Caribou Summer

On September 6^th, Kathy and Jim Bricker gave an interesting presentation entitled Caribou Summer to the Lake Superior Elders.  They provided us with information about many of the secrets that unfolded during their stay on the tundra near the Artic Circle in Canada.  Kathy and Jim explored a domain that was blessed with many forms of wildlife and plant life.  They spent seven weeks during the summer months traveling by canoe to various parts of this region.  I have to commend them for their fortitude and foresight in doing so. They prepared an excellent colorful rendition of this adventure in narrative and video form. It was quite evident they both shared a desire to learn as much as they can about the wonders nature has to offer.  A sea plane dropped them off and they were on their own until the plane was scheduled to pick them up.

They demonstrated how they prepared their food for their venture by drying fruits and vegetables and storing their food in a large cylinder type container.  The fish they caught served as the main source of their protein. There was Lake Trout and Artic Grayling that were plentiful.  They stored water which was used for drinking, washing themselves and clothes and preparing lots of soup.  When they came across snow, they prepared snow cones with gator aid and snow. 

Bull Caribou can weigh up to 460 pounds, and their antlers are the fastest growing material in the world, up to one inch per day. Their main form of communication is through smelling. Caribou produce specific chemicals to portray various messages such as when danger is approaching.  White wolves are considered their enemies. White wolves, which are considered our friends by Kathy and Jim and many others,  are known to help keep a healthy eco balance.  The wolves only eat the weakest and oldest of the caribou. They save the strongest to procreate and make new caribou.  Beautiful white wolves were shown in the video.  A wolf cub was calling out to his mother.  The narrators recommended respecting and honoring the territory of wolves.

Another amazing fact that Jim and Kathy portrayed was that the Grizzlies’ diet consist of 80 to 90% plant life even though they are considered carnivores.  Grizzlies need to gain at least 100 pounds to prepare them for hibernation. Jim needed to shoot a rifle to scare off a Grizzly Bear during the wee hours of the morning. Caribou need to eat up to two large bushels of leaves a day.  They are usually found foraging. Kathy and Jim told us about a lot of the plant life they discovered on their journey:  Dwarf Willows; the Artic Bumblebee flower; and the Mountain Sorrel are a few examples. 

Some of the large birds discovered in this area were Rough Legged Hawks, sandpipers, and falcons and some of the smaller birds were the Savannah Sparrow, and a medium size bird called the Parasitic Jaeger who got its name because they steal food from other birds. The bigger siblings eat the smaller siblings.  I never heard of that before with birds. 

Some of the animals they discovered besides the caribou were foxes, and the unique Muskox with their curly horns and fur that is eight times warmer than wool.  I thought I stepped back in time when I saw the Muskox.  Some of the smaller animals consisted of the Artic Ground Squirrel. There were berries available for the Inuit and animals such as crowberries, blueberries, and rock cranberries. 

Kathy and Jim visited Nadluk Island, the only place in the world in which the inhabitants used caribou antlers to build their homes.  They visited an Inuit grave site and found out that they could not bury their dead so there were a lot of artifacts left on top of the ground such as human remains and the things they were laid to rest with.  Was the custom of not burying their dead because of the permafrost or due to some tradition? 

Kathy and Jim took an adventure that I could only dream taking for many reasons.  Part of it would be the vast separation I would feel from civilization and another reason would be that I have to admit my reliance on the modern conveniences.   As a result of their exploration, they have brought us into a world of exploration.