Dez Loreen
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Oct 17/05) - You've had your Thanksgiving dinner and all your guests have gone, but the fridge never seems to empty.

For most people in the North, turkey is the main course on Thanksgiving Day.

Camellia Gray of Inuvik stands proudly beside her Thanksgiving leftovers. Turkey sandwiches are a favourite in her house. People all over the North have been saddled with leftover turkey, and everyone has their own way of dealing with it. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photo

It's an easy dish, according to Marjorie Baetz of Inuvik.

She knows what to do once her large group of guests leaves the dinner table.

"I usually have a lot of people over, and give away some of the meal to them as they leave," said Baetz.

"This way, we all get turkey for days."

For Baetz in Inuvik, turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, and turkey a la king are her favourite dishes with left-overs.

However, things can be a bit different the farther north you go, like in Holman.

Emily Kudlak said her family is also large, and many people gather when Thanksgiving comes.

"Our family extends quite far, so we have two meals instead of just one," said Kudlak.

"At my parents' place, we had about 14 people there, and at the other dinner, we had more than 20 in attendance."

Being farther north can have its advantages as far as choice of food goes.

Kudlak's grandmother had prepared a special treat for the meal. She plucked an owl to accompany the main course.

"Of course we had turkey. Everyone does. We also had a ham, with all the trimmings," said Kudlak.

"The owl was nice, you don't see too many of those."

With the aftermath from the Kudlak's double-header meal, they took the left-overs and brought them out to the community.

"We wrapped up individual dinners, and brought them to people who didn't have anything," said Kudlak.

According to Kudlak, other people in Holman had more of a traditional feast.

"Caribou and geese are also on the plates, but you can't beat the taste of turkey," said Kudlak.

For some communities, the Thanksgiving feast isn't just for the family.