Hunters, Predators and Prey: Inuit Perceptions of Animals

419 Pages·2014·3.675 MB·English

by  Frédéric Laugrand, Jarich Oosten

HUNTERS, PREDATORS AND PREY

Hunters, Predators
and Prey
Inuit Perceptions of Animals
(cid:2)
Frédéric Laugrand and Jarich Oosten
berghahn
N E W Y O R K • O X F O R D
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Published in 2015 by
Berghahn Books
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© 2015 Frédéric Laugrand and Jarich Oosten
All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages
for the purposes of criticism and review, no part of this book
may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or
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storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented,
without written permission of the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Laugrand, Frédéric.
Hunters, predators and prey : Inuit perceptions of animals / by Frédéric
Laugrand and Jarich Oosten.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-78238-405-2 (hardback : alk. paper) —
ISBN 978-1-78238-406-9 (ebook)
1. Inuit—Rites and ceremonies. 2. Inuit—Hunting. 3. Human-animal
relationships—Nunavut. 4. Animals—Folklore. I. Oosten, J. G., 1945–
II. Title.
E99.E7L368 2014
398.24’5—dc23
2014000897
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Printed on acid-free paper.
ISBN 978-1-78238-405-2 hardback
ISBN 978-1-78238-406-9 ebook
Contents
(cid:2)
List of Figures vii
Acknowledgements ix
Part I. Introduction
Chapter 1. Theoretical Perspectives 3
Chapter 2. The Animals and Their Environment 27
Chapter 3. The Making of a Good Hunter 56
Part II. Life and Death
Chapter 4. The Raven, the Bringer of Light 83
Chapter 5. Qupirruit, Masters of Life and Death 113
Part III. Fellow Hunters
Chapter 6. The Dog, Partner of the Hunter 151
Chapter 7. The Bear, a Fellow Hunter 179
Part IV. Prey
Chapter 8. The Caribou, the Lice of the Earth 209
Chapter 9. The Seal, the Offspring of the Sea Woman 265
Chapter 10. The Whale, Representing the Whole 308
Comparisons and Conclusions 342
Appendix. Inuit Elders 362
vi Contents
Glossary of Inuktitut Words 367
References 379
Index 401
Figures
(cid:2)
1.1. Map of Nunavut, Canada. 18
1.2. Ollie Itinnuaq from Rankin Inlet and George Kappianaq
from Iglulik in a workshop organized in Rankin Inlet
in 2002. 21
1.3. Job and Eva Murjungniq, two Ahiarmiut from Arviat,
with Frédéric Laugrand on the left and Jarich Oosten
on the right. 22
1.4. The upper scene shows hunting at the seal breathing
holes. The hunter on the left is ready to kill the seal;
the other hunter appears to be watching. The second
scene depicts a fully loaded sledge drawn by dogs. 23
2.1. Caribou and seals are the most important prey. 28
2.2. Inuit hunters and their women travelling inland for
the caribou hunt. 35
2.3. Like the caribou, the walrus is a gregarious animal,
often appearing in multitudes. 37
3.1. Hunting scenes: shooting the caribou, bringing home
the prey and returning with a seal. 58
3.2. Fishing with a fi shing spear. 61
3.3. ‘Save the Baby Veal.’ Poster designed to turn the tables
on anti-seal hunt activists. 74
4.1. Amulets, composed of a raven foot with the claws,
insects sewn into small skin bags and two ermine skins. 94
4.2. Raven’s print. 106
viii Figures
5.1. Tuktordjuk, a sea spider found by Father Van de Velde
in Pelly Bay (Kugaaruk), in 1956. 130
5.2. The late Luke Anautalik playing with an insect in Arviat. 133
5.3. Anonymous carving from Naujaat representing a louse
preserved at the Eskimo Museum (Churchill: C68.19.1). 139
5.4. Anonymous carving from Naujaat representing a caterpillar
preserved at the Eskimo Museum (Churchill: C55.11.1). 143
6.1. The dog as a hunting companion. Dogs were often used
to hunt polar bears. 153
6.2. Charlie Inuaraq attaching his dogs to his qamutik (dog
sled) before going out hunting in Mittimatalik. 154
7.1. A polar bear in the tundra. 186
7.2. Model representing a tupilaq that resembled a bear. 191
8.1. A hunter approaching a caribou herd. 210
8.2. A caribou near Mittimatalik. 211
8.3. Hunting caribou at the nablut. 233
8.4. Caribou killed from a boat in Nunavik. 234
8.5. Peter Suvaksiuq from Arviat with his catch. 242
9.1. A hunter hides behind a snow wall to hunt a seal. 282
9.2. At the aglu, the seal comes to the hunter. 284
9.3. Seals and a sled. 285
10.1. W halers and a whale. 309
10.2. T he hunters about to harpoon a whale in Kangiqsujuaq,
Nunavik, in 2008. 330
10.3. A whale has been dragged onto the shore to be
butchered. 331
10.4. B utchering the whale is done immediately so the
maktaaq can be shared by the hunters and the
surrounding communities. 333
11.1. I nuk holding a lemming and a falcon in Nunavik,
where these birds are sometimes kept for a short
period before being released in the tundra. 352
11.2. I mitating the seal, uutuq hunting. 355
Acknowledgements
(cid:2)
This book is the result of research we conducted for more than fi fteen
years. We received the support of many Inuit elders. Many of them
have passed away now. We are grateful to them for sharing their recol-
lections and knowledge with us.
Ollie and Lizzie Itinnuaq, Peter Suvaksiuq, Josie Angutinngurniq, and
Job and Eva Muqyunniq organized and hosted the elders workshops
in Kangiq&iniq (2000 and 2002), Arviat (2003 and 2005), Kugaarruk
(2004), and Maguse River (2011). Ollie Itinnuaq, as well as Job and
Eva Muqyunniq, are no longer with us. Susan Sammons of Nunavut
Arctic College, who always supported our work, has also passed away.
We remain very much indebted to them.
Many Inuit helped us in organizing the workshops, translating the
recorded material or giving support to our project in other ways. We
thank Henry Kablalik, Noa Tiktak, Atuat, Lisa Koperqualuk, Gloria
Putumiraqtuq, Sarah Silou, Betsy Annahatak, Myna Ishulutaq, David
Serkoak, Louise Flaherty and Alexina Kublu for their help. We also
thank John MacDonald and Louis Tapardjuk for granting us access to
the interviews of the Iglulik Oral Traditions Project as well as for their
hospitality during our research in Iglulik. We are grateful to Bishop
Reynald Rouleau, Father Robert Lechat, Father André Dubois and
Lorraine Brandson for supporting and facilitating our research in the
fi eld and in the archives. We wish to express our gratitude to many
colleagues, friends and graduate students whose stimulating ideas en-
riched classes, conferences and the writing of many papers.
We are particularly grateful for the comments and discussions of
our work at different stages and occasions by our colleagues, particu-
larly Peter Armitage, David Anderson, Cunera Buijs, Florence Brunois,
Robert Crépeau, Denys Delâge, Philippe Descola, Louis-Jacques Do-
rais, Robert Fréchette, Jean-Guy Goulet, Roberte Hamayon, Pierre-Jo