My earliest memories of Christmas in Nunavut

As an Inuk reporter for Nunatsiaq News, I’d like to tell you about my earliest recollection of Christmas on Broughton Island, the place where I was born.

My last Christmas there was in 1972 when I was four years old. I’ll always cherish the memory of my grandmother’s smile on that day.

Things were simpler, growing up in a small community of just over 300 as it was back then. Now it is called Qikiqtarjuaq.

It was a tradition that families would wake up early on Christmas Day — not to open gifts, but to go to their neighbours’ homes to shake their hands.

Moses and Ida Ataguyuk, my parents, would wake us children up and help us into our kamiks, a warm parka and mitts and go right to the home of my grandparents, Joseph and Alivaqtaq Kownirk, who were our neighbours.

Even now, I still don’t know how that tradition started. The Inuit handshake on this particular day has a deep meaning, it says that we are a Christian family believing in Jesus Christ and that we believe that that is still the true meaning of Christmas.

Livete Ataguyuk’s late grandmother, Alivaqtaq Kownirk. In Inuit kinship, she referred to Livete as Maata, after her late sister. (Photo by Livete Ataguyuk)

After that came church time, with Christmas hymns sung in a full church in unity to celebrate the day.

This wasn’t the custom just for my family. In fact, all of the community came together to shake each others’ hands, whether you were a baby, a young person, and adult or elderly. That is my earliest encounter with Christmas. No gift-giving, just a simple handshake.

Today, Christmas means concerts, games, feasts, prizes, gifts and a two-week holiday.

To me, the important part of Christmas was to be with my grandparents. There was no one else like them.

Merry Christmas, everyone. Be sure to shake your neighbour’s hand on Christmas Day.