Introduction-E

The reason why we are here is to leave words behind for our descendants.
Paniaq: There is one person (Alexina) who can tell a story now. She taped one today and
two the other day. If we start story-telling now, the day is going to be too short.
Frédéric did not teach us about traditional beliefs in depth.
What we heard was about the switching over of beliefs called siqqitirniq?
Have you heard of this?
Paniaq: When they switched to Christianity, I have heard about this.
What do you mean by Siqqitirniq?
Paniaq: Changing a person’s way of life, becoming a Christian. Yes, I have heard that
they would go through changes in life so they could become Christians. People would
admit the things they had done wrong and admit the taboos they had followed. Then
they would chew on a piece of animal meat to show that they were changing their lives.
Ittuksaarjuat, who was your grandfather... did he used to tell stories about
these things?
Paniaq: He did not tell stories. The information we have is what we have heard from
our mother.
Was the word siqqiqtiq also used to refer to when people went out on
the ice from the land. Did they have to talk before they went out on the ice?
Paniaq: I do not know about that. I only know that Inuit would say that they were
siqqiqtiq when they were changing their lifestyles.
For example, they would go through siqqiqtiq when the ministers came?
Paniaq: It is like this: they would stop practicing the old way of life and the traditional
taboos and follow Christianity.
Was your mother present when they went through siqqitirniq in order
to be able to tell about it?
Paniaq: Yes, she was aware of what was going on. Our father would tell stories about
what took place. Our grandmother was found when she had been eating human flesh
which kept her from starving. The people around her died of starvation. Because she ate
human flesh, we are here today. When she was found, our grandfather Ittuksaarjuat
Life Stories – Hervé Paniaq 53