Karen Mackenzie
Northern News Services
Published Monday, December 3, 2007

CAPE DORSET - Every season has its high point for Cape Dorset's Numa Ottokie, but springtime geese hunting might be his favourite.

Cape Dorset's Numa Ottokie was a Canadian Ranger for 13 years before retiring from the patrol. - NNSL file photo

"It's the weather, the sounds of the birds, the 24-hour daylight," he said. "We prefer them in the spring when they're migrating in, because they're nice and fat."

This time of the year, he is anxiously waiting for the bay to freeze over completely, enabling Kingarmiut to travel a bit farther afield.

"Pretty soon we'll be able to go over to Baffin Island again," he said.

Ottokie was born "right dead centre of the town" in 1952. His parents both worked for the nursing station; his mother doing dishes and cleaning, and his father handling the outdoor chores.

As a young boy, life was mostly about play, but he would help out where he could, he said.

"When I was old enough I used to train my father's dogs," he remembered. "With the right size harness and sleds, they were really easy to train, and as soon as they were strong enough, my father would add them into the team."

His knowledge of the land served him well during his 13 years as a Canadian Ranger, most recently as Ranger Sgt. for his patrol. Although he retired not too long ago, "I kind of miss it now, almost everything about it," he said.

While he no longer has Ranger duties to attend to, he keeps busy hunting for food for his family, while his wife, Enoosik, works on her art. She is well known in Nunavut and across Canada for her jewelry, metal-working and wall hangings.

"I don't know what I would be without my wife," Ottokie said with obvious pride.

"She's a real artist. She can do anything, almost. She's really talented,"

Ottokie added, and pointed out that he is not the only member of his clan to be featured on the pages of a newspaper.

Young Numa Jr. recently got a spin at fame when a Cape Dorset photographer captured him and his friends running across a frozen pond.

"Every day since the ice started freezing over his grandmother would tell him, 'Don't go out on the ice,' and Numa Jr. always replied, 'I know, I don't," Ottokie recalled with a chuckle. "Then we pick up a copy of News/North, and who do we see running on the ice? Numa Jr.!"