INUVIK
The annual crossing of the Canadian reindeer herd over the East Channel wasn't the only mass migration happening last weekend.

Richard Binder showed off the rich cultural heritage of his family, some of the original reindeer herders in the Beaufort-Delta, on March 29 at Reindeer Station. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo

Anyone travelling the ice road to Tuktoyaktuk on the morning of March 29 would have encountered more than 100 vehicles heading north into a grey, blustery horizon.

Inuvik emptied out as hundreds of people stampeded to see the herd, hopefully up close and personal.

A partnership between the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Canadian Reindeer, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, along with the Town of Inuvik, had provided the recipe for a premiere tourist attraction this year for the first time.

In 2014, as many as 250 people turned out to watch the crossing on an informal basis, but this gathering clearly dwarfed that.

There were food trucks and portable toilets for convenience, along with a parking lot.

After the herd crossed the road some distance to the north of where the spectators had gathered, the herders took several minutes directing the somewhat shy animals toward the throng.

The spectacle was enough to clearly make the 3,000-strong herd more than a little nervous, as it was apparent the herders were having a difficult time keeping them from bolting by the end of the observation period.

While reactions to the event were somewhat mixed, most people were clearly more than impressed with what they saw.

Rene Wissink, a Parks Canada employee who knows a thing or two about wildlife, said he found the viewing "spectacular."

That sentiment was echoed by his companion, Carmen Edwards, who said she was delighted with the chance to see the herd.

One woman, who didn't give her name, said she was concerned that the reindeer were becoming seriously stressed out and confused by the time they were led away.

Natasha Kulikowksi, who joined the trek north to see the herd with close friend Stacey Christie, said "it was a great day to come out with other community members, to learn a little about history and other cultures, and to see the elders out."

"I really enjoyed it," Christie said.

"It's the first time I've been up here to see it, and it was amazing to see how close the reindeer actually got to us,"she added.

Both women were among the people who dropped in at Reindeer Station after watching the reindeer crossing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of reindeer herding in the delta.

The station was one of the original homes of the Sami herders who have looked after the animals for decades. It's now owned by the IRC and used for on-the-land programs and healing camps.

Richard Binder is a member of one of those original families, who now are part-owners of the herd along with the IRC through the Canadian Reindeer company.

He was outfitted in full traditional Sami regalia for the afternoon's open house at the station, and reminisced about his family's long and colourful history with the herd.

"My grandparents came over when my mother was about 10 months old. They came to Canada from Norway, to assist with the delivery of the reindeer from Alaska to here."

At that time, the organizers of the drive thought it would take about two years to move the herd to the delta, but they were only halfway through the route, at best, when that two-year timeline was met, he said.

They turned to Sami herders like the Binders to take over the herculean task of managing the reindeer move.

Binder said that backfired for a while, since single men were being hired, and they were constantly being replaced as they sought out other opportunities or returned home, since there was nothing to hold them in Canada's North.

The solution, he said, was to bring in families, such as his grandparents, to take over, and that proved to be a successful strategy. Three were hired, and made the long journey across North America to the Western Arctic.

Over time, families from the delta took up employment and helped manage the herd, gradually bringing two very disparate cultures closer together.

The first Reindeer Station was founded at a location now known as Army Camp, and that settlement was after changed to the current Reindeer Station, now operated by the IRC.

Binder himself was born near the Husky Lakes, and was later raised in Aklavik.

"I'm glad to see the IRC has invested some money and put up some buildings so the station can be used for traditional activities now," he said. "To a lot of us, it's still home in a way."

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