Straighten up and spell right

I refer to “In Search of Igsivalitaq, the Outlaw”, Nunatsiaq News, March 31, 2006. Quite a headline! I wondered how his relatives in Arviligjuaq-Kuugaarjuk feel about the headline and the story.

I spoke to his son-in-law in Kuugaarjuk before deciding to write this letter. I spoke to him because Ikhivalitaq still has many relatives living among the Nattilingmiut.

There are several mistakes in the article that need correcting. First of all, Knud Rassmussen was known as Kunuk, not Kunu. Endings of our names are important, just as much Harpe(r), MacDonal(d), Edwar(d) in English have to have endings, to complete the pronunciation.

I have been aware of Ikhivalitaq, and not Igsivalitaq, from my mother and father, ever since I was a little boy. My father knew Ikhivalitaq and often hunted with him especially in Naujaat-Repulse Bay in the 1940s. Ikhivalitaq is very well known among Nattilingmiut and Aivilingmiut.

I have also been aware of Anaqqaaq from my father, who knew him as well. Many people in the Kivalliq Region knew Anaqqaaq, he was also a Nattilingmiutaq. “Anarqaaq” of course, should be correctly spelled as Anaqqaaq.

The song writer is Ublunnuaq, not Uvlunnuaq. She was sometimes more commonly known as Iminngaaq, by Nattilingmiut and Aivlingmiut (my ancestry). Names of Inuit are very important, as they identified who they were. Ublunnuaq comes from its root word, Ublu, which means “day.” Ublunnuaq’s name would be translated as “nice little beautiful day” in the Nattilik dialect.

I would like to respectfully ask Mr. Harper, if he could provide us with the original Inuktitut version of the Ublunnuup’s song for her son, Ikhivalitaq. This would help us Inuit in particular, for archival purposes. It is a pretty powerful song in English, it must be equally powerful in Inuktitut. How about it Kenn?

By the way, Ikhivalitaq’s beautiful pisiit (songs) are still being sung and celebrated by many Inuit from Aivilik and Nattilik regions, especially during Nunavut Drum Dance Festivals. I myself know two of his songs.

Peter Irniq
Iqaluit