Eskimo to the World

I am Trina Landlord and this is my blog. In a past life, Eskimo to the World documented my adventures in New York – where in minute everything can change. Much like my life changed when I moved from Alaska to the 'city that never sleeps'. From the biggest state in America to the most populous city in the United States. From the immaculate nature of the Chugach Mountains, Yukon River and Bering Sea to the urban tundra of sky scrapers, enclaves of business and cultural capitals and the nation's foremost trendsetters. From 'the great land' to arguably the 'greatest city on earth'. I made a 5,000 mile prodigious leap from Anchorage to New York City – AND BACK TO ALASKA. The determination of Yup’ik peoples to survive in harsh Arctic conditions had given me the foundation to survive on streets of New York, I will continue to chronicle the parallels of both worlds.
June 19

Doppleganger

My former boss in Greenland thinks that Leah Angutimarik and I were separated at birth. I had to take a closer look and heartily disagree with her assessment. I think Leah is super talented, AM-azing actress and honored to have her as a Facebook friend.

Leah is an Inuit actress who played Apak in the Journals of Knud Rasmussen: The last great shaman of the Inuit Avva and his beautiful and headstrong daughter Apak lives on the verge of change in 1922. As the father is trying to resist the changes encroaching upon his family and culture, a group of Danish scientists arrive to study and record his way of life.

In creating “The Journals of Knud Rasmussen,” writers and directors Norman Cohn and Zacharias Kunuk were driven by one purpose: getting the complexities of the Inuit experience right. “When Christianity came, all the spirits that we believed in became evil,” Mr. Kunuk explained in a telephone interview from his home in Igloolik, a community in Nunavut, the huge Inuit region created out of Canada’s Northwest Territories seven years ago.

Journals was life changing and posed the question to PSP and I: are we living the life our ancestors want us to? It really opened the door of questioning who I am and learned how to draw on the strength of my ancestors.

I was once directed to close my eyes and imagine my ancestors lined up behind me and then to imagine the ones lined in front of me. To this day, when I’ve stumbled, fallen and lost hope I call on my ancestors to overcome, walk through, prevail and build the strength to move forward.