Greenland Camp: Mentorship as a Disciplined Practice in Preparedness

Sea kayaking may be best understood through the insights and knowledge of people whose ancestors kayaked for survival. Greenland Camp, held over several days in late summer, is a kayaking event that draws paddlers from around the world to reconnect with one another and learn age-old and advanced skills of the Arctic's Inuit. Greenland Camp is a gathering for paddlers that preserves and passes on to future generations the traditional paddling/rolling skills of Greenland's experienced seal catchers. Rooted in the need for responsive skill development and observant awareness as well as the indispensable skills needed to hunt and survive in Arctic waters, the Inuit point to a traditional practice that challenges the depth, scope, and limitation of experience of all kayakers. Facilitating mentorship of the disciplined practice of sea kayaking is thus explored to discern how the cultivated practice of hunter-gatherer Inuit communities may positively affect youth resilience to adversity.