Posted by make up on 2:50 PM
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Some of you might remember that I have been visiting Pond Inlet for the last two years. I am working on an independent research project, for my PhD in Geography at the University of Calgary, looking at resident attitudes to tourism here, as well as Churchill and Cambridge Bay.The reason for setting up this weblog is to give as many people as possible a chance to comment on my findings. I'll be in town from the 27th August – 1st September 2007, so I hope to talk to as many people as possible, but obviously I cannot speak to everyone, so this is your chance to look at the results, and to have your say!
I have posted below some of my selected findings. If you'd like to make a comment, to agree or disagree, simply add your thoughts by clicking on the 'comments' button at the end of each posting. If you prefer that your postings are anonymous simply select that option. If you'd like to contact me privately, please email me at ejstewar@ucalgary.ca. I'd also be keen to hear how you think this information can be best used in the community so that tourism in Pond Inlet continues to flourish. So send me your ideas! I welcome comments from visitors too, but please indicate that you are a tourist in the comment box. Thank you very much for your time and for contributing to the project!
Posted by make up on 2:48 PM
Posted by make up on 2:47 PM
When I asked residents (71 of you) to tell me about the positive effects of tourism in Pond Inlet, the following things were mentioned (and I have grouped them under economic, social, cultural and environmental categories):
Posted by make up on 2:46 PM
Posted by make up on 2:45 PM
* Tourism generates income for the community (19 people said that).
* Tourism is beneficial to local carvers and tourism is helping rekindle the craft industry (7 people said that)
* Tourism creates good jobs for local people (4 people identified that) and an additional 7 people noted that tourism creates job opportunities for local guides.
* Tourism provides a good source of supplementary income (5 people recognized that).
* Tourists buy produce and products from Pond Inlet (5 people thought that) and another 3 people said specifically that tourists buy local carvings.
* Tourism helps young people get out on the land to hunt (4 residents said that) and an additional 3 people noted that tourism allows residents to own hunting and camping equipment.
* Other people said sports hunters bring in big dollars to the community (1 person), pay for the guide’s gas and food (1 person) and sometimes sports hunters will send out care packages at Christmas time (1 person). Other comments included: tourism provides good opportunities for people with boats, dog teams and/or skidoos (1 person) and tourism helps local people develop new skills (1 person). One person suggested that Pond Inlet had “done very well from tourism without doing much as a community”. Another resident said that the money generated from tourism is re-spent in the local shops. And finally one person thought that tourism has the potential to add a lot more money to the Pond Inlet economy.
Posted by make up on 2:44 PM
Posted by make up on 2:43 PM
* Tourism is a good way to meet new people (11 people said that) and tourism is fun, exciting and its enjoyable to take part in activities alongside the tourists (7 people felt that).
* Tourism gives the community recognition as a good place to visit (6 people thought that) and that this ‘recognition’ makes residents feel proud (1 person) and particularly proud of local guides (1 person).
* Tourism facilitates communication between Inuit and Qallunaat (white people) (6 people identified that). Communication is enhanced when tourists and locals interact (6 people said they had experienced that) and friendships can develop between residents and tourists (4 people recognized that).
* Tourism is an opportunity to educate visitors and to dispel myths about living in the north (8 residents noted that) as well as tourism being a vehicle to showcase Inuit culture and land (6 people thought that).
* Other people noted that: it is good to see tourists enjoying themselves (2 people); it is good for local people to see the cruise ships (1 person); that some tourism jobs allow families to work together (1 person) and that the visitor centre also is used by the community (1 person).
Posted by make up on 2:42 PM
Posted by make up on 2:40 PM
* Sports hunters leave some of the meat from their hunts with local people (3 people said that).
* Tourism gives local people an opportunity to participate in cultural demonstrations (4 people thought that).
* Tourism provides lots of opportunities for young Inuit people (1 person).
* The cultural shows interpret the “traditions of our ancestors and keep these traditions alive” (1 person).
* Local people talk more about ‘IQ’ (Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit - Inuit way of interpreting the world) because tourists ask questions (1 person).
Posted by make up on 2:39 PM
Posted by make up on 2:38 PM
Only 4 people mentioned environmental benefits arising from tourism, and these included: the Hamlet is cleaned up because of tourism; Pond Inlet is a pleasant place to be and “so long as tourism doesn’t affect our land its okay to have tourists here”; and tourism gives us an opportunity to spend time out on the land.
HAVE YOUR SAY.....! So most people talked about the economic and socio-cultural advantages that tourism brings to Pond Inlet, do you agree with this? Would you add other advantages to this list? If you'd like to make a comment (even if its, yes I agree with what has already been said) please click on the comments button below.
Posted by make up on 2:37 PM
Posted by make up on 2:36 PM
On the negative side, of the 71 residents I spoke to, 52 per cent of them didn't think there were any bad things about tourism in Pond Inlet. Of the remaining people, their comments were:
Read more »
Posted by make up on 2:35 PM
Posted by make up on 2:34 PM
Individuals mentioned that tourism only provides seasonal work which is not well paid, and that tourism benefits only a few people and organizations in the community (and that this may lead to jealously). As one person put it “tourism feeds some carvers but not everyone”. That costs go up in the tourist season, that local services aren’t ulitized by tourists and that “tourists don’t spend much but only take things” were economic concerns raised by other residents.
Posted by make up on 2:33 PM
Posted by make up on 2:31 PM
* Two people mentioned that guiding obligations conflicted with their own family time on the land, and one other person said that Pond Inlet gets at least one ‘surprise’ cruise ship a year, which is disruptive.
* Tourism was thought by 2 people to “turn our kids into beggars” and similarly, two residents said that the behaviour of children around tourists was “embarrassing”.
* One person noticed that the line-ups in the store are longer when tourists are in town, but it was added that this is only a minor inconvenience.
Posted by make up on 2:30 PM
Posted by make up on 2:28 PM
* Two residents observed that tourists were “suspicious of us” and “they don’t trust us”.
* Two people thought tourists were “sometimes snobby or asked dumb questions”.
* Other individuals noted that:
- They had concerns because traditions were used as “show-time” for tourists;
- Tourists don’t always ask permission before they take photographs (and one person was upset because tourists don’t ask before taking pictures of children in amauti – Inuit baby carrier);
- Tourists are not culturally aware;
- Tourists misunderstand Inuit hunting culture;
- Tourism will bring cultural change;
- Some tourists don’t seem very interested in Inuit life and have no sense of what it is really like to live in the north;
- Communication can be a problem with some outfitters and tourists;
- And some tourists “stand in judgement of Inuit people”.
Posted by make up on 2:26 PM
Posted by make up on 2:24 PM
Only 7 people mentioned environmental concerns arising from tourism, and these included: two residents noted that they didn’t like tourists seeing the Hamlet when it “was messy” or when tourists took photographs of “the mess”; two people said tourists leave garbage and pollute the land; one person thought tourists “take things from the land”; one person said tourists “trample on archaeological sites” and; one person thought tourists “might bring diseases from the south”.
HAVE YOUR SAY......! Again, please add a comment, if you have anything to add, or simply whether you agree with these results.
Posted by make up on 2:23 PM
Posted by make up on 1:40 PM
When I asked residents to indicate on a scale their overall attitude to tourism in Pond Inlet, 55% said they were supportive, 25% said they were somewhat supportive, 14% said they were neutral in their opinion, and 4% said they were either unsupportive or somewhat unsupportive of tourism (2% of residents did not answer the question). Are you surprised by these results? If you have comments on these or other aspects of these findings, please leave your comments by clicking on the button below.
Posted by make up on 1:35 PM
Posted by make up on 1:34 PM
When I interviewed residents of Pond Inlet I asked them to look at this satellite image of the area, and to tell me places where current tourism activities are appropriate and places where tourism activities aren't appropriate. I then asked them to repeat this exercise for future tourism activities. Here's the same satellite image with comments and annotations (to make the image larger simply click on the satellite image). What do you think? Do you agree with these results?
Posted by make up on 9:29 AM
Beside the Maimoon Palace, The Medan Grand Mosque was another architectural heritage of Deli Sultanate. the mosque is still utilized by the local community for daily prayers. Like The Maimoon Palace, the building materials of the mosque were taken from Italy. The Grand Mosque which was built in 1906 by Sultan Makmun Al-Rasyid is the most beautiful and magnificence mosques in North Sumatera. It is situated about 200 m from The Maimoon Palace.
The specific architecture of the mosque was inspired by the Moorish style.The dome of the Al Ma'sum Mosque that had flat and quadrangle shape also in the peak of the roof has the usual crescent moon decoration was also found in other Islamic buildings like the Mosque and the tower that according to the experts often were connected as the symbol of peacefulness, where Islam was broadcasted without violence.
Apart from the plan, dome, curves (arcade), the crescent moon decoration on its peak, the influence of Islamic art is clearly visible in its Ornamentation, whether on the wall, the ceiling, the poles, and the curved surface (face Arcade) that was rich in the decoration of flowers and winding plants painted with oil paint. This floralistic decoration apart from being styled reminds to the Tumpal and mekara motive, also painted with Naturalistic style. Except the floral motive and geometric motive, the combination between Polygonal, Octagonal and circle decorations was also appealing. The motive of this kind especially very much found in walls, the curved surface, the ceiling etc. This motive was also found in the iron curtain form of the quadrangle windows and the shape of the curve that reminded us to motive the Indian style wall carving. In Indonesia, this kind of decoration was often acknowledged as the Terawangan or Kerawangan decoration,apart as being a decoration, this decoration also unction as ventilation.
Posted by make up on 8:41 AM
The palace was built by Sultan Makmun Al-Rasyid Perkasa Alamsyah.
It was constructed by the design of an Italian architect in 1888 AD.
As a legacy of Melayu-Deli Sultanate,it is dominated with yellow color, the Melayu typical color.The Maimoon Palace was built on a land of 2.772 m2 wide in the centre of the Deli kingdom, now Brigjen Katamso street, Medan.
This palace consisted of two floors that were divided into three parts, which are the main building, the left wing, and the right wing. In the front, around 100 meters, stood the Al-Maksum mosque that are well known as the Masjid Raya Medan. In the guest room (balairung) you will encounter the throne that was dominated by the yellow color. Crystal lights lighted the throne, a form of influence of European culture. The same influences are appeared in the palace furnishings like the seat, the table, toilet and the cupboard and the door, headed to balairung. The room measuring 412 m2 was used for the coronation agenda of Sultan Deli or the other traditional agenda. Balairung was also used as the place where the Sultan received praise from his relatives and family in Islamic holidays.
Further more, the number of the rooms was 40, 20 rooms in the upper floor, the Sultan's throne and 20 rooms underneath, not including 4 bathrooms, the warehouse, the kitchen, and the prison in the basement.
Interesting if we observe this palace architectural design. The blend between the Islam tradition and European culture was boldly implemented. Apart from the balairung, the building base also showed Europe influence. Some of the building material was imported from Europe, like floor tiles, marble, and terrazzo.
The pattern of Dutch architecture with the door and wide and tall windows, as well as Spanish stylish doors became a part of the Maimoon Palace. The Dutch influence was also seen in the marble inscription in front of the marble ladder that was written with the Latin letter in Netherlands language.
The Islam influence was seen in the form of the curve or arcade in several parts of the palace roof. The curve that had the shape of the overturn boat that was known with the Persian Curve, often was met on the buildings in the Middle East, Turkey, and India region.
The Maimoon palace was one of the most beautiful buildings in Medan. His location is easy to be reach, both from the Polonia Airport (around 10 km) and the Belawan Port (around 28 km). This historic building was open the public every day from struck 08.00 until 17.00.
Posted by make up on 2:04 AM
Lake Toba is the most interesting tourist object in the Province of North Sumatera, Indonesia. It is as the largest inland lake in South-East Asia and one of the deepest in the world [ more than 500 metres]. Lake Toba has a length that spans 100 kilometres from Northwest to South and a width of 30 kilometres. Water surface of Lake Toba is around 900 meter of sea level. It’s surrounded by Mount Piso-Piso on the north and Mount Pusuk Bukit on the west.
Parapat, the town in the coast of the lake has many hotels and restaurants which provide good food. But the last five years the number of the tourist decreases which caused some of the hotels closed down, either temporary or for good. Most tourists are local or from neighboring countries. The tourists normally pass through on their way to Samosir Island in Lake Toba. The town offers scenic surroundings, good eating, and souvenir shopping.
Parapat can be reached within 4 hours ride from Medan, the capital city of North Sumatra. There are many souvenir shops along the road down to the market.You can find T-shirts, ceramics, cheap clothes and various souvenirs, the most popular is local made woven blankets called ‘Ulos’.
Samosir Island is accessible by ferry from Ajibata or Parapat. One of the main inhabited areas in the island is Tuktuk. This popular destination offers scenic views at very low prices. People come here to relax, enjoy the sceneries, eat well and cool down from tougher in other areas.
The culture of the local can be seen in the daily life of the villages in Samosir. Western tunes have replaced the harmonic popular songs of the wrll-singing Bataks. In Tomok 200- year old stone sarcophogus of King Sidabutar built in the shape of ship is its most famous sight. It is located a short walk away from the lake. Tomok is also known for Sigale-gale dance.
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Some of you might remember that I have been visiting Pond Inlet for the last two years. I am working on an independent research project, for my PhD in Geography at the University of Calgary, looking at resident attitudes to tourism here, as well as Churchill and Cambridge Bay.The reason for setting up this weblog is to give as many people as possible a chance to comment on my findings. I'll be in town from the 27th August – 1st September 2007, so I hope to talk to as many people as possible, but obviously I cannot speak to everyone, so this is your chance to look at the results, and to have your say!
