Makivik Magazine Issue 115

ᐊᒥᓱᕕᑦᓱᑎᒃ ᑌᒣᓘᓱᑐᖃᐅᒐᒥᒃ ᒪᔪᕋᑐᐃᓐᓇᑑᒃ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ
ᑕᒡᒐᓂ ᐅᓪᓗᒥ ᐊᖑᑎᐅᑉ ᐁᑉᐸᖓ ᖁᓐᓂᒥᒃ ᑕᑯᔪᖅ ᐅᔭᕋᒻᒥᒃ
ᓵᑦᑐᔮᑯᑖᑦᑕᓕᖕᒥᒃ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐅᔭᕃᑦ ᓵᑦᑐᔮᑦ ᖁᑦᓯᓂᕐᓴᒥ ᐱᑕᖃᓲᑦ
ᑖᒃᑯᐊᓕ ᑕᑯᔭᖏᑦ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑕᕕᓂᐅᔪᓇᐅᔪᑦ. ᑕᑯᒍᒪᑦᓱᓂ
ᓱᓇᒥᒃ ᐅᓖᒪᒍᑎᐅᒻᒪᖔᑕ ᑭᕝᕓᓕᕐᑐᖅ ᐅᔭᕋᒻᒥᒃ ᑕᑯᕗᕐᓗ ᐃᓗᕕᕐᒥᒃ
ᐱᖓᓲᔪᕐᑐᓂᒃ ᓴᓗᐊᕐᓱᑎᒃ ᓂᒃᑯᕈᕐᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᕕᓂᕐᓂᒃ ᐊᕐᓇᕕᓃᑦ
ᒪᕐᕉᓗ ᐱᐊᕋᕕᓂᐅᑦᓱᑎᒃ. ᒥᑭᓂᕐᐹᖓᑦ ᐱᐊᕋᓛᕕᓂᖅ.
ᓄᑲᕇᒃ ᑕᑯᔭᕕᓂᕐᒥᓂᒃ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖃᑦᓴᐅᑎᒋᔫᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᔨᓄᑦ.
ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓂ ᖁᓕᓂ/ᑕᓪᓕᒪᐅᔪᕐᑐᓂ ᓱᒋᐊᕐᑕᐅᓚᐅᔪᖕᖏᑐᑦ ᑌᒃᑯᐊ
ᐃᓄᕕᓃᑦ ᓅᑕᐅᓚᐅᔪᑦ ᑕᑯᕚᒃᑯᕕᖓᓄᑦ ᑎᐊᓐᒫᒃ ᑕᒃᒐᓂ
ᕿᒥᕐᕈᔭᐅᒋᐊᕐᑐᓯᑦᓱᑎᒃ. ᑖᒃᑯᐊᓗ ᐊᒥᓱᐊᓗᓐᓂᒃ ᓇᕝᕚᕈᑕᐅᒪᕗᑦ
ᐊᔪᒉᑦᑐᒥᓪᓗ ᐃᓅᓯᕕᓂᖏᑦ ᐃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓀᑦ ᐊᑯᑭᑦᑑᑉ ᓯᕿᓂᐊᑕ
ᓂᐱᕝᕕᐊᓂ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑦ 800 ᐊᓂᒍᕐᑎᓗᒋᑦ ᑕᑯᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᓯᓚᐅᔪᕗᑦ.
ᑌᑦᓱᒪᓂ ᑌᒃᑯᐊ ᓄᑲᕇᒃ ᐃᓗᕕᕐᒥᒃ ᑕᑯᔪᕕᓂᐅᑎᓪᓗᒋᒃ
ᓂᕕᐊᕐᓯᐊᕌᐱᐅᓚᐅᔪᔪᖓ ᐱᖓᓱᓂᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᕐᑖᖃᒻᒥᐅᓱᖓ. ᑭᓇᓗᓐᓃᑦ
ᐅᕙᓐᓂᒃ ᐃᓱᒪᖕᖑᐊᓂᐅᔭᕐᓯᒪᖕᖏᑐᖅ ᐃᓄᒻᒪᕆᐅᓕᑐᐊᕈᒪ
ᑐᓐᓂᓕᐅᕐᑎᐅᓛᕐᑎᓗᖓ ᑭᓇᓗᓐᓃᓗ ᐅᖃᕈᓐᓇᓚᐅᕐᓯᒪᖕᖏᓚᖅ
ᑌᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᐱᖓᓲᔪᕐᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᕕᓂᕐᓂᒃ ᐊᔪᒉᓪᓕᐅᕖᖕᖓᓛᕆᐊᕐᒪ.
ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᓂᕆᐅᒋᔭᐅᓂᐅᔭᕐᓯᒪᖕᖏᑐᑦ 800-ᓂ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓂ ᑐᖁᖓᓕᕐᑐᑦ
ᑐᖕᖓᕕᑦᑕᕆᓛᕆᐊᒃᑭᑦ ᓯᕗᓂᑦᑎᓂ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖃᑦᑕᓯᑐᐊᕈᒪ ᐃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓀᑦ
ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᕐᒥᒍᑦ ᑐᓐᓂᓕᐅᕈᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ.
ᐃᑉᐱᓂᐊᕐᓂᑯᑦ ᐱᑐᑦᓯᒪᓂᖃᕐᑐᖓ ᑖᒃᑯᓄᖓ ᐃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓇᕕᓂᕐᓄᑦ
ᑕᑯᑦᓴᐅᓯᐊᕐᑐᓂᒃ ᑐᓐᓂᖃᕐᒪᑕ ᐱᓯᒪᓚᐅᕐᓂᒪᑕᓗ ᐊᑯᑭᑦᑑᑉ
ᓯᕿᓂᐊᑕ ᓂᐱᕝᕕᐊᓂᑦ ᓄᓇᒥᑦ ᐱᕈᕐᓴᕕᒋᓯᒪᔭᕐᒪ ᖃᓂᒋᔭᖃᓂᒃ,
ᓄᓇᒋᓂᕋᕐᑕᕋᓂᑦ. ᓱᓪᓕᑕᐅᒻᒪᐋᓪᓛᑦ ᐊᖓᒐ ᐃᓚᒌᑎᒍᑦ ᓇᑭᑦ
ᐱᓯᒪᒻᒪᖔᑦᑕ ᑐᑭᓯᓯᒪᓂᖓ ᐃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓇᓂᑦ ᑕᕐᕋᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂ
ᓯᕿᓂᐅᑉ ᓂᐱᕝᕕᐊᑕ ᐊᑯᑭᑦᑐᒥᑦ ᐱᓯᒪᒋᐊᑦᑕ ᐅᑉᐱᓂᕐᒥᒃ
ᐊᔪᕿᕐᑐᐃᔩᑦ ᑎᑭᓚᐅᕐᑎᓇᒋᑦ ᐃᓄᕐᖄᕕᓂᕐᓂᑦ. ᑌᓐᓇ ᓄᓇ ᖃᓂᑦᑐᖅ
They had done this many times before, but this
time one of the brothers noticed a crevice covered
with big flat stones. Stones that were usually
found higher up in the terrain obviously had been
placed there by people. He curiously lifted one
of the stones and found a grave containing six
mummified adult women and two young children.
The youngest just a tiny baby.
The brothers immediately reported the find to
the authorities. It took 10 years before steps were
taken and the mummies were transported to The
National Museum of Denmark for examination. This
led to many great finds and an amazing insight into
life amongst Inuit in west Greenland 800 years ago.
During the time when the brothers found the grave I
was just a little girl and had just turned three years old. No
one could have expected that I would become a tattooer
later in life and no one could have predicted that I would
grow a deep fascination for the mummified six women and
two children. That and the fact the 800-year-old mummies
would become the backbone of my future research in Inuit
tattoo traditions.
The connection that I feel with the mummies is that
they are visibly tattooed and also that they originate from
an area in northwest Greenland close to where I grew up
and what I call my land. In fact, my uncle has succeeded
in finding family roots back to the time right before Inuit
ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᖓ: ᒣᔭ ᓯᐊᓗᒃ ᔩᑲᑉᓴᓐ
(ᐅᑭᐅᓕᒃ 48-ᓂᒃ)
ᐃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᐊᑯᑭᑦᑐᒥᐅᑦᓴᔭ ᐱᓯᒪᑦᓱᓂ ᕿᕿᕐᑕᕐᓱᐊᖅᒥᑦ ᐊᑯᑭᑦᑑᑉ ᓄᓈᓂ
ᓯᕿᓂᐅᑉ ᓂᐱᕝᕕᐊᓂᑦ.
ᑖᓐᓇ ᒣᔭ ᓯᐊᓗᒃ ᐃᓗᕐᖁᓯᕐᒥᒃ ᓇᒻᒪᑐᖅ, ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᑎᐅᓱᓂᓗ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊ-
ᑎᑦᓯᔨᐅᑦᓱᓂᓗ. ᒣᔭ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᐅᑎᖃᕐᓱᓂ ᑐᓐᓂᓂᒃ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᑎᖃᓲᑐᖃᐅᓕᕐᐳᖅ 2002-
ᒥᓂᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᑎᑕᐅᑦᔪᑎᒋᓯᒪᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᓂ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᕐᑎᑐᑦ The Netherlands-
ᖑᓂᕋᕐᑕᐅᔪᓂ, ᓄᓇᒥ ᐱᓇᓱᕝᕕᒋᓚᐅᔪᔭᒥᓂᒃ ᐱᒋᐅᕐᓴᔭᐅᓂᖃᕐᓱᓂ ᑐᓐᓂᓕᐅᕐᓂᒥᒃ
ᐱᓇᓱᒐᓕᒻᒧᑦ. ᐱᓇᓱᑉᐸᑐᑐᖃᐅᔪᖅ ᑐᓐᓂᓕᐅᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑦ ᐱᐅᓯᖏᑎᒍᓪᓗ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓂᓗ
ᐱᖓᓲᔪᕐᑐᓂ ᐃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓀᑦ ᑐᓐᓂᓕᐊᑦᓴᔭᑐᖃᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᑐᓐᓂᓕᐅᕈᑎᖃᕐᐸᓕᕐᒥᓱᓂ.
ᐃᓚᖓᓂᒃ ᐊᓪᓚᖑᐊᕐᓯᒪᔪᓕᐅᕐᐸᒥᔪᖅ ᐊᓪᓚᓯᒪᔪᓕᐅᕐᐸᓱᓂᓗ ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᑦᓴᓂᒃ.
ᐃᓚᐅᓚᐅᕐᓱᓂ ᐃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓇᑎᒍᑦ ᑐᓐᓂᓕᐅᕆᓂᕐᓂᒃ ᐱᓇᓱᒍᑎᓄᑦ ᑐᐱᒃ ᒥ ᐊᓛᔅᓯᑲᒥ,
ᒣᔭ ᑕᒐᑕᒐ ᓲᕐᓗ ᓯᕗᒃᑲᑕᓕᕐᐳᖅ ᐃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓀᑦ ᑐᓐᓂᓕᐅᕐᓂᒥᒃ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᖏᓂᒃ
ᐱᓇᓱᒍᑎᖃᓕᕐᑐᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᒥᓂ, ᐊᑯᑭᑦᑐᒥ (ᑲᓛᔅᓖᑦ ᓄᓈᓐᓂ). ᐱᓇᓱᖃᑎᖃᕐᓱᓂ
ᐃᑲᔪᕐᑎᒋᑦᓱᒍᓗ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᑎᑕᒥᓂᒃ ᑲᔪᓯᔪᒥᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖏᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᐳᖅ ᐱᓇᓱᑦᑕᖃᕐᓱᓂᓗ
ᐅᑎᕐᑎᓯᓇᓱᑦᓱᓂ ᐃᓄᑐᐃᓐᓀᑦ ᑐᓐᓂᓕᐅᕐᓂᓂᒃ ᐱᐅᓯᑐᖃᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᑯᑭᑦᑐᒥ ᑕᒪᓐᓇᓗ
ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕐᓱᓂᒍ ᐃᓄᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᓄᑦ ᐅᖄᒍᑎᒋᔭᕐᑐᓯᒪᖃᑦᑕᓂᒃᑯᑦ, ᑲᑎᒪᓂᐊᕈᓯᑎᒍᑦ
ᐊᒻᒪᓗᑦᓴᖏᔦᒃ ᑐᓐᓂᓕᐅᕆᓂᑎᒍᑦ.
ᒣᔭ ᐊᒥᓱᑲᓪᓚᓂᒃ ᐱᒋᐅᕐᓴᑎᑦᓯᓯᒪᓕᕐᑐᖅ ᑐᓐᓂᓕᐅᕆᒍᓐᓇᑐᓂᒃ ᓇᒻᒥᓂᖃᖃᑕᐅᕗᕐᓗ
ᒪᕐᕈᐃᓄᑦ ᑐᓐᓂᓕᐅᕆᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕐᔩᓄᑦ Oslo, Norway-ᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᖏᔫᖕᖏᑐᒥᒃ
ᐃᓕᒃᑰᕈᑎᒥᓂᒃ ᑐᓐᓂᓕᐅᕐᓂᒥᒃ ᐱᓇᓱᕝᕕᖃᕐᓱᓂ Svendborg, Denmark-ᒥ. ᒣᔭᓗ
ᐃᓚᐅᕕᖃᕐᐳᖅ ᑕᒪᖏᓐᓂ ᓄᑖᓂᒃ ᑐᓐᓂᓕᐅᕈᓯᓕᐅᕐᓃᑦ ᐱᖁᔭᖕᖑᑎᑕᐅᒍᑎᖏᓐᓄᑦ
ᑎᐊᓐᒫᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑐᑭᓯᒪᑎᑦᓯᒍᑎᓕᐊᖑᓲᓄᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᑦᑕᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᖓᑦᓱᑎᒃ
ᐃᓗᓯᖃᑦᓯᐊᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑲᑉᐱᐊᓇᕐᑐᒧᓪᓗ ᑎᑭᐅᑎᑎᑕᐅᑦᑌᓕᒋᐊᖃᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ
ᓄᓇᓕᑐᖃᐅᔪᑦ ᑐᓐᓂᓕᐅᕐᓂᒥᒃ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕐᑕᖃᕐᓗᑎᒃ.
ᑭᖑᓪᓕᖅ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᓂᑦᓴᖅ ᐅᐯᓂᐅᓛᓕᕆᕗᖅ ᐊᑯᑭᑦᑐᒥᒃ ᒣᔭᐅᑉ ᙯᕐᖁᔭᐅᒪᕕᐊᓄᑦ
ᐱᓇᓱᒍᑎᖃᕆᐊᕐᑐᖁᔭᐅᑦᓱᓂ ᐃᓕᑦᑎᐅᑎᓕᐊᖑᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᒥᒃ ᐊᑯᑭᑦᑑᑉ
ᓄᓇᖓᓂ ᓄᓇᓕᕐᔪᐊᖓᑕ ᑕᑯᕚᒃᑯᕕᖓᓂ ᐊᑕᐅᑦᓯᑯᕐᓪᓗ ᐃᓄᓕᒫᓄᑦ ᑐᓵᔭᐅᒍᓐᓇᓗᓂ
ᐅᖄᓂᖃᕐᓂᓴᖓᓂᒃ ᐊᑯᑭᑦᑐᒥᐅᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᕐᔪᐊᖓᑕ ᐊᑐᐊᒐᒃᑯᕕᐊᓂ ᐳᕐᑐᓂᕐᓴᒥᓪᓗ
ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕕᖁᑎᐊᓐᓂ ᓅᒃᒦᑦᑐᒥ.
ᒣᔭ ᑕᒐᑕᒐ ᓄᓇᓯᒪᕗᖅ Svendborg, Denmark/ᑎᐊᓐᒫᒃᒥ.
Biography:
Maya Sialuk Jacobsen
(48 years old)
Greenlandic Inuk from Qeqertarsuaq, west
Greenland.
Maya Sialuk is a culture bearer, researcher and
educator. She has been tattooing professionally
since 2002 and was trained in The Netherlands
where she did an apprenticeship with a tattoo
artist. She has been working both in the western
tattoo scene as well as the last six years as a
traditional Inuit tattooer. On occasion she does
illustration work and writes articles.
After being a part of the Inuit tattoo project Tupik Mi in Alaska, Maya is now
the front figure in Inuit Tattoo Traditions in her homeland, Greenland. Together
with her apprentice she continues to do research and works to reintroduce
Inuit tattooing practices in Greenland through public talks, workshops and of
course tattooing.
Maya has trained several tattoists and is co-owner of two tattoo studios in
Oslo, Norway and a small private studio in Svendborg, Denmark. She is involved
in both the shaping of the new tattoo legislation in Denmark and the information
work regarding health and safety in Indigenous tattooing.
Next up is a trip to Greenland where Maya is invited to do pattern research
at The National Museum of Greenland and to do public talks at The National
Library and the High School of Nuuk.
Maya is currently living in Svendborg, Denmark.
MAKIVIK mag a zine
7