National Geographic expedition teaming up with Inuit to visit Nunavik, Que., on conservation mission
CBC
Ossie Michelin's childhood dream of working with the National Geographic Society became a reality last month, when he was invited to join a Pristine Seas expedition on a two-month journey to parts of the North.
Michelin is an Inuk documentary filmmaker and freelance journalist from North West River, Labrador.
In July, on the voyage in Nunatsiavut (the homeland of Labrador Inuit), he became part of the team of researchers, scientists and documentary filmmakers studying and documenting five priority areas to support Indigenous-led conservation.
The expedition is in partnership with Oceans North, an organization supporting marine conservation in partnership with Indigenous and coastal communities.
It's all taking place aboard the Polar Prince, an Indigenous-owned Canadian-flagged research icebreaker.
Michelin joined the crew in Nain, N.L. for the first leg of the trip in July. He was hired as a local film producer.
In taking on the job, he was continuing a family tradition.
He said his uncle, cousins and late stepfather helped National Geographic crews navigate the area for magazine articles in the 1950s and 1980s. But on this trip, Michelin played a different role.
"This was a chance for someone in my family to continue working with them, but this time helping to shape the narrative of it," said Michelin.
"To be part of this big international crew but telling stories about my home that I can help make sure are told in an accurate and respectful way, that was really special."
As part of the trip, the team took elders to the Nachvak and Saglek fjords in the Torngat Mountains National Park.
The elders had grown up fishing and hunting with their families in the area but had not been back in decades after their families were relocated further south to Nain in the 1950s, Michelin said.
"I felt really good to be up there with these elders because … if something God forbid happens and the lightning strikes all the databases and all the backups and all the (equipment) is gone at least we got to provide these elders with this amazing experience," said Michelin. "That was what made it really special."
"We got to bring them to their homes and just see them just sort of light up with joy and they had such an amazing time. So I was really thankful to be part of that."
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