will pay the consequences of human greed, it will be paid off by the lack of resources in natural life around the whole World.
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