The Transition to Christianity INUIT PERSPECTIVES on the 20TH CENTURY
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tran/to christianity eng 5/1/06 7:50 AM Page 1 INUIT PERSPECTIVES ON THE 20TH CENTURY TheTransitiontoChristianity The Transition to Christianity INUIT PERSPECTIVES ON THE 20TH CENTURY 1 Victor Tungilik and Rachel Uyarasuk Edited by Jarich Oosten & Frédéric Laugrand 6507.5_Fre 5/1/06 9:11 AM Page 239 6853.1 trans_ENGnew copy 5/1/06 7:55 AM Page 1 INUIT PERSPECTIVES ON THE 20TH CENTURY Volume 1 The Transition to Christianity Victor Tungilik and Rachel Uyarasuk Edited by Jarich Oosten and Frédéric Laugrand 6853.1 trans_ENGnew copy 5/1/06 7:55 AM Page 2 Inuit Perspectives on the 20th Century Volume 1 The Transition to Christianity Copyright ©1999: Nunavut Arctic College and Victor Tungilik, Rachel Uyarasuk, Jarich Oosten, Frédéric Laugrand, Alexina Kublu and participating students (as listed within). Photos by Frédéric Laugrand. Cover photo by Nick Newbery Design and production by Nortext (Iqaluit) All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication, reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system, without written consent of the publisher is an infringement of the copyright law. ISBN 1-896-620-4422 Published by the Language and Culture Program of Nunavut Arctic College, Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0. For order information: Nunavut Arctic College Library Box 600 Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0 6853.1 trans_ENGnew copy 5/1/06 7:55 AM Page 3 Table of Contents MAP PREFACE i INTRODUCTION 1 Chapter 1 Life Story of Rachel Uyarasuk 19 Chapter 2 Life Story of Victor Tungilik 53 Chapter 3 Shamanism 89 Chapter 4 Transition to Christianity 123 EPILOGUE 161 GLOSSARY 163 6853.1 trans_ENGnewcopy5/1/067:55AMPage4 1 nirlx6 Sanikiluaq Sanikiluaq 14 u5tmbo4 Pond Inlet Mittimatalik 2 r7uD5 Kimmirut Kimmirut 15 NiyF4 Nanisivik Nanisivik 3 wclw5 Iqaluit Iqaluit 16 w[loÛ3J4 Chesterfield Inlet Igluligaarjuk 4 X8i6©6 Pangnirtung Pangnirtuiq 17 vq 6Oi6 Rankin Inlet Kangiq&iniq 5 er6b3Jx6 Qikiqtarjuaq Qikiqtarjuaq 18 trC3Jx6 Whale Cove Tikirarjuaq 6 r`Zw5 Cape Dorset Kinngait 19 x3Fx5 Arviat Arviat 7 vq6gÛW4 Clyde River Kangiqtugaapik 20 cmi5gx6 Baker Lake Qamanittuaq 8 n9o6 Coral Harbour Salliq 21 bl3Jx6 Taloyoak Taloyoak 9 niC/4 Hall Beach Hall Beach 22 s6h6©6 Gjoa Haven Uqsuqtuuq 10 w[lo4 Igloolik Igloolik 23 wcl4©4tx6 Cambridge Bay Iqaluktuuttiaq 11 Ns÷5 Repulse Bay Naujaat 24 su1m4©6 Bay Chimo Umingmaktuuq 12 x3Fo[Jx6 Pelly Bay Arviligjuaq 25 ezs4 Bathurst Inlet Kingauk 13 gkiDy6 Arctic Bay Tununirusiq 26 d3l6g6 Kugluktuk Qurluqtuq 6853.1 trans_ENGnew copy 5/1/06 7:55 AM Page 5 6853.1 trans_ENGnew copy 5/1/06 7:55 AM Page 6 6853.1 trans_ENGnew copy 5/1/06 7:55 AM Page i Preface n 1999 a course was offered in the Language and Culture Programme at Nunavut Arctic College in Iqaluit to help students gain a better understanding of the role Iplayed by Inuit in the transition to Christianity. Victor Tungilik and Rachel Uyarasuk shared their memories of the period of transition with our students. Interviews were conducted by Lavanie Akulukjuk, Vera Arnatsiaq, Matthew Boki, Sheepa Nowyook, Hanna Oolayou, Adamie Paneak, and Susie Shaimaijuk. Each day four interview sessions were conducted. The students were divided into teams. The questions were prepared in close co-operation with the instructors. The interviews were then transcribed by the students themselves. Alexina Kublu took care of the translation in admirable fashion and provided help to instructors and students alike whenever necessary. Susan Sammons, in charge of all operations again, was wonderfully effective. Sally Mikijuk keyboarded the English transcriptions and Eileen Kilabuk keyboarded the Inuktitut. Noel McDermott and Marja Korhonen did an excellent job at proofing the English version as did Alexina Kublu, Nellie Kusugak and Peter Irniq for the Inuktitut. Roberta Roberts and Nortext once again provided much appreciated support to the project. We also wish to thank Aaju Peter for drawing the amouti diagram, and Ranbir Hundal for scanning it for us. Mike Gardner, retired Anglican minister, was a big help in the translation of the hymns and scripture texts. Kenn Harper provided us with the English names of the Anglican ministers. We would also like to thank John Crump of the Nunavut Planning Committee for permission to use their map. Brenda Mowbray and Elise Chandler, the college librarians, also were of great assistance to both the students and instructors. Thanks are also due to the staff of the Nunatta Residence who took good care of us all. Most of all we thank the two elders, Rachel Uyarasuk and Victor Tungilik, for their patience and willingness to share their recollections with us. Frédéric Laugrand Jarich Oosten Preface i 6853.1 trans_ENGnew copy 5/1/06 7:55 AM Page ii 6853.1 trans_ENGnew copy 5/1/06 7:55 AM Page 1 Introduction The Transition to Christianity he transition to Christianity in Nunavut occurred in the first half of this century. It was a long and complex process that deeply affected Inuit life. It is usually Tdescribed from the point of view of the missionaries, who took for granted that they were the ones who brought Christianity to the Inuit. But Inuit were not just passive recipients in the process of Christianization. They played an active role in it and helped to shape Christianity in the North. Today it is becoming clear that in many places Inuit adopted Christianity even before a missionary had arrived in that area. The gospel was often spread by Inuit themselves. They derived their inspiration from the hymns and texts that were spread by the Anglican missionaries as well as from the rituals they observed at the mission posts. In this book, the Inuit perspective is represented by two Inuit elders, Rachel Uyarasuk from Iglulik and Victor Tungilik from Naujaat. In this introduction we will discuss some aspects of the transition to Christianity following their words. Both elders grew up when missionaries were not yet present in the areas where they lived, even though Christianity was already present. Victor’s father travelled to Igluligaarjuk to be baptised. “We were still living in igluit when I was growing up. The priests never came where we were living. We went to Igluligaarjuk once around Easter time. After that we returned to where we were living. This was shortly before our father died. There were four or five priests in Igluligaarjuk. My father was baptised there. There were no qallunaat where we were living. We never had any priests or ministers come to us. It was always us who would go where there was a priest.” rédéric Laugrand F Group photo of students at the end of the course. Introduction – The Transition to Christianity 1 6853.1 trans_ENGnew copy 5/1/06 7:55 AM Page 2 Rachel was brought up in the North Baffin area. Christianity came from the South Baffin area where people had become Christians at the beginning of this century. “I don’t remember when there was absolutely no religion. I was too young then. I probably was born before there was Christianity, but the siqqitirniq ritual seems to be my first recollection. As I grew up, I was only aware of being Christian.” Inuit were still following shamanism, but under the guidance of some of the leaders who knew about the Bible or had heard about it through others who had visited the southern missions, people began to convert to Christianity. Rachel was already an adult when the missionaries arrived in the area where they were living. “I can’t tell you the year they arrived. The minister and the priest arrived at the same time right after I had had my second child. The minister and the priest arrived together by ship at Mittimatalik. We heard about this. When the ice had formed and someone went trading at Mittimatalik we learned of their arrival. I am not able to tell you the year.” Both elders very clearly remember the time before the missionaries when Inuit were beginning to live as Christians. Inuit began to use Christian prayers, hymns and rituals in their camps. First they heard about the new religion by oral communication. Then they began to read the texts. Rachel remembers that, “When the Bibles were brought, our parents would work at learning how to read. That’s when our parents started reading to us children, and we got the desire to learn to write.” Camp leaders and angakkuit or shamans played a crucial part in adopting these beliefs and practices that facilitated the transition to Christianity. Even before the missionaries arrived, Sundays were observed. Rachel relates that “Before there was a minister we prayed together only on Sundays. That’s the way it was. Whenever there was sufficient food they were instructed not to do anything on Sundays.” She remembers witnessing the traditional tivajuut winter feast as well as participating in the siqqitirniq conversion ritual. “There was a qaggiq, a big iglu. It was a very large iglu made of snow. There was also drum-dancing. There was a very high platform made of snow inside the qaggiq. Two people came in through the entrance and jumped over this pillar of snow. One of them had a whip. One of them had a stick. I remember seeing those two. The person who was drumming had really long hair and he wore a band to keep his hair out of the way. The people who were singing were towards the back. Their hoods were over their 2 Inuit Perspectives on the 20th Century 6853.1 trans_ENGnew copy 5/1/06 7:55 AM Page 3 heads in front of them.