Elder and daughter attacked by polar bear on expedition to repatriate Inuit remains | 24CA News

About 10 boats left a foggy Kangiqsualujjuaq on July 25 as a part of a three-day journey in what was certain to be an eventful journey.

A staff from the Inuit group situated alongside the northeastern facet of Ungava Bay joined representatives from the Avataq Cultural Institute, a Nunavik group devoted to preserving language and tradition.

They geared up their motor boats and canoes with the requirements: meals, tenting gear and provides. But their most treasured cargo was the bones of 4 unknown individuals whose stays have been excavated from Killiniq island — in Nunavut — a long time in the past.

The staff set off to rebury the repatriated stays that had been dug up by an archaeologist within the Nineteen Thirties for analysis. They had been housed for years within the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que.

Rhoda Kokiapik, govt director on the Avataq Cultural Institute, heard concerning the stays final yr.

After months of labor with museum employees — who finally agreed to cowl the price of the repatriation course of — Kokiapik lastly picked up the bones in April and set to work planning the journey.

“It’s unnatural for human remains to be stored in an institution,” mentioned Kokiapik. “It’s very important that these remains or any other remains are properly put in place.”

But the journey did not go as easily as that they had hoped.

In the early hours of the morning of July 26, Maggie Emudluk, mayor of Kangiqsualujjuaq, was residence in mattress when she was awoken by a frantic name.

A resident from city advised her a polar bear had attacked two individuals 140 kilometres northeast of them on the primary evening of the journey and he or she wanted to co-ordinate a rescue mission.

“The person, pretty much in a panic state, said ‘The people that are going to Killiniq have been attacked by polar bears’ …[I thought] ‘Oh my God,'” mentioned Emudluk.

“It was a father with his daughter and son.”

Elder and daughter attacked by polar bear on 1st evening out

Emudluk recognized the three relations who have been concerned within the bear assault as elder Kenny Assevak and his grownup kids, daughter Siqua Baron and son Ned Baron — who had joined the expedition due to their roots in Killiniq.

The evening of the incident, the household was sleeping in a tent when the polar bear confirmed up simply after 2 a.m. Emudluk says the younger polar bear reached the daddy first after which attacked the daughter earlier than Ned Baron killed the bear with a gun at shut vary.

Emudluk says the daddy and daughter have been severely injured and are recovering however Ned Baron was not harm.

Emudluk says the group reacted rapidly.

“We dispatched the boat at 4:00 a.m. It’s a couple of hours to go down and we were able to get these people back in our community around … 9:00 a.m. in the morning,” mentioned Emudluk.

She says the clinic airlifted the daddy and daughter — who each had critical cuts — to the hospital in Kuujjuaq, in Nunavik, Que. She says the elder was later taken to Montreal for remedy and continues to be recovering.

“It’s a wild country out there. It’s a beautiful but extremely hazardous environment,” mentioned Emudluk, including that the remainder of the repatriation crew needed to proceed on.

“They had to finish what they’re trying to do.”

LISTEN | Polar bear injures 2 individuals travelling to carry Inuit stays residence:

Team cast on

Kokiapik, who was travelling forward of the household with one other group due to the thick fog, solely heard the news over radio the subsequent morning.

It was not how the staff wished the journey to begin.

“[I thought] ‘Oh boy, oh boy, I hope everyone is okay,” recalled Kokiapik.

“We learned that they were rescued,” she mentioned. “So that was a bit of an assurance for us … We had no choice but to continue. We were very, very, very far.”

The journey to the island took about seven hours by boat and once they lastly arrived, Kokiapik says they set to work planning a correct burial.

This was Kokiapik’s first time on the island, which she says was once inhabited by Inuit who have been nomadic.

When the federal government of the Northwest Territories shut down the group on the island within the Seventies, residents have been dispersed to a number of communities. Kokiapik says whereas some individuals return to the island usually, others have not had the chance.

“People were happy,” mentioned Kokiapik. “I know some were happy to finally go to their childhood place.” 

Kokiapik says the staff gathered rocks and located a spot to bury the stays close to the water — a correct finish to the journey that had been over a yr within the making.

“It was such a surreal moment opening the box, which was wrapped in special material that will dissolve over time,” mentioned Kokiapik.

“After that, we said a short prayer performed by one of our elders … Every human deserves to be resting.”