Nunavut hunter's caribou giveaway prompts flood of online love for elders

UPDATE: The winners for the giveaway were Joannie and Annie Ikkidluak of Kimmirut, Simeonie Qaunirq of Iqaluit, and Elaiya Mangitak of Cape Dorset. Two other local hunters donated their caribou meat for the giveaway since it started, so there werethree prizes.

Christmas will come early for one lucky elder in Nunavut today.

That's thanks to one hunter from Arviat, Nunavut, who decided he was going to give away the meat of a whole caribouon Facebook.

On Monday night, Johnny Mamgark decided to go down to his porch and snap a few photos of his weekendcaribou catch.

"I took the pictures and posted it it on IqaluitSell/Swap [Facebook group], and right after I posted, I received a call from Arctic Bay, an elder," he said.

The conversation with theelder, who was asking about the meat but unable to afford it, got Mamgark feeling "really guilty," he said.

"I felt so bad, so I decided to think of what I can do to help some elders in Baffin."

Facebook giveaway a Nunavuthit

He quickly changed his post from "For sale" to "Free" and asked for pictures and names of elders for a caribou-meat draw:

"I don't know what I was doing, but I just put it up," he said.

The response was unexpected.

"I thought I was going to get like maybe 100 elders, but actually it surprised me."

As of Wednesday morning, there were more than 600 responses to his post a majority of them photos celebrating Nunavut's elders and an outpouring of encouraging comments for Mamgark:

"Christmas is just around the corner," said Mamgark.

He said he particularly wanted to help out an elder in the Baffin region where caribou meat is scarce.

"I just wanted to do something for the elders," said Mamgark. "I know they're craving for caribou meat in Baffin."

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Selling meat online'not my thing'

Mamgark said that selling meat on Facebook "is not my thing."

"I hate doing it, but when you're unemployed, there's something you have to do to support yourself and family, I guess," he said.

"I gotgrandkidsand kids that come to me almost every other day, asking for money."

Traditionally, Inuit share meat. Commercial sales were unheard of until recently. A growing trend in the North to selltraditional meat online has caused some concern among wildlife managers.

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• Selling meat may hasten herds' decline

Under theNunavutland claim, Inuithave the right to "sell, barter, exchange and give"game that's lawfully harvested. There are no harvesting restrictions on caribou in theArviatarea.

'Friendliest community' in Nunavut

Mamgark said his community has come together to support his idea.

Other hunters expressed interest in doing the same thing, and women in the community are getting together to help pay for the freight.

"There were some posts last night that were actually saying, 'We're going to do a sale, I'm gonna sell a jacket, I'm gonna sell a parka, we'll pay the freight.'"

Mamgarkwas unsurprised by the response because he thinks "Arviat is the friendliest community."

"If you haven't been to Arviat, you haven't seen anything yet," he said. "When we want to do something, we do it. Like we get together and make it happen.

"In Arviat, everything's possible."

Mamgark said he planned to draw thewinner'sname out of a bagwith the help of his grandchildren.

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