Inuit students visit the International Polar Foundation
Group picture at the end of the day
© International Polar Foundation
On 6 May, the International Polar Foundation and a group of Belgian youth had the opportunity to share a day with thirty Inuit students who were visiting Brussels with their college program called "Nunavut Sivuniksavut".
"Nunavut Sivuniksavut" is an eight month program based in Ottawa (Canada), which offers youth between the ages of 18 and 24 from Nunavut (one of Canada's three territories), the opportunity to learn about Inuit history and live independently for eight months in a big city before returning to Nunavut.
During their 10-day educational tour in Europe, the students stopped in Brussels where we had the opportunity to learn more about their Inuit culture while the students had the opportunity to discover life in Europe and the furthest place from their home: Antarctica.
In the morning, Nathalie Van Isacker, the scientific officer at the Foundation, and Mieke Sterke, content developer, enthusiastically guided the group through the exhibition "Inside The Station," where they described what it is like to live and work at "Princess Elisabeth Antarctica" research station.
In the afternoon, Sandra Vanhove and Isabelle Noirot, members of the educational team, welcomed the students to "Class Zero Emission" the educational space of the Foundation, where the group met two Belgian classes from the Athénée Royal de Pepinster. After an introduction by Thierry Touchais, the Executive Director of the Foundation, Sandra bravely attempted to welcome the students in their first language, Inuktitut, which is no easy feat. The youth translated the Inuktitut into English and French, and the students participated in a cultural exchange which began with a series of questions and answers about the culture and history of Nunavut and Belgium.
After this moment of sharing under the interested gaze of several representatives of the Canadian Embassy in Brussels, students from both countries shared their knowledge of the Polar Regions using puzzles, and demonstrated how emperor penguins find their partners in the Antarctic with a game using their sense of hearing. Not easy!
Later, the Inuit youth displayed their culture in a show that included throat singing, Inuit drumming and competitive games. A Belgian student offered to participate in one of those games, and he excelled!
Alain Hubert then captivated the crowd by sharing stories from his experiences in the Arctic and looking into the eyes of a polar bear.
Afterwards, everyone ended up on the deck for a group photo and a final moment of exchange between the participants before the visit drew to a close. Thank you all for having participated and thanks to Dave Walsh and Olivia Rempel for taking pictures of the event!
