CBC Iqaluit’s first Inuktitut announcer passes away

ANN MEEKITJUK HANSON

I remember Mary Kikoak, who passed away Aug. 8. She was the first Inuit CBC announcer here in Iqaluit in the early 1960s.

The CBC radio station was at T-1, where the Illuvut building is now. People were very excited and amazed that our language was being used on the radio.

Mary would announce each song she was going to play, singers like Johnny Cash, Hank Snow, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson and so on. Of course, the names of the singers were all in English, then she would say that was so-and-so singing, all in Inuktitut.

One day there were some interviews and storytellers on the radio. I am sure there was not a person outside! Mary must have interviewed one of my great-aunts, Jean Ooa. Great-aunt Ooa was quite a character, willing to try new things. She smoked a pipe because she used to say “cigarettes can kill you.”

There was another station that broadcast from Upper Base, the American station. It too, played a lot of country-and-western and rock ‘n’ roll music.

I was listening to the American station when my uncle Annugaq finally remembered that great-aunt Ooa was going to be on the CBC radio. He was upset that I had the other station on and that he missed the Inuktitut stories told by his aunt.

He had to go to Shiutiapik’s and ask them what Ooaraluk (great Ooa) had talked about! I don’t know why he didn’t directly go to Ooa’s because she lived right next door.

As young people, we greatly admired Mary Kikoak for her ability as an announcer.

I remember helping her with the 45’s. For the young people, 45’s were small records, bigger than today’s CD’s, but with only one song on each side. They were called 45’s because that was the speed they had to be played on the record player.

We were hanging around outside T-1 one day and Mary came out and said she needed someone to help her with the show, because people were calling in to request songs. I volunteered quickly and willingly. I had to look for songs that people wanted to hear and then file them away after Mary played them. Mary told me to be quiet as possible. I had so much fun helping Mary and will never forget it!

Mary was very friendly and always had time to talk with people. She always had nice parkas beautifully decorated with embroidery, which she made herself. She had such confidence and happiness around her.

I learned much later that she was from a far away land, a land we never heard of before, “ualiniq,” the “western part.”

She was from Gjoa Haven. Her husband Eddie had come here to Iqaluit to work and Mary had followed him. Mary and Eddie made many friends here, and were very respected and admired. They always welcomed and helped people as I remember.

Mary Kikoak pioneered Inuit programming in those early CBC days. She got to interview elders and got stories that no had heard before on the radio.

I am grateful for Mary because many of us have followed her trail and saved a huge chunk of the Inuit way of life: history, legends, the language, humour, weather-predicting, hunting stories, food, and all things pertaining to Inuit world.

Mary led the way in those early years. She made a huge contribution and we mustn’t forget that. Her spunk and curiosity helped us to get interested in our own culture and language, even though she spoke a different dialect than us.

A few of us here in Iqaluit have good memories of Mary. The last time I saw her was in the Yellowknife airport several years ago. When she saw me, she came right away and asked about all her friends in the Eastern Arctic. It was very good to see her.

Mary might not have realized that she helped to get the Inuktitut programs going in a big way and that many people have continued what she started. We are grateful.