A lesson on leadership

Translated by Albert Elias

William Mangilaluk is considered one of the first leaders of t uktoyuktak. Norman Felix is the grandson of William Mangilaluk and Norman inherited the gift of song and dance from his grandfather. In the following interview of Norman (conducted by Cathy Cockney and Florence Nasogaluak), he reflects on what qualities a person had to embody to become a leader in t uk almost a century ago.

In defining what makes a leader Norman finds it important to relate the story of how Uvayuak – who was the ataniq before William Mangilaluk -punished a man for sexually assaulting women -- revealing the importance that Inuvialuit leaders (and Norman) placed on the safety and honor of women.

Norman Felix was born to Felix Nuyaviak and Annie Iqilana on November 24, 1929.

“A person who didn’t do too much wrong. The one who isn’t heading the wrong way, they always use for a leader. A person with a good mind. My grandfather too, my father’s adoptive father, Uvayuak was a chief before my grandfather, Mangilaluk. When Uvayuak died, Mangilaluk took over.

While Uvayuak, my adoptive grandfather, was chief there at Tuk, there was a single man who was giving the people problems. When the men went, this man would sexually bother their wives. He scared the women to do this. He was going too far so the elders, who were leaders, gathered together and decided he had to be killed for he had gone too far. Without telling him anything, they took him caribou hunting. They tricked him into going and they start playing a game with him to see who could jump the furthest. Every time he was going to jump, two men would go to the spot where he was to land. They tricked him so bad, he was really trying to win when, finally, he fell on his back. Right away they grabbed him and poked him.

When they were going to stab him he said: “I’ll never do that again. Don’t poke me.” The knife never slowed, they poked him. After that, the people got good. When they returned, it was put that if anyone else make trouble, the same thing would happen to him. If a person was to cause trouble, he was to be killed. That man was the last man killed. By the time my grandfather, Mangilaluk, became chief, there was hardly no people in Tuk. All the elders were nearly gone.

…My grandfather and Nuligak [Bob Cockney] were leaders that time. Chief and assistant. When my grandfather died, Kaupqun [Emmanuel Felix Sr.] was chosen in his place. His assistant was Jonah [Carpenter]; he had no bad faults that time. “

Florence: Could they choose chiefs from other families? Or do they just pick them from one family?

“No. A person with a good mind with no serious faults was chosen.

Florence: Anyone?

“Anyone can be chosen. They just look up to him and Angagak put him first. So I think that’s how they choose him. I don’t’ know when Angagak; Kaupqun tell us this; Angagak said people can’t live right until they have a leader. They talked and choose Kaupgun as chief. Angagak was living in Tuk by then.”

EldEr Story: