Introduction-E

Pregnancy
Myna Ishulutak
My theme is pregnancy. I selected this theme because I wanted to learn what the
rules were back then. I think it is important to know more about pregnancy,
because today we are forgetting the rules a pregnant woman was supposed to
follow. Also, I think it is important for others because it is our culture and tradition. I
have heard about some of the traditional practices from elders. My partner was Eena
Alivaktuq. I interviewed two elders from Mittimatalik and Iglulik, Elisapee Ootoova
and Hervé Paniaq, and two elders from Pangniqtuuq, Saullu Nakasuk and Pauloosie
Angmarlik. I asked them about pregnancies and taboos.
Elisapee and Saullu told me people had to observe rules when a woman was
pregnant. They did it for the sake of the woman, the baby, and the people of the camp.
In the traditional days, they used rabbit skin as sanitary napkins. First it had to be
put on the bed and slept on so that it would not be too soft and would soak up all the
blood. Ladies were told not to use any part of a man’s clothing as a sanitary napkin.
Women used to check their bellies to find out if they were pregnant or not. When
women got pregnant, they were told not to be lazy. When they were told to do
something, they would have to do it right away, so that when they went into labor they
would have an easy and fast birth. Once pregnant, a lady was forbidden to eat raw meat.
Husbands also had to follow this rule while they were around their wives, but they
could eat raw meat while hunting. Then a hunter was not with his wife. All boot laces
were not to be too long so the umbilical cord would not get wrapped around the baby’s
neck. Pregnant women were to wear warm pants that were not too tight so she would
have an easy delivery. The warm pants were also to keep their buttocks warm. While
travelling with a dogteam, a pregnant woman’s seat had to be soft as they said the pelvic
bone starts to separate as the baby grows.
Apregnant woman was told not to look outside or to go back and forth when she
went out. If she did such things her baby would take peeks before it was really ready to
come out. When a woman was pregnant, she was not to stay lying around in bed after
waking up. Once awake, she would have to go outside. She could do anything after
going outside first. If she was tired, she was told to take short naps so that she would
not be tired during labor. Men were told that they were not to be lazy during their wife’s
pregnancy. A pregnant woman was told that if she didn’t want a baby with dark skin
she should not drink broth straight from a pot. A pregnant woman was not to chew
candle wax or else her child would be covered in a waxy film.
One could tell if a child was a girl or boy. Little boys were said to be pointed
whereas the girls were more rounded. When in the third trimester, the woman was told
not to sit on something too soft in order to prevent the placenta from sticking to the
142 Introduction to the Oral Traditions