The Inuit Qaujimajatuqanginnik Adventure
We learned as young children not to steal, for example, and only to take what we needed from animals, and not to break Inuit laws. We learned that if we broke these laws, there were consequences.
My mom, Irene Katak taught me, for example:
- Don't judge people by the way they look.
- Don't ever knock down other Inuksuit, or it will shorten your life.
- Be good to other people
- Be especially good to those who just lost a parent, and be helpful to them
So we had a very strong system of governance, and code of conduct , and we Inuit tried to treat each other fairly.
We also had a concept of environmental justice, which is only now being recognized elsewhere. We were always told by our parents, never to disrespect the animals, land or sea, or the environment.
And the ancient stories, like Kiviuq, we were schooled in these as well.
For example, my father, Atanaasie Angutitaq, used to teach me this about hunting. When my father brought a seal to the camp, before skinning it, my mother would take a moment to melt snow in her mouth, then drip the melted water into the mouth of the seal, saying she was doing this so other seals under the ice would not be thirsty. This showed our respect for the animals we depended on for food.
Ultimately, we were always thinking of peace and togetherness, and practicing it. These things helped us to survive in the Arctic.