A new family member

Ted and Sonja: Marie and I and your entire family in Nunavut would like to congratulate you both on the arrival of a beautiful, healthy baby boy. What a beautiful and joyful date to celebrate! You named him Katak Adam Irniq. Katak Adam Irniq will be loved, celebrated and pampered like his angujuk (older brother) Jacob Ijiraq.

I wanted to share the joys and happiness of our Inuit culture through Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit. In our Inuktitut language, Katak means a doorway of an iglu or a qarmaq (sod house). We have chosen the name Katak for strength and vision of our new little inngutaq (grandson). Anaanaga (my mother) is back in our family. In life my mother was a visionary, a strong woman, who knew her own culture. There was never a moment wasted when she did not use Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (Inuit traditional knowledge). She often told me never to knock down Inuksuks, if I do, I may shorten my life.

I want to share with you information about the age-old naming tradition of our culture. Traditionally naming of the child was planned prior to the birth. In Naujaat-Repulse Bay, children were named after relatives, friends of the family, heroes, body parts, animals or spirits. Some were named to carry on the life of the person they were named after.

Katak’s older brother Jacob Ijiraq was named after a friend of the family. Ijiraq is a spirit name. My maternal grandfather, Ivaluqut Ipuittuq, lived in our family three times through his name. My mother must have been very attached to her father and loved him very much. The children of my grandfather, who live in Gjoa Haven, are calling Katak Adam, their najak (for older sister by men) and angujuk (for older sister by women) by three of her (Katak’s) younger sisters.

A child given an Inuktitut name is referred to and treated as the person he or she is named after. My mother called her sons, named Ivaluqut Ipuittuq, “ataata” (father) and gave due respect. I will call Katak Adam “anaanaga ” (my mother). Traditionally, Ted would refer to his son as “anaanattiaq” (grandmother) and Iguttaq, Ted’s sister, named after Katak’s daughter, would refer to Katak Adam as “anaana” to recognize the mother-daughter relationship between them.

As grandparents, we will make sure our inngutaq (grandson) will know his past and we hope that he can use it as his strength for his future. We are so very happy for you. Thank you Ted and Sonja.

Mom and Dad
Marie and Peter Irniq
Iqaluit