Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

IQALUIT (May 11/98) - The team left Kuujuak on the morning of January 10 and arrived wind- and frost-burnt almost four months later in Iqaluit.

They were tired and had been forced to travel with a team of sick dogs but they were elated nonetheless -- they had achieved their goal: the team had successfully travelled from Greenland to Nunavut and had once again, united the Inuit people of two different countries.

This expedition, the third of its kind, was part of a grander scheme to unite the 130,000 Inuit people living around the world.

"The purpose of the expedition, the goal was to reach the different Inuit countries of Alaska, Greenland, Canada and Siberia," said Ono Fleischer speaking through interpreter and reporter Karo Thomsen.

Fleischer had already led a team to a destination in Greenland in 1978 and to Alaska from Greenland in 1992.

Speaking to almost 300 residents of Iqaluit during a community feast held in honor of his team's safe arrival, Fleischer commented on the similarities of the Inuit living in the four countries.

"We have almost the same culture, almost the same language and we live near the coastline," said Fleischer.

"And because we live in four places in a huge area, we don't know so much about each other and now we make a closer cultural connection between Greenland and Canada."

Fleischer said that during the four months he spent travelling in Nunavut and Nunavik with Thomsen and navigator Mathias Ingemann, the trio stopped in many schools and communities and talked about the Inuit ways of life in Greenland.

"Also, we stay overnight and make close connections, person to person. Being with Inuit families is like being at home, it feels like our own family."

Fleischer said they plan to turn the film footage Thomsen helped shoot during the trip into teaching videos.

"In Greenland, we'll make videos and show them in Greenland so people will know about the Canadian Inuit," said Fleischer.

He added that the very young population of the Eastern Arctic gave him hope that Inuit culture would survive.

"The number of kids in Nunavut and Nunavik means the Inuit will be extended. It's a very good sign for culture and language," said Fleischer.

Ingemann, speaking through his wife Malene, said that despite the occasional hardships that arose during the expedition, he was quite pleased with the journey.

"I'm very happy with Canadian culture. Inuit people keep the culture very friendly, everywhere the houses are open and they're cheering you up. It's a big pleasure meeting Inuit people, a big experience meeting Inuit people around Canada," said Ingemann.

He also said that navigating a dog-team in Canada was a good experience.

"I grew up with dog-sledding and trying different dogs and different weather. Growing up I went out with my dad, so I'm used to navigating."

Ingemann said that having sick and cold dogs made the trip difficult at times and that the constantly changing weather and the landscape was challenging.

"From Igloolik to here, I had to navigate the whole way and it's very flat and you can't tell the land from the sea. I got burned in my face because I have to keep my eyes straight all the time so I'm not able to cover up my face."

Ingemann said that the hardest part of the trip is that it's over.

"When you're together with these persons for almost four months and then you have to leave them, that's hard."

Thomsen agreed with him.

"It's difficult to talk about the hardest part. It's not hard if you have clothes and are not cold and you have to take care. The hardest part is that the trip ended."