Sanaaq

by Salomé Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk

  “Thank you so much, Qumaq, for being cured! The chief factor will be leaving very soon, even though he’s liked so much by Arnatuinnaq and by all of the Inuit. He’ll be leaving next week. Ever since she found out, Arnatuinnaq has been distraught because her lover will be going. Another person will surely take his place, but that one, the chief factor who’ll be leaving, is the one she loves the most.”

  Maatiusi was often home and made only short visits with no real thought of working. He was very absent-minded, talked rarely, and disliked being with the Inuit.

  48

  CONFESSION AND CURE

  Sanaaq loved her nuakuluk, who was at the stage of beginning to chew. She gave her fish to eat. And Qalingu often went fishing.

  On the day that the chief factor departed on a big boat, his replacement arrived. Everyone was sad. Arnatuinnaq cried. The chief factor left a few little things behind for everyone, but his baby and Arnatuinnaq received more than the others. Arnatuinnaq was sad and thought again and again, “My handsome lover is going away. There’ll never be a man as kind as him, and I no longer even enjoy staying home. I always feel like crying! He’ll probably never come back!”

  The new chief factor was often engaged in trade and the Inuit felt intimidated by him. He too found Arnatuinnaq to his liking and tried to seduce her, but Arnatuinnaq detested the man. She could not love her friend’s replacement. She thought constantly about the first one.

  Sanaaq spoke to her. “Arnatuinnaq, don’t get thinking too much about this new Qallunaaq. He could leave!”

  But she was not thinking at all about the new Qallunaaq. Then one evening, while on a visit to Aqiarulaaq’s place, all alone and still grieving, she spotted a man on her path who looked like the chief factor who had left.

  “Ii! Ii!” shrieked Arnatuinnaq, overwhelmed by fright.

  Feeling faint, she ran into Aqiarulaaq’s home and began talking to Taqriasuk and Aqiarulaaq.

  “I was terrified when I saw someone who wasn’t a human being, our former chief factor. I was almost possessed by an uirsaq... And he even tried to seize me, just now, when I was already here!”

  “Ii!” said Aqiarulaaq. “What an experience! It’s because you’re still hurting, because you’re lamenting too much, that you’ve almost been possessed by an uirsaq!”

  Arnatuinnaq no longer wanted to go home alone, for fear of meeting such a being again. So Aqiarulaaq accompanied her to her home, to Sanaaq’s place. She said, “Because she saw someone who wasn’t human, Arnatuinnaq too almost got possessed by an uirsaq, qatannguuk!”

  “It’s a good thing, Arnatuinaaq, that you immediately confessed!” said Sanaaq. “You’ll probably never see it again. It must be quite ashamed that you confessed right away. If you hadn’t, it would’ve appeared to you again and again, even briefly. It’s said that that’s how non-human beings appear, by taking on the appearance of the person one loves!”

  Arnatuinnaq spoke again. “I never thought I’d see a creature like that, on account of my being too attached to my friend, the former chief factor. It still hurts when I think that no one else will be as kind and nice as he was...!”

  “It’s fortunate you spoke right away,” added Sanaaq.

  Arnatuinnaq felt well. She forbade herself to think about him because she feared encountering another non-human being. She behaved honourably, for she wanted to be baptized like her child, and often went to pray. With Qumaq, little Irsutuq, and Aanikallak, she became a member of the Catholic Church.

  Meanwhile, Maatiusi had still not confessed to having a nuliarsaq, despite having previously been engaged to Arnatuinnaq. It was as if he no longer cared for the real Arnatuinnaq. And so Arnatuinnaq was afraid of Maatiusi and his nuliarsaq. Maatiusi, however, knew he would never want to have the invisible woman as a wife, so he began to think, “There are two Arnatuinnaq. How can that be?”

  Qalingu, Maatiusi, and Angutsiaq went fishing at the saputi for iqaluit that were swimming upstream. They felt happy as they fished. But Maatiusi could not be really happy. His two companions were caught up in the fishing — now and again running, often falling into the water, and standing back up each time... But Maatiusi was not really with them... He was fatherless, motherless, and without family. He lived at Aqiarulaaq’s home, having taken the place of the man’s deceased son Jiimialuk. Everyone took good care of him. While preparing the midday meal, Maatiusi thought, “Uuu! Am I ever tired! In the past, I was always really happy to be an Inuk, but now I’m tired of having a nuliarsaq. I hope Qalingu will come because I’m going to tell him everything... So what if I get killed by my nuliarsaq, who tells me again and again she’ll kill me the moment I talk... Maybe it’s not true and she just wants to keep me from talking.”

  Qalingu arrived just then. When he got his meal, he said, “Maatiusi ai! I fell several times into the water... Is it cooked? There’s a good smell of tea and boiled fish!”

  Maatiusi did not say a word. He did not even try to look at Qalingu. He wanted to talk but because he hesitated too long he could not.

  Qalingu asked, “Maatiusi, are you feeling down? I’m really happy to be fishing!”

  “Yes! All summer I’ve found nothing to make me happy!”

  “But now you could be happy! All the Inuit and the Qallunaat too know you’ve got a nuliarsaq. If you confess, you won’t be in that situation anymore. Who does your nuliarsaq look like?”

  “Like Arnatuinnaq!”

  “But Arnatuinnaq is still among us!”

  “I thought I’d have Arnatuinnaq as my wife. Then, while walking far away, when I was sad because of her, I saw it for the first time... The edge of its hood was turned back and… it forbade me to talk. If I did, it said it would cut my head off with a knife... Yet I still felt attached to it. That’s why I took so long to talk!”

  “Maatiusi! From now on you’ll be truly happy and you’ll never see it again. It said it’d kill you just to keep you from talking...”

  As soon as he had talked, Maatiusi truly felt much better. He had rid himself of his nuliarsaq thanks to his travelling companion and for this he was really happy. From then on he would no longer have such torments. As for the others, who had still been fishing, they decided to head home with the start of a heavy downpour...

  END

  GLOSSARY

  Abbreviations: dual (dl.), plural (pl.), vocative (voc.)

  Aa! Aaah! interjection to express pain

  Aakut-tuasi old children’s rhyme

  Aalalaalaala humming of a tune

  Aalummi! exclamation to express tenderness toward children

  Aanaqatak person’s name

  Aanikallak person’s name, literally “little Annie”

  aanniasiurti physician or nurse; from aanniaq pain, painful illness

  Aappuu! child talk; interjection to express wish to be consoled

  Aaq! interjection to express disgust

  Aatataa! onomatopoeia: interjection to express pain (Ow-ow-ow!)

  Ai! interjection to address someone, to question, to express resignation, or to ask for agreement

  Aiguuq! interjection used by spouses to address each other

  Aikuluk reciprocal kinship term, used by in-laws, of the opposite sex and the same generation, e.g., the wife of a man’s brother or the sister of a man’s wife

  Aippa, voc. Aippaa! kinship term used by spouses to address or refer to each other: Husband! Wife!

  airait, pl. of airaq edible root of field locoweed Oxytropis hyperborea

  airaq see airait

  airqavaq, pl. airqavat, dl. airqavaak long-sleeved winter glove, used when building an igloo

  ajuqirtuiji, pl. ajuqirtuijiit Anglican minister, literally “the one who teaches”

  Ajurnamat! “Can’t be helped!” “Nothing can be done!” Condolences after bereavement

  aki part of the home (tent or igloo) left and righ
t of the entrance, used as a kitchen or larder

  akitsirait, pl. of akitsiraq seal spare ribs with their vertebrae

  aksunaajjatuq hunting companion who gets an aksunaaksak as his share

  aksunaaksaq, pl. aksunaaksat cylinder of skin cut from around the trunk of a bearded seal to make leather straps

  akuit, pl. of akuq seal femur

  Akutsiaq person’s name, literally “pretty rear end of a woman’s garment”

  aliktuuti ritual quartering of first bird killed by a child

  aliqatsaujaq, pl. aliqatsaujait algae (Laminaria)

  alirti, pl. alirtiit sock made of fur, now made of felt, worn inside boots

  Alliriirtuni recent term for “Monday,” the day when customary prohibitions do not apply

  alliruit, pl. of alliruq lower jaw of mammals

  Am! Am! onomatopoeia: sound of lapping

  amaukkaluit, pl. of amaukkaluk worm in the intestines of humans and bearded seals; especially common in the small intestine, according to Mitiarjuk

  amauti women’s garment with a back pouch for a baby

  amiksait, pl. of amiksaq skin to cover a boat

  ammuumajuq, pl. ammuumajuit mollusc: truncated soft-shell clam (Mya truncata)

  anaana, voc. Anaanak! mother, mommy

  anaanatsiaq grandmother or a person like a grandmother, i.e., a female relative of the same generation

  angajuk, vocative of angajuq kinship term: a man’s older brother, a woman’s older sister

  angusiaq term used by a midwife for a boy that she (or he) has helped deliver, literally “the male [s/he has] made”

  Angutsiaq person’s name, literally a “handsome man”

  Angutikallak or Angutikallaaluk person’s name, literally “little man” or “big little man”

  angutinnguaq little bone, figurine of a man; also person’s name

  Apaapa!, see apaapait baby talk for food

  Aqiarulaaq person’s name, literally “little stomach”

  aqiggiit see aqiggiq

  aqiaruit, pl. of aqiaruq stomach

  aqiggiq, pl. aqiggiit willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus)

  aqiluqi boiled meat, very tender

  aquviartulutuq little bone, figurine of a person crouched on his/her heels

  arnaliaq term used by a midwife for a daughter that she has helped deliver, literally “the female [that she has] made”

  arnanguat, pl. of arnanguaq little seal bone, figurine of a woman

  arnaquti a boy’s term for the midwife who helped deliver him

  Arnatuinnaq person’s name, literally “real woman”

  Ataa! see aatataa!

  ataataksaq stepfather

  atigi indoor jacket

  atuarniq north wind

  atungaksaq piece of leather for sole of a boot

  atungaq sole of a boot

  Au! command to sled dogs: “Stop!”, “Don’t move!”

  Auk! command to sled dogs: “Turn right!”

  Autualu! Autualuk! exclamation to express annoyance or distress

  avataq float made from a ringed seal turned inside out and filled with air

  avvik wooden board on which a skin is cut

  Hau! command to sled dogs: “Come to me!”

  Hra! command to sled dogs: “Turn left!”

  Ia ia ia! onomatopoeia: laughter

  Iaa iaa a a a! onomatopoeia: crying of a child

  Ia-a! baby talk, interjection to express fear of an unknown object or being

  iggiat, pl. of iggiaq pharynx

  igliti baseboard of a sleeping platform

  iglitikallak, pl. iglitikallait little seal-bone figurine that represents the baseboard of a sleeping platform

  igutsait, pl. of igutsaq Arctic bumblebee

  ii floating hook made of a small piece of wood with a spike in it. It is baited with a piece of seal blubber, which seagulls love, and is tied to a line anchored to the shore. Used to catch seagulls. See iijuq: “it swallows”

  Ii! Iii! interjection to express fright, fear of failure, disappointment, or disgust

  Iii! onomatopoeia: laughter

  Iikikii! exclamation to express feeling of damp cold (dry cold is called ikkii)

  Iirq! or Irq! interjection to express irritation with an unpleasant situation

  iksigarjuaq, pl. iksigarjuat name given to a Catholic missionary

  ila possessive: ilakka (my kinfolk). Kinfolk

  Ilai! interjection: “Of course!”, “That’s right!”

  Ilaijja person’s name, Elijah

  ilakka see ila

  illaulusuk little bone, figurine of a fetus

  illiti baseboard of the sleeping platform or little bone that represents it

  illitikallak, pl. illitikallait little bone, figurine of baseboard of the sleeping platform

  iluliarusiq, pl. iluliarusiit meat, fillet from the inside of a beluga

  ilulliq inner stitching of double seam on the leg of a boot

  ilullitaq inner stitching of waterproof double seam, for a boot

  inaluat, pl. of inaluaq small intestine of ringed seals, of humans, and of small animals

  Inuit see Inuk

  Inuk, pl. Inuit an Eskimo, literally a human being

  inuksuk stone cairn, often used as a landmark for long-distance observation

  ipiraq harpoon line, which connects a detachable harpoon point to the shaft and the float

  iqaluit see iqaluk

  iqaluk, pl. iqaluit generic term for salmonids, in particular Arctic char. More broadly, can mean fish in general

  iqaluppik, pl. iqaluppiit Arctic salmon or Arctic char

  Irr…! onomatopoeia: call of a willow ptarmigan

  Irsutualuk a person’s name, literally “the big one who carries on his shoulders”

  Irsutuguluk a person’s name, literally “little Irsutuq”

  Irtuu! interjection to express recollection of something to do

  isiuralittaaq lake trout

  issutiit heather

  Itigaittualuk dog’s name, literally “the big one that is missing a foot”

  itingit see itiq

  itiq anus; possessive: itingit — his/her/its anuses

  ittunguat, pl. of ittunguaq vertebrae (Axis), literally “that resembles an old man”

  Ittusaq person’s name, literally “the one who is getting old”

  Ivvilualuk! a kind of angry curse, roughly meaning “damn you!”

  Jiimialuk person’s name, literally “Big Jimmy”

  kaitjiaq thin leather strap, cut in a spiral from sealskin

  kaivvasuk little bone, figurine of an adolescent

  Kajualuk dog’s name, literally “the big red one”

  kakagutit, pl. of kakaguti edible flower of the Arctic saxifrage

  kakillanaquti plant, saxifrage

  kalirtisaikkut short line running across the front of a sled, to prevent the main tugline from sliding under the runners

  kallaquti small berry bush, bearberry (Arctostaphylos alpina)

  kanajuit see kanajuq

  kanajuq, pl. kanajuit marine fish, a kind of sculpin

  kanivautit, pl. of kanivauti diaphragm of mammals

  kappianartuvik hereafter for those who have broken the rules. Hell of Christianity (literally “the big scary place”)

  kaugaliaq, pl. kaugaliat cone-shaped mollusc, a kind of limpet or barnacle

  kiasiit, pl. of kiasik mammal shoulder blade, with the meat

  kiataq, pl. kiatat dorsal portion of skin on the upper trunk, here a bearded seal

  kiatat see kiataq

  kiinaujait see kiinaujaq

  kiinaujaq, pl. kiinaujait coin, literally “which resembles a face”

  kiliutaq scraper made from a caribou shoulder blade,
used by women

  killapat pl. of killaapaq ripe catkin of an Arctic willow. From killak — “teeth on a saw, rasp, or file”

  kilu far end of a home’s interior, at the end of the sleeping platform

  kinguq, pl. kinguit scuds (Gammarus), a kind of amphipod

  kuanniq, pl. kuanniit algae Alaria

  kujapigait, pl. of kujapigaq thoracic vertebrae of ringed seals and small mammals, and humans. More broadly, the flesh surrounding these vertebrae

  kujapigaq see kujapigait

  kujapiit see kujapik

  kujapik, pl. kujapiit thoracic vertebrae of bearded seals and large marine mammals

  kunik stem of the verb kuninniq: smell, sniff, or kiss in the Inuit or Oriental fashion

  kuu kuu kuu onomatopoeia: clams falling onto a plate

  kuutsinaat, pl. of kuutsinaaq hip bones of seals

  kuutsiniit, pl. of kuutsiniq lumbar vertebrae of mammals

  kuutsiit, pl. of kuutsiq homonym of next word. Berry bush resembling a bearberry

  Kuutsiq dog’s name, literally “hipbone”

  kuutsitualik little bone, figurine of a hipless person

  Lumaajuit see Lumaajuq

  Lumaajuq, pl. Lumaajuit “the one who says ‘Lumaaq’!”, old woman of the above legend

  lumaartalik beluga attached by a leather line to an old woman called Lumaajuq (“the one who says ‘Lumaaq’!”), according to an Inuit legend

  Maa maa maa! onomatopoeia: dogs whimpering in pain

  Maatiusi person’s name, Matthew

  Makutsialutjuaq person’s name, old woman of a legend

  mamaittuqutit, pl. of mamaittuquti plant, Labrador tea

  mami fatty tissue under the skin

  mangittaq skin blanket spread on the ground for laying food on. Often a piece from skins that once covered a qajaq