Introduction-E

You can talk about whatever you want to.
Saullu: I want you to ask questions.
As a child you played qitik- and anau-?
Saullu: Yes.
Were there many participants?
Saullu: All the children at Qimmiqsuuq participated. Back then, there weren’t so many
children, not like today. They didn’t have children every year, but it’s like that today. I
used to play house. I used to carry a puppy in my amauti.
You were born in 1926 . What month were you born?
Saullu: Well, when I was registered they told me I was born in March. I was not born in
that month. Spring had arrived shortly after I was born. They say my husband’s date of
birth and mine are reversed. But there were no dates; they only registered by month. The
date was not indicated.
When do you celebrate your birthday?
Saullu: In March, but with no day.
When did the whalers arrive?
Saullu: Well, they came before I became aware. I don’t remember, but they told me the
whalers arrived right after I was born.
What did they do?
Saullu: They were whalers. The whalers came right after I was born. When they were
whaling, that was called sinaalisimajut, because they were whaling while there was still
sea ice, because there was tuvaq.
What’s tuvaq?
Saullu: When the sea has ice, I say tuvaq (sea ice) [not siku, ice], because I’m Inuk.
I was born during the time when there are blizzards, while there was only one
policeman in Pangniqtuuq. When the policeman used to go back and forth from
Uummanarjuaq (Blacklead Island) to Pangniqtuuq, that’s when I was born. Even the
policeman was happy when I was born. The qallunaat were happy about my birth. I
grew up with a blanket that the police officer gave to me.
Life Stories – Saullu Nakasuk 63