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These stories were told to me by my father, Titus Terriak, at Hopedale in the early 1950s. The Woman and the White Whale One time there was a camp of people at the sinna (ice edge) hunting for white whales and seals. It was late in the spring and people were getting short of food so all the men went off in different directions searching for the whales and seals. In those days women were not allowed to harpoon whales. Pretty soon a whale was seen swimming by the camp. One woman was so hungry she took a harpoon, intending to get the whale, but her son told her not to do it. She didn't listen but threw the harpoon and drove it in the whale. As the whale dove the woman got tangled in the harpoon line and was pulled along by the whale. Sometimes out at sea you can still hear the woman calling, "Luma, Luma." How the Polar Bear was Turned to Stone At the bottom of the harbour across from Nain is a brook called Annainak. Women used to fish there for trout. One day the woman and children were fishing with an old man standing guard. A polar bear was seen coming towards them and the old man, afraid the bear would attack, turned it to stone. You can still see the bear to this day on the side of the hill still trying to get to Annainak Brook. |
JOHN TERRIAK
1986 - NAIN
THEM DAYS VOL. 15.3
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