Introduction-E

August: saggaruut; [Mittimatalik]. When the land is not so moist any more,
summer has come, and the thick hair of the caribou has been shed and is
thin. [Iglulik] akulliruut.
September: akulliruut; [Mittimatalik]; when the caribou hair is not too thin
and not too thick, when it is in between. [Iglulik] amiraijaut.
October: amialliruut [Mittimatalik]. The caribou antlers are losing their
covers. [Iglulik] ukialliruut.
November: tusaqtuut; [Mittimatalik/Iglulik]. After the ice forms Inuit can
travel to see other people and get news. Usually it was important to hear
if they still had dogs or not because they were our means of survival.
December: tauvigjuaq; taujualuk [Mittimatalik/Iglulik]: very dark; when it
is very dark.
January: qaummagiaq; [Mittimatalik]. When the sun is starting to return.
[Iglulik] siqinnaarut.
February: qangattaaksaq/qangattaarjuk; [Mittimatalik/Iglulik]. It refers to the
sun going higher and higher in the air.
March: ikiaqpavvik; [Mittimatalik]. The sun is higher in the sky but still not
too high. [Iglulik] avunniit; Premature baby seals are born. Some make it,
some freeze to death.
April: natsijjat; [Mittimatalik]. When the seal pups are born. (Early April
in Iglulik.)
Mid-May: tirigluit; [Mittimatalik]. When the bearded seal pups are born.
(Late April, early May in Iglulik.)
Late May: tupiqtuut; [Mittimatalik]. Snow conditions make it difficult to
stay in iglus, so people move into tents. (Mid-May for Iglulik.)
June: manniit. Birds are laying eggs. Or nurrait: caribou are calving.
126 Introduction to the Oral Traditions