Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk - Sanaaq - An Inuit Novel

We are now back with Qumaq and her mother. Their sleep had again been disturbed, this time by several visitors. Sanaaq lived with Arnatuinnaq, her younger sister. All three had been outside for some time when they saw the men come back from fishing for iqaluppik. Sanaaq shouted, “Look, they’re back from fishing for iqaluppik. They probably caught some!”

Hearing this, Qumaq asked, “Mother, those men out there, what have they been doing?”

“They’ve been fishing for Arctic char!”

Qumaq went back to her games, saying, “I’ll draw something! I’ll draw little dog teams, Mommy!”

“Daughter,” said her mother, “come and I’ll wash your dress, because the water I put in to heat is almost boiling. I’ll give it a good wash… Sister, get busy. Tomorrow you’ll be sewing some sulluniit. So start cutting some seal skin to make them!”

She poured the water she had been heating and began her wash.

“ Aa! Aaah! I scalded myself! Aa! Aatataa! I must have a burn. My hand’s throbbing with pain. Qumaq! Daughter! Cool this water down a bit, so I can wash your filthy dress… Now I’ve got it clean. But where’s my shirt? I’d like to wash it too while I’m at it.”

“It’s up there,” replied Arnatuinnaq, “in the kilu. ”

“Go get it if you see it! I really feel like some tea but it takes too long to prepare. I’ll make some when I’m done washing this. Here we go, time to wring it dry… Uuppaa! ” She was squeezing hard. “It’s probably not as dry as I’d like.”

“Mother,” said Qumaq. “I’m hungry! Apaapa! ”

“I hear you. Fetch my ulu! It’s in the aki. .. You’re going to eat some nikku. ”

She cut off a chunk of nikku.

“There you are! Dip it in the misiraq. .. Be careful not to spill any down the front of your shirt.”

“I won’t!” replied Qumaq.

“And sit down!” added her mother.

Just then Ningiukuluk walked in.

“ Ai! Ningiukuluk ai! ” exclaimed Sanaaq.

Her daughter cried out, “ Anaanatsiaq ai! Look! I’m eating some apaapait. ”

“ Iii! There’s oil running down all over her hands,” said Ningiukuluk indignantly. “Sanaaq! Lick them clean and give her only solid food to eat! I’ll get you eating right, little girl!”

“I’m done. I don’t want any more!” said Qumaq.

“Clean your hands with this willow ptarmigan skin,” said her mother.

Qumaq responded by wailing, “No! Ii Iiii! Ia-a! ”

She was afraid, the poor little girl, of this big feathery thing she had been given for a hand towel. Her mother added, “Well then, I’ll clean your hands with this piece of a coal bag. No feathers on it. Otherwise you won’t clean your hands properly… Ningiukuluk! You and I let’s play cards while the tea heats over the oil lamp! We’ll then melt some blubber over the lamp… Sister! Get the pieces of blubber we’re going to melt. Pound the oil out of them, there, in the little bowl. Let’s go! Ningiukuluk, let’s play cards. You’re dealing! We’ll each put five matches into the pot. Is it my turn to throw away a card?”

“Yes!”

“I beat you! Iii! ” She burst into laughter. “It’s mine!”

“Let’s call it a night. I’ve got to go home!” said Ningiukuluk.

Qumaq called out, “Come to me, Mother, I’m sleepy!”

“Go lie down on the sleeping platform. I’ll put you to sleep. Take your boots off!”

The little girl was soon asleep. It was evening and time for Sanaaq to fetch some water. She took a dipper with her. When she got to the nearest stretch of water, she began filling the dipper.

“It’s full of insects! There are even diving beetles… I’ll draw my water elsewhere, preferably from a pool higher up.”

She began filling her dipper again. When it was full, she noticed some clouds and thought, “That big one is a rain cloud. Even dark enough to be a storm cloud.”

She walked back. When she got home, she said, “Looks like we’re going to have thunder. The clouds are really dark now.”

“ Ai! ” said her younger sister. “If it thunders overnight, it’s going to be all the more scary… I wish there were more of us!”

They tried to fall asleep, everyone except Arnatuinnaq. She remained fully dressed and stretched out on the bed, for fear of thunder. It did thunder during the night and loud claps rocked the air.

“It’s thundering something awful!” cried out Arnatuinnaq, awaking her older sister.

The rain became a downpour, so much so that a steady stream of water dripped through the tent lining.

Everyone awoke at daybreak. Arnatuinnaq said to her niece, “Qumaq! Let’s go fishing, the two of us, on the foreshore. Tomorrow we’ll be moving to Ujararjuaq for good. Let’s go fishing on the foreshore here one last time! Ai! Qumaq! It’d be a good thing to bring along a digging tool, in case we come across any ammuumajuit. ”

Sanaaq spoke up. “Daughter, take this little pail to put them in. Sister, you can dig with a kiliutaq. ”

“Let’s go! Let’s go to the foreshore!” said Arnatuinnaq.

They began walking. Qumaq shouted, “Auntie! Wait for me! Give me your hand!”

When they came to the foreshore, the aunt said to her niece, “Qumaq! This pool is probably full of kanajuit. It has a lot of stones that can be lifted up. Let’s have a look! I’ll start with this one!” She lifted it. “Yes, look! A sculpin! It’s slipping out from under. There it goes… I’ll catch it!”

“Auntie, did you catch a sculpin?”

“Yes, I caught one, but there goes another. It’s sliding underneath the big stone. Wait a bit ai! I’ll force it out with a stick. Watch to see if it swims that way!”

“Yes, the water’s swarming with all kinds of uquuqu! I’m going to catch a big uquuqu! ”

“Get a good grip on it with your hand! There’s nothing to be afraid of!”

“Oh! It got away!”

Many swam away from Arnatuinnaq but she still caught quite a few. Inside the pail, the captured sculpins were flipping their tails and thumping against each other. The two had stopped looking for sculpins and were now in search of clams.

“It’s full of clams! Their holes are everywhere,” said Arnatuinnaq. “I’ll dig this one up. It’s just under the mud. Over there is another clam squirting water. I’ll dig it up…” After a while she spoke again. “We’ve gathered a lot of clams and it’s time to go home. The water’s rising now. I’m done filling my pail, let’s go! We’re going home!”

“Sure!”

They headed home. Arnatuinnaq exclaimed, “Look at all the kaugaliat, Qumaq! Let’s eat some limpets!”

“Yes!”

“I’ve got a stone to break them open… Uu! I just love sucking the innards out of a clam! Uu! Are they ever good! What a great taste! Look, the water’s really rising now. Let’s go home. Your mother’s minding the tent all by herself.”

So they went home. After all, they had to move the next day. When they arrived, Qumaq’s mother was overcome by affection for her daughter. “Daughter! U! Aalummi! Come to me, my little one! Did you learn all the tricks of fishing on the foreshore? Aalummi! Have some tea, both of you… I have some ready for you. Let’s eat clams! Pass me a plate. I’ll put them on…”

Kuu kuu kuu! One by one the clams clunked down onto the plate.

“Let’s also get a container for the juice dripping out of them and another for the empty shells,” added Sanaaq. “Daughter! I’ll crack your clams open and you’ll collect the juice. That’s how you’re going to eat them. Do as I say… Take this one. Enough! I don’t want any more!”