A grandmother, daughter, and granddaughter take us on a remarkable journey in which the cycles of life - childhood, adolescence, marriage, birthing and child rearing - are presented against the contrasting experiences of three successive generations. Their memories and reflections give us poignant insight into the history of the people of the new territory of Nunavut. Apphia Awa, who was born in 1931, experienced the traditional life on the land while Rhoda Katsak, Apphia's daughter, was part of the transitional generation who were sent to government schools. In contrast to both, Sandra Katsak, Rhoda's daughter, has grown up in the settlement of Pond Inlet among the conveniences and tensions of contemporary northern communities - video games and coffee shops but also drugs and alcohol. During the last years of Apphia's life Rhoda and Sandra began working to reconnect to their traditional culture and learn the art of making traditional skin clothing. Through the storytelling in Saqiyuq, Apphia, Rhoda, and Sandra explore the transformations that have taken place in the lives of the Inuit and chart the struggle of the Inuit to reclaim their traditional practices and integrate them into their lives. Nancy Wachowich became friends with Rhoda Katsak and her family during the early 1990s and was able to record their stories before Apphia's death in 1996. Saqiyuq will appeal to everyone interested in the Inuit, the North, family bonds, and a good story.

Nancy Wachowich is a Lecturer in Social Anthropology at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. Her collaborative work, Saqiyuq: Stories from the Lives of Three Inuit Women, written with Apphia Agalakti Awa, Rhoda Kaukjak Katsak, and Sandra Pikujak Katsak, was awarded the 1999 Canadian Historical Association’s Clio Award for the North and the 2000 Oral History Association (USA) Award for Best Project. Nancy Wachowich’s friendship with Leah Aksaajuq Otak began in 1997, when she was living in Igloolik and conducting doctoral research. Leah’s insights into Arctic colonial histories and women’s skin sewing traditions have been an ongoing source of inspiration since that time. Nancy is co-founder, with Sheila Katsak, of the Mittimatalik Arnait Miqsuqtuit Collective, a women’s collective that is creating a digital archive of skin sewing skills and promoting the sustainability of the art form.

Nancy Wachowich's profile page

"When you read Saqiyuq you understand that physical place that is called the Arctic, but you also understand the enormous and compressed journey the Inuit took in the 20th century." Literary Review of Canada

"An absorbing collection of stories from the lives of three Inuit women." MacLeans

"A moving account of three generations in the arctic that sends a fascinating mixture of messages about its hardships and it riches." Hugh Brody

"An enthralling series of stories ... readers will take great delight in following the footsteps of the storytellers as they weave their way from tale to tale, some filled with sorrow, others with bewilderment and joy." Alberta News Review

"In this wonderful tapestry of stories, cast by memory and illuminated by wisdom, there is a mystery that sustains a powerful Inuit unity. These three life histories - elusive as the Arctic itself - shine as brightly as constellations in the long winter darkness." Canadian Geographic