Introduction-E

Upirngaallarik: Real spring in the months of May and June. Ducks are
laying their eggs, and caribou are shedding their hair in June.
Aujakasak: Early summer in the month of July. Some birds, like the
imiqqutaillaq, lay their eggs.
Aujallarik: Real summer in the month of August, when we used to start
going inland to hunt caribou for food and clothing.
Ukiaqpasik: Early fall in the month of September, when we head back to
the coast from inland.
Ukiallarik: Real fall in the months of October, November, and December.
Caribou are mating in October after they have descended from inland,
and ice is starting to form on top of the water.
Stars
During the dark months of winter it became necessary for the hunters to use the stars in
order to be able to find their way home after hunting on the land or the floe edge. Other
things were also used as markers, like the banks and slopes of snow formations. I got
more information about stars from Pauloosie later in the interview.
These are some of the stars that were used for time and direction in Pangniqtuuq:
Qutuqtuuk were used by Pauloosie when traveling to a different
community or out on the land. Qutuqtuuk are located just behind tutturjuk.
Tutturjuk end up facing directly toward where the dawn will be breaking.
Qutuqtuuk descend as the day is breaking.
Ullaktut are three stars in a line and ujjujjuk (with a float, avataq, just
behind it called avataatsiaq) are also stars used to tell time and direction.
“One star which I [Pauloosie] used to keep from being lost is visible even
after day break. I would use it when heading back to Pangniqtuuq after a
hunt. I don’t know the name of this star.”
128 Introduction to the Oral Traditions