(Opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily the view of the United States Government.)

The sound of a Hercules aircraft causes everyone in northern communities to look skyward. The arrival of a "Herc" from the south can mean one of two things: the Canadian military is conducting an exercise in the north, or someone is missing on the land.

Canada claims a large share of the world's arctic region as its own. While the climate is harsh and the people few, Canadians have always viewed the arctic as a central component to the notion of "the true north, strong and free". Challenges to Canadian sovereignty have been faced from a variety of countries, including the USA and Denmark in recent times. The fabled Northwest Passage fuels much of the debate over Canada's claim to the arctic, as the waters warm the possibility of trans-arctic shipping becomes more of a reality.

Despite Canada's claim to sovereignty, there are times when international borders are irrelevant. Through out the circumpolar world people live in close contact with the land. Harvesting the resources of the land and sea are part of the daily rhythm of life in many arctic communities. Fish, caribou, musk ox, seals and whales have been part of the diet for centuries. Just as the animals have been part of the diet, so has tragedy and the loss of hunters on the land and sea been part of the history. When hunters set out on the land or sea there is a realization that despite all of the modern technology of today's world they may not return. The climate in the arctic is unforgiving of errors and takes even those who are skilled and prepared. When someone does not return when planned, there is always the fear that they may be lost forever and all resources possible are mobilized.

On September 25, 2004 sovereignty was put aside. Two fathers had taken their teenage sons caribou hunting. Travelling west in an open twenty foot aluminium Lund boat they had set out on September 21st from the coastal community of Tuktoyaktuk, or "Tuk" as it is known in the north. When they did not return, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) was contacted by the families. Due to the immense area to be searched, the Canadian Coast Guard and Department of National Defence were contacted.

In Canada the Joint Rescue Command Centre coordinates sea and air searches. From their base in Trenton, Ontario search and rescue experts directed the operations. One of the first calls made was to the Inuvik branch of the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA), a volunteer group available to the Canadian military to conduct air searches. Inuvik CASARA volunteers boarded the two Canadian Herc and twin otter to begin searching some of the most remote coast line in the world. The Tuk RCMP and Canadian Coast Guard conducted a search at ground and sea level. Over one hundred people were searching night and day in hopes the hunters would be found.

While many are aware of the maritime tradition of responding to the distress call of those in need, regardless of nationality, few are aware the same tradition exists in the north. On September 28th Canada requested the assistance of the US Coast Guard and a Herc and crew were dispatched to Inuvik. When asked where the third Herc was from the Canadian Major directing the operation in Inuvik simply replied "The Americans have come to help." Their arrival meant that the search area could be greatly expanded to include areas both east and west of Tuk.

The assistance offered by the Americans in the Tuk search is a continuation of a long standing tradition of the two countries supporting each other in times of need. Canadian ships set sail for San Francisco to bring survivors to safety after the earthquake of 1906, when the Mont Blanc exploded in Halifax harbour on December 17, 1917 the citizens of the American eastern seaboard rushed aid to the stricken city. Canada brought six embassy employees out of Iran during the hostage crisis. Americans answered Canada's call for help during the 1998 ice storms that devastated Ontario and Quebec. Canadians put to sea from Peggy's Cove to search the waters of the Atlantic when Swiss Air Flight 111 crashed shortly after take off from New York later that same year. On September 11, 2001 Canada opened its air space to planes headed for American airports.

Cross border assistance occurs on a regular basis in the north. Americans and Canadians searched the waters off the north slope of Alaska for a family missing in a small boat. American Search and Rescue went to the aid of two Canadians who had crashed their small plane in northern Alaska and then went a step further and flew them to Inuvik to receive medical aid. Canadian and American planes regularly join force in searches along our northern border. American and Canadian ships and Coast Guard vessels rush to the aid of ships in distress regardless of the border.

Despite ten days of searching, no trace of the missing hunters was ever found. While the people of Tuk and Inuvik mourned their loss they were comforted by the knowledge that others had come to their aid.

When the Hercs are in the sky our neighbours are with us.

Alana Mero is a Senior Instructor in the Criminal Justice Program at Aurora College in the Northwest Territories.

For further information:
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Department of National Defense
Canadian Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard Search and Rescue