Northern youth head off on scientific expedition at sea

Around fifteen young people from Nunavut and the Northwest Territories are are off on an expedition at sea to several Arctic regions.

As part of the Students on Ice expedition, they'll participate in research and deepen their understanding of coastal and marine ecosystems, all while learning about the impacts of climate change in the Arctic. 

Tara Mascarenhas, the director of programs at the Students on Ice Foundation, compared the expeditions to "floating classrooms."

"There are huge gaps in the ocean workforce. It tends to be areas where young people don't necessarily see themselves. Part of taking them on expeditions is to actually provide that experiential learning opportunity," she said. 

Three of four Students on Ice expeditions this year will travel through Nunavut waters. 

One left from Nain, Nunatsiavut, on Friday and will reach Iqaluit on Aug. 6 aboard the MV Polar Prince. It includes 22 young people ages 14 to 24, including four youth from Nunavut and one from the N.W.T.

Originally from Inuvik, 17-year-old Colm Kingmiaqtuq-Devlin is taking part in the expedition for the first time. He said his younger sister and father, who joined Students on Ice expeditions several years ago, convinced him to do it. 

"I was speaking with my father and my sister after they were done, and they said it was very changing and very emotional. They learned a lot about climate change and how it affects places," he said. 

During the expedition, Kingmiaqtuq-Devlin and his group will visit several historical sites, including Hebron in Nunatsiavut. Inuit families lived there until 1959, before being forced to leave when the federal government and the Moravian mission decided to shut it down, saying it was too expensive to continue to run. 

Joined by researchers and Inuit educators, the group will take part in workshops in Torngat Mountains National Park and will learn the history of Tookoolito, an Inuk guide and interpreter who accompanied the American explorer Charles Francis Hall during the 19th century in his search for the wrecks of the Franklin expedition. 

With an Inuk mother from Taloyoak, Kingmiaqtuq-Devlin said he sees the expedition as an occasion to reconnect with a part of his culture. 

"My mom's side is entirely from Nunavut and [...] I'm very curious about what it's like there," he said. 

The teen also said he's excited to make new connections with people from all over the country. As the only participant from the N.W.T., he also expects to have to explain some things to people about where he comes from. 

"I live in a very small community and everybody knows each other. It's a very different experience," he said. 

Learning opportunity 

At the beginning of August, two other cohorts will take off — one to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, and the other to Resolute Bay, Nunavut, crossing the Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area. 

Another expedition, titled "Blue Future Pathways" will leave Iqaluit Aug. 6, heading to St. John's, N.L., with 20 people ages 18 to 35 years on board. 

Thirty-four-year-old Maelegala Ottokie, originally from Kinngait, Nunavut, is an underwater drone pilot and said she's looking forward to participating in research activities and learning to pilot drones during the expedition.

"This opportunity is going to help me rise from where I'm at right now to further up my education and also have the experience at the same time," she said. 

 "I encourage more Nunavummiut to try. We can do everything if we put our minds into it."