Arctic cruise passengers connect with Inuit communities along Northwest Passage

GJOA HAVEN · A cruise through the Northwest Passage is offering passengers a chance to connect with residents of remote Inuit communities in Canada's North. The 25-day trip aboard the MS Fridtjof Nansen, operated by HX Expeditions, includes stops in small towns such as Gjoa Haven, Pond Inlet and Cambridge Bay in Nunavut. In the Northwest Territories, the ship visits Ulukhaktok and Sachs Harbour. Community visits follow a pattern of guided tours led by Inuit residents, with optional paid excursions ranging from hikes to cultural activities. "I found there is generally a positive response when you're giving people agency to showcase themselves, their lives, their communities in a way that they'd like to," said Alex McNeil, a Toronto-based HX employee who helped develop the program. The excursion program was created in conjunction with the Inuit communities along the route. HX approached the communities several years ago to become partners, with all revenue from the passenger experiences staying in the community.

Onboard the ship, Inuk cultural ambassador Alayna Ningeongan spoke at daily information sessions and gave talks about her own experiences in the North. She spoke about taking part in her first family polar bear hunt at age 14. Ningeongan did not shy away from politics and criticism of how the North has been treated, though she prefaced her comments by saying they were her personal opinion. "I hope you have the chance to actually meet the people and connect with them on another level, their respect, care and understanding," she told the group one night.

The community stops provided an intimate look at life in the Arctic. In Gjoa Haven, with a population of about 1,500, passengers joined a community bingo game and spoke with residents. One Inuit woman spoke with pride about her son, who was days away from leaving to attend the University of Calgary. Passengers heard about the town's traditions of hunting and fishing and how children have to travel south for postsecondary education. A visit to a local Co-op grocery store revealed a tiny selection of groceries with high prices, a reminder that despite feeling a world away, they were still in Canada.

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In Cambridge Bay, passengers got to try a small plate of different meats and fish, from muskox to Arctic char. The Inuit guides were residents who were not polished or seasoned but willingly and honestly answered questions and showed quiet pride in their communities. They spoke of relatable concerns, such as complaints that their kids spent too much time on screens, and also described experiences like being on a first polar bear hunt. The cruise, titled Through the Arctic Labyrinth, began in Greenland's capital, Nuuk, and ended in Nome, Alaska, before a flight to Seattle. The 316 passengers attended lectures on the Northwest Passage and its explorers, the environment and science. Many signed up for the science boat, which brought passengers out on Zodiacs to help take samples for the scientists aboard. The mood lifted considerably on days with a polar bear sighting, with the boat abuzz with passengers sharing photos afterwards.

Sightings of polar bears were announced over the public address system. On the first of two times the Northern Lights appeared, everyone received an announcement in the middle of the night. One expedition leader later admitted he used the emergency system to wake passengers, reasoning it was better than risking their ire the next day. Weather during the Canadian part of the trip featured daily temperatures around 5 to 10 degrees, with a lack of ice and smooth waters. While delayed a couple of times because of heavy fog or rain, there was only one cancelled excursion, to Beechey Island, because a polar bear would not move. Passengers saw the Smoking Hills on Cape Bathurst in the Northwest Territories, cliffs with naturally burning rocks that have been smouldering for thousands of years. The trip is only in its second year of running this particular excursion program developed with the Inuit communities.

With files from The Globe and Mail