Introduction-E

spontaneously. As it turned out that was to be my last ever winter dogteam trip. I
dedicate this story to my nukaq Rosalie Arnarjuaq. “May you never fall again.” I would
also like to make mention of my sister Michelline who along with inheriting my bone
dogs ended up with our sister’s qulittaq complete with the shoulders. She now owns her
own shoulders.
“Irngutarjuapiga Nauk?” is a story that is easily prompted whenever anyone says to
somebody who is known to be a story teller “unikkaaqtualaurit,” “tell us a story.” This is
one story that stopped me from asking my oldest brother Serapio to tell me stories
because with “ah tu tu tu tu tu tu” someone ended up being tickled (usually it was me).
I think because of the shortness of the story and because of the frequent retellings the
language of the story has not changed much.
“Uinigumasuittuq” is I think the most well known of all Inuit stories. It is also
known as Sedna, also as the story of the Sea Goddess. She is also known as Nuliajuk or
Takannaaluk. I have always heard this myth told in the complete form as I have written
it. Even though it is a story that is widely known throughout the Inuit world the
Iglulingmiut lay claim to the island that she was sent to with her dog. We say it was
Puqtuniq. Originally, at the time of the story, Puqtuniq was a small island. The water
receded, and Puqtuniq became a hill on the island of Qikiqtaarjuk. Today, after the water
has further receded, even the island of Qikiqtaarjuk has become part of the main island
of Iglulik. Even though I state that the origin of this myth is in the Iglulik area which is
known to be rich in the walrus hunting traditions I do not include the walrus among the
sea mammals created from her fingers. The creation of the walrus occurs in another
story (not told here), that of the myth of “Aakulugjuusi and Uummaarniittuq” the first
people.
I express my gratitude to my father in this publication. I hope that I let him be aware of
my gratitude in some way, however minute, while he was alive.
Alexina Kublu
152 Introduction to the Oral Traditions