Agnes Nanogak Goose (1925-2001) was a well-known artist from Ulukhaktok. Her father, Natkusiak (Billy Banksland) was from Nome, Alaska and her mother Topsy Ekiona was from the Delta and grew up around Tuktoyaktuk. Agnes was born on Baillie Island and her family travelled between Baillie Island and Banks Island when she was young. They lived for a period in Sachs Harbour before settling in Ulukhaktok, where Agnes remained for most of her life. In 1943 she married Wallace Goose and they had seven children. A prolific artist, she was part of the first generation of artists to participate in the print-making co-op in Ulukhaktok. In addition to her many drawings, she illustrated a book of stories and legends called Tales from the Igloo (Metayer, 1972). She also wrote and illustrated a sequel, More Tales from the Igloo (1986).
The Little People
From:
More Tales from the Igloo (1986, Hurtig Publishers, Edmonton)
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This story about the little people is taken from More Tales from the Igloo.
The wealthy man’s daughter’s husband was making something out of wood, and it was very smooth and shiny. She said, “My husband can make really beautiful tools and he is a good hunter and provider.” When her husband had finished, he had made very good sleds. The wife would go by dogteam on the sleds and she would go very fast, because the sleds were well made. This was the sign of a good craftsman.
One day the husband went out on the ice to look for seal breathing-holes. He heard a noise coming from somewhere around. “Look down over there!” someone said. So he followed the noise and found a bearded-seal breathing hole. He crouched down to wait for movement down in the hole. Soon he heard the sound of something slowly stirring and he got ready. He plunged his harpoon down hard and he caught the bearded seal. As he was pulling up his catch, he again heard the sound of voices. He cut out a piece of seal liver and threw it towards the place where he heard the voices. As it landed he seemed to hear a large number of people saying, “Oh, thank you for this food.”
When he got home his wife started to work on the seal, cutting and storing the blubber for later use. While his wife worked, he told her what had happened, when he threw meat to the voices. His wife said, “You did well. Those voices you heard were little people, who usually go along with hunters, waiting for a hand-out, because they cannot hunt for themselves.” His wife said, “Now next time you hunt caribou, you must give them some caribou meat.” He said to her, “Yes, I will remember to share my catch of caribou meat with them. I will give them some part of the fat and some of the choice pieces.”
When he got caribou, he gave some to these little people. He left some pieces behind at the hunting place, and again he heard them rejoicing with happiness for receiving meat. They were having a great big drum dance and feast. These small people always appreciated being offered meat or other things from other people. But if there were any who thought they did not exist or who did not like them, the little people could go against them.
One day the husband was walking along the lakeshore when he came upon someone weeping. He asked the person, “What’s your problem? Is it because your parents have deserted you?” The person who was crying said to him in an adult’s voice, “When your parents leave you, do you cry?” The man knew then that this wasn’t a child. Again he asked, “Well, then, why are you weeping?” But he received no reply. So he left the small person. Later he realized that the reason this little person was weeping was that he thought the pond was too deep; the day was cloudy and the lake reflected the dark clouds, and the little man thought the lake was too deep.
Later on some people came upon a group of people playing ball. Out on the side was a person who seemed to be a small child, who was crying, and it was funny, because he had a beard. Someone said, “Why do you play ball if you have a beard? And stop crying!” The little person said, “I am not a child! Why do you make fun of me?” So the little man got angry. He grabbed the person who had made fun of him and threw him far away. This little person was a very strong man.
The little people were very fierce, and it was said that you should never get these little people angry or make fun of them. They lived in caves in the ground. There were always large fires where they lived. Even to this day there seem to be places out on the land where there might have been houses where these little people lived.
The Race
From:
More Tales from the Igloo (1986, Hurtig Publishers, Edmonton)
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This story about a running race features in More Tales from the Igloo.
Fall came, and there was to be a foot race, to be held over a few days. Each person racing was asked, “What would you like for a prize if you win?” “I want a new parka made for my wife,” said one, “made from summertime ermine and wintertime ermine.” They asked him, “What would you like for trimmings?” “Please use wolverine trim,” he said, “and put trimmings on the bottom of the parka.”
“How about you?” they asked another person in the race. “What would you like for yourself?” “I would like for myself a summer-ermine-pelt parka, and I want a good native dried meat, and for my wife I want rabbit marrow and caribou meat.” Then he added, “And also for my dogs, give them reindeer milk in their dog food pot.”
So each runner had his say of what he wanted for his prize. And then the race began. It lasted for quite a few days, and the runners had to camp along the route until they finished the race and there was a winner.
The day came when the runners were expected to finish. The people watched with excitement. At last, a long way off, they saw the runners coming. The hunter was the winner. He got all that he had asked for his prizes, and more. The people also gave him some carvings and some women gave him items of clothing. And they also chose him to be their new leader.