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Nothing is Lost, or Almost…

Adamie Philie. Noah Anogak
May 22, 2017
Kangiqsujuaq

"Ski-doo parts get picked up a lot."

Noah Anogak, Inuit

In Kangiqsujuaq, where Noah works as a garbage collector, the dump occupies a vast area near the village. You can find everything there. What’s not burned is placed on the site and everyone can come and help themselves. The motor vehicle area’s a real store of used parts, especially for snowmobiles. In this isolated region where no trees grow, the building materials section is always busy. Anything that isn’t recovered will remain there. Here, as elsewhere, consumption leaves traces that even time can’t completely erase.

Transcript

In the middle of the Kangiqsujuaq dump, various objects litter the ground, including pieces of wood, metal and cardboard, abandoned cars trapped in ice, metal tanks, a couch. A semi-circular metal building is located at the entrance of the site. A red pickup truck is parked by the roadside. The sky is overcast. Two men are standing in the center of the dump site. They’re looking towards the entrance.

[Comments in Inuktitut translated by Adamie Phillie]

Noah Matthew Jaaka

This is where we enter with the garbage truck. When we arrive here, that's where we empty the garbage. After putting the garbage here, we move out of the way a little and we start burning it all. We move out of the way.

The two men turn around momentarily to look in the opposite direction.

If it’s windy here, we light the fire there, but if it’s windy on the other side, the smoke from the garbage will go towards Kangiqsujuaq.

Adamie Phillie

If the wind blows through here, that's where you'll light the fire.

Noah Matthew Jaaka

Yes, this is where we light it.

Adamie Phillie

The cars and four-wheelers?

Noah points to his right, towards the entrance of the site where we see a series of abandoned vehicles and a metal building.

Noah Matthew Jaaka

The four-wheelers and the cars are here. The parts are here. The snowmobiles are a little further up the hill. This is where we put the old batteries.

Adamie Phillie

What do you do with the tires?

Noah Matthew Jaaka

Right now, they're everywhere. People, the Inuit, gather them up and place them together over there. Because I work as a garbageman. I just transport them. The barrels are there, a little further over there.

Adamie Phillie

Over there? They’re over there. What did they have in them?

They turn around, walk a few steps and point to a place in the distance where you can see an array of metal barrels.

Noah Matthew Jaaka

Oil, some of them gas, maybe... I don't know. I've never looked. There are some car parts over here.

Adamie Phillie

Refrigerators and ovens?

The two men turn around, face the camera for a few moments and continue their rotation.

Noah Matthew Jaaka

The refrigerators and ovens are over there. This is where they throw away wood, nails. It's the construction workers who throw them away here.

Adamie Phillie

What do you think is going to happen this year?

Noah Matthew Jaaka

A lot of things will be thrown away, that's for sure. That's when the Inuit will come.

Adamie Phillie

Why will there be so much?

Noah Matthew Jaaka

Because the community announced it on the radio.

Adamie Phillie

New houses will be built?

Noah Matthew Jaaka

New houses will be built. New houses. There will be new houses.

Adamie Phillie

Will there be any renovations?

Noah Matthew Jaaka

There will be a lot of renovations this year.

Adamie Phillie

That’s why they’ll throw away more materials, such as windows (igalaaq), furniture...

Noah Matthew Jaaka

Tables, flooring...

Adamie Phillie

Afterwards, the Inuit will collect these parts?

Noah Matthew Jaaka

This year, they’ll do it.

Adamie Phillie

Ski-Doo?

Noah Matthew Jaaka

Ski-Doo parts. The parts are there; they’re often collected.

Adamie Phillie

That's where they collect the parts.

Noah Matthew Jaaka

They'll collect them, that's for sure.

They look around them.

Noah Matthew Jaaka

It's done. I think it was short enough this time.

Adamie Phillie

I think we’ve said everything.

Noah Matthew Jaaka

Yes, I think we’re done.

Adamie Phillie

Are you sure we’ve said everything?

They walk towards the pickup truck.

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