Tag Archives for arctic

shop news: sneak peek … bushcraft basics

Sneak peek of new things soon winging their way to us from Arctic Scandinavia:

Sami Kuska: traditional handcrafted Arctic birch burl camping cup with reindeer leather lanyard, made by Sami craftsmen in Finland

Firestriker: weather-proof 12000+ steel striker with curly birchwood handle & reindeer leather lanyard, made by Sami craftsmen in Sweden

Stay tuned for superb new KUPILKA too, designed by Finnish eco-innovative architect Heikki Koivurova …!

the long twilight of winter’s wane

‘… a very great refraction is made under the poles, and consequently a long twilight, or, in other words, a light of long continuance …’

… an excerpt from ‘The Poles are the most enlightened parts of the World’; XCIV, The Gentleman’s magazine, Vol 40, 1770, via University of Michigan …

Images:
1. ‘Icebergs, Davis Strait’, Lawren Harris, c1930, via Heffel
2. ‘Russian Winter’, Nikolai Timkov, c1969, via Leningrad Artists
3. ‘Reindeer in Narjan Mar’, Ravdna Eira, via Arctic Council
4. ‘North Shore, Baffin Island’, Lawren Harris, c1930, via NGC
5. ‘Caribou’ Niviaksiak, via NGC

shop news: temporary ship/shop operations {ii} …!

Tinder’s small selection of goods currently available for shopping/shipping during our temporary overseas operations …!

… These goods are now available in the UK! {shipping via Royal Mail – just shoot us an email for rates!}

… And, these goods are now shipping to Canada & the USA too! {via the UK; Canadian postal rates remain as published; USA custom postal rates apply – just shoot us an email!}

… Next up … Tide Clocks, Star Kits, etc … watch this space …!

Thanks for visiting!

welcome 2011: new dawn, new paradigm …

‘Polar Bear & Cub’, by Niviaksiak, 1959, and a poignant piece about the artist & his art, via Waddington’s …

‘Untitled Chant’: [haiku url=”http://download940.mediafire.com/vjndi1o3l0ug/odkjzjufznz/Untitled+Chant.mp3″ title=”” graphical=”true”]

From the 1974 film {& based on the book by James Houston}, ‘The White Dawn‘, an Arctic tale, featuring the actors/singers, Akshooyooliak {‘Medicine Lady’} & Lou Gossett …

… Found, including fascinating wee backstory to this beautiful, obscure song, via Corduroy Mountain …’Her song simmers with a spectrum of emotions: sadness, hope, desperation, and resolve.’ …

Also, a clue from this extract from the comment by levinsky9, via the NYT review of said movie:

‘Henry Mancini’s music, based on the song created by an Inuit woman who made it up on request …’

Curious to know what Medicine Lady is singing about … could it be a foretelling, a lamenting … ‘warmest year on record‘ … observations from visiting photographer Ron Wassink in Iqaluit, ‘no one has a memory of the bay as we see it today’ … ‘there is no ice on Frobisher Bay’ …

… Could it be the Gulf Stream has veered northwest, leaving Britain in a rather more Labradorian / ‘White Dawn’ deep freeze these past few winters …?

… Now there is talk of a ‘polar bear refuge‘ …

… Whatever the reason, it’s unnerving & not ‘in season’, that on this day, 01 January 2011, in Toronto, Canada, it’s a soggy, grey +10C …!

tea & ceremony: silver teapots & national honours

Inuit Men

map nunavik

Award winning Inuit Teas via Nunavik: Governor General’s Award 2010 …!

‘Come sit & have some tea’, ‘from my best silver teapot!’, by Inuit artist Michael Massie, via Spirit Wrestler Gallery …

Inuit men enjoying an Arctic tea break … ‘Taste of the Arctic 2011’ … fundraising event at the National Gallery of Canada … the proceeds will go towards the Avataq Cultural Institute based in Nunavik, northern Quebec. Avataq would like to dedicate the evening’s celebrations to Mr. Isaacie Padlayat, one of Avataq’s founding members and longest serving Directors. Avataq will use the funds raised for the ‘Save Our Language’ program, known as Inuktituurniup Saturtaugasuarninga …!

The Way of Inuit Tea …

shop news: inuit wildcrafted tea … flora borealis

arctic flowers 1959-62 Cowley avataq

inuit tea harvest avataq

inuit tea via kanata

Arctic wildflowers, Inuit tea harvest, & Inuit wildcrafted teas; all photographs via Avataq Cultural Institute

*Teas, front to back: Labrador Tea, Crowberry, Arctic Tea, Juniper, Cloudberry …

Cloudberries, just one berry per plant, and so costly that they can trigger wars among the usually calm Scandinavians: cloudberries are “so valued in northern Scandinavia where Finland, Sweden, and Norway meet; the cloudberry has long been the cause of “cloudberry wars”. These otherwise peace-loving countries have been known to become quite territorial when it comes time to harvest this berry, causing the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs to develop a special section just for cloudberry diplomacy.”

{Alan Davidson. 1999. The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford: Oxford University Press}

Cloudberries, Crowberries … evocative, Arctic botanical infusions … in the shop … winter hibernation preparations underway …!

*All profits are given to Avataq Cultural Institute, a non profit charitable organization that protects & promotes the language & culture of Nunavik Inuit

shop news: sneak peek … inuit wildcrafted tea

inuit tea

Cloudberry tea, anyone …?

Wildcrafted traditional tundra teas … Coming soon …!

‘Inuit tea time’ archive photo via Avataq Cultural Institute

on thin ice: the arctic sea & history

‘Cambria Icefields, BC’; aerial photography by Eamon Mac Mahon

Some ‘ice breaking news’ we may have heard before … but whether ‘climate change’ or ‘solar cycles’ … whether climate warming or cooling, it seems the Arctic sea ice is melting rather quickly …

According to ‘the largest climate change study ever undertaken in Canada, the Arctic sea ice is thinning faster than expected … It was the first time a research vessel had ever remained mobile in open water in the Far North’ …

For the past 100 years, ‘no serving Canadian icebreaker was able to penetrate Canadian Arctic water during the severe winter season from November to May’ …!

Will icebreakers {and sea ice} become ancient history? Open season on the high Arctic seas begins …

Cruising the Northwest Passage … not so long ago, a certain charismatic Scot ventured across the top of Canada, exploring the legendary and ‘mythical sea route’ … {and got a mention in the Scottish Parliament for it … see below}

Billy Connolly journeys to the ‘Edge of the World’: insightful observations, stunning scenery, remote and remarkable folks; aired on TVO not long ago … an ode to Canada, series produced by ITV UK, keep an eye out for re-runs …

One of the last expeditions that attempted passage through Arctic waters 1.5 centuries ago, was much less pleasant … ‘Passage’, based on the compelling book by Ken McGoogan , who brought the story to light …

http://media1.nfb.ca/medias/flash/ONFflvplayer-gama.swf

Anticipating the film release of this fascinating and largely obscured history of Dr John Rae, the Orcadian Scot who scoured the Northwest Passage in search of the truth … and ‘was the first to identify and map the navigable link of the North West Passage’ …

Dr Rae joined the HBC and became a ‘student’ of the indigenous Cree and the Inuit in particular, who nicknamed him ‘Aglooka’ {he who takes long strides} for his skilled snowshoeing … and the rest is history … it’s been a long time coming …!
{we spent a year in Orkney, many moons ago, where we were introduced to this extraordinary story and unsung hero}

A wee tune to set the mood …