Skip to content
  1. Home
  2. Opinion

Tea talk with Navalik Tologanak: An incredible journey over land and sea

If you need a snowmobile, you go buy one! But these two brave young men made a plan, a very amazing plan to bring home their new snowmobiles! Amory Wood and Brent Nakashook of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut flew to Yellowknife, NT on regular scheduled flight. Upon arriving they bought their snowmobiles but now needed to get them home, so they planned a journey to bring them home – not by air cargo, but by driving them home by land and sea.
NNSL Media

If you need a snowmobile, you go buy one! But these two brave young men made a plan, a very amazing plan to bring home their new snowmobiles! Amory Wood and Brent Nakashook of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut flew to Yellowknife, NT on regular scheduled flight. Upon arriving they bought their snowmobiles but now needed to get them home, so they planned a journey to bring them home – not by air cargo, but by driving them home by land and sea.

Here is Amory Wood of Cambridge Bay, making alliaks for his journey home, with guidance and assistance learning from Brent Nakashook. Photo courtesy of Navalik Tologanakᐅᓇ ᐊᐃᒧᕆ ᕗᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒥᐅᑕᖅ, ᐊᓪᓕᐊᓕᐅᖅᑐᒥ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒧᑦ, ᐊᔪᕆᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓯᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐳᕋᓐᑦ ᓇᑲᓱᖕᒥ .
Here is Amory Wood of Cambridge Bay, making alliaks for his journey home, with guidance and assistance learning from Brent Nakashook. Photo courtesy of Navalik Tologanak
ᐅᓇ ᐊᐃᒧᕆ ᕗᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒥᐅᑕᖅ, ᐊᓪᓕᐊᓕᐅᖅᑐᒥ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒧᑦ, ᐊᔪᕆᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓯᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐳᕋᓐᑦ ᓇᑲᓱᖕᒥ .

They planned their trip from a map, carefully looking at some rough terrain, ice, snow and weather conditions were all laid out. Planning their rough route involved studying previous travelers’ trails, mining company roads and ice road routes to bring home their new toys. Now they needed alliaks (sleds) to carry their supplies and gas, so from scratch they both built two sleds.

Here are two alliaks made by Amory and Brent for their journey back home to Cambridge Bay from Yellowknife, NT. Alliaks are made to carry supplies and fuel. Photo courtesy of Navalik Tologanakᐅᑯᐊ ᒪᕐᕉᒃ ᐊᓪᓕᐊᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᐃᒧᕆ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐳᕋᓐᑦᒥ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒧᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒧᑦ ᔭᓗᓇᐃᕝ, ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕐᒥ. ᐊᓪᓕᐊᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓲᖑᕗᑦ ᐊᒡᔭᖅᓯᓂᕐᒥ ᓱᓇᒃᑯᑖᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᖕᒥ .
Here are two alliaks made by Amory and Brent for their journey back home to Cambridge Bay from Yellowknife, NT. Alliaks are made to carry supplies and fuel. Photo courtesy of Navalik Tologanak
ᐅᑯᐊ ᒪᕐᕉᒃ ᐊᓪᓕᐊᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᐃᒧᕆ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐳᕋᓐᑦᒥ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒧᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒧᑦ ᔭᓗᓇᐃᕝ, ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕐᒥ. ᐊᓪᓕᐊᑦ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓲᖑᕗᑦ ᐊᒡᔭᖅᓯᓂᕐᒥ ᓱᓇᒃᑯᑖᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᖕᒥ .

The journey of roughly 850 kilometres took 11 days, with an extra four days waiting for snowmobile parts. They waited it out at Kingaut (Bathurst Inlet) in houses more like mansions after days on the land, equipped with oil stoves, kitchenettes, and a power grid which was hooked up to a honey bucket, which was a nice change for them.

Wildlife was seen along their amazing trip – muskox, foxes, wolverine, wolf tracks, caribou, also seen this early in the season were ptarmigans and other migratory birds at Kingaut. Since Brent grew up on the land hunting and fishing, he noticed evidence of climate change happening, such as steam rising where there is open water along their trail.

Moose hunting near Kingaut, Nunavut (Bathurst Inlet) is not common, but with climate change it will happen more often as the nuna (land) warms up and wildlife not common to Nunavut and Inuit will migrate further north away from the treeline. Here is Brent Nakashook of Cambridge Bay, with a freshly harvested moose 10 kilometres northwest of Kingaut. Photo courtesy of Navalik Tologanakᑐᒃᑐᕙᒐᓱᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥ ᑭᙵᐅᑦ ᖃᓂᒋᔭᖓᓂ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᒐᔪᙱᓚᖅ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᓯᓚᐅᑉ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖓᓂ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᒍᔪᖕᓂᖅᓴᐅᓂᐊᓕᖅᐳᖅ ᓄᓇ ᐅᖅᑰᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐆᒪᔪᐃᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᓕᐊᒐᔪᙱᑦᑐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᑎᖅᑕᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓂᐊᖅᐳᑦ ᐅᐊᖕᓇᖅᐸᓯᖕᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᒧᑦ ᓇᐹᖅᑐᖃᕐᕕᐅᔪᒥ. ᐅᓇ ᐳᕋᓐᑦ ᓇᑲᓱᒃ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑐᑦᑎᐊᕐᒥᐅᑕᖅ, ᑐᒃᑐᕙᒃᑕᐅᓵᖅᑐᒥ 10 ᑭᓛᒥᑐᒥ ᐅᐊᖕᓇᒥ ᐱᓇᖕᓇᕐᒥ ᑭᙵᐅᑦᒥ .
Moose hunting near Kingaut, Nunavut (Bathurst Inlet) is not common, but with climate change it will happen more often as the nuna (land) warms up and wildlife not common to Nunavut and Inuit will migrate further north away from the treeline. Here is Brent Nakashook of Cambridge Bay, with a freshly harvested moose 10 kilometres northwest of Kingaut. Photo courtesy of Navalik Tologanak
ᑐᒃᑐᕙᒐᓱᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥ ᑭᙵᐅᑦ ᖃᓂᒋᔭᖓᓂ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᒐᔪᙱᓚᖅ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᓯᓚᐅᑉ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖓᓂ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᒍᔪᖕᓂᖅᓴᐅᓂᐊᓕᖅᐳᖅ ᓄᓇ ᐅᖅᑰᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐆᒪᔪᐃᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᓕᐊᒐᔪᙱᑦᑐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᑎᖅᑕᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓂᐊᖅᐳᑦ ᐅᐊᖕᓇᖅᐸᓯᖕᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᒧᑦ ᓇᐹᖅᑐᖃᕐᕕᐅᔪᒥ. ᐅᓇ ᐳᕋᓐᑦ ᓇᑲᓱᒃ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑐᑦᑎᐊᕐᒥᐅᑕᖅ, ᑐᒃᑐᕙᒃᑕᐅᓵᖅᑐᒥ 10 ᑭᓛᒥᑐᒥ ᐅᐊᖕᓇᒥ ᐱᓇᖕᓇᕐᒥ ᑭᙵᐅᑦᒥ .

Brent remembers boating only till September each fall time, but now this past fall they were boating till November. He was happy to share his experiences and stories and photographs to teach the younger generations living their dreams and aspirations. While growing up with grandparents living a traditional cultural lifestyle was where he began his lifelong love of Inuit life.

These two adventurous men from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Amory Wood, left, and Brent Nakashook, were out on the Ingraham Trail near Yellowknife, NT, busy hauling a sled by foot to get ready for their snowmobile journey from Yellowknife to Cambridge Bay. Lots of deep snow and too many trees! Photo courtesy of Navalik Tologanakᐅᑯᐊ ᐱᓕᕆᒃᑲᐃᑦ ᐊᖑᑎᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒥᐅᑕᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ, ᐊᐃᒧᕆ ᕗᑦ, ᓴᐅᒥᖕᒥ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᐳᕋᓐᑦ ᓇᑲᓱᒃ ᐃᙳᕋᒻ ᐃᒡᓕᓂᖓᓂ ᔭᓗᓇᐃᕝ, ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᖅ ᖃᓂᒋᔭᖓᓂ, ᐅᓯᕗᑦ ᖃᒧᑎᖕᒥ ᐱᓱᒃᖢᑎᒃ ᐸᕐᓇᖕᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓯᑭᑑᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓂᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᔭᓗᓇᐃᕝᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒧᑦ. ᐃᑎᔪᐊᓗᖕᒥ ᐊᐳᑎᖃᕐᔪᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓇᐹᖅᑐᖃᓗᐊᖅᑐᖅ !
These two adventurous men from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Amory Wood, left, and Brent Nakashook, were out on the Ingraham Trail near Yellowknife, NT, busy hauling a sled by foot to get ready for their snowmobile journey from Yellowknife to Cambridge Bay. Lots of deep snow and too many trees! Photo courtesy of Navalik Tologanak
ᐅᑯᐊ ᐱᓕᕆᒃᑲᐃᑦ ᐊᖑᑎᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒥᐅᑕᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ, ᐊᐃᒧᕆ ᕗᑦ, ᓴᐅᒥᖕᒥ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᐳᕋᓐᑦ ᓇᑲᓱᒃ ᐃᙳᕋᒻ ᐃᒡᓕᓂᖓᓂ ᔭᓗᓇᐃᕝ, ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᖅ ᖃᓂᒋᔭᖓᓂ, ᐅᓯᕗᑦ ᖃᒧᑎᖕᒥ ᐱᓱᒃᖢᑎᒃ ᐸᕐᓇᖕᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓯᑭᑑᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓂᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᔭᓗᓇᐃᕝᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᕐᒧᑦ. ᐃᑎᔪᐊᓗᖕᒥ ᐊᐳᑎᖃᕐᔪᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓇᐹᖅᑐᖃᓗᐊᖅᑐᖅ !

With youth facing changes such as suicide, depression, trauma, abuse, addictions, alcohol and drugs it was time to try and make a change to help his fellow youth and Inuit, to show youth fun can be had being sober and clean and by this trip which they did to show the kids they can do like what Brent and Amory did. Moving forward for us all, let’s do it. In loving memory of Nakahok and Kablok, Quana Brent for the stories.