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II was and is a Labrador custom to give anyone. dark or white. something 10 cat
while they were at our house and bedding so the Indians was always kind to US. lOJ
This custom is still carried on by Labrador and cwfoundland fishennen today,
The story is told ofa Newfoundland floater erew in the early 1900s cooking a
meal ofseal meat given to them by an Inuk Iinuit man] Another Inuk \\ho happened
along at mealtime was given some seal. After chewing on it 3\\hile. he asked ifthe seal
had been taken that morning, When asked why. his repl) was "ll"s still warm:' E\'identl),
he did not havc 3 tradition ofcooking.seal meal. Although ewfoundlanders and
Labradorians cnjoyed and shared the same food. it was not always prepared in the same
\\uy.
Other evidence orthe dilTerences in Inuit roadways is presented by Kitty
(Phillips) McCarthy in this story of two culturcs cooperating. despitc language barriers.
Thcrc was one old Huskimo. I supposed he was fivc or six hundred
pounds. I-Ie was big and he was as yell cr. I was going around. I didn't get
in bed. Go out into the kitchen when the cook was. I washed the dishes
with onc hand and she'd wipe 'cm. 1 was up to thc window this day and hc
pointed for mc to come down. He couldn't understand mc and I couldn't
undcrstand him. Down I comes. I was upstairs, down I camc to thc back
door, nnd he was pointin' to this and thaI. Used to shake his head he didn't
wanl il when I put my hand on something. I wcnt ever to a big pile of
chick weeds four or five feet high with nlllhc stuff (food wastc) that was
hCl.lvcd on it. He shook himself that was what he wanted. lIe started ealing
it. I stood by the door [watching him] enting il.l3eggar. I was tumed 10
come in and he called me again. I had to pick another annful. J-1uskimos
nevcr cooks food. They eats raw fish, guts and all. All kinds ofdirt. 104
203 Lydia Campbell. Skefches ofLabrador Lift (1894: tpt. Ilappy VaJlcy·Goo.se Bay:
Them Do}'s, 1980), p. 32.
,.. I FLA 86-013. C863 I.
132