6 minute read
The Good Life: Memories of Imaryuk, Husky Lakes
Introduction by Albert Elias, Story by Annie Emaghok
Imaryuk (Husky Lakes) lies just south of the Tuktuuyaqtuuq (Tuktoyaktuk) coastline. It is connected to Liverpool Bay by a narrow channel leading out to the great Beaufort Sea. Beluga whales are known to make their way to Imaryuk and get stranded there. A lifeline to the Inuvialuit from the delta and the coast for generations, it is a popular place for hunting, fishing and recreation, nowadays mainly during springtime.
My first memory of Imaryuk is of travelling there with my parents by dog team and camping. It was cold and windy. I was given the job of jiggling for fish with a hand made bone hook while my dad built a snow house. He made a snow shelter for me to fish in. Being tired I decided to lie on my back to relax and as luck would have it there was a sudden tug and I pulled out a good size trout. Fresh fish for supper!
Another time we were at Sauniqtuuq with other people and fishing was good that Spring day. When I could not pull up the big fish, David Nasogaluak would be there to help. Once when I was old enough to drive my father’s dog team of seven dogs, I went with Amos Cockney and his family to Husky Lakes, helping on the way. It was fun for me and after a few days of fishing we all headed for Tuktuuyaqtuuq. The trail was hard packed and the dogs anxious to get home. They were at full trot and galloping at full speed down the hills. There were other teams travelling with us so it was fun racing home!
The land and water has always provided food and shelter for the Inuvialuit. Sometimes it was not easy, especially during winter but by persevering and working together they overcame challenging times.
Here is an example of what life can be like many years ago as told by my aunt Annie Emaghok...
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It was the fall of 1937. My father Niumatuna had a good catch of herring in the fall using Oscar’s fish net.
That winter, in December or January, they found out that Navaluk had taken and stored away all the fish and left nothing for my parents. Because of that and nearing starvation they went travelling in search of food with the Ayak family.
Ayak Sydney’s children were Alualuk (Pete Sydney), Effie, Itaatchiaq (Elijah) and adopted son Noah Elias was the oldest. In our family there was Wallace, Lennie (I’m not sure where he was, maybe at his sister’s), Laura and myself with my younger brother Johnny. There were just the four of us.
All we had was one tent. After some travelling we reached the shores of Imaryuk (Husky Lakes) and set up camp. We had five or six dogs. By the time we reached Ikinilik only three survived. The rest died of hunger. They had walked all the way since morning.
Our gear and us – the children were on the sled while they helped the dogs along. Upon reaching Ikinilik we stopped and tried to jiggle for fish but did not catch any. That was the way it was. It was the month of January when the sun was returning. The sun usually shows up around January 10th.
Then Noah and Wallace went to Mashuryuaq with only 3 dogs and a small toboggan to try their luck there. They did not come back for a long time as their dogs were weak from hunger. Finally at midnight they came back and Ayak opened the tent entrance and asked, “How was it?” They told him that they filled the toboggan.
In disbelief Ayak went out to look. Right away he brought a fish in and cut it up to cook on the wood stove with the little bit of wood they had left. When the fish was cooked they woke us up and fed us. It is my sister Laura that told me this story. I was there at that time but I do not remember, maybe because I was starving!
From then on they regained their strength so in late April my father sent Noah and Wallace to Reindeer Station along with a letter written in Inuvialuktun. He always wrote in Inuvialuktun in those days. He had written to Kaliathluk. They reached Reindeer Station with only three dogs, camping along the way. There is a place called Akulliq where Kaliathluk lived close to Reindeer Station. Wallace delivered the letter to him. Kaliathluk (Peter Rufus’ grandfather) was a well-to-do man at the time. He filled the toboggan with flour and other foods, a shotgun and a .22 rifle with ammunition for both. He even gave them seven dogs. The toboggan was loaded with all they needed. From there they made their way back to Ikinilik.
Before the trails became too rough, they made their way to Tuktuuyaqtuuq. After the food and extra dogs were delivered my father took Wallace back to the herders. The person in charge there wanted Wallace to be a reindeer herder. From then on once again life was good. There were plenty of shells to hunt ptarmigan with. When I have to throw away leftovers now I think about that time of near starvation.
Later on as I grew up we did not experience real hardships but we did run out of food at times. People back then lived through hard times. Sometime
later I think we moved to Qaakturviaryuk (Lucas Pt). Qaakturviaryuk is the Inuvialuktun name for Lucas Point. Fish and rabbits are just across from there. The area has moose as well. When we moved to Qaakturviaryuk wildlife was plentiful. Life was good! While we stayed there we harvested muskrats. When it was time to hunt whales they took us to Nalruriaq by boats. We needed oil from the whale.
Long ago people helped one another… they were never needy for money. The decks of schooners were filled with dogs! Especially when three or four families were together… lots of dogs! From then on I do not think we experienced hunger again. These are some of my experiences I wanted to share.
As far as I remember it was like this. Sometimes the Elanik family lived at Tununiq. We could hear the dogs at night from Qaakturviaryuk when it was feeding time. Near Qaakturviaryuk there is a place called Singiqyuaq where people lived. The Hansen and Malcolm MacNab families lived there at that time. Both had Inuvialuk wives. And there were people staying at Kangianiq, Kiglavait, Napaqutalik, here and Nuvuraq (Atkinson Pt.) It was like that all the way. In the delta Louie and the Elanik family lived at Axel River. People were spread out around the country. They did not live in communities like we do now.
As I remember Taulan, Qummaqpaaluk and Kaaniq families were at Tuktuuyaqtuuq. The Nuyaviaq family and Mangilaluk stayed in one house. There were place names in Tuktuuyaqtuuq. Navaluk and her husband and our family lived over here at Quinivak. Nuvugaaluk is the next place. That was how it was… just a few houses. My father had built a house for our family. The Oscars were there as well. There were no people here in those days. Just the other side the big hill here is called Kangilialuk.
Back then there were many molted geese near Tuktuuyaqtuuq. The men would hunt geese in the bay until the whaleboats were loaded down with geese. Then they would hang the meat to dry and shared it with people. Having discovered that herring were in great abundance Inuvialuit started gathering here. There were plenty of seals and beluga whales as well. The Hudson Bay Company was first established at Kitigaaryuit and eventually moved here. Although there was no school at that time, people gradually began gathering here around 1935, ‘36, ‘37.
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Archived Tamapta Shows with Adam and Annie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrScBA-VswE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd_aOuOqi7o
