Introduction-E

You know the date? October 7, 1933? Were there qallunaat around then?
Paniaq: There were no qallunaat there, but there was a Catholic priest who would travel
from Mittimatalik. He recorded my birthdate, so that’s how I know.
Who is your wife?
Paniaq: She is called Tuurngaq in Inuktitut and she is baptized as Yvonna.
Do you have children?
Paniaq: We do not have our own children. The only children we have are the ones we
have adopted.
How many have you adopted?
Paniaq: I don’t know how many. We adopted a baby, but the baby died when it was
small 1 . The one who sometimes spends time here (at Arctic College) is one of our
adopted children (Melanie). And there is a Paniaq child who is called Itani. We also have
another one that is in Iglulik. And we have an adopted daughter who is residing in
Ikpiarjuk. We call her Qajaaq. She also has a younger sister whom we adopted too. Her
name is Cindy Paniaq. She just had a baby recently. We also adopted a child from
Sanirajak. She is around twelve or thirteen years of age. And we also adopted another
girl and another boy. How many is that?
Seven. Did one of them die when he was a child?
Paniaq: Yes.
What about the one that is twelve or thirteen years old? What’s the name?
Paniaq: Her name is Aula.
What about the little girl?
Paniaq: Yes, Nina.
What about the little boy?
Paniaq: The little boy is called Moses, but in Inuktitut he is called after my uncle
Piugaattuk. That’s it.
44 Introduction to the Oral Traditions