Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Nov 04/02) - Last year, Leonie Erkidjuk caught the bouquet at her friend Maggie's wedding.

She turned to show the flowers to Henry Naulaq, her common-law partner for the last 17 years, and caught just a glimpse of the back of his head as he bolted in the opposite direction.

According to tradition, the woman who catches the bouquet is next in line for marriage.

"He just ran away," laughs Erkidjuk.

"He says we'll get married one of these days, but that day hasn't come around."

While their choice to live out of wedlock may seem brazen to some, common-law marriages in Nunavut are normal.

According to census 2001 figures released recently, there are 1,990 common-law couples -- 15 of whom are same-sexed couples -- living in Nunavut.

That means 31.3 per cent of the territory's 6,335 families have not made it official. That's 17.5 per cent higher than the national average. That number is not surprising as there are more common-law relationships in Nunavut than in any other territory or province in the country.

What's interesting, is that when Statistics Canada released the data it presented the numbers as a decline in the traditional family unit.

But common-law relationships in Nunavut were the tradition centuries before statisticians began crunching numbers.

In fact, until the first Christian missionary arrived in the Eastern Arctic in 1894, the European concept of marriage was not practised.

"The movement started with the Christian missionaries," said Reverend Mike Gardener, a resident of Nunavut since 1955 and a husband since 1956.

Years ago, Inuit families would arrange the unions for their children, and it was not uncommon for a husband to have more than one wife.

But as church officials put down permanent roots and opened houses of worship, many Inuit headed to the chapel for church-sanctioned monogamous unions.

"People got married when a minister happened to be around or when churches started to be established," said Gardener.

Today in Nunavut -- whether it's the influence of southern culture (common-law relationships are up eight per cent nationally since 1981) -- or a return to traditional Inuit customs, Nunavummiut are going the way of their ancestors and avoiding wedded bliss.

But for Erkidjuk, there might still be a day when she and Naulaq tie the proverbial knot.

"If we ever do get married, we'll invite the whole community and our friends from all over the world. I know everyone would come," she said.