One last trip on the land
Elder Sata Kidlapik mourned after he died less than a week after retreat
Cody Punter
Northern News Services
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
NAUJAAT
An elder's retreat in Naujaat took on an even more special meaning for the community after it ended up being the last time well-respected elder Sata Kidlapik would get to be on the land.
The late Sata Kidlapik warms up inside the cabin during the elders retreat in Naujaat last month. The well-respected elder died just five days after going on the retreat. - photo courtesy of Trina Yank |
Kidlapik, a hunter who was known as a provider to the community, died peacefully on June 30, just five days after returning from the trip.
Victoria Tagornak, Kidlapik's daughter-in-law, who also helped organize the trip as a community justice outreach worker, said it was comforting that he got to reminisce with other elders before he passed.
"It meant a lot for him I know that," said Tagornak.
Tagornak her father in law loved being out on the land more than anything else.
After a snowmobile accident in March 2015 led to health complications, he continued pushing himself to get out as much as possible - even buying a brand new snow machine this spring.
So when when a biannual elders retreat was planned in Naujaat at the end of last month there was no question he would be there on his brand new machine.
"Even after his accident he enjoyed being on the land," said Tagornak.
"He loved being on the land and providing for the community."
He was also know as a very generous man and he and his wife could always be counted on to have people around to the house to share food and stories.
"Almost every day we had people coming over for traditional food," she said.
"He was a good storyteller. He always had morals to the story."
The death of Kidlapik reinforced the importance of having elder's gatherings in the community, Just under 40 people took part in the retreat 14 kilometres outside of town, with everyone coming to the site by Ski Doo and kamutiq before the ice got too thin.
Trina Yank, a cultural support worker who helped organize the trip along with Tagonak and two other elders - David Nuluk and Donat Milortok - said it was a very special occasion for many of the people who attended.
One elder, Alice Nanorak, had been born on the land and hadn't been back since was 16.
One of the people in attendance took a picture of her looking at one of the sod houses
"The last time she was there was when they had sod houses," Yank said.
"It was a pretty special moment for her. It was a precious moment and we were all happy,"
Throughout the afternoon everyone played games of nakataq, in which you have to throw a rock and hit another rock, and ate all kinds of country food.
"They ate dried fish, dried caribou, fermented caribou and fermented walrus. Somebody also baked some bannock out there on the fire," said Yank
Later on the elders also took turns talking about hunting and the land and their childhood. Yank said she and another photographer made sure to take lots of pictures of the event at the elders' request.
"When we were taking pictures they were saying we should be in the newspaper," she said. "It was really cute."
Yank said that there are currently no plans for another elders' retreat but she certainly hoped that there would be one sooner rather than later.
