Ilatsiak - 49 - The Fishing Weir

David now knew most of the Utkuhikhalingmiut who lived near the big Fish River. Qayaq’s family family was related to this group, although they tended to wander further to the north, east and west than the usually more sedentary Utku’miut. This particular time, returning from the long inland hunt for caribou after leaving the camp where he’d seen Crozier and Asham, he was nervous. It had been with some of these people that Crozier and Asham had spent the previous winter and that worried David. During the hunt, David wondered what stories they would have to tell about the expedition and he was anxious to learn their news.
The hunt had not gone well. For some unknown reason, it had been hard to find caribou in any of the usual areas. People who’d been hunting further north along the coast told them the caribou had not come right to the coast, not had they crossed over the sea to summer on King William Island as they usually did. Very few were found at the usual river crossing points. It was an anxious time for everyone worried about obtaining good skins in order to make winter clothing. Without these skins, collected in August and September, the winter would be hard and cold for everyone, particularly the older people and children.
Finally, after much travel and long days of hunting, hungrily wandering the vaste stretches of hilly tundra, sufficent skins were collected and the group returned to the river mouth to join their Utku’miut friends and relatives. Everyone told stories that they too had not found it easy to obtain good skins this year. The lengthening days were spent discussing this difficulty and the reasons for it, but no good reasons could be found, but at least now David and his family could relax and prepare for the coming of winter.
• • •
David had become increasingly fond of Qayaq. Her round face, quick darting eyes and the flash of her brilliant white teeth, marked her as a a beauty. He would often catch her staring quietly peeking at him. When he’d catch her staring, they would both break into laughter and talk about how much they’d changed from the children they had once been only a short while ago when they’d first met.
They sometimes recalled that evening on King William Island when as the camp busied itself with food preparation and other chores, they had slipped out and met quietly. They had walked out into the darkness and found a sheltered place where they could be alone for the very first time.
Returning the next day, separately, nothing was said to them about what they had done. In fact, David was secretly pleased that no one knew his intentions. He hoped that would give him some time to get to know Qayak before making any commitments. Once the news was out, he was sure that his life would change considerably. It meant, usually, that Qayak would follow him and his family on their trek back to their wintering grounds. However, Qayak’s brother, Tulugak had died in an accident during the summer, leaving her mother and younger brother with only Kavaayuq to hunt for them, thus putting a strain on extended family members to provide for them, something they were willing to do, but knowing there was little chance of any reciprocation. David’s arrival into Qayaq’s family had brought considerable relief, especially to her father who now had someone to share the hunting burden with.
Thus David began his new life following the Utku’miut people on their annual rounds rather than his own. Becoming a married man also brought him status and a voice in the camp. People started to listen to his advice and at times sought him out when his opinion was needed.
Qayak turned out to be a particularly skillful and resourceful young lady. No one had more elaborate and fancier clothing than her family and particularly the parka she suddenly produced for David. Her ability to match furs for colour and to sew thin strips of white fur to make borders along the brown fur edges was remarkable and seldom seen today. The stiches on her waterproof boots were so tiny they were nearly invisible. Long before the boots would leak, the soles had been worn through and had to be replaced with new one made from bearded seal skin.