Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

QIKIQTARJUAQ/BROUGHTON ISLAND
When Stevie Audlakiak heard there was a narwhal in the waters off Qikiqtarjuaq this July, he didn't want to hunt alone. So he found his grandson Henry Nookiguak, and asked him to come. It was a smart move.

The hunter of this 10-foot narwhal was 10-year-old Henry Nookiguak of Qikiqtarjuaq. He and his grandfather Stevie Audlakiak had to fight for some maqtaak from the community's first narwhal of the season July 12. - photo courtesy of Stevie Audlakiak

"There were people chasing the narwhal around, and we went out to the place where they were," Audlakiak recalled. "We tried to get to the place where the narwhal would come up for air. Half an hour later, we were where no one else was going, and in about 100 or 150 yards, a narwhal came up for air and I sped up and tried to chase it."

He grabbed his .375-calibre rifle, and told Henry to grab Audlakiak's .303 Lee-Enfield rifle.

"When she was still on the surface, I slowed down," he said. "I tried to shoot it, and I missed it, and my grandson shot it and he hit in on the head. When she was still floating, I harpooned it, and finally Henry got his first narwhal."

"I shot it," Henry said through his father, Gordie Audlakiak. "I was so happy."

The other hunters were proud, too, and happy that he shared his good fortune. In fact, Stevie Audlakiak and Henry Nookiguak almost left empty-handed.

"There were lots of boats, and everybody was trying to get the maqtaak," Audlakiak said. "I was fighting for it to try to get a small piece. His father was working on a cargo vessel, and I wanted (Gordie) to have some maqtaak, so I yelled 'save me some' and got in there to get enough for a small piece for me and my son."

"The maqtaak was almost gone and I was getting a little bit worried," Henry said. "I got a little piece. I liked it. It was very good with soy sauce."

The scene amazed Henry.

"Henry was just watching the people trying to get it off," his grandfather said. "He said, 'Wow, a lot of people want some maqtaak.'"

Henry's kill is impressive, but he's an experienced hunter. He has successfully hunted geese, seals, and last year, a polar bear.

"I was out hunting with Henry, and his father called me on the radio to say there's a polar bear," Audlakiak said. "(Gordie) had a tag, and he wanted (Henry) to catch a polar bear. I asked for directions, and Henry got his first polar bear."

Safety is first, Audlakiak emphasizes, and Henry knows how to handle his weapon, preferring the .303.

"He's young and every time I go out hunting, he always wants to come along, so I taught him how to shoot a rifle," Audlakiak said. "This is how you're going to hunt and this is how you're going to get the animal you're trying to hunt. When you shoot it, try to shoot it right on the head or on the neck, especially for the seal or duck. For narwhal, anywhere you can shoot it so if you wound it, it will slow down."

The grandfather was twice his grandson's age when he killed his first narwhal and polar bear. Does that mean Henry is a better hunter than his grandfather?

"Let's hope," Stevie Audlakiak laughed.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.