Sanaaq

  “Thank you!” said Ningiukuluk. “All the gifts I have here are for tying umbilical cords… This soap will be only for me… Akutsiaq, my daughter, will never use it, not even for doing the laundry… As for the scissors, I’ll take great care of them… They’ll never be used for metal cutting!”

  Taqriasuk came back to the camp, after a long time keeping a lookout on the hilltop. He thought, “What have they been up to here? I can see a lot of footprints in the snow! All day long I’ve been keeping a lookout. I’m hungry and I’m going home. The whole day I haven’t seen the smallest game animal… Yet I looked in all directions through my telescope!”

  “Ii,” said Ningiukuluk. “Here comes our old man! And we didn’t wait for him before quartering. We were in too much of a hurry! ...I put something aside for you to eat, have some! It’s thanks to my angusiaq that we’ve got food to eat.”

  Taqriasuk began eating some of the aqiggiq.

  “I’m really happy to be eating!” he said.

  Aqiarulaaq had been gone the whole day to gather fuel for the fire and was not back yet. Meanwhile, Aanikallak had stayed home. She was old enough to make herself useful. Once Taqriasuk had finished eating, he went home.

  “Hasn’t my old woman come back yet?” he asked.

  “No!” said Aanikallak.

  Qalingu went to visit Taqriasuk. When he entered, he said, “Ai!”

  “Qalingu, ai! Today, I searched high and low on all sides with my telescope, but I saw absolutely nothing, not even a seal on the ice. I’m really happy that your son killed his first aqiggiq today.”

  “When I bought him his rifle, he couldn’t hit a target... He managed to catch an aqiggiq today by breaking its wing. I’m not surprised he didn’t kill it with a single shot.”

  Taqriasuk was tired because he was very old. He went to bed. His old woman, Aqiarulaaq, came just then. She brought the fuel she had gone to gather: kuutsiit, sigalat, mamaittuqutit, issutiit, and paurngaqutit. The fuel would be used for cooking outside at a place where the snow had melted. She went to bed, because it was evening, after having a bit of tea. They were still living in an igloo, although the dome was threatening to cave in on them.

  Morning arrived and Qalingu awoke. The weather was very bad and it was snowing heavily. They had hardly any food left, however, so he decided to go hunting with Maatiusi, despite the weather... As they travelled by sled, the weather improved and it stopped snowing.

  Qalingu spotted an uuttuq and decided to go after it while his companion kept an eye on the sled and dog team. He slipped a white hareskin cap over his head, took a few cartridges and, circling around the seal to the north, crawled towards his prey. He killed it. It was a female with its baby. The seal he had just killed was lying on the bed of its snow shelter. The baby seal did not even dive into the water when its mother died. It simply stayed by her. When Qalingu reached his prey, he also shot the baby seal. His hunting companion caught up to him at that moment. Now that they had a seal, they decided to go home, where they had run out of seal oil and were reduced to cooking outside with fuel gathered from the tundra.

  Aqiarulaaq went out and spotted the approaching sled with its travellers. She called out to Sanaaq, “Qatannguuk! A dog team is coming. Why’s it acting that way? Let’s go, the two of us. Look cousin, they’re loaded. Seems like they’ve killed a seal. Let’s go and meet them!”

  To cheer on the arriving dog team, Aqiarulaaq shouted, “Aa, aa!” and Sanaaq began pulling on the sled’s main tugline. The travellers were happy.

  43

  QALINGU LEAVES TO WORK AMONG THE QALLUNAAT

  The same day, in late afternoon, a plane appeared.

  “Listen to that drone. Sounds like a plane!” said Qalingu. “Over there! It’s arriving… There are two men aboard!”

  It was a single-engine airplane. The Inuit were very nervous and the children were crying. Everyone went to greet them. When the door to the airplane opened, little Qalliutuq was very afraid.

  The two Qallunaak spoke the Inuit language. Their chief asked Qalingu, “Who are you?”

  “I’m Qalingu!”

  “Do you want to come and work among the Qallunaat?”

  “No! I’ve never been away from here. I don’t know the language of the Qallunaat.”

  “If you accept, you’ll be treated very well. You’ll start off receiving two hundred dollars a month and your family will get a house. The plane will be back in a week.”

  “OK,” said Qalingu, who decided to help his family. “I’d like to give it a try.” Speaking to Sanaaq, he added, “I’ll be away working for two months. You’ll be given assistance.”

  She agreed.

  Qalingu made his preparations. He was afraid he would not be allowed to come back. Airplane travel scared him, this being his first time... and the plane was very fast. His family — Qumaq, Sanaaq, and Qalliutuq — broke into tears at the thought that he might never come back... When the airplane disappeared in the clouds, they went home very sad because Qalingu was gone.

  While the family looked after the home, the iksigarjuaq would drop by with food — all kinds of things in tin cans. Sanaaq was invited to his place and she went with a bag. She found the tins to be quite nice-looking.

  “Look, Arnatuinnaq!” she said, coming back. “Look at the presents we’ve been given: canned food!”

  “I’d like to see if it’s any good. May I have a taste? It’s pretty good, the stuff in this can. And these usuujait, what are they? They’re too salty, throw them away. Yes, they’ve got a very bad taste!”

  They were not accustomed to Qallunaat food, so they did not like it. But they did appreciate the oranges. Just then, Qalliutuq began to vomit.

  “The boy’s throwing up!” said Sanaaq. “Hand me the pot! Toss those cans out! We can’t keep the bad ones.”

  The next day, at dawn, the airplane came back. The weather was very nice and everybody went out to the plane, even old Taqriasuk. The Qallunaaq was an Inuit agent. He said hello, shook hands, and smiled. But no one understood a word of what he said. The airplane stayed for the night. Taqriasuk carried the visitors’ baggage into the Catholic missionary’s house and Maatiusi too carried some in. When they were done, they were offered a dollar. Thinking it was something important, they showed it to the missionary.

  “Look!” said Taqriasuk. “Look at what we just got, I and Maatiusi! A simple piece of paper. What is it?”

  “It’s money,” said the missionary. “If you take it to the merchant, you’ll be able to buy anything with it.”

  “Ai!” said Taqriasuk.

  Night was falling. The Inuit agent, using the missionary as an interpreter, asked, “What’s your name?”

  “I’m Taqriasuk!”

  “How old are you?”

  “I have no idea!”

  “You’re probably very old because you look quite elderly. You’ll regularly get money without having to work, because you’re old. You can spend your time doing nothing. You’ll buy what you want every month. You’ll get money for your children too, for anyone who isn’t sixteen yet. When they pass that age, the money stops. But for the old there won’t be any age limit.”

  After this conversation, Taqriasuk went home and said, “I was told I’ll get money.”

  “Ai!” said Aqiarulaaq. “That’s great!”

  As for Sanaaq’s family, they would get a house next summer, a real house, she was told. That evening the Inuit agent paid a visit.

  “Ai!” she said.

  “Hello,” he replied, while lavishing much affection on her child. He then said to her, “Next summer a house will be built for you. In addition, starting tomorrow, you’ll get money for your children.”

  Sanaaq was astounded to be promised so much when she had never been helped before. After the Qallunaaq went back to his place, Aqiarulaaq came to visit Sanaaq.

 
; “Hi, qatannguuk! Tomorrow we’re going shopping! This has completely taken us by surprise, cousin! We were told that my old man would regularly get money at the end of every month.”

  “Looks like our children too will be getting money!” said Sanaaq.

  Qalingu, meanwhile, was working among the Qallunaat. He was made to do just about anything. At times he yearned to go home, because he missed his little boy and his wife. He had never been gone so long from home. Often, the thought even came to his mind that he would never be allowed to go back... At bedtime, he frequently could not fall asleep, for the thought haunted and bothered him.

  Back home, those who had stayed behind were also feeling his absence. They had never been apart for so long and Sanaaq often found her little boy crying because he missed his father so much. The next day they went to the store. The Inuit agent was already there with the company clerks. Ningiukuluk also came in. She was very old and went about her purchases without knowing how much anything cost, for she had never paid attention to the prices of different items. She bought felt, flour, chewing tobacco, baking powder, and printed fabrics to make a dress for Akutsiak and a sweater for her younger sister, Tajarak. Sanaaq and Aqiarulaaq were also making their purchases. They bought a lot of things and wrapped the ones that would be hard to carry away. While Ningiukuluk was still in the store, Sanaaq and Aqiarulaaq went to look for a small sled.

  “Qatannguuk! We’ll haul away our purchases together. Give me a leather strap to pull with. Too bad we won’t have any more straps to tie down the load. I’ll hold it down while you pull!”

  When they came back with the sled, they spoke to Ningiukuluk.

  “We’ve just got back,” said Sanaaq. “It took us some time to get ready!”

  “I’m not at all tired of waiting,” replied Ningiukuluk.

  “We tried to be fast,” added Aqiarulaaq. “We were afraid you’d get cold!”

  “I’m not cold. Just a little cold in my feet. My feet are giving me a headache!”

  “You should get going,” said Sanaaq. “Walk all the way home!”

  “I’m going. I’m tired of standing in one place!”

  Qalingu was busy working but had trouble concentrating on his work, worried as he was about his family and thinking a great deal about them. “I don’t know what my family is doing or how my little boy is… They may be short of food and hungry… They must be missing me and thinking I’ll never come back... My wife’s probably trying all the time to console my little boy, who’s crying and unhappy… As for Qumaq and Arnatuinnaq, they’ll both be working non-stop, even during snowstorms… So when will I go home? Maybe next month?”

  He was becoming increasingly despondent. He had been away for a long time and for two months now had not stopped working. Then came spring and the Qallunaat told him, “Qalingu! You’re going home next week.”

  On hearing this, he was overcome with joy. He smiled all the time now and prepared for his departure. His pockets were full of kiinaujait because he had been working for a long while.

  44

  A SUCCESSFUL DAY FISHING FOR ARCTIC CHAR

  With spring coming and many water holes appearing on the lakes, thoughts in the Qalingu household turned to fishing. Aqiarulaaq went to visit Sanaaq.

  “Cousin! I feel like going fishing with Maatiusi and Arnatuinnaq. Qumaq will also be coming!”

  “We’ll go tomorrow ai! Great idea! We’ll leave tomorrow. I’ll prepare something to eat for the trip and make some bannock because it’s far from here… We’ll camp overnight and go by dogsled over the ice!”

  Arnatuinnaq, Maatiusi, Qumaq, Aanikallak, and Akutsiaq went to see the Catholic missionary and the store employees.

  “Tomorrow we’re going fishing,” said Arnatuinnaq to the missionary.

  “I’ll go with you! It’ll be a great pleasure for me,” he replied.

  They all went to see the chief factor at the trading post and Maatiusi told him, “Tomorrow we’re going fishing. I’d like some biscuits for the trip.”

  “I’ll go with you, and I’ll take enough provisions.”

  They left and returned to Sanaaq’s home.

  “All of the Qallunaat will be going with us,” said Maatiusi.

  Aqiarulaaq and Sanaaq were delighted. The next day, everyone prepared to go. They took along their fishhooks and provisions. Ningiukuluk and Taqriasuk remained behind at the camp because of their advanced age. The others travelled by dogsled over the wet snow. Maatiusi drove the dog team. When they reached their destination, they made tea for their ullugummitaaq. Arnatuinnaq went to draw water from a river.

  “Isn’t this fun!” she exclaimed.

  Meanwhile, Aqiarulaaq was building a fireplace. The chief factor remained seated in order to attach his fishhook properly. Maatiusi was baiting his with a piece of blubber.

  “Qatannguuk!” said Sanaaq. “It’s coming to a boil. Time for our tea! Let the children have theirs first.”

  When everyone had had their tea, they walked onto the lake ice.

  “Isn’t this fun!” said Sanaaq. “Son, pay attention so you don’t fall through the ice. Qumaq! You too!”

  The chief factor started fishing.

  “There’s an iqaluk at the end of my line, Maatiusi!”

  “Mine too. Look at the one I’ve caught!”

  But the one the chief factor caught was much bigger.

  “I just missed an iqaluk!” said Sanaaq.

  “I’ve got one too!” shouted Aqiarulaaq. “This is great!”

  “The iqaluit won’t stop biting at my bait,” said the missionary. “Here we go! I just caught a very big iqaluk, a nutilliq!”

  “I haven’t seen the tiniest little iqaluk!” said Arnatuinnaq. “Qumaq! Come and fish with my line for a moment while I go smoke a cigarette.”

  “Look!” said Qumaq. “A big iqaluk! Yes! I just caught a very big iqaluk!”

  “I sure envy Qumaq for landing such a catch!” sighed Arnatuinnaq.

  After Qumaq caught her iqaluk, she gutted it with a knife. Her mother and all the other anglers were very happy that Qumaq had got one. The missionary too had caught some Arctic char.

  “I’m very happy to have caught so many fish,” he said, stuffing them into a bag.

  The chief factor, for his part, had caught two.

  While the two qatannguuk were fishing, Aqiarulaaq suddenly shouted, “Over there, qatannguuk, are some iqaluit swimming in small schools. They’re heading to shore, in your direction. One of them is very big!”

  “Yes!” said Sanaaq. “Right there! Very many iqaluit. Look at them. They’re fighting over my bait... I’ve got one iqaluk, and another one, and still another!”

  The chief factor walked over to Sanaaq because she was landing a lot of fish, and he started fishing beside her.

  “I’ve got an iqaluk!” he said. “I’ve got one! Another one! Another one… None are left! I’ve taken them all!”

  That night, they would be sleeping under the stars, without a tent. With Aqiarulaaq, Sanaaq looked for a suitable campsite. Her son trailed behind, while Qumaq gathered qijuttaq and Arnatuinnaq went to do the cooking. The chief factor stayed near the fireplace, as did the missionary. Arnatuinnaq was looking for a flat stone. When she came across one, she picked it up but found it too heavy to carry. Maatiusi helped her.

  The chief factor said, “Maatiusi, give it to me. Let me carry it!”

  “Ii!” said Maatiusi. “I dropped it and it broke!”

  He went looking for another one.

  “Isn’t this one suitable?” asked the chief factor.

  “No,” answered Arnatuinnaq. “It’s too thick!”

  “Here’s one,” said Maatiusi. “It should do the job, shouldn’t it, Arnatuinnaq?”

  “I’ll bring it over,” said the chief factor, “because Maatiusi dropped the other one.”

/>   And he carried it to the fireplace. Arnatuinnaq built a large fireplace beside the spot where she had prepared the tea. She lit the fuel under the flat stone, whose upper surface became burning hot. Onto this she put blubber, which crackled and gave off steam, and then one of the fish that she had cut into slices. In very little time, the fish slices were cooked on the flat stone. Everyone had some, including the chief factor and the missionary. Both of them enjoyed what had been cooked on the stone. After their first taste they asked for more. When everyone had finished, tea was served. As there were only four cups, people took turns drinking the tea.

  After finishing their meal, they looked for a place where they could sleep in the open, there being no tent. Some of them created a makeshift tent out of bedspreads, by tying the edges together with a leather strap. They were Sanaaq, Arnatuinnaq, Qumaq, Aqiarulaaq, and Sanaaq’s son. The others — the missionary, the chief factor, and Maatiusi — had no tent. They went to sleep in the lee of an L-shaped rock. They did, however, have a few bedspreads and some brush for bedding.

  During the night, a strong wind picked up and those who slept outside were cold. They got up very early. Maatiusi lit the fire in the fireplace and made some tea. Being next to the fire, he was no longer cold. While the women of the group continued to sleep, the early risers began fishing once more on the lake. On approaching a crack in the ice, they saw large numbers of Arctic char and said, “Look at all the fish! Today we’re going home!”

  Meanwhile, Sanaaq’s companions were just awaking.

  “Arnatuinnaq, wake up!” said Sanaaq.

  “Yes!”

  “Mommy, are we going home?” asked little Irsutuq. “It’s not warm in the tent!”

  “We’ll go home after we’ve fished a little bit more, I and my qatanngut!” said Sanaaq.

  When breakfast was over, they both went fishing.