Remembering Mary Shem

I was interested to read the article about the young fashion student creating the Inuk Barbie doll, honouring her Inuk-Cree grandmother, Mary Shem.

It must have been in 1948 that Mary Shem came from Fort George (relocated, now Chisasibi) to work for the nurse, Iona Andrew, at Inukjuak. The nursing station had been built just the year prior.

My family left Inukjuak in 1949, and I recall that Mary was no longer there when I returned, now married, in 1954.

I have been talking to my brother in Ontario, who remembers that Mary went south to hospital for treatment. He also recalls seeing her about 1962 at the railway station in Cochrane, Ontario, with a couple of children.

Mary had a sister at Kuujjuarapik, now deceased, Lizzie Tuktu, and there are still some of her family there. A cousin of Mary Shem, with whom I’m in regular contact, Martha Kasudluak, lives at Inukjuak.

This is possibly not of interest to your general readership, but I thought Christy Marcus might like to have the information, if you would pass it on to her.

I remember Mary quite clearly, a small, pretty girl in her late teens or early twenties.

I enjoy catching up on Nunavik and Nunavut goings-on on the Internet.

Freddie Knight
Winnipeg