Rankin Inlet (Feb 22/06) - She never thought the story repeatedly told through her childhood would bring her a small dose of both fame and fortune.

WINNERS Kivalliq region: 1st prize: Mary Angidlik of Rankin Inlet 2nd prize: Alexina Nanordluk of Repulse Bay Qikiqtani region: 1st prize: Sakiasee Qaunaq of Arctic Bay 2nd prize: Madeline Ivalu of Iglulik Kitikmeot region: 1st prize: Theresa Carter of Gjoa Haven 2nd prize: Peter Apiana of Gjoa Haven

Mary Angidlik of Rankin Inlet scooped up first prize in the 2006 Titiraliritti - a Nunavut literary contest sponsored by the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.

Meant to encourage more Inuktitut writers, each region had a second prize of $1,500 and a first prize of $3,500.

"I'll be able to pay off a lot of my bills with that," says Mary.

Following this year's theme of Inuit legends, Mary wrote the story her grandmother, Elizabeth Himga, told her while growing up.

"I'd never written a story before and I just felt I should give it a try. When I thought about it, that story came to mind."

The story is about an orphan boy named Asasaq who grows up with his grandmother. While still small, Asasaq was teased by a man that would come over to the tent he shared with his grandmother, which was isolated from the rest of the people.

"The man would run up to the boy and pull his own pants down and show his bare bum and say 'Shoot me with your bow and arrow,'" recites Mary.

Asasaq was scared, and finally one day he did shoot the man right in his rear end, and the man ran away and died.

His people were very upset, and promised to kill Asasaq when he became a man himself. When that day came, a troupe of hunters approached the tent Asasaq still shared with his grandmother, on a mission to kill him. But he got away, and his dog followed him.

"The hunters followed and started shooting at him with bow and arrows...then the dog would leap up and catch the arrow in its teeth and break it," explains Mary. Soon enough, the hunters were out of arrows and it was Asasaq's turn to shoot. He killed all but two men, leaving them to send a message to the people to leave his grandmother and him alone. From then on, both the boy and his grandmother had respect.

"I don't remember the rest because I would fall asleep or my grandmother would fall asleep as she was telling it."

Mary notes the story has a far greater significance when written in Inuktitut.

She says winning the contest has inspired her to write more stories. "I feel I could write more stories. I've always felt like writing stories, but never knew where to send them."

She will now keep her "eyes and ears" open for places to have her stories published so others can read them.

But this first story will always mean the most.

She has dedicated it to her grandmother Elizabeth and her brother Michael Akilak, "who would listen to it with me and remember the whole thing, too.

"If my grandmother were still alive, I'm pretty sure she'd be happy."