This photo was taken ten days ago in Apaluktuk, Cape Dorset, the same day we saw 6 bears in the same area, which was unusual for Cape Dorset. There were more than ten bears in and around the community for last three weeks. People were complaining that it's very scary and we should chase them or kill them... But I was happy to to see them around.. so I dont have to go snowmobiling for miles and miles to find these beautiful animals.
The reason why these bears are so close to the community is very simple.. no need to do much research on it.
This all started since there was a "bowhead whale hunt" in Cape Dorset (which was another shame since there was no proper planning and they wasted more than 60% of the meat) and which was in the end of September this year. If you go around the Island (or within 10 km of the community through the shore) you could find the left overs of whale everywhere. On top of this mess, they stored tons of meat somewhere in the hamlet freezer (Managed by HTA/Hamlet) and no one went to check on it during September and October. Fortunately or unfortunately, the freezer was not working (may be the freezer was feeling bad about keeping the Majestic animals meat). Instead of properly destroying the meat.. the Hamlet just took those and dumped it in the dump.. later on they burned some of em. And now people are asking why the bears are in the community.. what do u expect when they get an invitation for whale barbeque??
They are not educated enough to understand the sign boards and they dont have a sixth sense to know why people don't want them around. Then the Hamlet decides to kill three bears in one wk, since there is no other way to keep them away.
I was lucky to capture this shot.. I think I was the last one to capture them live in a camera.
I can understand the tradition and people eat bear meat and which is pretty normal for inuits.
But this is not the way it has to be done. It was a trap, they could have avoided this by moving all the waste meat to the closest Island or destroying it properly... or giving the meat to other communities etc etc.
If they are so traditional and they respect the tradition.. then do it traditionally. am sure there wont be a single bear captured cause people even lost the talent of harpooning or dog sledging. with no snow mobile and no gun. they are gonna kill nothing.
End of ma frastuation
