Introduction-E

attended, if there were more people there would be more to help. Any number of people
could be there. But we were told not to make too much noise, because it would cause the
woman in labour to kussasuk- if there was too much noise.
What would happen?
Saullu: The baby would not come out right away because the noise would cause the
woman to kussasuk. Even though the baby was trying to come out the woman would
nunu- or hold back on delivering. That happened to me with my youngest. I delivered
him at the old hospital. The person working there said, “Maybe we should leave so that
you will deliver, as you are kussasuk,” That’s what she told me, because there was some
noise. Once they left, I delivered right away.
Maybe you were used to having quiet?
Saullu: Yes, we were not supposed to make noise when we were assisting in a delivery.
We were not supposed to make loud noises. That was in the qammaq, but I don’t know
about today. I gave birth the first time in a tent when we were in camp.
Did you talk to the woman giving birth?
Saullu: Yes, I would tell her to stay still, not to move around too much. That’s what we
told them, because it isn’t good to be moving around so much. They say when they
move they tend to paggiq-. They do that following a contraction. I used to reprimand
some women and tell them they had to go through with it, there was no other way.
What is paggiq-?
Saullu: When they tear during delivery, they called it paggiq-. I’m not really sure. I heard
the term paggiq- from my maternal aunt Naqi when I was no longer a very young child.
Did you ever see a woman crying during delivery?
Saullu: Yes, some of them cry.
They only cry very gently?
Saullu: Yes. I used to notice some of them cry, but I told them that even if they cry it
won’t help, because there is no other way around it. Some of them did not have a
smooth delivery, just like today. Once I gave up trying to push the baby out, I told my
husband to come and help me with my sister-in-law Malaija, the wife of my brother
Pauloosie. That is why their only daughter goes down south for medical reasons. My
husband said he had to use all his strength to push her out because she was stuck.
78 Introduction to the Oral Traditions