Kathleen Lippa
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 08/03) - Christian Nalungiaq can hear a tired old engine rumbling along, and have a pretty good idea what is wrong and how to fix it.

He's been the mechanic for the hamlet of Kugaaruk for so long he is familiar with all the ailments a truck can suffer from in the North.

If he can't handle it himself, he knows where to turn, and what parts to order.

But he doesn't have to worry about fixing all those problems anymore.

Last Friday, the hamlet threw Nalungiaq, 64, a retirement party and presented him with a certificate of appreciation for his long service to the community.

"He was happy about it," said his sister-in-law Isabella Kridluar, who translated for him last week.

Aug. 29 was his last day of work, but he has promised the hamlet he will be at the ready in case they need him for emergency mechanical issues no one else can handle.

Nalungiaq was born in an igloo in the winter of 1940.

"They used to have igloos a long time ago," his sister-in-law explained. "He was born right down here, right in front of this community, and raised around here."

In his young years, Nalungiaq never dreamed of having to be a mechanic to survive.

But as the hamlet grew, he started working for them.

"And since the hamlet didn't have a mechanic," Kridluar said, "he started to really try to work as a mechanic."

Nalungiaq supported a wife, five sons and one daughter. The family also adopted one girl.

Mechanic work was never boring to Nalungiaq. His main jobs were fixing the sewage, water and gravel trucks.

"And if he had a hard time fixing one of them," Kridluar said, "somebody from down south would come in and help him. And he would watch them and learn from them."

Saving the day when a sewer or water truck broke down stands out in his mind as great moments on the job.

"The main thing that he would think of was the people in the town," Kridluar said. "Plus the workers who would work on the sewage or water. He wouldn't want them to wait that long, because people might need water. It could be pretty hard ... when a part wouldn't get there right away."

Nalungiaq said now that he is retired he plans to hunt more often.

"He's not going to be sitting in the house," Kridluar said.