Circling the Midnight Sun

by James Raffan

  If this is our last chance to get things right with indigenous peoples and with the environment, and if Naja and Josefina, Angut and Billy, Ingrid and so many other youth I met in my travels around the Arctic Circle are living testament to the wisdom of Kleist’s words, then the challenge for the rest of us is to educate ourselves to empower and support northerners to fly their own arcs toward sustainable self-determination and to confront issues like climate change and the cold rush head on.

  But to do that we must shine a light into the shadows of conquest. We must spend as much time and money on relationship building as we spend on science and industry, and invest with every available resource to ensure that this illumination and these investments persist until, as our minister for the Arctic Council dreams, the Arctic’s future is truly in the hands of northerners.

  Lined up in Keflavík, ready to head home, I recalled a moment during a presentation about Alaska, when the presenter looked out on the sea of delegates and asked for a show of hands to indicate how many Alaskans were in the audience. There were three score or more. Later that day, during a presentation about indigenous rights, a presenter asked how many indigenous people were present in the audience. Eight hands went up. Visibly embarrassed by this, conference co-founder Alice Rogoff picked up the stage mike and said, “We’ll do better next time.” Amen, Sister Alice.

  Our future depends on it. In a world where climate change affects every living soul, we are all northerners.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  This odyssey would just not have happened but for the love and care of my spouse and partner of thirty-five years, Gail Cole Simmons—911 operator, home fire stoker, in-house editor, and confidante through more than a few scrapes, long absences, and missed connections.

  I must also acknowledge the pivotal contributions of former Canadian diplomat and Queen’s University policy studies professor Bob Wolfe, and Canadian Ambassador to Russia John Sloan, who were instrumental in helping to make the first official connections in Moscow for this project. Special thanks and appreciation as well to Evgenia Titovskaya and my hero, Venera Niyazova, from the Yamal Department of Culture, who vouched for my character and the soundness of this project with almost no information to go on, and helped to secure a long-term, multiple-entry visa to conduct the Russian legs of the research.

  Official access to communities across the Russian Arctic was also crucially aided by Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador-at-Large Anton Vasiliev, who provided strategic advice, as well as Executive Director Elena U and Board Chair Sergey Nikolayevich Kharyuchi of RAIPON—the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Far East—whose written support for this project opened many doors. Finally, without the dogged determination of Elena Bologova in Anadyr and Elena Gaisina at the Canadian Embassy in Moscow, this project’s Chukotka permit would never have been issued.

  Others whose counsel came at multiple points throughout the research and writing process include my friend and long-time editor and publisher, Phyllis Bruce; Arctic ambassador Mary Simon; International Polar Year conference chair Peter Harrison; Students on Ice founder Geoff Green, who seems to know just about everybody in the boreal and austral circumpolar worlds; reindeer herder and indefatigable northern entrepreneur Lloyd Binder; my ebullient literary agent, Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists; historian David Finch in Calgary; vice president and general director of the Moscow Representative Office of Kinross Gold Corporation, Lou Naumovski; Arctic Institute of North America co-conspirator Mike Robinson; and mentors Brian Osborne and Bert Horwood, who always manage to slip alternative perspectives into a conversation just when things are settling.

  Top list kudos, too, to the hardest working e-agent in the Russian travel biz, Nina Abrosimova in Moscow, who coached me through reading as much Russian as necessary to understand complicated itineraries and who extinguished flash fires at the most crucial times.

  And then, at each stop along the way, there were contributors, informants, guides, translators, hosts, fixers, and friends old and new who, without exception, sometimes with my knowledge and often without, or without mentioning in any detail just how far out of their way they had gone to make things happen, bent over backwards to welcome and assist a northern neighbour.

  In Iceland: Svafar Gylfasson, his wife, Unnur, and their delightful children, Gyda, Sigrun Edda, Bra, and Ingólfur Bjarni, who introduced me to the secret life of birds on Grímsey. On the fishing vessel Nunni, Svafar’s twin brother Bjarni Gylfasson and crew, Arni Mar Olafsson and Adam Petur Petursson, who humoured me as I asked incessant questions between dashes to the rail. Invaluable insight and advice in Reyjkavik came from Ari Trausti Guðmundsson, who, among other things, taught me about ravens. My thanks as well to Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grímsson, whose iconoclastic and courageous thinking about circumpolar affairs was always thought-provoking. And to the hardest-working polar bears in Iceland, who protested the Arctic Circle Conference on behalf of the imprisoned Arctic 30, Caterina Torresani and Leena Lahti—you too added significantly to the round-the-world experience.

  In Scandinavia: Ingrid Skjoldvaer and her mother, Torhild Morsund, welcomed Canadian visitors into their lives in Sigerfjord, Norway. Gyrid Celius, counsellor at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Moscow, also provided crucial advice about Norwegian travel. In Sweden, Elisabeth Ohlsson helped me connect to Terra Madre delegates, and her son Daniel Ohlsson welcomed us into his farm kitchen right on the Arctic Circle in Kuouka. Then in Finland there were guides and interpreters at cultural sites along the way, and delighting us in a wonderfully weird Finnish interpretation of Peter Pan was the theatre troupe on the MS Silja Serenade, on the night cruise between Helsinki and Stockholm. And the guy at the Koskenniemi Gasthaus, ninety kilometres south of Jyväskylä, who lent us the canoe for a day without anything other than the warmest and most trusting welcome—thank you.

  In Russia (working west to east through 172 degrees of longitude): In Sápmi, on the Kola Peninsula, were the incomparable Anna Prakhova, Nina Afanasieva, Anna Afanasieva, Olga Egorova, Valentina Sovkina, Semjon Bolshunov, Olga Sergeiova, and their families and friends, and whose special anniversary candle we burn still on June 30th each year. In Murmansk, Nathan Hunt, Ludmila Kondratenko, Maria Ilicheva, Grigory Stratiy, and Evgeniy V. Nikora, speaker of the Murmansk Regional Duma. In Moscow, Maria Ilicheva, Gilles Breton, Eugene Berg, Mikhail Slavin, Evgeny Pimenov, Prof. Tatiana Vladsova, Arthur N. Chilingarov, Ivan V. Rozhin, Prof. Vera Smorchkova, Prof. Tatiana Dmitrievna Pivovarova, Nikolay Dmitrievich Smirnov, Natalia Muradova, Aleksey Vakhrushev, Alexander Mikhailovich Konstantinov, Dr. Natalia Rybczymski, and my old friend from elementary and secondary school, Mark Gilbert, and his wife, Lois, who made me so welcome when passing through Moscow. In Yamal, Alina and Yana Lyaskovik, Ljudmila Lipatova, Roman Yando, Lidiya Patievna Vello, Keonid Ivanovich Khudi, Vanentina Ivanova Shakhova, Nadezhda Larivna Serpivo, Oleg Prokop’evich Siugney. In Aksarka, Viktor and Olga Laptender and not too far away in their chum on the frozen tundra, Nikolai and Oustinia Laptender, and their families. In Khanty-Mansiysk, Vladislav Ivanovich Rishkolaevich Shestalov, Oleg Gustavovich Shatin, Prof. Romanov Konstantin, Dina Gherasimova Vasilievna, and Nikolai V. Chepurnyh. In Kyshik, Yefim Mikolaevich and his wife, Natalya Paulovna Bachman. In Yakutsk, Sardana Boyakova, Prof. Aitalina A. Borisova, Ekaterina Evseyeva, Alexandr P. Isaev, Valentina Dmitrievna, Afanasiy V. Migalkin, Ruslan Skrybykin, Vaycheslav Shadrin, Igor and Marina Makarov, Sardana Boyakova, Maxime Duran, Natalia Harlumphia, Nikolai Louguinov, and Aiza P. Reshetnikova. In Oktyomtsy, Marta Alexandra and Olga Uvarov. In Bayaga, Boris Fedorovich Neustroev and his wife, Fedora. In Magadan, Brad Margeson and Roman Karabets, the Kinross driver. At Kupol, Lyudmila Ukhtomskaya, Alexander Petrovich Romanov, Evgeniya Saevich, Pavel Ermakov, Nikolay Rol’tykvy, Vladimir Korange, Vladislav Itegin, and Jason Lever. In Chukotka, Grigori Tynankergav, Elena Bologova, Anna Otke, Petr Klimov, André Alexandravich Klimko, Irina Tymnevye, and Michael Golbtsev. And finall
y, kudos to the lady at the Russian Consulate in Ottawa, who brought me to tears with her tough love.

  In Alaska: With an introduction from Geoff Green, Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell personally opened a number of doors leading to wonderful encounters in Nome with Tom Gray; in Shishmaref with Clifford Weyiouanna and Dennis Davis; and in Kotzabue with Zach Stevenson, Martha Siikauraq Whiting, Dolly K. Holley, Mickey Nanouk, and the incomparable whale hunter/culturalist-cum-actor, John Chase. In Fairbanks, Evon Peter made me think of Nelson Mandela and his work; and in Fort Yukon, Ginny Alexander made me welcome in her house, the Snowdrift B&B, where she introduced me to her ex-husband, Clarence, as well as to Hanne Bergman and Mike Peter.

  In Greenland: Again, assistance, information, guidance and advice came from a wealth of likely and unlikely sources: David Fletcher, Rassy Alataq, Ludvig Hammeken, Kristine Klemensen, Esther Olsen, Kim Rasmussen, Ania Drechsel, Liv Lynge, Naja Carina Steenholdt, and Mikkel Lund, who piqued my interest in the Arctic Circle trail east from Kangerlussuaq with offer of accommodations in his coastal home in Sisimiut. A strong vote of support for the project from a pivotal conversation with Prime Minister Aleqa Hammond after singing for her on stage with the Students on Ice Chorus at the 250th Anniversary Celebration in Uummanaq in the summer of 2013.

  In Canada: Advisors, travelling companions, teachers, and confidants across the country helped in variety of contexts: Patrick Borbey, Andrew Kunezi, Frank and Margaret Ipakohak, Pascal Baillargeon, Elaine Alexie, Up Here magazine publisher Marion Lavigne, Elizabeth Basil, Martin Bergmann, Grant Linney, Michael Greco, Larry Biemann, Mike Robinson, Peter Harrison, Whit Fraser, Tony Penikett, Bruce Rigby, John Crump, Faruk Ekich, Steve Mitchell, Ed Opitz, Mat Wilcox, Farley Mowat, Commander Jeffrey McRae and Col. Pierre St-Cyr, Jeff Anderson, Johnny “Awesome” Issaluk, Jesse Mike, Jason Annahatak, Whitney Lackenbauer, and in Repulse Bay, hunter, boat driver and guide, the late Joani Kringayark. You have all been instrumental in one way or another in circling the midnight sun. And on the Coppermine River, members of the Atanigi Expedition described in Chapter 20 were Craig Parkinson, Angulalik Pedersen, Katrina Hotogina, Billy McWilliam, Carla Algona, Colin Smith, Ken MacDiarmid, Andrew Aziz, John Aziz, Charlie Walker, Rob Willoughby, Philip von Hahn, Kevin Ongahak, Molly Prendergast and Kenny Taptuna, who gave me the Inuinnaqtun name “Aiuituk” (meaning “teacher” or “bearded guitar player from the south”), which I cherish.

  My travelling mates on ships in the Arctic—Captain Anthony Potts, Jolly Atagoyak, Captain Norm Baker, Mike Beedell, Michael Byers, JR Carey, Borden Chapman, Sira Chayer, Gary Donaldson, Kathleen Edwards, Jane Eert, David Fletcher, Whit Fraser, David Freese, Eric Galbraith, Diz Glithero, Geoff Green, David Gray, Peter Harrison, Bobby Rose Koe, Shirley Manh, Peter Mansbridge, Eric Mattson, Jeannete Menzies, Daniel Meyok, Alanna Mitchell, Lee Narraway, Joanne Palituq, Bianca Perrin, Annie Petalaussie, Scobie Pye, Richard Sears, David Serkoak, Tim Straka, Ian Tamblyn, Donavin Taplin, Alex Taylor, Trevor Taylor, Lucy van Oldenbarneveld, and the members of South Pacific ukulele ensemble Island Breeze, who rocked the ball diamond in Cape Dorset one sunny Arctic summer afternoon.

  Besides various and more anonymous snogos, ATVs, canoes, kayaks, dog sleds, cars, 4 x 4s, eighteen-wheelers, motor canoes, Peterheads, reindeer sleds, bicycles and dirt bikes that got me from A to B along the way, the internationally registered oceangoing ships and their unseen crew members that deserve a vote of thanks as well for safe passage: Nunni EA-87 around Iceland; CCGS Des Groseilliers on scientific assignment with the Bedford Oceanographic Institute in Lancaster Sound and Wellington Channel; CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent, sailing through the Northwest Passage from Halifax to Kugluktuk; MV Clipper Adventurer (MV Sea Adventurer since she was renamed in October 2012) on various Arctic expeditions with Students on Ice and Adventure Canada. And, of course, there was the Sea Adventurer’s Yugoslavian-built sister ship, the inimitable MV Lyubov Orlova, now a ghost ship drifting, so they say, somewhere in the north Atlantic, which carried my dreams along with those of many others through Arctic waters.

  And finally, heartfelt appreciation to the whole team at HarperCollins Canada: my new editor, Jane Warren; production editor Maria Golikova; illustrator Dawn Huck; publicists Rob Firing and Lauren Morocco; and my long-time friend at reception, Norma Cody.

  Pakka þér, takk, takk, kiitos, giitu, спасибо, mutna, , whakawhetai ki a koutou, quyanainni, mahsi’ choo, quana, ma’na, qujannamiik, nakurmiik, qujan—thank you all.

  James Raffan

  Pugwash, Nova Scotia

  June 30, 2014

  About the Author

  JAMES RAFFAN is a prolific writer, speaker, and geographer, and is the past executive director of the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, Ontario. The author of numerous books, including the bestselling Emperor of the North; Bark, Skin and Cedar; and Fire in the Bones, he has written for a variety of media outlets including print, radio, and television. He is an international fellow of the Explorers Club, a past chair of the Arctic Institute of North America, and a fellow and past governor of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, service for which he was awarded the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, the Camsell Medal, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal.

  Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.

  Advance praise for CIRCLING the MIDNIGHT SUN

  “Circling the Midnight Sun is travel writing at its best. Epic in scope and geography, it certainly does circle the most brutal and yet fragile landscape on earth. Raffan’s a fantastic writer. He has that rare and great ability to see the big picture while refusing to judge. Circling the Midnight Sun is a must read for anyone concerned about the future of our planet. And boy, I hope that’s everyone.” —Joseph Boyden, author of The Orenda

  “To me it’s the most exciting region on the planet, and while we all talk about how the Arctic is being affected by climate change, how many of us have actually been there? My friend James Raffan has, and he takes being there very seriously—just look at where he went. Sir John Franklin would envy this voyage! … Circling the Midnight Sun is a fascinating read.”—Peter Mansbridge, chief correspondent for CBC Television News and anchor of The National

  “Start with a terrific idea: circle the globe along the Arctic Circle. Add an adventurous writer who has the energy, grit, empathy, vision, and savvy to get the job done. Presto! After four years … you have Circling the Midnight Sun: informed, entertaining, and important—a one-of-a-kind work with a ringing message for anyone interested in the north, indigenous peoples, climate change, or all three. This is the book James Raffan was born to write.” —Ken McGoogan, author of Fatal Passage and Lady Franklin’s Revenge

  “Exploring the vast differences in culture, climate, and landscape, contrasting places like Repulse Bay in the barren Canadian Arctic to the smokestacks and mining pits of Luleå in northern Sweden, he shows how peoples throughout the circumpolar world are fighting to protect their identities. In this remarkable book, a man who has spent a lifetime studying and travelling the Arctic now gives you a chance to go there—and you should.” —Whit Fraser, national reporter for CBC Television News and chair of the Arctic Children and Youth Foundation

  “Hidden truths. Hard truths. James Raffan’s sympathetic and insightful circumpolar voyage of discovery exposes the many challenges—and also the opportunities—that climate change is providing for the peoples and the biosphere of the north…. There are no easy answers … but Raffan, throughout his voyage, is certainly asking the right questions.” —John Sloan, former Canadian ambassador to the Russian Federation

  “By tracing one warm line through a land so wide and savage, James Raffan puts a human face on the circumpolar North.” —Michael Byers, author of International Law and the Arctic and winner of the 2013 Donner Prize

  “James Raffan has taken an unusual and difficult journey—around the world in Arctic latitudes. He has visited a diverse sampling of what Canadian Inuit would call ukiuqtaqturmi
ut—the people of the Arctic—an agglomeration of races, languages, and cultures united only by their residence in the globe’s northernmost countries and territories. This wonderful and informative volume has given voice to their stories—human stories—often lost or ignored in a world newly enamoured of the Arctic but increasingly focused on the physical or economic aspects of climate change.” —Kenn Harper, author of Give Me My Father’s Body: The Life of Minik, the New York Eskimo

  Credits

  COVER PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR

  Copyright

  Circling the Midnight Sun

  Copyright © 2014 by James Raffan

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