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ArtsCultureSpokenWord15TuesdayJune252013StorytellervisitsIceCoastonnewspokenwordalbumJimGreensMagicWordsharkensbacktoanoldertimeintheArcticByMEAGANWOHLBERGSeaicesealfatandthesmellofBombardierex-haustkickoffJimGreenslateststorytellingadventureMagicWordsTalesfromtheIceCoastthesecondspokenwordalbumbytheNorthernpoetandstorytellertocomeoutinthelastyear.Theauthorbehindthere-centalbumNotesfromtheGoldRangeandformerCBCcontributorfamedforhistalesofDogRiverthistimeheads200milesnorthoftheArcticCircletotellastoryinspiredbyasimplermythicaltimewhenallliv-ingcreaturesspokethesamelanguage.Ivealwayslikedevery-thingIveeverheardandreadaboutwheneverybodyspokethesamelanguageandevenafterthatwhentheywerentspeakingthesamelanguageanymorebuttheycouldstillunderstandeachotherslan-guageGreensaid.Magicwordsarelikewordssomagicthatallyouhavetodoissayitandthatsthewayitwouldbe-aintthatwonderfulOnMagicWordsGreensharesapersonalmemoirofasealhunthetookpartinintheearly1970swhilelivingandworkinginTaloyoakNunavut-thenapartoftheNorthwestTerritories-in-terspersedwithahandfulofInuitlegendsthatrootthegeographyofNetsiksiuvikInlettheplacetolookforsealsintherichhistoryandculture.ThoughthetaleisafairlystraightforwardaccountofasealhuntGreenusesthestorytoemploysomeofthestorytellingtechniqueshelearnedwhilelivingamongtheInuitlikebreakingupthenarrativeandnotendingattheendwhichhesaidhelpedhimrstbreakfreefromconvention.ItwasuptherethatIlearnedsomethingsaboutstorytellingthatIneverlearnedinschoolbecausemyeducationwaslikeevery-bodyelsedownherealinealaffairwhereonethingleadstoanotherwhichleadstoan-otherandleadstoanotherhesaid.Andthenyouknowyougettowhateverpointinhighschoolandyoustudyashortstoryandtheteachertellsyoutheshortstoryhasabeginningandamiddleandanendanditstiedtogetherlikethisandsoandso.AndIfoundoutthatthatmightbethewaytheyteachitinEnglish..butthatsnotnec-essarilythewayitworksintherealworld.Whilefewofthecharac-terswhichincludeGreenandreal-liferesidentsofTaloyoakusemagicwordstocommunicatewithonean-otherinthestorythealbumitselfbecomesanappealtoatimewhenpeopleweremoreconnectedwiththelandandwildlife.Itwasallamatterofre-spectinthosedaysGreensvoicerecountslongingly.Thesuccessofthesealhuntisat-tributedtorespectforNulia-jukGoddessoftheSeaandMotheroftheSeaBeastswhohadsurelyfreedthesealswhileBabyNarssuktheill-temperedorphanchild-godofweatherisblamedfortherainsnowicehailwindandwaterthatplaguesthetravellersastheyghttoreturntotownwiththeirkill.AlotoftheabilitytocommunicateacrossspecieshasbeenlostGreensaid.Imeantherearejustnotthatmanypeopleintouchwiththenaturalworldanymore.Youdhavetobelivingthereallthetimeandopenyour-selfuptothosepossibilities.ThosefamiliarwithGreensNorthBookavol-umeofpoetryalsorootedinTaloyoakwillrevisitfamil-iarimagerybutthesimilari-tiesstopthere.WhileNorthBooksobservationsareoftenascoldandharshasthesur-roundingsMagicWordsiswarmliketeaandbannockcookingoverasealoilqulliq.Backedbyutemusicthealbumisalmostsensoryover-loadaplaceandtimewherefalconsscreechstretchedsealskinsshineinthesunlikegiantglisteningArc-ticcowpiesandyoucansmellbannockcookinginthecastironpanalongwiththerottingofdogcarcassesfeelmossthewarmthofsealbloodandthefreezingcoldoftheoceanonyourhandsandexperiencethevisualchaosofthemomentcapturedinanindexofsightsKidswomenoldmenyoungmeneverybodytroopsoverforashareofthefatandfreshliver.Flashingknivesandsweepingulusbloodyhandsandsmilingfaces.Dogslungingattheirchainsshoutingfortheirshare.Skinpeeledoffribscutoutforlunchtherestdi-videdforthedogsandthesealisgone.Filledwiththesomewhatoff-colourhumourembeddedinthechosenInuitlegendswherecertainmalebodypartsmakefrequentappear-ancesandlovingdescrip-tionsofswoopingseabirdsandfatsealstheicecoastofMagicWordswithitsunfor-givingweatherisnolongerasometimes-crueleverydayrealityforGreenbutacher-ishedmemory.Greenisself-consciousabouthisintrusionintotheHighArcticlandscapecontinuallycomparinghisobservationsofthesurround-ingoraandfaunatofamiliaronesinthesouthperhapsim-plyinghisownmigration.Henotesapassagefromabookhereadsonthesealhuntingtripsayingagoodlandethicchangestheroleofmanfromthepositionofconquerortoarespectfulmemberofthelandcommunity.Liketheexplorerscon-stantlyreferredtosubtlythroughoutgenerallythroughplacescolonialnameshere-ferstohimselfasthewritercatalogingnamingthisplaceaddingittohismemoryoftheworldandwondersashegazesuponthefalsedawnofnightlesssummerifthiswasalladreamandmaybesomebodyelsewasinit.Greensaidheknewthestorywastherealltheseyearsbutitwasonlyayearandahalfagothathegottoworkonitusingoldlettersanddiaryentriesfromthe70stoputitalltogether.ThisstorysbeensteepingforallthistimeIwouldjusttypealettertosomebodybutreallywhatIwasdoingwastypingthecarboncopyhereected.NowthatitsfinishedGreensaidheplanstosendacopyofthealbumtotheradiostationinTaloyoakandseewhathappens.Itsgoingtobeinteresting...Illsendonetotheradiostationandevery-oneintownwillhearithesaidlaughing.Welljustseehowitgoes.PhotoAndySteenAyoungerversionofJimGreenrestsontherocksnearTaloyoak-theinspirationbehindhisnewalbumMagicWords-whereheworkedfortheNWTgovernmentintheearly1970s.