Jimmy Kalinek
Inspired by the presence of theSuu rim ma an itchu at Dancers from Utqiaġvik (Barrow), Alaska, for the 2009 Traditional Circumpolar Northern Games in Inuvik, Jimmy Kalinek started to look toward drum dancing. Born and raised in Inuvik, Jimmy approached the Inuvik Drummers and Dancers, whom he says have always been a part of his culture and his life here in the Arctic. Jimmy embarked on this new endeavour with the utmost commitment by practising every day, recording and reviewing videos of himself drum dancing. This dedication has lead to him becoming a keystone member of the Inuvik Drummers and Dancers as well as to having the experience of performing at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC. His career as the proprietor of Only Way Outfitting intertwines with his role as a drum dancer: both skills recognize and prioritize a traditional way of life. Both drum dancing and being on the land draw from a rich Inuvialuit family history; a legacy, which in turn Jimmy passes onto his son.