Pukik Umiaq Making
By Nancy Palliser, LCC Coordinator
Six people on the Umiaq, testing out! From back to front are Markusie Ohaituk, ?, Rita Ningiuk, Anna Weetaluktuk, Rita-Lucy Ohaituk and Moses Nowkawalk (Photo by Jobie Weetaluktuk)
This summer, the Pukik Cultural Committee of Inukjuak started making a traditional umiaq (skin boat). They would have loved to make a large one, but due to budget constraints, they had to make the umiaq a little smaller than originally planned.
The men of the group worked on the wooden frame - and had to improvise here! They would have wanted to use drift wood, but it was too late to gather it, so the frame of the umiaq is made out of store-bought wood: 2 X 8, 2 X 4 and 4 X 6.
Starting the umiaq frame (Photo by Nancy Palliser)
Wooden frame of the Umiaq near the Qarmaq building (Photo by Pierre M. Desrosiers)
Since they wanted the umiaq to be as traditional as possible, even with store-bought wood, they did not use any nails on the frame, they only used seal skin rope which they made themselves.
Seal skin ropes on the wooden frame of the Umiaq (Photo by Pierre M. Desrosiers)
Nellie Nastapoka doing last minute stitching of the holes. In the background are Josephie Nalukturuk, Daniellie Inukpuk, Johnny Kasudluak and Daniel Oweetaluktuk Kasudluak. (Photo by Nancy Palliser)
Once when the frame was done, the ladies started to scrape the fat out of the skins. Six bearded skins and one harp seal skin were used. Four ladies scraped and sewed the skins together with the help of three elder men and one young man.
The ladies sewed the skins together for three days. Once the ladies finished sewing, it took a weekend to dry the Umiaq.
Adjusting the skin cover (Photo by Nancy Palliser)
Seal Skin Umiaq drying after the completion and before taking it on the water (Photo by Nancy Palliser)
On Monday September 24th, they put the Umiaq on the water to test it out. They did 9 trips with 6 or 7 people on each trip and they said that the ride was smooth and light!
Pukik Cultural Committee wishes to express their sincere gratitude for making this possible to Pituvik Landholding, Makivik Corporation, Brighter Futures Program and Kativik Regional Government.
