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Iglu memories

Kathleen Lippa
Northern News Services

Gjoa Haven (Feb 02/04) - Louie Qingnatuq wanted to check out the bravery awards held in Gjoa Haven on Dec. 21.

Afterall, his friend and relative George W. Porter received an award for saving his life when he was accidentally electrocuted on the job back in 1971.



Louie Qingnatuq is a bylaw officer in Gjoa Haven. - photo courtesy of Matt Gee


But on the evening of the awards ceremony, Qingnatuq was busy building an iglu for an RCMP officer's girlfriend.

"I would have liked to have been there," Qingnatuq said laughing. "Maybe I could have had my picture taken with George."

Asked about the horrible accident in 1971, Qingnatuq said he remembers it like it was yesterday.

"I was a statue for a few seconds," the 57-year-old bylaw officer recalled with a laugh. "Then [Porter] kind of slapped me in the face and I woke up."

Porter was always a friend, he added.

"We were close. Working together," said Qingnatuq. "But I didn't realize he was going to save my life!"

Qingnatuq and his wife, Mary have six kids in town.

He moved to Gjoa Haven in late 1960 after living off the land.

It turns out, Qingnatuq is quite an iglu making expert, although he never really set out to be one.

"Building an iglu is something I do," he said. "I was 11 or 12. I watched my dad building an iglu. But dad was always busy every day trying to survive.

"So I learned in my spare time when it was nice and warm outside, in the spring. My dad never watched me. First it was hard to build one. I kept trying and trying and after one week I had an iglu.

"It wasn't really pretty but I put it together. And after that I practised a lot to make a good one."

Qingnatuq moved into his first house in 1966 -- a one room shack built by the Roman Catholic missions, made out of lumber from the Dew Line site.

He thought it was huge.

It wasn't as warm as an iglu, he recalled, but he got used to it.

"An iglu usually gets pretty warm," Qingnatuq said. "That iglu was your home. When winter comes around, when you're out there and you come into the iglu, there is a big difference. It's nice and warm. Maybe it's around zero. But compared to outside, 40 below, and it's zero, it's nice and warm. Plus you're wearing really warm clothing."

Every spring when the ice breaks up, Qingnatuq still goes out on the land.

He describes the iglu environment as "nice and clean and very fresh."

When he goes out, he still builds an iglu but it is not the same as when he was a little boy.

"Today you have everything," he said. "It's different from a long time ago when you just go out to survive, to get meat for your family."