Tamar interviewing Louis Angalik
June 14 2011
Notes by Tamar Mukyunik
Welcome Angalik,.
Tamar Mukyunik: When Arviat was a small community, do you remember it?
Louis Angalik: I remember when it was a small community, my dad bought a boat, and they go out hunting for a very long time, they go out hunting for fish, seal, beluga. The animal skins were very useful to Inuit, they wore it, and they sold it.
Inuit just don’t go out to look for people to sell a fox fur,
When I was a young hunter, I had a dog that my dad got me and there were 4 dogs, and I go out hunting with my dog sleds to go look for food and fox trapping, in 1955. when I first got my dogs I did not over night, while I’m hunting but I always go back to the camp and go out again the next day, one fox costed $75.00.
He was told to go to the mining in Rankin Inlet to go work at the mine, the cops told me to leave everything I had, and go work at the mine. They said I’ll have everything, when I get back.
1966 I worked at the store, I made $60.00 when I used to work there. I remember using wood money (qiyuutit) and aluminum and buy food and stuff with them, people use to ask how many woods did you get ? 5 moo. They would be glad and go shopping.
I was in Arviat for most of the time, while I would go out hunting and go Uhugananaq (Maguse River), go back to Arviat.
Missionary 1960, the missionary would learn how to speak Inuktitut from Inuit, but the police didn’t learn how to speak because they were been less visited by Inuit, the police, were trying to be scary to Inuit and stop Inuit from killing animals, and stole them,
There used to be a police man who was mean, he was so mean that he would treat Inuit as dogs, once he went to an igloo to a Inuit celebration and stopped the drum dance and broke the drums and the people scattered everywhere.
Hudson’s Bay people, missionary, police, some of the white people were nice people.
I remember when child tax, and income support were started it and it was around mid 1940’s.
Wolves costed $3 dollars and fox furs cost $32 and I don’t know why wolves cost a lot cheaper than the fox furs.
Kanaatuaq was working with some people around the soldiers and also around the mining area. Like any other Inuit he would always be prepared for the next winter. He has been everywhere, I think he helped build the Canadian Camp ground in Churchill MB.
