The Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Adventure

Traditional Authority

"Elders, shamans and camp leaders all had their own responsibilities in preserving the peace and settling conflicts within the camps. The elders had great authority. … When they thought people were not behaving correctly they would counsel them, and their words carried great weight.”

Aaju Peter states in her essay for a second law course established at Nunavut Arctic College in Iqaluit in 1997 and 1998:

"The angakkuq was not there to judge a person, neither was he there to set the laws. He was there to find out who had broken the tirigusiit and get them to confess, but at the same time he held a lot of power since he could kill people with his tuurngaq." Finally, the campleaders exercised considerable authority."

In Aaju's words:

"These great angajuqqaat who got their status through their abilities as great hunters, or a combination of both ability and birth-right, held a lot of power. In a world where you depend totally on game, you owe your life to persons who feed you."

Source: Jarich Oosten, Frédéric Laugrand. “Qaujimajatuqangit and social problems in modern Inuit society: An elders workshop on angakkuuniq”
http://www.erudit.org/revue/etudinuit/2002/v26/n1/009271ar.pdf