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Inuit elders who grew up in camps on the shores of Frobisher Bay can tell you what happened when Martin Frobisher arrived with his vessel in 1576: "He fired two warning shots into the air. So right away there were some grievances." Frobisher's shots were the opening salvos in the search for the Northwest Passage, a search that lasted for more than four hundred years and riveted the Western world, particularly in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. In Encounters on the Passage, present day Inuit tell the stories that have been passed down from their ancestors of the first encounters with European explorers.

In many of these stories the old cosmogony is still in place, with shamans playing starring roles opposite "the strangers intruding on the Inuit lands." Dorothy Harley Eber presents stories told to her about the expeditions of Sir Edward Parry, Sir John Ross, Sir John Franklin, and the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, and sets them squarely in historical context. In the case of the disasterous Franklin expedition, new information opens up another fascinating chapter on the Franklin tragedy. Collected over twelve years on visits to communities in Nunavut, these remarkable stories of expeditionary forces and their dealings with native peoples will be new and exciting reading for those interested in the search for the Northwest Passage, the Franklin tragedy, and traditions of oral history.

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Excellent
Really good, fascinating, well done. If you liked Coppermine Journey, Kabloona, or anyof the European accounts of the Arctic expeditions, here are some of the same stories from the Inuit. ... Read more

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Candid photographs and stories portray the way people live and work in the Arctic today.This will make you want to visit the Arctic! ... Read more

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When Jewish author/storyteller Sheldon Oberman met Inuit artist/hunter Simon Tookoome, he knew the encounter was special. Still, he had no idea their meeting would result in an amazing collaboration that would span a decade. Through the use of many tape recordings and translations, Sheldon has painstakingly woven the threads of a remarkable man_s life into a book for all to treasure.With Tookoome_s drawings to enhance the text, Oberman has managed to express the cadence and voice of one of the last of the Inuit to live the traditional nomadic life in the Arctic. The Shaman_s Nephew magically transports readers to a cold climate that warms and grows more familiar with every turn of the page. ... Read more

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Amazing insight to a beautiful way of life nearly forgotten
This book surprised me as I first saw it as an endearing picture book talking about igloos.But when I read it, it became a real eye opener.With Tookoome's humble way of telling stories I feel that I got a very clear picture of what it was like for him to go from living the most real of lifestyles on the land, to a contrived one, being forced to live in a settlement.Tookoome tells a sad yet beautiful tale that will make you think about what white man (Kabloonaq) has done in the name of "progress", and how it has forever altered the course of how life was intended to be lived.

A superb introduction to Inuit culture.
In The Shaman's Nephew: A Life In The Far North, Inuit shaman Simon Tookoome and author/storyteller Sheldon Oberman collaborate to provide aunique translation of both Inuktitut and oral traditions. Illustrated infull color throughout by self-taught Tookoome, The Shaman's Nephew offersdistinct and animated art showcasing twenty-eight passages describingvarious and diverse aspects of Inuit life including the naming of children,child-rearing, hunting, drumming in Inuit culture, the mysteries ofShamanism, and Tookoome's own inspiration for his art. The Shaman's Nephewis highly recommended reading for students of Native American studies ingeneral, and the Inuit culture in particular. ... Read more

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Privateer and adventurer Martin Frobisher undertook the search for a northwestern route to Asia under orders from Queen Elizabeth I. A few days after enduring a terrifying storm in July 1576, Frobisher sighted the most easterly outlier of Arctic North America and for the first time England became aware of this vast northern region. Over the next three summers it would be the scene of an adventure involving the fruitless search for a northwest passage, the first attempt by the British to establish a settlement in the New World, and the first major gold-mining fraud in North American history. Over 1200 tons of rock were mined from Baffin Island and shipped to England, where they were found to contain not an ounce of gold. Yet Frobisher's claim of possession established British interest in northern North America and was the first step in the eventual establishment of British sovereignty over the northern half of the American continent.Using reports from the men who participated in the venture, details preserved in the oral histories of the Inuit, and archaeological information recovered from the sites of Elizabethan activities on Baffin Island, Robert McGhee describes Frobisher's expeditions and offers new insights into this audacious venture. The story ends on an ironic note--the capital of the new Territory of Nunavut, which restores to the Inuit a measure of the sovereignty claimed for England by Frobisher, lies at the head of the bay named after him, where over four centuries ago the English first ventured into Arctic America. ... Read more

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In recent years, the view has emerged that the Inuit were coerced by the Canadian government into abandoning life in scattered camps for centres of habitation. In "Arctic Migrants/Arctic Villagers", David Damas demonstrates that for many years government policies helped maintain dispersed settlement, but that eventually concerns over health, housing, and education and welfare brought about policy changes that inevitably led to centralization. Damas shows that while there were cases of government-directed relocation to centres, centralization was largely voluntary as the Inuit accepted the advantages of village living. In examining archives, anthropological writings, and the results of field research from an anthropological perspective, Damas provides fresh insights into the policies and developments that led to the centralization of Inuit settlement during the 1950s and 1960s. ... Read more

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Saqiyuq is the name the Inuit give to a strong wind that suddenly shifts direction; "Saqiyuq: Stories from the Lives of Three Inuit Women" is a vivid portrait of the changing nature of life in the Arctic during the twentieth century. Through their life stories, a grandmother, daughter, and granddaughter take us on a remarkable journey in which the cycles of life - childhood, adolescence, marriage, birthing and child rearing - are presented against the contrasting experiences of three successive generations. Their memories and reflections give us poignant insight into the history of the people of the new territory of Nunavut. Apphia Awa, who was born in 1931, experienced the traditional life on the land while Rhoda Katsak, Apphia's daughter, was part of the transitional generation who were sent to government schools. In contrast to both, Sandra Katsak, Rhoda's daughter, has grown up in the settlement of Pond Inlet among the conveniences and tensions of contemporary northern communities - video games and coffee shops but also drugs and alcohol.During the last years of Apphia's life Rhoda and Sandra began working to reconnect to their traditional culture and learn the art of making traditional skin clothing. Through the storytelling in "Saqiyuq", Apphia, Rhoda, and Sandra explore the transformations that have taken place in the lives of the Inuit and chart the struggle of the Inuit to reclaim their traditional practices and integrate them into their lives. Nancy Wachowich became friends with Rhoda Katsak and her family during the early 1990s and was able to record their stories before Apphia's death in 1996. "Saqiyuq: Stories from the Lives of Three Inuit Women" will appeal to everyone interested in the Inuit, the North, family bonds, and a good story. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A stunning, down-to-earth tale of the modern Arctic lifestyle
This work is powerful, introducing the reader to modern Inuit life, while remembering, literally, how it became that way. Proceeding through the stories of three generations of women, details of life ranging from chewing caribou skins to soften them to broken ski-doos (snowmobiles) and unexpectedly melting ice emerge. This is a unique multi-generational portrait of the last century of Inuit life. A quick-read, this is highly recommended!

A rare, priceless book that puts modern life into stark proportion while entertaining effortlessly!
Who, other than the actual native people of this land, could even imagine what life in this seemingly impossible environment entailed? Reading this book is an eye-opener, showing just how a harsh world commands the culture and sacrifices of those it surrounds. Few of us could survive in such a place, let alone thrive over centuries! I've learned to have an endless admiration for the people of the far northern regions; with their extreme hardiness and sheer, day-to-day courage. A fascinating book and a vitally important one.

loved it..reading it again
this was a really interesting book. It shares the three generations of this family with a heavy emphasis on the times before town living.It sensitively answered alot of questions I had about life "on the land" and smoothly moves the reader into the life of the present day inuit.I purchased this book to understand the people of the north whose life I currently share living in their communities. Highly recommend ... Read more