Capt. Joseph-Elzéar Bernier, master of the CGS Arctic and sometimes private trader. (Photo courtesy of Library and Archives Canada C-006672)
Names for white men
Let’s continue with the theme of names that Inuit have given to non-Inuit. It’s always a fun topic.
When I wrote my book, Thou Shalt Do No Murder, which was published in 2017, I encountered a wealth of names used historically in North Baffin for Qallunaat who were there in a variety of roles.
Capt. Joseph-Elzéar Bernier was well-known to Inuit over a period of two decades, as a government employee in charge of various expeditions, and also for a time as a private trader.
He was a powerfully built man and stout, and so naturally Inuit called him Kapitaikallak. When he was a trader, one of his rivals was pretty much the opposite in appearance, a short slight man, Capt. Henry Toke Munn. Inuit called him Kapitaikuluk, sometimes translated as the dear little captain.
Another captain, a Scotsman named John Murray, who often commanded the stalwart vessel, Albert, was cross-eyed. So of course Inuit called him Nakungajuq.
A whaler much beloved of the Inuit on Baffin’s east coast was James Mutch. Strangely, Inuit did not give him an Inuktitut name, but rather moulded his name to the sounds of Inuktitut, so he became Jiimi Maatsi.
James Cameron, who worked for Mutch, was known only as Kaamalat, an attempt to pronounce his English name. Another who didn’t get a distinctive name was Alfred Tremblay, who accompanied Bernier’s private trading expedition in 1912. He was simply Taamali, the best that could be done with his French surname.
Robert Janes served as second mate on Bernier’s ship, the Arctic, from 1910 to 1911. (Photo courtesy of Library and Archives Canada PA-061749)
The subject of my book was the killing of a trader from Newfoundland, Robert Janes, and the murder trial that resulted in 1923. Janes had been the second mate on Bernier’s government vessel, the Arctic.
Inuit called him by his rank rather than his name, so second mate became Sakirmiaq. In death, he was known as Sakirmiaviniq — the one who had been second mate.
Another trader was Wilfrid Caron, a relative of Bernier and father of the well-known Inuk RCMP Special Constable Lazaroosee Kyak. Inuit thought Caron looked like he always had a tear in his eye, and appropriately called him Quvviunginnaq.
Another trader was James Florence, known as Surusiviniq — the one who had been a child — because he had started coming to the Arctic as a cabin boy on a whaling ship
A longtime trader and former whaler, William Duval, served as interpreter for the murder trial. Inuit throughout Baffin knew him as Sivutiksaq — the apprentice harpooner.
By the time of the trial, the Hudson’s Bay Co. had established its first trading post in the High Arctic, at Pond Inlet. One of the earliest Bay traders was Wilfred Campbell Parsons, known as Nujaqanngittuq because he had no hair. Another was Gaston Herodier, whom Inuit called Ataataluk — the poor father.
Police officers were called Puliisi or Paliisi in most of Baffin. In the Kivalliq Region, the word was usually Pukiqtalik, because of the distinctive yellow stripe on the legs of the uniform pants, which reminded Inuit of the white fur on the underside of a caribou body. The best-known of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers to be stationed at Pond Inlet was Staff Sgt. Alfred Herbert Joy. Inuit didn’t give him a name but rather tried to pronounce his rank, calling him simply Saarjan.
Other early police officers were Const. Ernie Friel, called Makkulaaq because he appeared to be the youngest of the officers when he was there. Cpl. Finley McInnes was Nikpaqti — the one who stands over a seal hole; apparently he liked to hunt. He was also known as Uqajuittuq or Uqarajuittuq — the one who seldom speaks. Const. William MacGregor was Umilik — the one with a beard.
The Arctic is full of white men today. Still, some of them are named by the Inuit, often for a peculiarity of appearance, or distinctive behaviours. I’ve always been known to Inuit as Ilisaijikutaaq — the tall teacher. Even though I ceased being a teacher decades ago, the name stuck.
Taissumani is an occasional column that recalls events of historical interest. Kenn Harper is a historian and writer who lived in the Arctic for more than 50 years. He is the author of “Minik: The New York Eskimo” and “Thou Shalt Do No Murder,” among other books. Feedback? Send your comments and questions to kennharper@hotmail.com.
How did you not mention kabloona or kaloonaq 🙂 ?!
I did. In paragraph 2. And I spelled it correctly.
What is the story of Portuguese AKA Puatiki?
Actually, I dealt with that at some length in my previous article (2 weeks ago), “Names We Call Each Other”. Check that article out. It’s online. I think it will answer your question.
You forgot Taguy, My Auntie loved to call them Taguy’s.
And yet Inuit who still to this day give mocking or condescending descriptive names to whites are still wholesome and pure, while any white who innocently uses the word “eskimo” (which was also a fairly neutral descriptor term, in another indigenous language) are knuckle dragging, evil colonizers, who need to check their privilege. Got it.
Who’s this Taguy? Why you make it sound like we, native have been doing something to them, when the they have done nothing but us down for generation, killed our dogs, our live stock, and you’re offended by a name calling as we joke? HypoWOKE?
You make it sound like we don’t being called Eskimo, nobody cares, only the woke people whom changed it. I’m Eskimo Jerry to my White friends, cause we have a white Jerry in our friend circle, I don’t care, just like the rest of us. lol Got it.
It will be argued but it is true. We need to be watchful of our racism from both sides.
Many locals and many other inuks I asked if the word Eskimo is offensive to them and the answer I got was no. A shake of the head. And than I asked them do you know who made other races quit calling us eskimos? They shook their head. “No, I don’t know who” and than I said whoever did, took away the Edmonton Eskimos.
Most Inuit I know could care less about the word Eskimo. It is a small class of southern educated Inuit, with considerable class power, that have internalized this faux-grievance (among many others) that clutch pearls and gnash teeth at the profound cosmic wound they feel upon hearing it.
Seeing white people suddenly act offended over Qallunaat is strange for me, but perhaps understandable as a rare opportunity to join the society of the aggrieved. Everyone else is doing it, after all.
It is the new world we live in, and only just and equitable.
Why should we let ‘the others’ (in this case, Inuit) define us?
All that needs to happen is for Inuit to come up with a less offensive word, more in keeping with modern understanding of identity.
What’s good for an Eskimo, is good for a Qablunaq. 🙂
“When a group of people [such as racialized individuals] has little or no power over you institutionally, they don’t get to define the terms of your existence, they can’t limit your opportunities, and you needn’t worry much about the use of a slur to describe you and yours, since, in all likelihood, the slur is as far as it’s going to go. What are they going to do next: deny you a bank loan? Yeah, right. … White perceptions are what end up counting in a white-dominated society. If whites say [Indigenous people] are savages (be they of the “noble” or vicious type), then by God, they’ll be seen as savages. If [Indigenous people] say whites are mayonnaise-eating Amway salespeople, who the hell is going to care? If anything, whites will simply turn it into a marketing opportunity. When you have the power, you can afford to be self-deprecating, after all” (2002). Tim Wise
It’s the principle of the thing.
Or do you think we should discard the near-universal Golden Rule in favour of a petty accounting of relative power and privilege to determine who can say what to whom?
Who’s going to be the petty accountant in real time? Who’s going to keep the petty accountant fair and honest? That’s no way for a diverse, pluralistic society to operate.
You are confusing prejudice with racism is what that quote is saying. You can discriminate towards white, and you can use prejudice towards white. The term racism is a structured with power. The comment was directed towards Racism on both sides. Racism and discrimination are seperate is all. I am not saying that there isn’t anything wrong with name calling white, just showing that its not quite racism by definition.
Is an act of discrimination based on race ever not racism?
alex you say “the term racism is a structured with power.” Of course it can or might be (let’s say institutional racism), but I disagree that power is inherent to the definition of racism, attached by necessity, and I take that to be your point.
I understand this shift in meaning, popularized especially by Ibram Kendi, has become common among progressives. I would argue, however, it’s a definition adapted to a worldview that see’s the world as a simple binary between oppressor and oppressed. This sleight of hand absolves anyone in the latter position of ‘racism’ (the original sin, in this worldview).
Convenient and cunning, but unorthodox and nakedly expedient.
Even today I have heard Inuit complaining that their last name, which is anglicized, was a poor attempt by colonizers to pronounce their true name. Yet here we have the same practice by Inuit not using the names given to them by these men. Could it be just due to convenience and not out of malevolence?
My last name was supposed to be igluvigaarjuktualik, but they changed it to Gordon because it’s easier to say and spell……..I’m joking. Just imagining what it would have been like for settlers and nomads when they met each other.
The second sentence of my article said, “it’s always a fun topic.” Judging by the comments, the commenters don’t seem to be having much fun. Nothing in the article says Qallunaat are offended by the use of the word Qallunaat. Maybe re-read the article and have a little fun.
Do you believe your readers are not entitled to form their own feelings surrounding material you believe is fun? When someone cries do you tell them not to? Let your readers form their own experience from your readings and not force your own expectations of how one will take your writing.
Paradoxically, this is ‘the fun’ for some folks…
It is fun I laughed so hard.
I wouldn’t’ call anyone a name by there physicals characteristics.
It was just the way it was back then. It was not to be funny or rude.
It was just the way it was. Inuit couldn’t properly pronounce non Inuit names.
Same with non Inuit who cannot pronounce our names. We don’t feel offended by that.