TASIUJAQ means “it looks like a lake.” There are about 200 Tasiujarmiut, and they live here for the same reasons as their neighbours in Aupaluk: it’s the home of their ancestors and they know the region well. Since they have more belongings that their ancestors did, particularly firearms, and they can get around easily and have better houses, the people have a happy life. Their territory is rich in game – caribou, seals and walrus – and in fish.
There are different Qallunaat organizations in Tasiujaq that are controlled by the government. News spreads quickly through the village because it is so small.
The Inuit of Tasiujaq know how to appreciate traditional foods. They make fermented meat from seals and other types of meat and can distinguish between edible and toxic meats. The Elders of Ungava Bay like the taste of fermented meat, while the ones on the Hudson Bay side don’t know as much about preparing it.
by Taamusi Qumaq (1992)
