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When you think of music in the Arctic, the button accordion isn’t always the first instrument that comes to mind. But at community gatherings, it’s not unusual to find an accordion in the mix. Introduced in the 1800s by whalers who shared their musical tastes with local Inuit, the accordion remained up North long after the whalers returned to home bases in the United States and Scotland. In the century after the whalers left, when people picked up their feet to square dance, the accordion helped set the beat. This tradition survived the 19 th and 20 th century and by the late 1970s button accordions were often for sale at remote Hudson’s Bay Company stores. Today button accordions can be found across the Inuit music scene, and are played by respected elders like Simeonie Keenainak and modern indie bands like The Jerry Cans, which features accordionist Avery Keenainak. And interest among new players is growing. ....