Gjoa Haven (Feb 27/06) - For her first story, she didn't do half bad.

In fact, Theresa Carter of Gjoa Haven landed top prize in the Kitikmeot region for her tale of Aqturaarnaaq (the legend of a blind boy) in the 2006 Titiraliritti - a Nunavut literary contest sponsored by the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.

"She was not expecting to win, so she was surprised," said Allen Kaloon, translating for Carter.

Before this stab at the written word, Carter had never authored a story. However, she is an expert at listening to them.

"When she was growing up, her grandmother told these stories all the time," explained Kaloon. For some reason, the legend of Aqturaarnaaq stuck in her head. "This is the one she remembers the most and was her favourite."

The story is of a blind boy mistreated by his grandmother.

"The grandmother used the boy to shoot the bow and arrow because he was strong enough to do the job. He got the polar bear, but the grandmother told him a lie and built another iglu for him to live in so she could keep the meat to herself," recited Kaloon.

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

The department received more than 70 entries.

The six winning entries will be published in a booklet to be distributed by News/North at a yet to be determined time.

Carter is happy about the cash, and plans to spend some of it on bills. However, she's happier about preserving her Inuit language.

"It's very important to her that we keep our language," said Kaloon, adding this contest is a good way to do it because it inspired people to write and also created more Inuktitut stories in print. But, says Carter, the best way to preserve language is for it "to come from home. As parents, we have to talk to our children in our language."

She said her adopted daughter, Kayla, helped write Aqturaarnaaq by adding "finals" to the syllabics.

In the Kivalliq region, Mary Angidlik of Rankin Inlet scooped up first prize.

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

Angidlik 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."

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 remembers the whole thing, too."

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