Cape Dorset (Nov 22/04) - Kullua Simeonie, an Inuktitut teacher in Cape Dorset, was reading Nunavut News/North recently when she spotted an old picture in the arts section that caught her attention. It was of a beautiful mother with a cute baby in her amutiq.

The picture, from the Library and Archives Canada, was dated October 1951 and the place was Cape Dorset. The photographer was Doug Wilkinson. The only thing missing were the names of the people in the picture.

But Simeonie knew who the people were right away.

She photocopied the newspaper and sent it to Nunavut News/North with a cover letter saying, "This is a beautiful picture of Kanayuk and her mother Sanni Pootoogook."

Kanayuk Pootoogook was three years old when the picture was taken. She is all grown up now and today works as a janitor at Peter Pitseolak school in Cape Dorset. She was really surprised by the image that appeared in the paper.

"I look kind of sad," she said. "I think I was crying or something. I think someone, a qallunaat, gave me that biscuit. It was huge. Too big for me."

Pootoogook does not remember getting her picture taken that day. She does, however, have fond memories of the way Cape Dorset area used to be, with only a few houses and a much more traditional lifestyle.

Just recently, Pootoogook was doing some reading in the library about her family's past and it stirred memories of her grandfather, who she remembers looking after people who were in need.

"He would feed poor people, give them clothing. I remember when I was a little girl he used to have a big bag he would get from the ship and he would help people."

For Pootoogook, the old picture is a nice addition to her family story.

"My mother looks younger than me! She was really young there," Pootoogook said, laughing.

Sanni Pootoogook, whose name Kanayuk would spell Sharnie, died last year.