Introduction-E

nunaup manningit
Earth eggs
As told to Marie-Lucie Uvilluq by her father George Agiaq Kappianaq
nunami piruq&utik ammalu siqumitaujariaqanngi&&utik.
While I was interviewing my father, he said there are bird eggs and eggs that grow in
the earth.
nunaugguuq niviuringmagu taimannganialuk
nirjutiksauninganut siqumikkaangat silalugjuakutaajattualuk.
Since time began, the earth has always been protective of the eggs which will grow into
an animal when the egg hatches. If an egg which was found partially buried in the earth
was ever broken, there would be bad weather for a number of days.
makuali manniit pukiuniraqtausuut tuktuullutik.
The eggs which will eventually become caribou are known as pukit.
kisiani imarmiutaksait taunani imaani tariumi
manniujunnarmijut.
Eggs can even be found in the sea.
kisiani taikkutiguunaq sivullittigut inuruuqqavalaurnirmata
nirjutilimaat, kisutuinnait qimmilluunniit, siksiilluunniit.
In our forefathers’ time, they [animals] could transform into humans. Any animal, even
dogs and ground squirrels, had the ability to transform.
tingmiamit irniangunngikkutik tuktuksautuinnarninginnik
tusaumallunga pukiullutik qaulluqtumik miqquqaq&utik
tuktumit anginiqsaullutik.
I have heard that if an egg is not a bird egg, then it will become a caribou. These eggs
turn into albino caribou, and they tend to be bigger than the average caribou.
tamakkua pukiit silaanguniraqtaungmata imarmiuttaqtitut
imanna pituinnarllugu piqujaummata nuna niviuja&&uniguuq.
Pukit are known to cause bad weather, as do the eggs in the sea. They are not allowed
to be taken nor to be kept as souvenirs, for the earth will yearn for the lost eggs and
cause foul weather.
192 Introduction to the Oral Traditions