Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk - Sanaaq - An Inuit Novel

“Me neither!” chimed in Arnatuinnaq, followed by Qumaq.

Sanaaq said to her sister, “Put these aside. As for the empty shells, toss them onto the rubbish heap!”

No sooner had Arnatuinnaq taken them out than the dogs came bounding after her, yelping, “ Muu muu muu! ”

They began to yap and fight amongst themselves. It was too much for poor Arnatuinnaq. “ Uai! Look at all those dogs! Scram, you filthy creatures! If only I had something to throw at them!”

She went back in. Night was falling.

“The water has stopped rising!” she announced.

“ Ai! ” said her older sister. “We’ll probably be moving tomorrow to our camp mates’ place over on the other side of the bay. We’ll take our stuff there on our backs.”

Then they undressed for bed, for night had fallen, and went to sleep.

Day broke and Sanaaq was already awake. She called out, “It’s high time that both of you got up. We’re well into the morning! We’ll start getting things ready right away. Have some tea. It’s going to be a long trip.”

Her sister had been shaken out of a sound sleep.

“You said it! I really don’t feel like getting up. Eating those clams has left me feeling hot all over.”

She was now wide awake and starting to put her clothes on. Sanaaq spoke again. “Daughter! Get dressed. Time to get going!”

They got everything ready. Sanaaq and her sister stuffed their things into a big bag while chattering away. Arnatuinnaq said, “I’ll put the tent on my back, a dog will carry the tent poles, and I’ll take my bedspread as well.”

“Since we’re ready, let’s go! Let’s get walking!” said Qumaq.

Arnatuinnaq was less sure. “Hold on! We’re not at all done getting things ready! Take this stuff out. The mats can be left in a cache.”

Sanaaq added, “We’ll come back for them today, the two of us. Come on, let’s take the tent down!”

“Sure!” replied Arnatuinnaq. “Which way should it fall?”

“To the left!”

Little Qumaq sang softly beside them, as they made their preparations.

“ Lalaa lalaa lalaa! ”

“ Uai! ” shrieked Arnatuinnaq. “Those dirty dogs are wolfing down our food, bunch of good-for-nothings! They’re helping themselves to the provisions we stored in the aki. Throw some stones at them!”

A stone struck one of the dogs in its paw. It ran off yelping, “ Maa maa maa! ”

“I got that no-good Ukiliriaq. I pitched a stone right in its paw and it can’t stand on it anymore. Those dirty animals are now fighting amongst themselves!”

“ Maa maa maa! ” The dogs were leaping back and forth as they fought over the provisions from the aki.

Sanaaq shouted, “Daughter, stay out of harm’s way! Come here!”

Qumaq was growing into a young girl who increasingly knew the ways of the world. She spoke up. “Mother! The two of us can go ahead. Auntie can follow with the rest of the stuff.”

“Yes, let’s go! Let’s get walking, the two of us… Hau hau! Kajualuk! Hau! ”

She was calling for her packdog. Mother and daughter set out on their way, up a slope. Soon Arnatuinnaq left too. Although they were taking a shortcut, the route proved to be long and tiring. Qumaq cried out to her mother, “Mother! Let’s stop awhile. I’m very tired.”

“No need to stop now. We’re almost right where we’re going to pitch our tent. Aren’t we almost there? Yes, we are! This nice stretch of gravel seems to be a good spot for a tent!”

They pitched their tent. They had arrived at the Ujararjuaq campsite and its inhabitants came out to welcome them. Among them were Aqiarulaaq, the wife, and Taqriasuk, her husband, with their grown son, Jiimialuk.

“ Ai! Sanaaq ai! ” said Aqiarulaaq. “Let’s shake hands! So you made it safe and sound?”

“Yes! We got here early because we had to leave some of our stuff behind at the other campsite.”

“ Ai! Suvakkualuk! But don’t you have anyone to help you? Ai! Let’s shake hands! But who is this girl?”

“It’s Qumaq, my daughter… And here comes my sister. You can see her over there, in the distance.”

“ A ii! Is she ever loaded down! Come, have an arrival meal with us.”

“Sure, let’s go. We’re very hungry. We didn’t have any tea on the way because we thought it would take too long.”

So they ate together while telling each other about the latest happenings.

Aqiarulaaq recounted: “My son killed a seal today, right in front of our place… He simply wounded it, so his father went after the animal in an old, broken-down qajaq. He harpooned it, only to discover it was a skinny little seal, a little siiqrulik that had lost its mother.”

It was now Sanaaq’s turn to talk. “ Ai! Am I ever lucky! Irsutualuk has fallen in love with me. As soon as I found out, we moved away. I don’t want him. He really looks old and I won’t settle for just any wretched man who comes along.”

“ Ai! Qatannguuk ai! ” said Aqiarulaaq. “I’ll fix you up with my brother in no time at all. You need a man to help you out. Not right now, of course. First, get your tent up!”

“Yes, let’s pitch our tent! We’ll get some stones to anchor the bottom, then we’ll raise it!”

“Yes. We’re here to help!” exclaimed Aqiarulaaq.

Qumaq held one of the tent poles upright. They attached the guy ropes and anchored the base of the tent with stones. Scarcely had they finished raising the tent when they saw old Irsutualuk coming. He called out, “ Ai! Sanaaq ai! I’ve been following you, trying to catch up. I’ll no longer take no for an answer. You’re going to be mine!”

“ Suvakkualuk! But I don’t want you… You’re getting very old… You don’t even have your front teeth anymore… And we got no help from you today, when we could have used it. You also won’t be my husband because I’m afraid my daughter will be abused. As long as it’s in my power, no one but me will lay a hand on her. You’ll not be my husband because you’re very old. Old men don’t please me at all. Don’t stay here! Go away!”

“What a shame! Being old is disgusting to you! I’m ready to do anything to have you. I’m going to undress and sleep here. I have no intention at all of laying my hands on Qumaq.”

“You’re really very old! Aaq! You smell old! Get out and stay out! I don’t want an old man’s smell rubbing off on me!”

So he went off, completely disheartened, and Sanaaq made her feelings even clearer. “The man I’ll choose to be my husband isn’t an old man. He’s even a handsome man. He is Qalingu, the brother of my qatanngut. ”

As planned, the marriage proposal was made while Sanaaq was being visited by her new camp mates.

Qalingu walked in.

“I wish to stay here and have you for my wife, but I’m afraid you’ll be taken by another.”

Sanaaq accepted. “Good thing I didn’t accept the proposal from that old man!”

Everyone now undressed again for bed. As usual, her daughter began to sing, “ Ali ali ali taka taka a! ”

The new stepfather did not intimidate her at all, for Qalingu was very likeable. They all crawled into bed and drifted off to sleep right away.

Qalingu, the brother of Aqiarulaaq, had no qajaq. At daybreak, the two qatannguuk, now sisters-in-law, went to prepare the amiksait. The skins had been left to soak in a stone cache. Aqiarulaaq said to her brother, “Brother, Qalingu! Get these skins ready. Take them out of the stone cache.”