Going home: Adopted Inuvialuit man reconnects with culture through kayaking

Kevin Floyd always knew he was Inuvialuit, but he never knew what that meant culturally.

Adopted at birth, Floyd grew up in B.C. and didn't always know exactly where he was from in the North.

But things changed for Floyd in his early 30s when he discovered an Inuvialuit tradition that aligned with his passion — kayaking.

He was among many artisans at the Great Northern Arts Festival, which wrapped up in Inuvik, N.W.T., on Sunday. All week he showcased his handmade traditional- and modern-style kayaks and paddles.

Already a kayak maker, Floyd taught himself how to handcraft decades-old kayak and paddle styles that were used by Inuvialuit hunters.

"I made one and then I kept on tweaking it out until it performed at its best," Floyd said.

He says locals call him "The Kayak Guy" of the region.

Finding his birth family

Floyd began learning more about the Inuvialuit culture when he switched to traditional kayak making.

He read about communal hunts along the Arctic coast where many hunters would gather for a beluga or seal harvest.

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And one day he came across a documentary about the Firth sisters, two siblings who were part of the Gwich'in First Nation and among the first Aboriginal people to represent Canada at the Olympics. It was then that Floyd knew he had to go to Inuvik.

"My hope was to meet elders or anyone who used to kayak; to do some research, track down my family," Floyd said.

Sharing skills is 'soul-feeding'

Through an Access to Information and Privacy Request, Floyd found out who his birth grandmother was. When he got to Inuvik, he says there wasn't much chance for hesitation.

"The cab driver that picked me up from the airport took me right to her doorstep," he said.

That was eight years ago. Floyd and his family are still in Inuvik today.

During the visit, they decided to move to the community. Since then, Floyd has become well-known around the region as the guy who knows everything about kayaks.

Floyd says sharing those skills "is soul-feeding."

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"Keeping this oral tradition going and keeping this history and this culture going by sharing this information," Floyd said.

"It is one of the large, iconic symbols of the North… It allows me to get other Inuvialuit into kayaks."