ACT ONE

– PROLOGUE –

An eerie twilight. Wind. A sense of limitless space.

Projection (text):

Listen.

Lights reveal TULUGAQ, sculpting a piece of soapstone. The wind morphs into a sort of breathing. TULUGAQ listens, perfectly attuned to his environment.

Projection (text):

Still your thoughts.
Quiet your mind.
Listen.

The breathing turns into Inuit throat singing. (Possibly “Force” by Tanya Tagaq.) It is intense, contemporary, unnerving.

Projection (text):

With some luck.
Maybe.
You will find me.

The music screeches to a halt.

– 1 –

A conference. LEANNA stands at a podium.

LEANNA

I come from a place of barren landscapes and infinite skies. I come from a place of rugged mountains, imperial glaciers, and tundra-covered permafrost. I come from a place where North is where you stand and South, everywhere else. Where there are five seasons and no trees. Where the days last twenty-four hours and the nights too. I come from a place where skyscrapers are made of ice and proudly ride winds and currents. I come from a place where the only crowds are air, sea, and land creatures that gather each year by the thousands. I come from a place where you can walk onto the ocean and, if you’re lucky, beyond the horizon itself. I come from a people who have kept accounts of the early days when the world was rich and urgent and new. When unknown forces lay like pebbles to be picked by those who stumbled upon them. When spirits roamed the land like polar bears and muskoxen and caribou. I come from a world where life and death walk hand in hand like giggling teenagers. I come from a land whose wisdom reminds us of our humanity.

This place I come from we call Nunavut. It means “Our Land” in Inuktitut. It’s where we, Inuit, have thrived for more than four thousand years. It’s where we strive to realize our full potential. It’s where we nurture our knowledge of who we are. But Nunavut, our land, is only as rich as it is cold. And today, most of it is melting.

– 2 –

The coast. Two silhouettes clad in warm winter gear. One of them is looking through binoculars.

JEAN

Là-bas out by the – out by the pressure ridge. Tu vois? A mother and a cub.

THOMAS

Oh yeah . . .

JEAN

Extraordinary animals. They can weigh up to fifteen hundred pounds and travel on ice so thin it wouldn’t support a man.

THOMAS

Mean motherfuckers though. One of them attacked a man in Cape Dorset last year. By the time the search party tracked it down two hours later, there was no flesh left on the bones. I’m telling you, one comes within a hundred feet, endangered or not, I’m shooting it down.

JEAN

They’re listed as threatened not endangered.

THOMAS

Whatever. Have you given some thought to our conversation?

JEAN

I can give you the names of other very accomplished –

THOMAS

Jean, they don’t need any old scientist who’s gonna set up his fancy instruments and three years later hand them a pile of data the size of a phone book. They need YOU.

JEAN

I’m busy.

THOMAS

Doing what?

JEAN

One of the last remaining sheets of multi-year ice is predicted to break away from the coast this summer.

THOMAS

So? Put a graduate student on it. Isn’t that what they’re for?

JEAN

Plus the environmental assessment is just a marketing ploy. You know that. They’ll look at it and drill anyway.

THOMAS

What happened to you? I don’t see you for three years and –

JEAN

I needed a break.

THOMAS

Yeah ’cause now that you’re a Time Person of the Year, you no longer have time for –

JEAN

Okay premièrement fuck you. And deuxièmement I learned my lesson: science and politics don’t mix. And I’m a scientist so let me focus on the science. Others can do the politics.

Long beat.

THOMAS

How’s Liz?

JEAN

We’re not in touch anymore.

THOMAS

She still in New York?

JEAN

As far as I know. I think she’s getting married again.

THOMAS

That was fast.

JEAN

Yeah well . . .

THOMAS

Ever think about moving back?

JEAN

To Montreal?

THOMAS

Be nice to have you in Canada again.

JEAN

How’s Ottawa?

THOMAS

Thank God I only have to live there six months out of the year. (looking through the binoculars) You an American yet?

JEAN

Résident permanent.

THOMAS

You gonna get the citizenship?

JEAN

J’sais pas . . .

THOMAS

Tough decision.

THOMAS hands the binoculars to JEAN.

You know, biologists used to think polar bears followed the movement of ice around the Pole. They’d have the babies in Canada, raise them in Russia, and breed again in Svalbard or Greenland the following year. But turns out, polar bears are extremely faithful to where they come from.

JEAN

They can wander pretty far.

THOMAS

But they always come back. Something to be said about that.

JEAN

I guess.

THOMAS

Makes it clear which territory to fight for.

JEAN

Parce que tu penses que c’est une affaire de territoire?

THOMAS

Yes. It’s about national security, control, diplomatic relations, and most of all, money.

JEAN

That sounds like politics.

THOMAS

Somebody’s gonna drill, Jean. If it’s not us, it’ll be the Americans, the Chinese, the Arabs, whoever the fuck, but somebody’s gonna drill. There’s too much money at stake. If we wanna maintain sovereignty over our Arctic territory, we need to establish a strong presence. Nunavut is huge. It has a very small population: point zero one person per square kilometre to be exact. There’s practically no one around to say, “Uh-uh, not here, this is ours.” Taking the lead in exploiting our resources is one way to assert sovereignty. Having you, a CANADIAN and one of our most prominent scientists, doing research is another. It shows that we’re interested. It shows that we care. And as a bonus, it’ll benefit the Inuit. You should think about that.

– 3 –

A frozen bay. MAMA bear and her young cub wait by a seal breathing hole. MAMA is still. The DAUGHTER fidgets, trying to distract herself from the long wait.

MAMA

Stay low, paniapik.

MAMA gently flattens her DAUGHTER on the ice.

DAUGHTER

Yes, Anaana.

MAMA

The seal sees you. He sees the shadow of your paws moving across the ice. The seal hears you. He hears the symphony of ice crystals shifting under your weight. You must learn to be attentive and silent.

They wait.

DAUGHTER

(whispering) Anaanaa, how will I know when the seal comes?

MAMA

The bubbles in the water will tell you that he is here. Stay low, paniapik. Downwind of the aglu and low.

The DAUGHTER looks at MAMA and tries to imitate her.

They wait.

After a while, the DAUGHTER starts to fidget again.

DAUGHTER

Why is it taking so long?

MAMA

Shhh . . .

DAUGHTER

Can we go back to the land and search for something there?

MAMA

The sun is getting higher. The ice won’t be here much longer. And when the ice goes, the seal goes. We need seal now while the ice is here so we can wait out the long summer.

DAUGHTER

But Anaana, what if I’m not a good hunter?

MAMA

You are a good hunter, paniapik.

DAUGHTER

But Anaana, what if I’m not a good hunter?

MAMA

You will be a good hunter.

DAUGHTER

But Anaanaa, what if I’m not a good hunter?
What if I’m not a good hunter?
What if I’m not a good hunter?

MAMA

It is my duty to make you a good hunter.

DAUGHTER

How good? As good as you?

MAMA

Yes, as good as me. So you may live a long life and be a great nanuq.

DAUGHTER

Like the nanuq who climbed into the sky?

MAMA

Like the nanuq who climbed into the sky.

DAUGHTER

Tell me the story again! . . .

She rubs her head against MAMA’s neck.

Please? . . .

MAMA

In the early days –

DAUGHTER

No, you have to start with taissumaniguuq!

MAMA

Taissumaniguuq . . . when strange powers were shared among animals, people, and the land, when all creatures spoke the same tongue and traded skins with ease, it is said that a great nanuq roamed the land. This nanuq, called Nanurjuk –

Suddenly, a shift. MAMA sniffs the air at several levels then steadies her attention on a fixed point in the distance.

Stay low, paniapik. He’s coming. He’s under the ice.

We hear the sound of bubbles rising to the surface followed by a tinkle of water. MAMA pounces. The DAUGHTER leaps in excitement.

DAUGHTER

Roar!

Beat.

Where is he? Where is the seal, Anaana?

MAMA

Come. This one wasn’t ready for us.

– 4 –

Leanna’s house. LEANNA and THOMAS.

LEANNA

No, I’m sorry.

THOMAS

You can take time to think about it.

LEANNA

Thomas, I can’t come out and say that publicly.

THOMAS

It’s all in the way you frame it, I mean, if you position it so that –

LEANNA

Look, I appreciate what you’re trying to do. And I’m not saying I’m personally against it but taking a public stand on this would be political suicide.

THOMAS

Leanna . . .

LEANNA

I can’t in one breath talk about protecting the Arctic and, in the other, lay out a plan for dredging a channel right in the middle of it!

THOMAS

That’s not what I’m –

LEANNA

Besides, now that I have the government’s attention, I don’t want to say anything that might inflame the media.

THOMAS

I don’t think having the government’s attention is working in your favour. The feds are pretty pissed at you.

LEANNA

Good. Then maybe they’ll do something to help.

THOMAS

You do realize that filing that petition with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights was the equivalent of Canada shitting on its own plate, right?

LEANNA

Don’t be gross.

THOMAS

The U.S. is our biggest trade partner.

LEANNA

And one of the biggest emitters. They have to set an example.

THOMAS

I don’t disagree. But suing them for a violation of human rights might not be the best way to motivate them.

LEANNA

You don’t intend to go public with this project while the Prime Minister is here, do you?

THOMAS

I was thinking about it.

LEANNA

It’ll confuse the issue.

THOMAS

The way I see it, if Nunavut wants to address its problems, it needs to develop its economy.

LEANNA

Give me a few months.

THOMAS

I don’t have a few months. This is my last season.

LEANNA

What?

THOMAS

My wife granted me ten years. If I don’t quit at the end of this year, she’s walking out on me.

LEANNA

A few weeks, then.

THOMAS

I’ll tell you what. I have a German scientific ship waiting in the bay. It got all the required permits to do seismic testing up in Baffin Bay, but the Hunters and Trappers Association slapped an injunction on it. If you talk to them –

LEANNA

I’ll set up a meeting for you.

THOMAS

Great. But as soon as the Prime Minister is back in Ottawa, I’m going public.

LEANNA

Fine.

Beat.

Is this really your last season?

THOMAS

All good things must come to an end.

LEANNA

Who am I going to fight with when you’re gone?

THOMAS

You may have to take a break.

LEANNA

Fat chance.

THOMAS

Seriously. At the rate you’re going, you’re gonna burn out.

LEANNA

Inuit don’t burn out. We don’t even have a word for that in our language.

THOMAS

Then make sure it stays that way.

– 5 –

Hotel bar. VERONICA speaks into a microphone.

VERONICA

Unnukkut . . . Good evening . . . I’m happy to see there are so many people here tonight . . . And so many girls . . . Aingai, Samuel? . . . That’s my son. Samuel, aggait isaaguk . . . There he is. Now all of you ladies can go introduce yourselves afterwards . . .

All right . . . My favourite way to say Inuit girl is Eskimo Chick. I know that Eskimo is not everybody’s favourite word but I think it’s a funny word if we use it the right way.

She launches into a spoken-word poem.

Eskimo Chick

you are it

whenever I see you my heart goes

tick tick tick

and then

thump thump thump

and then

ahhma ahhma ahhma

you turn heads wherever you go

you wear cool like only an Eskimo

can, hold the glam

other girls have Louis Vuitton baggage and

Calvin Klein pasts but

you and me

we got sealskin hopes and dreams

your momma musta been a hottie

and she got down and naughty

with some fine Inuk body

cause you are all that and a

bag of nik-kuk chips

when we’re stuck in a whiteout, lights out, night out

on the town MAELSTROM

you can keep warm with your

quick wits and your

BIG, BEAUTIFUL

mitts

I’ll be your compass in the storm

no lie I look you in the eye and see

a fine line of generations to come

all sprung from

your womb – no room

for contemplating suicide

suicide, is not the way to go

remember

I see you

and it’s

tick tick tick

and then

thump thump thump

and then

ahhma ahhma ahhma

tick tick tick

and then

thump thump thump

and then

ahhma ahhma ahhma

and you’re not just surviving

you’re thriving

I hope I’m alive when you’re ninety

so I can turn to you and say

Eskimo Chick

you are IT

– 6 –

Leanna’s house. LEANNA and VERONICA. LEANNA waves a letter around.

LEANNA

Here it is! Here it is!

VERONICA

The letter?

LEANNA

I can’t believe I’m finally holding it in my hand!

VERONICA

That’s the letter from the commission?

LEANNA

This is our future, Veronica.

VERONICA

Open it!

LEANNA hesitates.

Come on, Mom!

LEANNA opens the letter.

What does it say?

LEANNA

(reading) Having completed the study set forth in Article . . . I wish to inform you that it will not be possible –

Beat.

– that it will not be possible to process your petition at present because it does not satisfy –

She crumples the letter and throws it on the ground. VERONICA picks it up and reads it silently.

A hundred and seventy-five pages of thoroughly researched scientific facts and first-hand witness testimonies and it doesn’t satisfy their –

VERONICA

Mom, I’m so sorry . . .

LEANNA

I can’t believe this.

VERONICA

Well, you did say from the beginning that it was gonna be political.

LEANNA

Of course, it was going to be political. When you accuse a country of violating human rights, it’s nothing BUT political.

VERONICA

At least, you managed to bring the issue out into the open. That in itself is a huge accomplishment.

LEANNA

Not if it doesn’t translate into concrete steps.

VERONICA

Maybe we can address the problem here, in the community. Create education programs. Invite people to find solutions together.

LEANNA

Let’s not have this discussion again.

VERONICA

Why not? If we pool our resources –

LEANNA

Our hunters can’t feed their families, Veronica. Our roads and houses are sinking, and our traditional knowledge is becoming obsolete. No number of educational programs is going to fix that.

VERONICA

Oh, so we’re just supposed to wait for the government to come and save us? Is that it?

LEANNA

Like I said, let’s not have this discussion again. You and I will never agree.

Beat.

VERONICA

What are you planning to do?

LEANNA

I need to talk to our attorney.

VERONICA

You said you were gonna pull back after the petition.

LEANNA

I said I might consider slowing down.

VERONICA

You said after the petition.

LEANNA

Okay, maybe I said after the petition but this (indicating the letter) is not how I thought it was going to play out.

VERONICA sighs.

LEANNA

You don’t expect me to give up, do you? At the very least, I need to file an appeal.

VERONICA

I should have enrolled Samuel in a school down South.

LEANNA

What?

VERONICA

In Montreal or Toronto . . .

LEANNA

Samuel needs to be here. He needs to be with his people.

VERONICA

Samuel’s bored. The school doesn’t challenge him enough. He spends his days in front of the TV, complaining that his teachers and his friends are stupid.

LEANNA

He’s a teenager.

VERONICA

And a bright kid who needs something exciting to focus on.

LEANNA

Well, I can tell you a school down South is not the answer. I KNOW what it’s like to be uprooted from your family and culture and –

VERONICA

– “it’s incredibly isolating and when you came back, you couldn’t even speak your own language.” I know, Mom, I know. But I’m not talking about shipping Samuel to a residential school. I’m talking about moving there with him.

Beat.

LEANNA

Don’t.

VERONICA

Give me a good reason not to. ’Cause between a father who drinks himself stupid every night and a grandmother who spends more time on jets than in her home, Samuel doesn’t have much of a family.

LEANNA

Look, I’ll cancel a few trips. I’ll take some weekends off. I’ll ask Tulugaq to take us fishing.

VERONICA

You’ve been saying that for years.

LEANNA

Veronica, meet me halfway here. I’ve worked too hard on this. I can’t quit now.

VERONICA

You’re never gonna quit, Mom. That’s what you don’t seem to realize. You’re never gonna quit.

– 7 –

Canadian Coast Guard Marine Communications and Traffic Services centre. A VHF radio mumbles at periodic intervals. JEAN with THOMAS, who sits by an array of screens and computers.

JEAN

What do you mean cancelled?

THOMAS

Sorry.

JEAN

Ben oui mais ça marche pas de même. I can’t – how am I supposed to transfer to the ice camp if –

THOMAS

The helicopter is grounded for emergency repair.

JEAN

How long?

THOMAS

Couple of weeks. Maybe longer. They have to wait for the parts.

JEAN

Ça pas de crisse de bon sens. J’peux pas – Thomas I’m talking about a phenomenon of GEOLOGICAL proportions. Comprends-tu ce que ça veut dire? Someone needs to be there. Someone needs to witness this multi-year ice collapse and collect the data. People keep complaining that the models are not accurate well do you know how you make the models accurate? You make the models accurate by getting on a helicopter and going where the shit happens.

RAPHAËL enters.

RAPHAËL

Dude, can you believe this weather? Hottest year on record. And it’s not even summer yet. (to JEAN) Oh, hi.

THOMAS

Raphaël, Jean. Raphaël’s our new officer. Jean’s an old buddy from university.

RAPHAËL

Ah oui! T’es venu dans un de mes cours quand j’étais à McGill.

Projection (text):

Oh yeah! You came to one of my classes when I was at McGill.

JEAN

Hi.

RAPHAËL

T’es à New York maintenant, non?

Projection (text):

You’re in New York now, right?

JEAN

Oui. Columbia University.

RAPHAËL

J’adore New York! Ma blonde pis moi on a passé une fin de semaine là-bas l’année dernière. C’est là que mon fils a été conçu. Right, Thomas?

Projection (text):

I love New York! My girlfriend and I spent a weekend there last year. That’s where my son was conceived.

THOMAS

Whatever you say, Raphaël.

RAPHAËL

(to JEAN) Ma blonde est enceinte de huit mois.

Projection (text):

My girlfriend is eight months pregnant.

JEAN

Félicitations.

Projection (text):

Congratulations.

RAPHAËL

(to THOMAS) Hey, you wanna see my son’s penis? Marie just posted the ultrasound on her Facebook page.

THOMAS

(to JEAN) What is it about the younger generation they feel they have to share every last detail of their private lives?

RAPHAËL

All right, let me grab a coffee across the street and I’m ready to take over. (to JEAN) Nice to meet you. Make sure you vote for the right guy in November.

JEAN

I’m not a citizen.

RAPHAËL

Why not?

THOMAS

Don’t encourage him, I’m trying to convince him to come back.

RAPHAËL

You gotta commit, man. It’s the only way to be in the world. You gotta commit.

He exits.

THOMAS

They get more colourful every year.

JEAN

Come on Thomas. There’s gotta be a way to get a helicopter.

THOMAS

Sorry, man. They’re all spoken for.

JEAN

Fais que j’fais quoi, là? I sit around and twiddle my thumbs?

THOMAS

Do some research around Iqaluit. We have sea ice too, you know.

JEAN sighs.

Or take the contract. You’ll have a helicopter dedicated to you for an entire three years.

JEAN

Sure. In exchange for endorsing the construction of a deep-sea port.

THOMAS

Where did you hear that?

JEAN

What? You thought I wouldn’t find out?

THOMAS

Look, what difference does it make? Research is research is research. You still get to collect data and feed it to your model to make better predictions.

JEAN

What happened to science for its own sake? Science to understand the world? Everything has to be APPLIED nowadays. Ça fait chier.

THOMAS

The very first freighter crossed the Northwest Passage last summer. You know what that means? That means there will be more. So it’d be nice to have some infrastructure.

JEAN

I told you I don’t do politics.

THOMAS

Why? Will you tell me what happened?

JEAN

Nothing. I got divorced.

THOMAS

So? Everybody gets divorced.

JEAN

Thanks for the support.

THOMAS

Jean, come on. Take a stand.

JEAN

I took a stand. I’ve been taking a stand for FIFTEEN YEARS. Ç’a donné quoi? A bunch of death threats that’s all.

THOMAS

You got death threats?

JEAN

Bon faut que j’y aille. I’ve got work to do.

He starts to leave.

THOMAS

By the way, I hope you know there’s a community requirement.

JEAN

A what?

THOMAS

Every research project has to involve the community somehow. New rule from the Nunavut Research Institute.

JEAN

I’m a SCIENTIST. Not a SOCIAL WORKER.

THOMAS

Well, you know what they say. When in Rome . . .

JEAN

We’re in the Arctic.

THOMAS

Exactly. Adapt.

– 8 –

A grey day. Fog. MAMA with DAUGHTER, who fidgets.

DAUGHTER

I’m so hungry . . . so hungry . . .

She scratches the snow, licks her paws, shifts her weight around, lies down, stands, sits without being able to get comfortable.

Anaanaa?

She starts shaking convulsively.

(shouting) ANAANAA!

MAMA enters dragging a piece of fresh meat. She runs to her DAUGHTER.

MAMA

I’m here, paniapik.

DAUGHTER

Why is it so cold?

MAMA drags the meat to her DAUGHTER’s feet.

MAMA

Here. Eat.

The DAUGHTER sniffs the meat.

DAUGHTER

It’s not seal.

MAMA nudges the meat toward her.

MAMA

Eat. It will give you strength.

DAUGHTER

What is it?

MAMA

It’s meat. Meat I got for you.

The DAUGHTER tries a bite. She gags and spits it out.

Paniapik, please . . .

DAUGHTER

I can’t, Anaana. It’s too disgusting.

The DAUGHTER slumps down and hides her face under her paw. MAMA wraps herself around her, protectively.

– 9 –

The high school in Iqaluit. A hand-painted banner reads “Environmental Awareness Day.” VERONICA stares at JEAN, confused.

VERONICA

A presentation?

JEAN

To the students.

VERONICA

What’s your name again?

JEAN

Jean. Lefèvre.

VERONICA

And you’re –

JEAN

A climate researcher. Well trying to be.

VERONICA

Were you asked by one of the other teachers?

JEAN

Non non it was uh . . . I’m a friend of Leanna and she –

VERONICA

You know my mother?

JEAN

I helped her with her petition a few years ago . . . She said uh elle m’a dit que vous aviez besoin de quelqu’un pour – (gesturing toward the banner) to talk to the students.

VERONICA

My mother asked you to –

JEAN

I’m stuck in Iqaluit for a couple of days and I mentioned that –

VERONICA

What did she say exactly?

JEAN

She uh . . . She said you were trying to raise awareness about –

VERONICA

Did she tell you she was the one who was supposed to be here?

Beat.

She didn’t.

JEAN

She was in a hurry. I caught her just as she was leaving for the airport.

VERONICA

Oh. Where’s she going this time?

JEAN

J’me souviens pas trop . . . I think it was Vancouver. Or maybe Seattle.

VERONICA

That’s just like her. I organized this event around her. I planned this whole day so students would get to know her and her work. And she doesn’t even show up.

JEAN

I’m sure she . . . Maybe she forgot or –

VERONICA

Don’t make excuses for her.

Uncomfortable beat.

VERONICA examines JEAN from head to toes.

Jean, you said, right?

JEAN

Uh oui. (extending his hand) Nice to meet you.

They shake hands.

I heard nice things about –

VERONICA

Is this your first time on Baffin?

JEAN

Non pas du tout. I’ve been coming here for fifteen years.

VERONICA

Impressive.

JEAN

It’s my job.

VERONICA

In fifteen years, you must have learned some Inuktitut.

JEAN

Not – I mean I’d love to but la façon dont les choses fonctionnent most of the time we’re in the field and you know . . . we have a lot to accomplish in a very short period so there’s really no time to –

VERONICA

Typical qallunaaq.

JEAN

It’s just how science works.

VERONICA

Fifteen years and not a single word?

JEAN

Ben j’sais pas là . . .

VERONICA

What about nanuq?

JEAN

Sure. Nanuq of the North.

VERONICA

Qajaq.

JEAN

(trying to repeat) Rrrra . . . Oh! Kayak right? I didn’t realize that was –

VERONICA

Iglu . . .

JEAN

Okay I guess I know more than I thought.

VERONICA

Colonialism has a sneaky way of leaving its traces. Qallunaat got the land but Inuit managed to infiltrate the language.

She hands him a flyer.

I write spoken-word poetry. Come and see me sometime. You might learn something.

JEAN

Sure. I uh I’ll try.

She waits for him to leave. He doesn’t.

VERONICA

Anything else?

JEAN

Well . . . I thought I’d . . . (gesturing toward the banner)

VERONICA

No, thank you.

JEAN

It’s really not – I’m happy to. I have to do it anyway.

VERONICA

Have to?

JEAN

Ça fait partie de – The Nunavut Research Institute requires that –

VERONICA

Oh. You’re here to fulfill your requirement with the Natives so you can get your research licence.

JEAN

Non. I mean yes in a way but –

VERONICA

You know, Jean, things have changed over the last fifteen years. If you want to work in Nunavut, it’s not enough to talk AT us anymore. You have to talk WITH us. That’s just pitsiaqattautiniq.

JEAN

I have no idea what that means.

VERONICA

You’re a smart man. Figure it out.

She exits.

– 1O –

Out on the ice. A brilliant and benevolent moon dominates the landscape. Friendly growling and laughter. MAMA and her DAUGHTER play-fight.

DAUGHTER

I was good, right Anaana?

MAMA

You were very good.

DAUGHTER

I stayed low like you said. And I didn’t make a sound.

MAMA

You were as silent as a rock.

DAUGHTER

And I waited and waited and waited . . . How long did I wait?

MAMA

For as long as it takes the goose to travel to its summer ground.

DAUGHTER

Longer!

MAMA

For as long as it takes the river to grow into an ocean.

DAUGHTER

Longer!

MAMA

For as long as it takes the glacier to crawl down the rocky cliff.

DAUGHTER

Yes! And when I saw the bubbles, I pounced!

MAMA

You’re a very good hunter, paniapik.

DAUGHTER

I’m a good hunter.

MAMA

I’m proud of you.

They look up at the stars as the DAUGHTER revels in that thought.

DAUGHTER

Look! There’s Nanurjuk, the nanuq who climbed into the sky!

MAMA

Uh-huh. And do you see the hunters chasing after her?

DAUGHTER

Yes. One, two, three.

MAMA

And . . . ?

DAUGHTER

And in the back is Kingulliq, the fourth hunter who dropped his mitt and went back to retrieve it.

MAMA

That’s right.

DAUGHTER

I’m sad for Nanurjuk . . . It must be lonely running across the sky like that every night.

MAMA

The only creatures who are lonely are the ones who forget about sila.

DAUGHTER

How do you mean, Anaana?

MAMA

All life is breath. From the original breath that gave us the miracle of Creation to the world itself, sila wraps all around us.

The DAUGHTER looks around.

DAUGHTER

The sky is sila?

MAMA nods.

The wind is sila?

MAMA nods.

The land, the ice, the ocean?

MAMA nods.

MAMA

And sila also moves in and out of our lungs.

MAMA breathes.

See? That’s sila. And with each breath, sila reminds us that we are never alone. Each and every one of us is connected to every other living creature.

The DAUGHTER breathes.

But sila’s gift is not ours to keep. We may use our breath while we roam the land but we must surrender it once we pass from the land. Creatures who are lonely are the ones who hold on to their breath as if it were theirs and theirs alone.

Beat.

One day, you will leave me, paniapik.

DAUGHTER

That’s not true.

MAMA

One day, it will be time for you to go into the world and meet your own destiny.

DAUGHTER

I won’t leave you, Anaanaa.

MAMA

And I won’t be sad and you won’t be sad because sila will reach across the land and bring us the sweet scent of each other’s happiness.

The sound of a snowmobile fades in, growing louder as it gets closer.

DAUGHTER

What’s that?

Suddenly, silence. They scan the horizon. Gunshot.

MAMA

Run!

The DAUGHTER hesitates. Another gunshot.

Quick, run!

They run away.

– 11 –

Coast Guard centre. RAPHAËL is on the phone.

RAPHAËL

Qu’est-ce que la sage-femme a dit? . . . Super. J’peux lui dire bonjour? . . . Oui, met le téléphone sur ton ventre . . . Allo, bébé. C’est papa . . . Pour vrai? Il donne des coups de pied? . . . C’est mon garçon ça – prêt pour la randonnée! . . . Oui, j’ai commencé à le lire. J’pratique à tous les soirs, écoute . . .

Projection (text):

What did the midwife say? . . . Great. Can I say hi to him? . . . Yeah, put the phone on your belly . . . Hi, baby . . . It’s your dad . . . Really? He’s kicking? . . . That’s my boy – eager to hit the trail! . . . Yeah, I’ve started reading it. I practise every night, listen . . .

Breathes rhythmically like a woman giving birth.

Pas mal, han? . . . Moi aussi j’t’aime . . .

Projection (text):

Not bad, huh? . . . I love you too . . .

THOMAS enters.

THOMAS

Moi aussi, je t’aime.

Projection (text):

I love you too.

RAPHAËL

Marie, je t’appelle plus tard.

Projection (text):

Marie, I’ll call you later.

He hangs up.

THOMAS

You gotta tone it down, man. You’re making the rest of us look bad.

RAPHAËL

Shut up.

THOMAS

What did I miss? Two Brits still alive?

RAPHAËL

Alive and rowing. According to the blog, they’re halfway down the Mackenzie.

THOMAS

Crazy.

RAPHAËL

Nah, come on. Crossing the Northwest Passage in a rowboat?

THOMAS

That’s what I said. Crazy.

RAPHAËL

Be freaking awesome . . .

THOMAS

I see the Polaria left the bay?

RAPHAËL

Left this morning without making radio contact. I have a call out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They said to sit tight until they talk to Germany.

THOMAS

Who told you to do that?

RAPHAËL

Well . . . They don’t have permission to enter farther into Canadian waters. I thought –

THOMAS

Raphaël, you’re not paid to think, you’re paid to execute. So the next time you have the impulse to do something stupid, do me a favour: don’t.

RAPHAËL

But –

THOMAS

Besides, the injunction is about to be lifted.

RAPHAËL

The Hunters and Trappers Association gave up?

THOMAS

The effects of seismic surveys on marine life have been studied for decades. There’s no proof that they do any harm.

RAPHAËL

Sure. Firing air guns into the water every ten to fifteen seconds is a totally benign activity. And getting money from Natural Resources Canada doesn’t at all mean that this vessel is looking for oil.

THOMAS

Their mandate is to map the sea floor. They’re not responsible for what people do with that information. Get me Foreign Affairs.

RAPHAËL dials the number and hands the phone to Thomas.

(to phone) Hi, this is Thomas in Iqaluit. Is John around? . . . Yeah, I’ll wait. (to RAPHAËL) This is important. The data the Polaria will provide can help us get more resources.

RAPHAËL

New icebreakers?

THOMAS

Nevermind icebreakers. What I’m going after is a port.

RAPHAËL

A port?

THOMAS

A state-of-the-art, environmentally responsible, military and civilian loading and refuelling station.

RAPHAËL

And where are you gonna put that port? In Hyperborea?

THOMAS

Where?

RAPHAËL

Hyperborea . . . The place in Greek mythology where –

THOMAS

I swear, some days I feel like the head office sent us some sissy English Lit major instead of –

RAPHAËL

Actually, I majored in environmental –

THOMAS

ANYWAY. (to phone) Yeah, I’m still holding. (to RAPHAËL) Have you ironed your uniform?

RAPHAËL

Why?

THOMAS

Prime Minister’s visit.

RAPHAËL

I don’t have an ironing board.

THOMAS

You can borrow mine.

RAPHAËL

I’m not wearing the uniform. I hate the uniform.

THOMAS

Raphaël, this is not prom. I’m not your date asking you to wear something NICE. This is the Coast Guard and I, your superior, am ORDERING you to WEAR YOUR UNIFORM. You got it? (to phone) John. How are you? . . . Yeah, same here . . . No, I’m actually calling to do a bit of damage control . . .

– 12 –

Hotel restaurant. We hear the faint noise of diners in the background. JEAN sits at a table, sipping coffee and working through some files.

TULUGAQ enters. He approaches JEAN and shows him a polar bear sculpture.

JEAN

Non merci.

TULUGAQ silently insists.

I’m sorry I’m not –

TULUGAQ puts the sculpture on the table.

TULUGAQ

Just look.

JEAN looks at the sculpture.

JEAN

It’s uh . . . it’s very nice.

TULUGAQ

Yes.

JEAN

You’re the artist?

TULUGAQ

Sanannguaqtiujunga.

JEAN

Ah. And this (indicating the sculpture) is –

TULUGAQ

Soapstone becoming polar bear. And polar bear can protect you.

JEAN examines the sculpture more closely.

JEAN

You think I need protection?

TULUGAQ

Everybody needs protection.

JEAN

Then maybe you should keep it. So it protects you.

TULUGAQ

I am a hunter. I know how to protect. You, no. Two hundred dollars.

JEAN

You’re a hunter.

TULUGAQ

Tulugaq, yes.

JEAN

Oh you’re je m’excuse je vous avais pas – I’m Jean. Thank you for coming.

JEAN motions to the chair. TULUGAQ doesn’t sit.

So uh . . . the Institute said you’ve worked with scientists before. (pause) Basically I need a skidoo with a trailer to carry the equipment and I’ll need you to watch for polar bears while we’re out on the ice. I’m also gonna count on you to show me the safest route of course because I’m not used to – c’est pas mon secteur je travaille plutôt dans le Grand Nord but we had equipment failure and I’m stuck here waiting for the – Anyway I want to deploy some CTD sensors to take measurements of ice thickness you know stuff like that that’s useful to plug into a model and can justify the funds I was granted for this trip.

Silence.

Does that uh . . . Does that sound good?

TULUGAQ turns around to leave.

Wait!

TULUGAQ doesn’t stop.

I fully intend to pay you if that’s the issue and I can also –

TULUGAQ steps outside. JEAN follows him.

– I can also hire an interpreter I mean not that your English – but you know if that would make you feel more –

TULUGAQ points at the sky.

TULUGAQ

How do you call this?

JEAN

Northern lights. Aurores boréales.

TULUGAQ

We call aqsarniit.

JEAN

(mispronouncing) Aqsarniit.

TULUGAQ

Aqsarniit.

JEAN

(a little better) Aqsarniit.

TULUGAQ

Very dangerous.

JEAN

They are?

TULUGAQ

If you don’t wear a hat, aqsarniit cut off your head.

TULUGAQ is dead serious. JEAN puts on his hat and TULUGAQ laughs.

We tell Inuit children: aqsarniit cut off their heads and play soccer with it. And if you do like this –

He whistles.

They come closer. See?

They take turns whistling.

That is Inuit qaujimajatuqangit. Inuit traditional knowledge. Old learning about living in peace with people, animals, nature. Arctic is not just numbers. Arctic is stories. Like aqsarniit story. Qallunaat learning: lots of numbers. But it comes here – (pointing to his head). Only here. Not good for us. Inuit qaujimajatuqangit comes here – (pointing to his head), here – (pointing to his heart), and here – (moving hands and feet). Inuit qaujimajatuqangit is alive. Observation, experience. Always changing. Numbers are not enough. We need stories. You understand?

JEAN

I think so.

Silence as they become bathed in green light. TULUGAQ hands the sculpted bear to JEAN.

Merci.

TULUGAQ

Two hundred dollars.

JEAN

Oh right.

JEAN pays TULUGAQ, who pockets the money and starts to leave.

So uh does that mean are you taking the job?

TULUGAQ

I collaborate.

JEAN

Yes of course that’s what I mean. When can we start?

TULUGAQ

When the time is right.

He exits.

– 13 –

Eerie sounds of cracking sea ice followed by the howling of a rising wind.

MAMA sleeps, huddled against a snowdrift. The DAUGHTER plays nearby, standing on her hind legs and acting menacing. MAMA wakes up.

DAUGHTER

Anaanaa, Anaanaa, look!

The DAUGHTER does her best “mean bear” act.

Are you scared?

MAMA

We’re drifting.

MAMA gets up and discovers the edge of what is now a drifting ice floe.

The ice broke. The wind is pushing us out.

DAUGHTER

Who broke the ice, Anaana?
Who broke it?
Who broke it?
Was it the human who tried to kill us? He didn’t look very dangerous. I bet I could kill him with one swipe of the paw.

MAMA scans the horizon and tries to assess the situation.

DAUGHTER

Anaanaa?

MAMA

WHAT!!

The DAUGHTER cowers back.

MAMA takes a moment to regain her calm.

What is it, paniapik?

The DAUGHTER shakes her head no.

Tell me.

DAUGHTER

Did the human break the ice?

MAMA

The ice broke because Nuliajuk is angry. And Nuliajuk is angry because humans have angered her.

DAUGHTER

Nuliajuk in the ocean?

MAMA

Yes, Nuliajuk in the ocean.

DAUGHTER

Oh.

The DAUGHTER peers into the water, frightened.

MAMA

We need to swim back to shore before the wind pushes us farther out. Can you do that?

DAUGHTER

It’s a long way.

MAMA

But you’re a good swimmer. And nothing can happen to you because I’m the strongest nanuq in the world, remember?

The DAUGHTER nods.

You stay close.

DAUGHTER

Yes, Anaana.

They lower themselves into the water and swim away.

– 14 –

Leanna’s house. LEANNA and VERONICA.

VERONICA

Mom, you promised!

LEANNA

I’m trying, honey. Honest to God, I fully intend to be more present but you know how it is, sometimes I don’t find out until the very last minute.

LEANNA picks up the phone and listens for a dial tone.

Don’t tell me the line is dead again.

VERONICA

I just can’t get over the fact that you stood me up.

LEANNA

Was it like that this morning?

She tries unplugging and replugging the phone, turning it on and off, and so on.

VERONICA

I promised the students an exciting day with one of the most important leaders in their community and you didn’t even show up! There’s no excuse for that.

LEANNA slams the phone.

LEANNA

Why can’t we get a reliable phone line in this town? You’d think that for what we pay, we could expect the service to WORK.

VERONICA

Mom . . .

LEANNA

Look, I know you’re angry with me but –

LEANNA checks her watch.

VERONICA

I need your help . . .

LEANNA

I’m about to be interviewed live for a CBC news program. By the way, do you know that since we filed the appeal, my speaking engagements have quadrupled? One of our neighbours must have a satellite phone.

VERONICA

Samuel got caught stealing gas yesterday.

LEANNA

Oh.

VERONICA

He and two of his friends. They were heading toward the pit at the end of the Road to Nowhere. I think they were gonna sniff it.

Beat.

LEANNA

Look, I – Let me just make this call, okay?

VERONICA

And then what?

LEANNA

And then we’ll talk about it.

LEANNA listens for the dial tone again.

Ah! It’s working!

She starts to dial. VERONICA snatches up the phone.

Veronica, don’t.

VERONICA

Mom, MY SON, YOUR GRANDSON, may be inhaling gasoline. Can you take that in? Can you let that information reach the part of you that is still capable of a normal emotional response?

LEANNA

Veronica, DO NOT PATRONIZE ME!

VERONICA

You’re going on and on about a stupid call with some stupid radio station while I’m here, doing everything I can to hold this family together. Your GRANDSON, Mom! Isn’t that more important than –

LEANNA

Yes, it’s important! Why do you think I’m so frantic all the time? I spend my days trying to figure out how to influence policies so Samuel doesn’t become another statistic. He’s the reason I get up in the morning. He’s what keeps me awake at night. He’s why I believe the issues we’re facing need to be addressed NOW. Now give me the phone.

VERONICA

I’ve applied for a teaching position in Montreal.

LEANNA

Oh, would you stop it with that ridiculous idea –

VERONICA

RIDICULOUS?

LEANNA

– and give me the goddamn phone!

LEANNA tries to grab the phone.

VERONICA

If the South was good enough for you –

LEANNA

Give it to me!

VERONICA

– why wouldn’t it be good enough for us? I mean it’s not like you rushed back here after –

The phone rings. The two women look at it, surprised.

Hello? . . . Yes, this is Samuel’s mother . . . Why? Where is he? . . . Where is he? . . .

She freezes. The blood drains from her face. She looks at LEANNA.

LEANNA

What? What happened?

LEANNA grabs the phone.

Hello?

VERONICA remains glued in her spot, expressionless.

– 15 –

Heavy panting. The open sea. MAMA tries to prop up her exhausted DAUGHTER on a small iceberg.

MAMA

There . . . That’s good . . . Rest for a little bit . . .

The DAUGHTER is too heavy. The iceberg rolls over, throwing her back into the water.

DAUGHTER

Anaanaa!

MAMA

Don’t worry, I have you . . . Climb on my back.

As best she can, the DAUGHTER climbs on MAMA’s back.

MAMA

Now, hold tight. We’re not very far. I’ll get you there.

MAMA swims.

The DAUGHTER’s panting gradually slows as the Earth’s breathing rises.

MAMA swims.

Soon, the DAUGHTER and the Earth breathe in unison, their breathing rising up and down with the swell of the ocean.

MAMA swims.

It’s beautiful. Calm. A moment of perfect harmony.

Then as the DAUGHTER’s breath starts to fade, long strands of something – plants perhaps – emerge from the water.

MAMA

Hold on . . . We’re very close . . .

The strands wrap themselves around the DAUGHTER.

MAMA desperately swims toward the approaching shore.

The DAUGHTER, all entangled now, slides off MAMA’s back. She sinks into the water as the sea swallows her breath in one swooping motion.

MAMA

Paniapik!

MAMA dives. She grabs her sinking DAUGHTER by the scruff of the neck and tries to pull her up.

More strands appear and fight back. There is a violent tug-of-war until MAMA loses her grip. The strands quickly envelop the DAUGHTER and drag her to the bottom of the ocean.

MAMA climbs onto firm ground and runs up and down the shore, peering into the water.

MAMA

Paniapik! . . . Paniapik! . . .

The DAUGHTER is nowhere to be found.

MAMA lets out a series of long desperate wails.

MAMA

(softly) Paniapik . . .

– END OF ACT ONE –