Sunday, March 13, 2011

The Living Edens: Arctic Oasis: Canada's Southhampton Island

My son and I picked up this PBS dvd from our local library on a whim and I'm glad we did. It was a fascinating look into Inuit life with breathtaking filming; very visually stunning with an engaging storyline.

My son gives this episode 4.5 stars out of 5.

Here's the PBS plot summary:
There is an Eden in one of Earth's most brutally unforgiving realms. Along the shores of Southampton Island in northern Hudson Bay, a survival story has played out for centuries. Only a hardy group of animal and human souls have learned to live within this frigid and dark arctic world. Noah Kadlak, of Inuit ancestry knows how to live in the arctic environment and survive. Now he has decided the time is right to take his eldest son, 12-year-old Logan, on an extended hunting trip. The trip offers him a chance to introduce the boy to traditional Inuit skills of living off the land.

In the early spring Noah and Logan make the long trip by skidoo and sled. Father and son journey across the frozen ocean. They sleep in igloos, eat fish they catch from under frozen lakes and traverse a landscape that is defined by a horizon of ice and sky. It is a trip that is no longer readily made by the Inuit, but it is still ingrained in their souls.

The trip is an arduous one. With wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour, and air temperatures reaching 20 below zero, it takes a tremendous amount of effort to build their camp, take care of their sleds, and secure their equipment each night. They journey to a source of perpetual open water, an arctic oasis for man and animal alike in a land of frozen snow and ice.


After doing a quick Google search, I found that this episode has a "Featured Program" page full of extra information and more beautiful pictures. The special features includes going on an arctic adventure, learning a bit of history, checking out the map, exploring the arctic animals and flora, as well as a look at the filming of the episode, teacher's lesson plans, and extra resources.

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