Kent Driscoll
Northern News Services

Clyde River (July 25/05) - The eldest elder in Clyde River died last week. Nauya Tassugat was an every day sight in Clyde River for as long as anyone can remember.

"The government said that he was only in his eighties, but from what we figured out, he was 105 years old," said Peter Iqalukjuak.

Tassugat died on July 16 at 1:30 a.m. A funeral was held at 7 p.m. on the same day at the Anglican church.

Elder Idah Palluq knew Tassugat for most of her life. She moved to Clyde River as a teenager and Tassugat was already a strong presence in the town.

"The first time I saw him, he was already an elder. I noticed that he would go to his camp alone. He was a good storyteller," said Palluq, through Iqalukjuak who acted as translator.

Palluq learned about his past from their conversations. "When he was a teenager, his father passed away and he was poor. He walked and walked outside of the camps," said Palluq.

It was on those long walks that Tassugat met the shadow people of Inuit legend, and they were a major part of his storytelling repertoire.

Tassugat married two shadow people and had a child with one, said Iqalukjuak.

Iqalukjuak recalled spending many hours talking with Tassugat and collecting many of his stories.

Tassugat was known as an independent man with a strong spirit. Well into his elder years, he would shovel his own snow and was a regular at any sort of community gathering.

His son Noah hunted with him many times, and learned a lot.

"He could catch up to the wolves, He was a very good hunter. He was friendly to everyone , especially the young ones. I will miss him," said Noah.

In his youth, Tassugat was known for his hunting ability, for going out on the land alone and for his legendary speed.

It is said that he could outrun a full-grown caribou. He had to be very careful while running, because if he hit something at that speed, it could be disastrous, said Iqalukjuak.

"He was very important to Clyde River. If people needed information on the stories from long ago, people would think of him first. He will be missed big time," said Mayor Igah Hainnu.

Tassugat knew the land so well, his neighbours used him to tell the weather. If Tassugat covered his snowmobile with a tarp, that meant a wind was coming, said Hainnu.

He is survived by his wife Mary Tassugat, who is now the eldest elder in Clyde River. She is still very active, helping grieving families and those who are sick.

He is also survived by his children, Paul Tassugat, Rebecca Panipak (sr), Noah Tassugat and Elijah Tassugat, as well as many grandchildren.