Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk - Sanaaq - An Inuit Novel

“ Aatataa! That hurts!”

It was then the children’s turn.

“No, I don’t want to!” said Irsutuq, “because Maatiusi has just been hurt!”

Qumaq and Aanikallak ran off for fear of being hurt. Although they slipped away, they were still made to take a blood test. Qumaq’s blood was too weak. As was Aanikallak’s. They were told so.

“Sanaaq! Qumaq’s blood is too weak and the same is true for Aanikallak’s. They’ll both have to go to hospital!”

That did not at all please Sanaaq and Aqiarulaaq. The two of them cried and cried. Their lungs were going to be X-rayed. The next day, they were ordered to strip to the waist. They felt very ashamed, because they had never undressed in this manner.

“Do it!” they were told.

After they had been tested, their lungs were found to be healthy. Taqriasuk, however, was advised to take it easy because he was very old. The same recommendation was given to Qumaq and Aanikallak because they would soon be leaving on the airplane to be among the Qallunaat. The nurse also questioned Arnatuinnaq.

“Are you often unwell?”

“No!”

Their weights were measured: Arnatuinnaq, 122 pounds; Qumaq, 77; her little brother, 26; Sanaaq, 118; Qalingu, 141; Taqriasuk, 136; Aqiarulaaq, 112; Aanikallak, 76; Maatiusi, 101; Tajarak, 40; Irsutualuq, 215, and Angutikallak, 143. The last two were too fat. Angutikallak was told that he was overweight.

“Angutikallak! You will not eat seal blubber too often. You’re too fat for someone as young as you!”

“Yes, yes! I’ll surely do as you say!”

“And you, Arnatuinnaq! You’re pregnant. Your baby will be born next month.”

On hearing this, she felt thoroughly ashamed, for she had no husband. Sanaaq, her family, and everyone in the camp were learning the news for the first time. They thought, “Could it be Maatiusi’s child or maybe Angutikallak’s?”

Once she had gone home, Arnatuinnaq told her older sister, Sanaaq, “It’s the chief factor’s child!”

Some of their camp mates were very astonished and displeased at what Arnatuinnaq had said. When the time came to leave, Qumaq and Aanikallak were weeping warm tears, as were their families. The Inuit realized for the first time that some unpleasant things were being done to them. Qumaq did not cry too much, however, because she had begun to listen to the teachings of the Church, and her thoughts were often on the Catholic faith.

“In truth, I won’t always be happy!”

There were many things they had not yet understood by the time of their departure. From then on, however, Aanikallak and Qumaq were constantly learning and understanding more and more.

And so, among those close to her, Arnatuinnaq gave birth to a little girl. Sanaaq was the midwife. Ningiukuluk, who wished to acquire a sauniq, made a request: “I wish to have a sauniq so that I may walk all the time and accompany those who go travelling anywhere!”

Ningiukuluk was overjoyed, having acquired a sauniq. And the baby with no father was now called Ningiukuluk.

After Arnatuinnaq had given birth, the chief factor wanted to marry her straightaway, out of affection for his little daughter. The problem was that he could be transferred anytime to a place among the Qallunaat. Arnatuinnaq was an Inuk and did not understand the Qallunaat language. A Qallunaaq, however, had fathered her baby. Arnatuinnaq wanted her first child to be baptized by the Catholic missionary.

“Tomorrow she’ll be baptized!” she said.

Sanaaq and Qalingu both loved the baby. And Ningiukuluk, who had acquired a sauniq, gave away some of the felt she had bought for a pair of stockings, which Sanaaq made. The child’s father gave her a shawl to cloak her body, flannel for her shirts, and material for her clothes. To the mother, he gave felt and material for an amauti so that she could carry the child on her back. Sanaaq made it, stitching it together after cutting it out, using her own amauti as a pattern. She very much wanted to carry the little baby in her own coat pouch. Arnatuinnaq, for her part, passionately loved her first child. And Irsutuq, Sanaaq’s little boy, was always kissing her. He had grown and often accompanied Qalingu on hunting trips.

Maatiusi was not at all happy. His betrothed, Arnatuinnaq, had a baby that was not his. He wavered, however, between a desire to marry her and the opposite…

With the coming of summer, the ajuqirtuiji and his assistants arrived and attended to the Inuit. He questioned Qalingu and Sanaaq.

“But this baby, who is her father?”

“Her father is a Qallunaaq! ” answered Qalingu.

“Her baptism has no value,” said the minister, “for she is the fruit of sin. Her mother and you are truly lacking in common sense!”

“You are right,” replied Qalingu. “If we’re not acceptable to you, it doesn’t matter. We can’t always act perfectly. We must be humble, but this little baby will be baptized by the Catholic missionary!”

“How is that possible when neither you nor the baby’s mother are Catholics? I’m the one who will baptize her!”

“No! I love this baby too much. You’ve just said she’s not worthy of baptism, so we want her to be baptized by the Catholic missionary, whom we’ll now follow. You may have worthy disciples, who’ll always do good. But we aren’t worthy of you, so we’ll be confessing at the Catholic mission.”

“I’m the one who’ll baptize the child because you follow the Anglicans!”

Arnatuinnaq left and went to the Catholic mission, where she said, “This one, I want her to be baptized by you!”

The Catholic missionary agreed. “I’ll baptize her in a few moments!”

And everyone, including Qalingu and Sanaaq, came in, because the baby was going to be baptized.

“I am going to baptize your child. She will be the first one among you to be baptized! Though she is only a little baby, she will now be washed of all uncleanliness. She shall be named Ningiukuluk Maria!”

As the first to be baptized, this baby became a source of great joy for the whole family.

Qumaq had gone far away. The airplane brought her news from her family. This is what was written to her:

“To Qumaq, from her mother, Ai! Qumaq. Right now we’re doing fine. We have a newborn child, a little girl-cousin for you. She’s been baptized and is called Maria! Ai! Qumaq! Be patient, because you’ll be coming back! I send you my greetings, you and Aanikallak too! My cousin Aqiarulaaq is doing fine. Always be thoroughly obedient, the two of you. You’ll come back when you’ve recovered. Qumaq! Ai! You’re sent greetings from your little brother and from Arnatuinnaq, as well as from your stepfather!”

Qumaq received her mother’s letter with the news about her folks while in hospital. The news of the baby gave her a start. She thought, “Had I been more diligent, I’d already be baptized… How I envy her! My little cousin is already baptized… When I go home, I’ll carry her on my back often. But I don’t know when I’m going home!”

Qumaq told Aanikallak, “Aanikallak! We got a letter! We’ve been asked to obey at all times. Our folks are fine, so they say. How delightful it is that we got a letter, Aanikallak! Read it and then give it back to me.”

“ Aa! Thanks!” said Aanikallak. “But I want to go home!”

“How true! Let’s both cry, Aanikallak!”

“Let’s!”

They both began to cry and people thought that they were angry with each other, when they were just homesick. Some people also thought that they were in pain. Their families back home very much longed for their return. Sanaaq could not help but think about Qumaq often.