Something a bit different

Well we have almost reached our one month mark here at the CNSC and it has been an eventful one for sure! We've experienced the challenge of setting up our rock pool study and are rewarded with new observations and questions about our chosen study system each day. We've also had the opportunity to observe seals, hear the blowhole sounds of belugas, climb icebergs, attempt to catch ducks, watch the sea ice melt before our eyes while the flowers begin to bloom, and even witness the return of the insects...yes they have arrived! From now on our pictures will most likely be filled with people in bug jackets with peculiar hats! Our sampling has been progressing nicely, aided by above 10 degree weather though I am hoping for some rain soon as water levels in the pools have been steadily decreasing. We have noticed an interesting evaporation gradient across our bluff and we are keen to see how this influences our salinity gradient. At the moment I am looking into setting up a series of evaporation pans to test what we are seeing in the pools in terms of water level.

We all feel that it is important to absorb as much as we can while we're up here, and expand our minds beyond our study site. We have continued to explore both the wild areas and the community of this fabulous corner of Manitoba. To learn more about the town of Churchill itself and ongoing projects, I suggest this blog: http://sustainablechurchill.blogspot.com. Last week we decided to learn a bit more of some of the history of the Churchill area with a trip to what is known as Dene Village.

The history of Dene Village is one of tragedy followed by the perseverance of human spirit. There are several resources on the internet (ex.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayisi_Dene) about the events that occurred at Dene Village and a book to check out if you are interested in learning more would be "Night Spirits" by Ila Bussidor.

There is no way I could possibly do the story justice with my limited knowledge but in 1956 the Sayisi Dene who lived at (Little) Duck Lake, MB were relocated by the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs to what was known as "Camp 10", near the cemetary on the outskirts of Churchill. Later (1967) they were moved again to what became to be known as Dene Village on what is now known as Goose Creek Road again on the outskirts of the town.This housing project was crowded, poorly planned and lacking many amenities. These Dene were completely cut off from their land, where they lived and hunted caribou. An estimated 117 people died during those years, many from violence and addiction related deaths. In 1969, the Sayisi Dene began the process of leaving Churchill and resettled at Tadoule Lake near the Seal River (north of Churchill). The healing process is ongoing for these people, but there may well be scars that never heal. I think this story serves as a reminder that we as Canadians need to be aware and prepared to take action on history that has happened in our own backyard. There is a monument at the old Dene Village site and it is one of the starkest and honest memorials I have ever seen. I would encourage any visitor to Churchill to go visit it learn a bit more about the history of this region.

Today we said good bye to one of our favourite CNSC volunteers and amateur aerial photographer, Kyle. We wish him good luck on his future adventures and I'll leave you with another one of his splendid images, this is Ingrid and I casually strolling down a beach..maybe the next time you see a picture like this we will be more scantily clad..bay dip in t-minus 11 days!And as always, we continue to watch for bears!