Sanaaq

  “Ai qatannguuk!” said Aqiarulaaq. “Take care not to go through the ice. This past night it didn’t stop melting!”

  Arnatuinnaq was cooking while Qumaq and Irsutuq stayed in their tent. The men of the group were back. They had caught many iqaluit. Maatiusi had landed a big one — an isiuralittaaq. They began preparing to go home.

  The chief factor found Arnatuinnaq very attractive. While she cooked, he even tried to kiss her, right in front of Qumaq, who thought, “Ii, that one, that bad Qallunaaq who was our companion, he’s behaving badly. It’s really offensive!” Arnatuinnaq, however, did not mind, and the two of them would be having sexual relations throughout the spring, unbeknownst to Arnatuinnaq’s kinfolk.

  Maatiusi was preparing to leave with Irsutuq while Qumaq chatted with the missionary.

  “I again affirm my desire to follow your religion once we’ve returned home. I’ll go to prayer every day. My stepfather, Qalingu, when he comes back, will be happy for me and I’ll be happy all my life!”

  The missionary replied to Qumaq, “If you always try to do good, Qumaq, and if you persevere in doing good, you will find happiness!”

  With the return of Sanaaq and Aqiarulaaq, everyone prepared to leave. After having another cup of tea, they resumed their journey and soon arrived home, at Ningiukuluk’s place.

  “So you’re back?” said Ningiukuluk. “Now we’ll be able to eat fish! Thanks!”

  She received fish from the kinfolk of Sanaaq and Aqiarulaaq. So did Taqriasuk. They had stayed home because they were very old.

  With spring well underway, people began to long for Qalingu’s return, because the airplane was supposed to be arriving.

  “But when will my father arrive?” asked Irsutuq.

  “I was told he would arrive tomorrow,” answered his mother.

  “That’s great! Tomorrow I’ll stick around so that I can go and welcome him back. Little sister, they say my father will be arriving tomorrow!”

  “Ai! That’s great!” said Qumaq. “We’ll save some fish for tomorrow, Mom!”

  Arnatuinnaq told Sanaaq, “I’ll go look for fuel, so that we’ll have enough tomorrow to keep us warm. That’s delightful news! We won’t be alone at home anymore.”

  Sanaaq went to Ningiukuluk’s home. She walked in and said, “Ai! Ningiukuluk!”

  “Aa! Sit down, Sanaaq, and have some tea!”

  “Thank you, Ningiukuluk!”

  When night fell, Sanaaq left and Ningiukuluk went to bed.

  “Uuh, am I ever tired! It’s tiring to be old. I feel exhausted each evening!”

  She fell asleep. In the morning she awoke to a nice sunny day.

  “My stepfather’s going to arrive,” said Qumaq. “What a happy occasion!”

  When the airplane appeared, all of the Inuit came to welcome its passengers. Qalingu climbed down from the plane. On seeing his father, Irsutuq felt overwhelmed.

  “Father! You’ve arrived!” They headed to the village, with the baggage. “Dad, may I carry these things? Where were you?”

  Qalingu had brought gifts for everyone in the whole family. The chief factor came to visit. Taqriasuk also went. They recounted everything that had happened in his absence.

  “Over there,” said Qalingu, “at our work site, three of us were Inuit. One of us, a young man, missed his mother and father a great deal and we sometimes thought we’d never be allowed to go home, despite our wish to go home. We were told the Inuit would always have work… By going away to work, I made a lot of money. I’ll buy a canoe and an outboard motor!”

  “At the end of every month,” said Taqriasuk, “I’ve been getting money. I’ve bought felt and braid cloth — to tell the truth, just about anything… I’m very grateful!”

  Qalingu was eager to go hunting now, for he was very happy to be back in his country. Maatiusi was happy to see his hunting companion return.

  45

  THE FIRST MEDICAL EXAMINATION

  The airplane came again, with a nurse aboard. She brought her devices for diagnosing illnesses. The plane would stay two nights and the nurse would attend to the health problems of the Inuit. It was the first time that the Inuit met an aanniasiurti. The nurse used the missionary as an interpreter. That evening, the Inuit were invited to come. They heard for the first time that they would be examined. That same day, in the evening, they underwent blood tests. Maatiusi was the first to have a sample of his blood taken.

  “Aatataa! That hurts!”

  It was then the children’s turn.

  “No, I don’t want to!” said Irsutuq, “because Maatiusi has just been hurt!”

  Qumaq and Aanikallak ran off for fear of being hurt. Although they slipped away, they were still made to take a blood test. Qumaq’s blood was too weak. As was Aanikallak’s. They were told so.

  “Sanaaq! Qumaq’s blood is too weak and the same is true for Aanikallak’s. They’ll both have to go to hospital!”

  That did not at all please Sanaaq and Aqiarulaaq. The two of them cried and cried. Their lungs were going to be X-rayed. The next day, they were ordered to strip to the waist. They felt very ashamed, because they had never undressed in this manner.

  “Do it!” they were told.

  After they had been tested, their lungs were found to be healthy. Taqriasuk, however, was advised to take it easy because he was very old. The same recommendation was given to Qumaq and Aanikallak because they would soon be leaving on the airplane to be among the Qallunaat. The nurse also questioned Arnatuinnaq.

  “Are you often unwell?”

  “No!”

  Their weights were measured: Arnatuinnaq, 122 pounds; Qumaq, 77; her little brother, 26; Sanaaq, 118; Qalingu, 141; Taqriasuk, 136; Aqiarulaaq, 112; Aanikallak, 76; Maatiusi, 101; Tajarak, 40; Irsutualuq, 215, and Angutikallak, 143. The last two were too fat. Angutikallak was told that he was overweight.

  “Angutikallak! You will not eat seal blubber too often. You’re too fat for someone as young as you!”

  “Yes, yes! I’ll surely do as you say!”

  “And you, Arnatuinnaq! You’re pregnant. Your baby will be born next month.”

  On hearing this, she felt thoroughly ashamed, for she had no husband. Sanaaq, her family, and everyone in the camp were learning the news for the first time. They thought, “Could it be Maatiusi’s child or maybe Angutikallak’s?”

  Once she had gone home, Arnatuinnaq told her older sister, Sanaaq, “It’s the chief factor’s child!”

  Some of their camp mates were very astonished and displeased at what Arnatuinnaq had said. When the time came to leave, Qumaq and Aanikallak were weeping warm tears, as were their families. The Inuit realized for the first time that some unpleasant things were being done to them. Qumaq did not cry too much, however, because she had begun to listen to the teachings of the Church, and her thoughts were often on the Catholic faith.

  “In truth, I won’t always be happy!”

  There were many things they had not yet understood by the time of their departure. From then on, however, Aanikallak and Qumaq were constantly learning and understanding more and more.

  46

  BIRTH, NAMING, AND CONVERSION

  And so, among those close to her, Arnatuinnaq gave birth to a little girl. Sanaaq was the midwife. Ningiukuluk, who wished to acquire a sauniq, made a request: “I wish to have a sauniq so that I may walk all the time and accompany those who go travelling anywhere!”

  Ningiukuluk was overjoyed, having acquired a sauniq. And the baby with no father was now called Ningiukuluk.

  After Arnatuinnaq had given birth, the chief factor wanted to marry her straightaway, out of affection for his little daughter. The problem was that he could be transferred anytime to a place among the Qallunaat. Arnatuinnaq was an Inuk and did not understand the Qallunaat language. A Qallunaaq, however, had fathered her baby. Arnatuinnaq wanted her firs
t child to be baptized by the Catholic missionary.

  “Tomorrow she’ll be baptized!” she said.

  Sanaaq and Qalingu both loved the baby. And Ningiukuluk, who had acquired a sauniq, gave away some of the felt she had bought for a pair of stockings, which Sanaaq made. The child’s father gave her a shawl to cloak her body, flannel for her shirts, and material for her clothes. To the mother, he gave felt and material for an amauti so that she could carry the child on her back. Sanaaq made it, stitching it together after cutting it out, using her own amauti as a pattern. She very much wanted to carry the little baby in her own coat pouch. Arnatuinnaq, for her part, passionately loved her first child. And Irsutuq, Sanaaq’s little boy, was always kissing her. He had grown and often accompanied Qalingu on hunting trips.

  Maatiusi was not at all happy. His betrothed, Arnatuinnaq, had a baby that was not his. He wavered, however, between a desire to marry her and the opposite...

  With the coming of summer, the ajuqirtuiji and his assistants arrived and attended to the Inuit. He questioned Qalingu and Sanaaq.

  “But this baby, who is her father?”

  “Her father is a Qallunaaq!” answered Qalingu.

  “Her baptism has no value,” said the minister, “for she is the fruit of sin. Her mother and you are truly lacking in common sense!”

  “You are right,” replied Qalingu. “If we’re not acceptable to you, it doesn’t matter. We can’t always act perfectly. We must be humble, but this little baby will be baptized by the Catholic missionary!”

  “How is that possible when neither you nor the baby’s mother are Catholics? I’m the one who will baptize her!”

  “No! I love this baby too much. You’ve just said she’s not worthy of baptism, so we want her to be baptized by the Catholic missionary, whom we’ll now follow. You may have worthy disciples, who’ll always do good. But we aren’t worthy of you, so we’ll be confessing at the Catholic mission.”

  “I’m the one who’ll baptize the child because you follow the Anglicans!”

  Arnatuinnaq left and went to the Catholic mission, where she said, “This one, I want her to be baptized by you!”

  The Catholic missionary agreed. “I’ll baptize her in a few moments!”

  And everyone, including Qalingu and Sanaaq, came in, because the baby was going to be baptized.

  “I am going to baptize your child. She will be the first one among you to be baptized! Though she is only a little baby, she will now be washed of all uncleanliness. She shall be named Ningiukuluk Maria!”

  As the first to be baptized, this baby became a source of great joy for the whole family.

  Qumaq had gone far away. The airplane brought her news from her family. This is what was written to her:

  “To Qumaq, from her mother, Ai! Qumaq. Right now we’re doing fine. We have a newborn child, a little girl-cousin for you. She’s been baptized and is called Maria! Ai! Qumaq! Be patient, because you’ll be coming back! I send you my greetings, you and Aanikallak too! My cousin Aqiarulaaq is doing fine. Always be thoroughly obedient, the two of you. You’ll come back when you’ve recovered. Qumaq! Ai! You’re sent greetings from your little brother and from Arnatuinnaq, as well as from your stepfather!”

  Qumaq received her mother’s letter with the news about her folks while in hospital. The news of the baby gave her a start. She thought, “Had I been more diligent, I’d already be baptized… How I envy her! My little cousin is already baptized... When I go home, I’ll carry her on my back often. But I don’t know when I’m going home!”

  Qumaq told Aanikallak, “Aanikallak! We got a letter! We’ve been asked to obey at all times. Our folks are fine, so they say. How delightful it is that we got a letter, Aanikallak! Read it and then give it back to me.”

  “Aa! Thanks!” said Aanikallak. “But I want to go home!”

  “How true! Let’s both cry, Aanikallak!”

  “Let’s!”

  They both began to cry and people thought that they were angry with each other, when they were just homesick. Some people also thought that they were in pain. Their families back home very much longed for their return. Sanaaq could not help but think about Qumaq often.

  “Qumaq may arrive anytime! I must not get discouraged. She’s going to come back soon… When she’s back, she’ll probably have grown and her clothing will be too small for her, that’s for sure!”

  47

  A BROKEN HEART AND POSSESSION

  Maatiusi was out walking alone in late summer. He was feeling down. All kinds of thoughts were turning over and over in his mind, even bad ones. He had been warned, in keeping with Inuit customs, that it was not good to dwell too much on something, but he ignored these warnings and let his despondency run free. He became used to mulling over his thoughts, in which Arnatuinnaq was first and foremost. He found her very desirable, thought much about her and, suddenly, while walking, caught sight of someone who looked like her. He believed it was Arnatuinnaq. Maatiusi saw a woman with the edge of her hood folded back and he really thought it was Arnatuinnaq. Being alone, he took her as a companion and talked and made love with her. He felt euphoric...

  Members of his family began to be wary. No one understood why Maatiusi was often away at night and yet did not seem to be out hunting. Qalingu now usually went hunting alone, with only his little boy for company.

  And Arnatuinnaq always stayed home. In fact, Maatiusi was possessed by a nuliarsaq. He no longer seemed to find any pleasure in going home. And his nuliarsaq, who was a very pretty girl, had great powers. She could make herself invisible. With her, he was happy, being himself a handsome Inuk. It was like having a real wife. He did not even notice her missing navel…

  Maatiusi was unaware that he had changed, but those close to him, his camp mates, could see he was not doing well at all, even though they did not know why. His way of life was not the same as before. He seldom talked anymore, had become closed-minded, and avoided the company of other Inuit while still eating and working with them. He sometimes went hunting but no longer took care of his clothes. He dressed shabbily. Sometimes, his behaviour puzzled his camp mates. They would hear him talking aloud while alone and even making eyes at someone. At times, it looked as if someone was calling him. At other times, he would suddenly take off without warning. At still other times, it looked as if he was fainting... All this was the effect of his nuliarsaq, who was making love to him... People noticed too that his skin was damp. Those who lived with him found that Maatiusi often had a very foul odour...

  Qalingu asked Maatiusi, “Are you sick?”

  “No, I’m not sick!”

  “What’s wrong with you? You’re living a life that’s not like the one you lived before!”

  “Not at all. I haven’t changed!”

  Clearly, he was not going to say anything. Qalingu no longer enjoyed him as a hunting companion and began to think, “Maatiusi must be possessed by a nuliarsaq because sometimes he converses with nobody and he smells very bad.”

  For her part, Aqiarulaaq was thinking, “All the Inuit feel that Maatiusi is in a bad way. It’s probably because he doesn’t want to say anything while having bad thoughts due to personal problems. If he doesn’t talk, his condition will get even worse. We’re his life companions and we should talk to him.”

  She decided to approach him.

  “Maatiusi, what’s with you? Maybe you have a relationship with a nuliarsaq. Could that be it?”

  “No, not at all!”

  Because he did not want to talk, the questioning led nowhere, and his condition only got worse.

  Aqiarulaaq went to speak to Sanaaq. “Qatannguuk! Maatiusi clearly isn’t saying a thing. Please, would you like to try and question him some time?”

  “Maybe if I were alone with him,” answered Sanaaq, “I could get him to talk. Couldn’t I, cousin?”

  So Sanaaq questioned him.


  “Maatiusi, I’m going to talk to you because your condition is getting worse. You no longer appear to be the same person. You’ve got a nuliarsaq! You sometimes give off a nuliarsaq odour. If you stay that way, you’ll go to kappianartuvik!”

  Maatiusi was overcome with sorrow on hearing this from Sanaaq, but his nuliarsaq forbade him to talk and continually reminded him of this. Yet he very much wanted to talk to Sanaaq. Because his nuliarsaq feared he would, she tried to frighten him with a large knife and lashed him with a whip.

  “I’ll kill you!” she repeated again and again. “As soon as you talk, I’ll kill you. I’ll no longer have you as a husband!”

  So, he did not say anything, fearing that he would be killed if he did so. Although he almost confessed to Sanaaq, he stopped himself, believing his nuliarsaq. She had worked hard to make him fear greatly the consequences of a confession. He had several reasons for saying nothing: the fear of punishment and also his deep fondness for his nuliarsaq.

  “He hasn’t talked yet, qatannguuk!” reported Sanaaq to her cousin. “He seems to fear the consequences of confessing. He’s probably under someone’s influence!”

  His nuliarsaq was very grateful to him for not talking. She visited him more and more and Maatiusi became even more possessed. His sense of reason was almost gone and, whenever he left for the night, people were afraid he would lose his way. His camp mates were increasingly worried.

  Arnatuinnaq’s baby was growing and Qumaq and Aanikallak were back.

  “It’s really nice to have them back, our two absent girls!” said Aqiarulaaq.

  Qumaq loved the baby as soon as she saw her.

  “Little cousin Ai! You’re so tiny. I’m going to take good care of you!”

  And she recounted to her mother everything that had happened since her departure.

  “Anaanak! I saw big houses for the first time. They were very beautiful. And cars, many of them too. And lights that often lit themselves. And stores, statues, plenty of things… Ships too. There are very many Qallunaat. Even at night, they don’t stop. And there are animals that produce milk, and many other things. Over there we learned a lot at school. We were treated well all the time. We never went out. Sometimes it wasn’t nice. It was very tiring. All the time we were made to sleep during the day so that we would get cured. Finally, because we were both cured, I and Aanikallak, we came back by plane. What happiness! The nurses loved us a lot!”