Covers -- E 5/1/06 9:05 AM Page 1 INTERVIEWINGChildrearing INUIT ELDERS Practices Childrearing Practices INTERVIEWING INUIT ELDERS Naqi Ekho and Uqsuralik Ottokie 3 Edited by Jean Briggs 6507.5_Fre 5/1/06 9:11 AM Page 239 6507.4_Eng 5/1/06 9:03 AM Page 1 INTERVIEWING INUIT ELDERS Volume 3 Childrearing Practices Naqi Ekho and Uqsuralik Ottokie Edited by Jean Briggs 6507.4_Eng 5/1/06 9:03 AM Page 2 Interviewing Inuit Elders Volume 3 Childrearing Practices Copyright ©2000: Nunavut Arctic College and Naqi Ekho, Uqsuralik Ottokie, Jean Briggs, Alexina Kublu and participating students (as listed within). Cover illustration “Man and Animals” by Lydia Jaypoody 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 1-896-204-376 Published by the Language and Culture Program of Nunavut Arctic College, Iqaluit, Nunavut with the generous support of the Pairijait Tigummivik Elders Society. For order information: Nunavut Arctic College Library Box 600 Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0 6507.4_Eng 5/1/06 9:03 AM Page i Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii MAP iv INTRODUCTION 1 Chapter 1 Life Stories Naqi Ekho 21 Uqsuralik Ottokie 25 Chapter 2 Pregnancy The mother; the foetus; rules to facilitate birthing; memories of foetal life. 31 Chapter 3 Birthing Practices Positions; sanaji: responsibilities at birth and after birth; sipiniq; naming; treatment of the newborn. 37 Chapter 4 Upbringing Discipline/behaviour problems; showing a child it is loved; encouraging it to thrive; teaching skills; teaching respect for others and elders; teaching how to care for others; babies, helpless people, good behaviour and responsibilities. How to strengthen a child's mind; how not to spoil children; effects of defending; how to stop giving in to children and doing everything for them. 51 Chapter 5 Childhood Cross-sex socialization related to name; gender roles; sibling relations. 73 Chapter 6 Nutrition and Health Children's food rules; treatment of illness. 81 Chapter 7 Special Cases Adopted children; orphans; mistreated children; disabled children. 91 Chapter 8 Children’s Emotions Ilirasuktuq, ninngattuq, kipiliqtuq, kanngusuktuq, sillujuq; respecting children's individuality. 101 Chapter 9 Stories, Games and Songs 107 GLOSSARY 129 REFERENCES 137 6507.4_Eng 5/1/06 9:03 AM Page ii 6507.4_Eng 5/1/06 9:03 AM Page iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS With much heartfelt gratitude we would like to thank the Pairijait Tigummivik Society for funding the publication costs for this series. Without their contribution this series may not have become a reality. Nick Newbery Nick Newbery d/oic7mE4Lt4 scsy3u[l wo6fy3u[l wo8ix3ioEJ5 kNK5 yM5g6n3F1u d/8N¨DmK5 XwE/w5 tA7uF4f8i4 ®Ns/6bc6t5tJ8N3mb sfx n6rtbsJ8N3i4nzk5. giy8i`Q2Xb sfx Wbco`Qgw8NExcC/Ms6S5. 6507.4_Eng 5/1/069:03AMPageiv 1 19 18 17 16 8 20 2 6 3 11 25 9 Map 12 4 24 22 23 10 21 26 5 7 13 14 15 v 6507.4_Eng 5/1/069:03AMPagev 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 Panniqtuuq 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 Sanirajak 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 6507.4_Eng 5/1/06 9:03 AM Page vi 6507.4_Eng 5/1/06 9:03 AM Page 1 Introduction Inuit Childrearing Practices: an Introduction As soon as you show the child pure, unconditional love, without ever raising your voice to them, without being physically abusive, they grow beautifully. If we truly love our children we will not defend them. In our hearts we defend them but we do not show it. (Uqsuralik) ach society lives on through its children. Children have to become responsible adults, who can take care of themselves as well as their relatives. In this book EInuit childrearing practices are described by two elders from South Baffin Island, Naqi Ekho and Uqsuralik Ottokie, who showed great wisdom in their recollections of the past. Childrearing practices are rapidly changing in the modern communities of Nunavut. Day care, nursery schools and primary schools have become part and parcel of everyday life. Yet many features of traditional childrearing can still be observed. Most young Inuit women still carry their babies in the amauti, providing them with an emotional and physical comfort no stroller can provide. Many of the students who conducted the interviews were parents themselves trying to come to terms with values of Inuit childrearing and the requirements of modern society. Uqsuralik playing inugannguat. Introduction – Inuit Childrearing Practices 1 6507.4_Eng 5/1/06 9:03 AM Page 2 The interviews were conducted by Susan Enuaraq, Myna Ishulutaq, Nancy Kisa, Bernice Kootoo, Aaju Peter, Jeannie Shaimaiyuk, and Julia Saimaiyuq, second-year students in the Language and Culture Program; and first-year students, Vera Arnatsiaq, Matthew Boki, Kim Kangok and Johnny Kopak. They had just completed a course on traditional law and the second-year students in particular had quite a lot of experience in interviewing elders. The course was faciltated by Jean Briggs, Professor Emerita at Memorial University of Newfoundland. She has studied Inuit emotional concepts, social values and play, and childrearing practices for more than a quarter-century. In her numerous publications she has shown a great appreciation for the subtlety and skill of Inuit childrearing practices.1 No scholar would have been better suited to facilitate the course. The interviews cover a wide range of subjects. The book deals with pregnancy, birthing, early childhood, children’s emotions, child abuse, play, songs and stories, and many other subjects relating to bringing up children. As Naqi observed: “Inuit have a lot of knowledge about childrearing.” In this introduction I will discuss only a few topics mentioned in the book and focus on the elders’ perspectives. Their words express Inuit ideas and values most adequately. The elders were not just recollecting the past; they were relating the past to the present. They were emphasising those values of the past that they thought most important to the present generation. Uqsuralik stated: When I am telling you these stories about how life used to be, I am not saying that we were better than you are today. I am not saying our way of life was better than yours. In a lot of ways it was not as good. But I certainly can say we were taught to lead a very good culturally strong life. This is the kind of thing that I don’t mind talking about to people concerned with social issues, or to people at justice committees. Some people come before us and instead of judging them I like to remind them that if they grew up like we did they would not be in trouble with the law. They would have good morals, good values and beliefs. Of course you say these things because you want to help them. You want to help other people live a good life. Sometimes you think that because they did not have these values and beliefs, they are in trouble. I was very happy when I was asked to come down here and talk to you. I am not saying my life was much better than yours, but I certainly want to pass on the importance of having strong family relationships and respecting rules. The upbringing of children was not just the responsibility of the mother. The whole community was involved in it. The grandparents were very important as pointed out by Uqsuralik: 2 Childrearing Practices 6507.4_Eng 5/1/06 9:03 AM Page 3 In the old days we used to spend a lot of time with our grandparents. They used to take care of grandchildren a lot in the old days. I used to spend a lot of time with my grandparents and I was very close to them. I always used to sleep with my grandmother. In the old days we grew up always sleeping with someone else. Today we don’t even sleep with our children, but in the old days we always slept with an adult. Because of that, you developed a very strong bond. When you had cold feet they would always help you warm your feet up. Grandparents were very, very helpful. Children were taught by practice and they learnt from the elders: It was a happy time, even though it was very difficult, hard work. But all in all, we were learning how to do things. We were never formally taught how to do things. Today we are taught knitting or sewing by being grouped together. People were teachers only when they were elders. (Uqsuralik) Naqi showing Uqsuralik a string game. The formation of a child When a woman was pregnant everybody was aware of it. Everything she did might affect the child. Even though Naqi and Uqsuralik did not have to observe the pittailiniq, the taboos, they still had to observe many rules.