Elisapie Ootova, Pond Inlet

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᓲᖑᖕᒪᖔᖅᐱᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑭᓇᐅᖕᒪᖔᖅᐱᑦ ᐅᖃᕐᓗᑎᑦ.

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐃᓕᓴᐱ ᐆᒃᑐᕙᐅᔪᖓ. ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᓯᐅᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᑕᕝᕙᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑐᖓ. ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ (static) ᑎᑎᕋᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᕙᒃᑕᒃᑲ(?).

Interviewer: And that she can also tell us a little bit of her experience of the narwhal.

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᕿᓚᓗᒐᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᕆᔭᐃᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕈᓐᓇᕆᕕᐅᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕈᒃ.

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᕿᓚᓗᒐᐃᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᑐᖃᒃᑲ ᓱᕈᓯᐅᓂᓐᓂᑦ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᖃᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᓄᓇᖃᓚᐅᕋᑦᑕ. ᐃᓐᓈᓗᐃᑦ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᑑᒑᓕᐊᓘᓪᓗᑎᒃ; ᒪᒃᑯᖕᓂᖅᓴᐃᑦ ᑑᒑᖄᕐᔪᑯᓗᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᖢᑎᒃ. ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᑑᒑᖃᖃᑦᑕᕆᓪᓗᑎᒃ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: She lived in one… there were lots of narwhals, when she lived out on the land. And she remembers all the adults had huge tusks; teenagers had little tusks, and some even females had tusks.

Interviewer: How many of the females did she remember having the tusk?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᖃᑦᓯᓂᒎᖅ ᐊᕐᓇᕈᓗᐃᑦ ᑑᒑᖃᕈᓐᓇᖅᐸᑦ. ᖃᐅᔨᒪᒍᕕᑦ.

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐊᑕᐅᓯᕐᒥᒃ ᑑᒑᖃᒡᒍᖕᒪᑕ, ᐃᓛᓐᓂᑦ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᒪᕐᕉᓚᐅᓱᖓᑕᐃᓐᓇᓲᖑᖕᒪᑕ - ᐊᖑᑏᑦ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐊᖑᑏᑦ? ᖃᓄᕐᓕ ᐊᕐᓇᐅᓂᖏᑦ ᖃᑦᓯᐅᖃᑦᑕᕐᒪᑕ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐊᕐᓇᕐᒥᒃ ᒪᕐᕉᖕᓂᒃ ᑑᒑᓕᖕᒥᒃ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᖅᑐᖃᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓐᖏᑦᑐᖅ, ᐊᖑᑎᑦ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: Not too many females had tusks. But there was one that had more… kinda once. But some of the males had two tusks.

Interviewer: Does she ever remember seeing a tusk on the right side? -Usually it comes out on the left side.

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᕕᑦ ᑕᓕᖅᐱᒃᑯᖔᖅ ᑑᒑᖃᖅᑐᒥᒃ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐋᒃᑲ. ᕿᓚᓗᒐᐃᑦ ᑐᖁᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᑕᑯᔭᐃᓐᓇᕆᖃᑦᑕᓐᖏᓐᓇᒃᑭᑦ. ᑕᓕᖅᐱᖔᖓᒍᑦ ᑑᒑᖃᖅᑐᖃᕈᓐᓇᓐᖏᑦᑐᖅ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: Never… never seen it.

Interviewer: Never seen one on the right? Ok. On the ones with two tusks, does she ever remember seeing those the same size, or was the one on the right always smaller?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᒪᕐᕉᖕᓂᒃ ᑑᒑᖃᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᑕᑯᒍᕕᑦ, ᐊᔾᔨᒌᖏᓐᓇᐅᔭᖅᐹᑦ ᑕᑭᓂ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᒥᑭᓐᓂᖅᓴᖅᑕᖃᖅᖢᓂ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐄ. ᓇᐃᓕᕇᓲᖑᔪᑦ. ᓇᐃᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᐃᑉᐸᖓ. ᐱᔭᐅᓐᖏᒃᑲᓗᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᑕᐅᓇᓂ ᐃᒫᓂ ᐳᐃᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᒪᕐᕉᐊᓘᖕᓂᒃ ᑑᒑᓕᐊᓗᒃ ᐱᔪᒥᓇᖅᑐᐊᓗᒃ. ᑕᑯᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᓂᑯᐃᑦ ᓱᕈᓯᐅᓂᓐᓂᑦ ᐃᓐᓇᐅᓂᓐᓄᑦ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: Yeah. Usually they aren’t the same size. Usually the right one is shorter.

Interviewer: What’s the most memorable experience she remembers of the narwhal?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᑭᓱᒥᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᑦᑎᐊᓛᖑᕕᑦ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᕐᒥᒃ ᑕᑯᓪᓗᑎᑦ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᖃᑦᑕᖅᐸᒃᑲ. ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᓐᓂᖏᑦ ᐃᓐᓈᓗᐃᑦ, ᒪᒃᑯᖕᓂᖅᓴᐃᑦ, ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ, ᐅᒋᐊᑯᓗᐃᑦ - ᕿᑐᓐᖓᑯᓗᐃᑦ ᑕᐃᒃᑯᐊ - ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᐃᒪᖃᑦᑕᖅᐸᒃᑲ. ᐳᔫᖅᑐᐊᓘᕙᓵᓕᖅᖢᓂ ᐊᓐᓇ, ᑎᑭᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᑦ ᓄᓇᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ, ᐊᓂᕐᓂᐊᓗᖏᑦ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔭᒃᑲ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: She remembers pretty much all of her experience she’s had with the narwhals. She remembers where she used to live out on the land all of them coming in for the spring and watching them as they come in. And then her family going out and (mumbling)…

Interviewer: Has she ever seen any aggressive behaviour between narwhals?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᑕᑯᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕕᑦ ᓂᓐᖓᐅᒪᔪᒥᒃ, ᕿᓚᓗᒐᕐᒥᒃ ᓂᓐᖓᐅᒪᔪᖃᖅᑐᓂ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐋᒃᑲ. ᑕᑯᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓐᖏᑦᑐᖓ. ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᑐᓴᐅᒪᔪᖓ ᐋᔪᕋᕐᒥ, ᓯᑰᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᑐᖁᖓᓪᓗᓂ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐊᕐᓇᕐᓗᒃ - ᐊᕐᓇᖅ - ᓄᓕᐊᖅᑕᐅᔪᖃᐃ, ᑖᓐᓇ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐊᖑᑎᕈᓗᒃ ᐊᓯᒥᓄᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᑕᐅᑐᒃᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᕕᓂᖅ. ᐅᕙᖓ ᑕᐅᑐᓚᐅᓐᖏᑦᑐᖓᐅᒐᓗᐊᖅ. ᓄᓕᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓂᓐᖓᐅᒪᔪᖅ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐊᓱᐊᓗᒃ. She’s been told that someone has seen on a crack in the ice, like you know how sometimes animals try and fight, males trying to fight each other to get the female. That been seen happen to the narwhals, and the other male killed other male for the female.

Interviewer: Is that something unusual or that was…

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᑖᓐᓇ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᒡᒍᕚᑦ ᐊᖑᑏᑦ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐄ. ᐃᓛᒃ ᓄᓕᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐃᓄᖕᒥᒃ ᑲᑉᐱᐊᓱᒍᓐᓃᓲᖑᓂᕋᑦᑕᐅᔪᑦ. ᐃᓛᒃ ᑲᑉᐱᐊᓱᒃᓴᕋᐃᑦᑐᐊᓘᖕᒪᑕ, ᕿᑭᕐᕋᕐᒥᓪᓗ ᑐᓴᖅᓴᕋᐃᑦᑐᐊᓘᖕᒪᑕ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐃᓱᒪᒋᔪᓐᓃᓲᓐᖏᒡᒎᖅ ᑕᐃᓐᓇ ᓄᓕᐊᖅᑕᓂ, ᑐᖁᖓᔪᖅ ᐃᓛᒃ, ᐅᐸᒍᒪᓗᐊᒧᑦ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: she… no too often. But they say before they take, before they win the female, they’re really quite afraid of humans but once they win the fight, or the battle, and they get the female, they’re not afraid of anything. (mumbling). But it’s rarely been seen.

Interviewer: The principle of tusking where the narwhal cross their tusks and rub. Has she seen that or heard about that?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᑕᑯᓂᑰᕕᑦ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᑐᓴᕐᓂᑰᕕᑦ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᐃᑦ ᑕᐃᒪ ᑑᒑᖏᑦ ᐃᒪᓐᓇᐃᓕᐅᖃᑦᑕᕐᒪᑕ. ᑕᑯᓂᑯᕕᓂᑏᑦ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐄ. ᑕᑯᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᐊᓘᓚᐅᖅᑐᖓ ᐅᐱᕐᖔᒃᑯᓪᓗ ᓯᑰᓪᓗᓂ ᓱᓕ, ᓯᑯ ᐊᖕᒪᔪᖃᐅᖅᑐᕈᓘᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᑐᐱᓐᖑᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᔪᐊᓘᓂᕋᖅᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᑕᑯᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑐᒍᑦ. ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᑦᑎᓐᓂᑦ, ᐊᓈᓇᑯᑎᓐᓂ, ᑕᐅᑐᒃᑕᐅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑕᐅᑐᖃᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑐᒍᑦ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐊᓱ. When she was a kid she remembers that happened all the time. Every time the narwhals start coming in, they do that. And her parents called it “pitching-a-tent”. And whenever her parents would go and watch the narwhals she’d see that.

Interviewer: Does she remember when they did that, was it… was it that they were playful with each other or any reason why? Or ask her if she remembers in seeing the tusks the kind of variation that she saw in the shape and the size of the tusk.

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᑕᑯᓂᑯᑎᑦ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᐃᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᓐᓂᖏᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕈᓐᓇᖅᐱᒋᑦ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᖃᐅᓪᓗᖅᑕᐃᓪᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᖃᐅᓪᓗᓐᖏᑦᑐᓪᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑐᓃᒃ?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐋᒃᑲ. ᑑᒑᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᓐᓂᖏᑦ.

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐄ. ᑕᐃᒃᑯᐊ ᕿᓐᓂᖅᑕᓂᒃ ᑕᖅᓴᓖᓐᓇᐅᒐᓗᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᒪᕐᕈᐃᖑᖕᒥᖕᒪᑕ: ᕿᓚᓗᒐᐃᑦ ᓯᓕᖕᓂᖅᓵᓗᐃᑦ ᑑᒑᖃᖃᑦᑕᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᑕᑭᔪᐊᓗᖕᓂᒃ, ᑕᑭᓂᖅᓵᓗᖕᓂᒃ; ᑕᐃᒃᑯᐊ, ᕿᓐᓂᖅᑕᒐᓛᒃᑲᓗᐊᕆᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᖃᐅᓪᓗᕐᓂᖅᓴᐃᑦ, ᑐᐊᖑᔭᖅᑐᑎᒃ ᑎᒥᖏᑦ ᑑᒑᖏᓪᓗ ᕿᐱᓴᓂᖏᑦ ᕿᐱᖅᑲᖅᑰᔨᓂᖅᓵᓘᓗᑎᒃ, ᑐᑭᓕᐊᓐᖏᓐᓂᖅᓴᕈᓘᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᐄ. ᒪᕐᕈᐃᖑᔫᒐᓗᐊᑦᑕᐅᖅ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: It depends on the difference of whales - like the darker the whale, the bigger the whale and the longer the tusk. And the lighter the colour of the whale is the smaller the whale, less straight the tusk is, and the more (mumbling).

Interviewer: Has she noticed any other patterns… boink… has she noticed any other patterns like that in the tusk that she can remember?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔭᖅ… ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔪᓐᓇᖅᑕᕐᓂᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕈᓐᓇᖅᐱᑦ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᕈᔪᒃ ᓱᓕ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑑᑎᓂᒃ ᑑᒑᓕᖕᓂᒃ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐄ. ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓗᐊᓐᖏᓐᓂᖏᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᑦᖤᖅᐸᒃᑲ, ᕿᓚᓗᒐᐃᓪᓗ ᑕᐃᒃᑯᐊ ᒪᕐᕉᖑᖅᑰᔨᖕᒪᑕ. ᑎᒡᒑᓗᖕᒥᒃ ᐊᑎᖃᖅᑎᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᕋᑦᑎᒍᑦ ᑕᐃᒃᑯᐊ ᐊᖑᑎᐊᓗᐃᑦ. ᑑᒑᑦ… ᐊᖅᑲᐅᒪᒃᑳᓗᐃᑦ. ᓯᑯᐊᓘᒐᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᑕᒪᐅᖓ ᑎᑭᓲᑦ ᑕᐅᕙᓐᖓᑦ ᐃᒪᐅᔪᒥᑦ, ᓇᐅᒃᑯᒃᑭᐊᖅ ᐊᓂᖅᓵᖃᑦᑕᖅᖢᑎᒃ. ᑑᒑᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᖅᑎᕆᒍᑎᒋᖅᑰᓐᖏᑕᕋᓗᐊᖏᑦ ᐊᓂᖅᓵᖅᑐᕐᕕᖕᒧᑦ. ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᓇᓂᓯᒃᑳᓗᐃᑦ ᐊᓂᖅᓵᕐᕕᒃᓴᒥᒃ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: She’s not sure if they use the tusk for breathing holes in the ice, but she just said that they can breathe (mumbling)… she’s wondering if they use the tusk or not.

Interviewer: Has she heard any other stories or had her own ideas about what they might use the tusk for?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᑐᓴᕐᓂᖅᐱᑦ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᓐᓂᖅᐱᑦ ᑭᓱᒧᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓲᖑᖕᒪᖔᑦ ᑑᒑᖅ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᑐᓴᐅᒪᓐᖏᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᖓ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐃᖃᓗᖕᒥᒡᒎᖅ ᑲᐱᓯᓯᒪᔪᖃᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᖕᒥᔪᖅ. ᓄᐃᔪᕉᖅ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᖅ ᑑᒑᖓ ᑲᐱᓯᒪᔪᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᐃᖃᓗᖕᒥᒃ. ᓂᕆᖕᒪᖔᒍ ᓇᓗᓇᖅᑐᖅ. ᑲᐱᔮᓐᖏᑦᖢᓂᐅᖃᐃ ᑲᐱᔭᖓᐃ. ᐊᑑᑎᖃᖅᑰᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᓂᕆᔭᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᕝᕙᓗ ᐊᓂᖅᓵᖅᑐᕐᕕᓕᐅᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ. ᑕᑯᒥᓇᐅᑎᑐᐃᓐᓇᖓᖃᐃ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐊᓱ. She thinks it’s just for decoration on the whale. She has never heard of it being used anything. But she’s seen a narwhal before with a fish stuck on the end of its tusk. And she wasn’t sure if that’s part of their diet or anything, so if the whale did it on purpose or not. But she’s seen that before.

Interviewer: When they would have a fish on the end of the tusk, how big was the fish, and how would she think that they might have used that after they caught it, since they couldn’t get it? You know?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᖃᓄᑎᒋ ᐊᖏᓐᓂᖅᐸ ᐃᖃᓗᒃ? ᐊᒻᒪ… ᐊᒻᒪᓗ… ᖃᓄᖅ…

Interviewer: So, both how big is the fish that she saw, and also how does she think that it might have got to eat it if they speared it.

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᖃᓄᖅ ᓂᕆᒐᔭᖅᐸᐅᒃ ᐊᔪᖅᓯᓯᒫᓗᒃᑲᓗᐊᕐᓗᓂ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᓂᕿᒃᓴᕆᖅᑰᓐᖏᑕᖓ. ᐃᖃᓗᖃᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᑕᒪᐅᓈᖅᖢᓂ ᑲᐱᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᑰᖅᑕᖓ. ᐳᐃᒐᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑕᖃᑲᓪᓚᒃᖢᓂᒎᖅ ᑑᒑᖓ, ᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ. ᓂᕆᓇᓱᖅᑰᓐᖏᑕᖓ, ᑲᐱᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᑕᖓ. ᐊᖏᓪᓗᓂ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: The fish was pretty big. She thinks it was just by accident. You know, the narwhal came swimming by and accidentally caught a fish or something. She doesn’t think they eat it.

Interviewer: Has she heard of or seen any other (gap in the audio) other than broken?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᑐᓴᕐᓂᖅᐱᑦ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᑕᑯᓐᓂᖅ… (gap in the audio) ᓱᕋᒃᓯᒪᔪᒥᒃ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐄ. ᑕᑯᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑐᖓ ᓇᑲᓯᒪᔪᕈᓗᖕᓂᒃ, ᓇᕕᒃᓯᒪᔪᕈᓗᖕᓂᒃ. ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖁᑭᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᓄᓇᒥ ᒫᓐᖓᑦ ᖁᑭᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᑐᖁᑦᑎᐊᓐᖏᑦᖢᑎᒃ ᐅᐃᔾᔮᑲᑕᒃᑐᑎᒃ ᓇᑲᑎᖅᑐᐊᓘᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ. ᓇᑲᖁᔭᐅᓐᖏᐊᓗᒃᑲᓗᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᓇᑲᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᐊᓗᐃᑦ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: Yeah. She’s seen a lot of narwhals with broken tusks, probably from battles for females or, or… and, whenever the family would go and catch one (mumbling) or shoot one from the land, it would get so mad or angry and start spinning around on its head and stuff, and it’d start… the tusk would start breaking, from the land, hitting it on the land and stuff, although they really didn’t want it to break…

Interviewer: If she were to think about that, does she think that the broken ones are from incidents like that, or does she think that they are naturally occurring from the fighting with the other males?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᓱᕋᒃᓯᒪᔪᐃᑦ ᑕᐃᒃᑯᐊ ᐃᒻᒥᓂᒃ ᓱᕋᓲᖑᕚᑦ ᐃᓐᓇᓐᖑᓗᐊᓕᕌᖓᒥᒃ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᕕᑦ ᐊᖑᑏᑦ ᐊᕐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕋᓱᒃᖢᑎᒃ ᓱᕋᖃᑦᑕᖅᐸᑦ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐋᒃᑲ. ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐃᓱᒪᓐᖏᑦᑐᖓ. ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᓯᑯᐊᓗᖕᓄᓪᓗ ᑲᐸᒃᖢᑎᒡᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᑕᐃᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᐋᕐᓗᖕᓂᒃ, ᓯᒡᔭᒦᓗᐊᓕᖃᑦᑕᕐᒪᑕ ᐃᒃᑲᒃᑐᒦᓗᐊᓕᖃᑦᑕᕐᒪᑕ ᐅᔭᕋᖕᒧᑦ ᓱᕋᖃᑦᑕᕋᓱᒋᔭᒃᑲ. ᐃᓐᓇᓐᖑᓗᐊᕐᓂᕐᒨᓐᖏᑦᑐᖃᐃ. ᓇᐱᔅ… ᓇᑲᓯ… ᓄᕗᐊᖅᓯᒪᒡᒍᖕᒪᑕ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: She doesn’t really think it’s old age, or naturally occurring. You know, when they swim up too close to land or the rocks, you know, if they’re swimming or something, they break.

Interviewer: Does she notice that, or has she heard that, over time, that the number of broken tusks has changed or has it always been the same?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐅᓄᖅᓯᓂᖅᓴᐅᕙᑦ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐅᓄᑭᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓕᖅᐸᑦ ᑑᒑᑦ ᓱᕋᒃᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᐃᑦ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐋᒃᑲᐅᖅᑰᖅᑐᖅ. ᕿᓚᓗᒐᖃᑦᑕᓐᖏᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓕᕐᒪᑕ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᖓᓂᑦ. ᑕᐃᒃᑯᐊᓕ ᐊᑖᑕᒃᑯᒃᑲ, ᐊᐃᑉᐸᕋᓗᐃᓛᒃ, ᐅᓄᖅᑐᐊᓗᖕᓂᒃ ᐱᓇᓱᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᖕᒪᑕ. ᒫᓐᓇᓕ ᓈᓴᐅᑎᖃᖅ… ᐸᐃᑉᐹᖃᕆᐊᖃᓕᕐᒪᑕ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᖃᑦᑕᓐᖏᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓕᕐᒪᑕ, ᓇᑲᖃᑦᑕᓐᖏᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓕᖅᑐᑦ ᑑᒑᖏᑦ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: Back when she used to live out on the land, her husband and father, they used to go hunt for narwhals a lot and catch them all the time. Now, hardly anyone catches narwhals so she doesn’t (gap in audio)

Interviewer: Does she think that the advent of the motorized boats, that it has affected the narwhal behaviour at all?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᖃᔭᒃᑰᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕕᓯ ᕿᓚᓗᕆᐊᕋᔅᓯ, ᐅᒥᐊᒃᑰᖃᑦᑕᓕᕐᒪᑕ ᒫᓐᓇ - ᓂᐱᖅᑯᖅᑐᔪᐊᓘᓪᓗᑎᒡᓗ ᐅᒥᐊᑦ - ᕿᓚᓗᒐᐃᑦ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᕐᓂᐊᕋᓱᒋᕕᒋᑦ ᑕᐃᒫᒃ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᖃᔭᖃᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᓐᖏᑦᑐᒍᓪᓕ. ᖁᑭᐅᑎᖃᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᓪᓕ, ᐃᓛᒃ ᐊᑖᑕᒃᑯᒃᑲ ᖃᔭᖃᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᓐᖏᒻᒪᑕ. ᓱᓕ ᒥᑦᑎᒪᑕᓕᖕᒧᑦ ᐅᕗᓐᖓᖅᑐᐊᓘᓚᐅᖅᑳᕋᑕ ᐅᒥᐊᒃᑰᖅᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᓕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᖕᒪᑕ ᐅᓄᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᖃᑦᑕᓕᕐᒪᑕ ᓄᓇᒧᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᓄᖑᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᓐᖏᑦᑐᐊᓗᐃᑦ ᐃᒃᑯᐊ, ᐅᓄᖅᑐᐊᓗᐃᑦ ᐃᒃᑯᐊ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: No. She’s never used a kayak or anything. She’s always been (gap in audio and mumbling) and the way they did it (gap) quite a few boats to drive the whales into the beach and they catch them. But she doesn’t, she says there’s still lots of narwhals out there. There’s no decrease or anything.

Interviewer: What’s her most memorable experience of watching a narwhal?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᑭᓱ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᓛᕆᕕᐅᒃ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᕐᓂᒃ ᑕᐅᑐᒃᖢᑎᑦ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐅᓄᕐᒪᑕ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᖃᑦᑕᖅᑕᒃᑲ, ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᓛᖃᓐᖏᑦᑐᖓ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: There’s so many stories, images she remembers, she doesn’t have one specific one.

Interviewer: I’ll take any.

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᑭᓱᑐᐃᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᕐᒥᒡᒎᖅ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᑎᑦ.

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᑕᐃᑉᓱᒪᓂ ᐅᒥᐊᖃᖅᑐᖃᖃᑦᑕᓕᓵᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ - ᑐᑯᑐᑯᑑᒃ, ᑐᑯᑐᑯᑑᖅᑐᒥᒡᓘᓐᓃᑦ, ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᐅᑎᑯᓗᖕᓂᒃ - ᕿᓚᓗᒐᐃᑦ  ᑲᐸᓴᕋᐃᑦᑐᐊᓘᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᖕᒪᑕ ᓯᒡᔭᒧᐊᑲᐅᖅᑐᖅᑐᑎᒃ. ᒫᓐᓇᓖᒃᑯᐊ ᑲᐱᐊᓱᒍᓐᓇᐃᓪᓕᔪᑦ, ᓄᓇᒧᐊᕐᔫᒥᑎᑕᐅᓇᓱᒃᑲᓗᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᑲᑉᐱᐊᓱᖃᑦᑕᕈᓐᓃᖅᑐᑦ. ᓇᑦᑏᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᑲᑉᐱᐊᓱᖃᑦᑕᕈᓐᓃᕐᒥᖕᒪᑕ. ᓱᖏᐅᑎᖕᒪᑕ. ᐊᐅᓚᐅᑎᕈᔪᐃᑦ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᓂᕐᔪᑎᖃᕈᓐᓃᖅᑎᑦᑎᕙᓪᓕᐊᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ. ᓱᖏᐅᑎᔪᑦ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: She says that she remembers when boat first started coming in to Pond, when they first started getting boats, she remembers the narwhals would be really afraid of the noise that they made so they’d come swimming right to the shoreline and stuff. But now, just like seals, they’re used to humans (mumbling and cutting out) and ignore us. Ski-doos, boats and everything. They’re not afraid of humans anymore.

Interviewer: What does she remember, for the memories that she has about the narwhal, with the mother and the calves, and the new-born calves?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᑭᓱᒥᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᕕᑦ ᐊᓈᓇᐅᔪᒥᒡᓗ ᕿᑐᓐᖓᖃᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᕐᒥᒃ ᑕᐅᑐᒃᖢᑎᑦ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔭᖃᓗᐊᓐᖏᓐᓇᒪ, ᐳᐃᒍᕋᒃᑭᑦ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᓕᕆᖃᑦᑕᕐ… ᐃᓛᒃ, ᐋᔪᕋᒃᑰᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑕᑯᕋᕐᓂᖅᑐᐊᓘᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᕐᖓᑕ. ᖁᑭᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒡᓗ ᓇᐅᓚᒃᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒡᓗ, ᐆᒪᔭᕌᖓᑕ ᐊᑖᑕᒐ ᐊᒃᑐᕈᖅᑐᐊᓘᓪᓗᓂ, ᓂᐱᐊᓘᓕᖅᖢᑎᒡᓗ ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒃᑐᑦ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᓇᕈᓘᔭᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ. ᒫᓐᓇ ᐋᔪᕋᒃᑯᓪᓗ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᕋᓱᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᑕᐅᑐᖃᑦᑕᕈᓐᓃᖅᑐᒍᑦ… -ᕋᒪᓕ, ᓲᖃᐃᒻᒪ ᐃᓐᓇᐅᒐᒪ. ᓱᕈᓯᐅᔪᓐᓃᕋᒪ. ᑕᐃᒃᑯᐊ ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᑦᑐᐊᓘᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᑕᑯᖃᑦᑕᕈᓐᓃᖅᑕᒃᑲ. ᐃᓐᓇᐅᒐᒪ ᓲᖃᐃᒻᒪ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: She remembers she would (cutting out) take a patch in narwhals(?) and the cracks in the ice (cutting out and mumbling)… some by the cracks. She says that she’s a little too old to remember, too many stories about the narwhals. But she said…

ᖃᓄᖅ ᐅᖃᕋᑖᖅᐱᑦ? ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓈ…

Interviewer: …hold on for a sec… Oh yeah, just wanted to… We’ve heard legends about the narwhal as well from different ancestors, can she tell us first about the legend and, also, explain where the legend may have come from?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐅᖃᐅᓯᑐᖄᓗᖕᓂᑦ ᐃᒻᒪᑲᓪᓛᓗᒃ ᐅᖃᖅᑕᐅᓂᑯᐃᑦ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᐅᑉ, ᕿᓚᓗᒐᓕᕆ… ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᓐᓂᖅᐱᑦ ᐊᓈᓇᒃᑯᓯᓐᓂᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐅᖃᐅᓯᑐᖃᕐᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᖢᑏᒃ? ᐊᑐᕋᑦᑎᒍᑦ ᓱᓕ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᑦ. ᐅᕙᖓᓕ ᓱᓕ ᐊᑐᕋᒃᑭᑦ, ᐅᖃᐅᓯᑐᖄᓗᖕᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓐᖏᓐᓇᒪ.

ᕿᓚᓗᒑᓗᐃᑦ ᐊᒡᒋᖅᑐᐊᓗᐃᑦ - ᓲᕐᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓄᑦ ᓯᒡᔭᒥ, ᓴᓂᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐊᖅᑯᓵᕐᓂᐊᑐᐊᓗᐃᑦ - ᐳᐃᕐᕙᓗᒃᑐᐊᓗᐃᑦ… ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕆᔪᓐᓇᕋᑦᑐᒍᑦ ᓱᓕ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᑐᖃᐅᖅᑰᓚᐅᖅᑑᒐᓗᐊᑦ. ᖃᓄᖅ ᓄᑕᐅᓐᖏᑑᒋᓐᖏᓐᓇᒃᑭᓪᓕ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑐᖄᓗᖕᓂᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔪᓐᓇᕐᒥᕕᑦ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᑕᐃᑉᓱᒥᖓ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᕈᓗᖕᒦᒃ?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᕿᓚᓗᒐᓕᕆᔪᓃᒃ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐄ. ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔭᕋ ᑕᐃᓐᓇ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᓕᐊᖑᔪᕕᓂᖅ. ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔭᕋᓗᐊᕋ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᖁᔭᐅᒃᐸᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᕈᓐᓇᖅᖢᒍ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐄ. ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᖁᔪᖅ. (mumbling)

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᕿᓚᓗᒐᕐᒥᒡᒎᖅ ᓇᐅᓕᒃᓯᔪᖅ ᓄᓇᖓᓂᑦ ᑕᒫᓐᖓᑦ, ᑕᐅᑐᓐᖏᑦᑑᓚᐅᖅᖢᓂ ᑕᐅᑐᓕᖅᖢᓂ, ᐊᓈᓇᖓᑕ ᐱᑦᑎᐊᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᓐᖏᑦᖢᓂᐅᒃ ᑖᓐᓇ ᑕᐅᑐᓐᖏᑎᓪᓗᒍ. ᖃᖅᓴᐅᕐᒥᑦ ᑕᐅᑐᓕᖅᑎᑕᐅᓐᓂᕋᒥ. ᑕᐅᑐᓕᕋᒥ, ᐊᓈᓇᖓ, ᓄᕗᐊᑦᑎᐊᒧᐊᖅᖢᑎᒎᖅ, ᐊᓈᓇᖓᑕ …ᐊᑕ ᐃᓱᐊᒍᑦ ᑎᒍᒥᐊᖅᖢᓂᐅᒃ: ᒪᔾᔭ ᐃᑐᖅᑖᑦᑎᐊᖅ - ᑕᐃᒃᑯᐊ ᒥᑎᓐᓂᖅᐹᑯᓗᖕᓂᒃ ᓇᐅᓕᒃᓯᖁᓪᓗᓂᐅᒃ ᐃᕐᓂᓂ. ᐊᓱᐃᓪᓛᒃ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐱᒋᐊᓐᖑᐊᖅᖢᓂᐅᒃ, ᐃᓐᓈᓗᖕᒥᒃ ᓇᐅᓕᒃᓯᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᐊᓈᓇᖓ ᕿᓚᒃᓯᒪᒐᒥ ᐊᒡᒐᖕᒥᓄᑦ, ᑕᐃᒪᓕᒎᖅ ᐊᒧᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ. ᑕᐅᕙ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖅᖢᓂ, ᐳᐃᕙᒃᖢᓂ ᓂᓪᓕᖅᐸᒃᑲᓗᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᒍᓐᓃᖅᖢᓂ. ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑦ ᐅᓄᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᓚᐅᖅᑐᕉᖅ ᑕᐃᓐᓇ ᐊᓈᓇᕕᓂᐅᒐᓗᐊᖅ ᐅᓂᐊᖅᑕᐅᓐᖏᓐᓇᐅᔭᖅᑐᖅ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᕐᒧᑦ.

ᑕᐃᒫᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᓕᐊᕆᔭᐅᔪᕕᓂᖅ, ᑐᑭᖃᖅᑐᖃᐃ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᐃᑦ ᐊᒃᓱᐊᓗᒃ ᓴᓐᖏᒻᒪᑕ. ᐃᓄᖕᒥᒃ ᐊᒧᓯᔪᓐᓇᕐᒪᑕ. ᐊᖑᑎᐊᓘᒐᓗᐊᒥᒃ ᐊᒧᓯᔪᓐᓇᕐᒪᑕ. ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐅᖅᑰᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᓕᐊᕆᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: The strength of the narwhal – she was just telling a story of her parents telling her:

There was this mother and her son. Her son, or her mother, his mother was always mean to him. So, not nice. He was blind at childbirth. And he started to be able to see. So, as soon as he was able to see, the mother brought him down to the beach to catch some narwhals. 

So she held the rope in her hand while the little boy had the, what’s it called, the harpoon in his hand too to be able to catch it. He aimed for the baby narwhal but caught the big mother narwhal instead. And the mother was holding the rope, so she got pulled in. She says, every now and… far now, but they hear the sound of the narwhal in her head, or the little boy would hear the narwhal sound every now and then. And, she says, now people sometimes see the narwhal mother being pulled in the back.

Interviewer: Of the things that she’s heard about the narwhal, are there any that she thinks have been passed, information that’s been passed around that’s wrong or incorrect when she hears something that’s said about the narwhal?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᑐᓴᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖅᐱᑦ ᑕᒻᒪᖅᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᒡᓛᓗᖕᓂᒃ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᓕᕆᔪᓂᒃ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐊᑏ, ᐅᖃᒃᑲᓐᓂᕈᑦ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᑐᓴᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖅᐱᑦ ᑕᒻᒪᖅᑕᖅᓯᒪᔪᒡᓛᓗᖕᓂᒃ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᓕᕆᔪᓂᒃ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐋᒃᑲ. ᑐᓴᖃᑦᑕᓐᖏᑦ… ᐃᓛᒃ ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖃᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ ᓯᑭᑑᓄᓪᓘᓐᓃᑦ, ᐊᐅᓚᐅᑎᓄᓪᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐊᓯᐅᑎᑕᐅᕙᓪᓕᐊᓕᕐᒪᑕᒎᖅ ᓂᕐᔪᑎᑦ - ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᕋᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᑕᐃᒫᒃ ᐅᒃᐱᕆᓐᖏᓐᓇᒃᑯ. ᐄ. ᑕᐃᒪᐃᓚᐅᖅᑑᒐᓗᐊᑦ, ᒫᓐᓇ ᓱᖏᐅᑎᔭᐅᖕᒪᑕ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ. ᓱᖏᐅᑎᒐᒥᒃ ᖃᓂᑦᑐᒦᑦᑐᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ. ᕿᒫᓗᐊᕌᓗᖃᑦᑕᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᐅᖓᓯᒃᑐᒧᑦ. ᑕᒫᓃᖏᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ, ᐊᐅᓚᐅᑎᑦ ᓯᑭᑑᑦ ᑕᒪᔾᔭᐅᒐᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: A lot of people, a lot of Inuit started saying that engines and motorized, like not loud machinery, start driving animals away. She thinks that’s very untrue. She thinks that the animals have been used to it for many, many years now, and they’re not afraid of the human anymore. And they don’t run very far anymore…

Interviewer: The story that she was telling us just a little while ago - with the legend of the mother and the son - is that, in any way, related to the one we heard about with the blind son that’s hunting and hitting a polar bear… instead, we heard about a legend like that where the woman’s hair twists into the narwhal…

ᑐᓵᔨ: Oh yeah.

Interviewer: Are those two stories, I just want to know if they’re related or they’re separate.

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᑐᓴᕐᓂᑯᒋᕕᐅᒃ, ᐃᕐᓂᑯᓗᒡᒎᖅ ᑕᐅᑐᓐᖏᑦᖢᓂ ᓇᓄᒐᓱᒋᐊᖅᖢᓂ, ᓇᓐᓄᖕᒪᒍᒡᒎᖅ ᐊᕐᓈᓇᖓ, ᓇᔭᖓ ᐃᒪᓐᓇᐃᓕᐅᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓕᖅᖢᓂ. ᑐᓴᕐᓂᑯᐃᑦ? ᑕᐃᒃᑯᐊ, ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑲᐅᔭᐃᑦ ᑕᐃᓐᓇ, ᐊᔾᔨᒋᕈᔪᒃᐸᐅᒃ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐄ. ᑕᐃᓐᓇ ᑕᐃᒪ ᐃᓚᖓ. ᐅᖃᕋᑖᓐᖏᓐᓇᒃᑯ. ᑕᐃᓐᓇ ᐊᓈᓇᓗᒃ, ᓄᔭᖏᑦ ᕿᐱᒃᐸᓪᓕᐊᒐᒥᒋᑦ, ᑑᒑᖅᑖᕆᓪᓗᓂᐅᒃ - ᐃᒪᓐᓇᐃᓐᖑᐊᖅᑎᓯᒪᔪᑦ. ᐄ. ᑕᐃᓐᓇᑦᑕᐃᓐᓇᕈᓗᖏᓐᓇ. -ᑖᓐᓇ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᕋᓱᒃᑐᓂᐅᒃ, ᓇᓐᓄᒐᓱᒃᑐᓂᐅᓐᖏᑦᑑᒐᓗᐊᖅ ᓇᓄᖅ ᑖᓐᓇ ᑎᑭᑦᑐᐊᓘᖕᒪᑦ, ᓴᓐᖏᓂᖅᓴᐅᒐᒥ ᐊᓈᓇᒥᓂᒃ ᐱᓯᒃᑕᖓ ᓇᓄᖅ, ᑐᖁᓪᓗᓂ. ᑖᓐᓇᑦᑕᐃᓐᓇᕈᓗᒃ ᑖᓐᓇ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: Yeah. That’s the same story actually. But the bear comes in later on in the story. And the mother actually does turn into a whale.

Interviewer: Is there anything else that she can trace about this story, of how it originated? Is there anything in ancestry when it was passed down that started this story originally?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᖃᓄᖅ ᑖᓐᓇ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅ ᐱᒋᐊᕐᓂᕐᒪᑦ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔪᓐᓇᖅᐲᑦ? Or, ᐅᖃᐅᔾᔭᐅᓐᓂᖅᐱᑦ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅᑐᐊᕈᓗᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᒐᓗᐊᖅ. ᕿᒪᒃᑕᐅᔪᒡᒎᖅ ᐃᒃᑯᐊ: ᐊᓈᓇᓗ, ᐃᕐᓂᖓᓗ, ᐸᓂᑯᓗᒡᓗ. ᑕᕝᕙᓂ ᕿᒪᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑳᓕᖅᑐᕕᓂᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓲᖃᐃᒻᒪ ᐃᕐᓂᖓ ᑕᐅᑐᓐᖏᒻᒪᑦ. ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᕿᒪᒃᑕᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐃᓛᒃ, ᐊᐅᔭᐅᑉ ᐃᓚᖓᓂ ᑕᐅᑐᓕᖅᑐᕕᓂᐅᕗᖅ ᑕᓯᕐᒥ. ᑕᐅᑐᓕᕋᒥ ᑕᐃᒪ ᐊᓈᓇᓂ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᔭᐅᑎᖅᑰᔨᕚ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: Yep. She remembers how her mother told her the story, and she’s not sure where it came from from there. But she remembers her mother saying, they were left in a camp by themselves because the son wasn’t, the son was blind. So they were left all by themselves so the mother has to take care of the two children: the daughter and the son, blind. But, then, one spring the son started to see, and started helping his mother out or something, although the mother was very mean. She remembers her mother telling her the story.

Interviewer: So, the mother in the tale was mean to the son? So, was – just so we understand – so was, it was almost like her punishment or her hair… yeah? Yeah?

ᑐᓵᔨ: Definitely.

Interviewer: Of the experiences that she had with the narwhal – when I ever try to get one of these stories out of her, but – the most memorable sound that she ever heard from the narwhal.

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔪᓐᓇᓛᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᒃ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᐅᑉ ᓂᐱᖓᓂᒃ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕈᓐᓇᖅᐱᑦ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐃᓛᒃ, ᕿᓚᓗᒐᐃᑦ ᓂᓪᓕᓪᓚᑦᑖᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᓂᓪᓕᖃᑦᑕᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐅᕕᓐᖏᐊᖅᑐᐊᓘᓲᖑᖕᒪᑕ - ᓲᕐᓗ ᐅᕕᓐᖏᐊᕐᕙᓕᑦᑎᔪᐊᓘᖃᑦᑕᖅᖢᑎᒃ - ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓂᓕᖅᐸᓕᑦᑎᔪᐊᓘᖅᑰᔨᖃᑦᑕᖅᖢᑎᒃ. ᕿᓚᓗᒐᐃᑦ ᐅᓄᖅᓯᔭᕌᖓᒥᒃ - ᓂᕆᓇᓱᒃᖢᑎᒃ, ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᖑᔭᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᐱᓇᓱᒃᑕᐅᓐᖏᑦᖢᑎᒃ. ᑕᐃᒪ ᐅᕕᓐᖏᐊᖅᑕᕐᓂᖓᓗ, ᕿᖓᕈᓗᖏᓪᓗ ᒪᑐᓯᒪᕐᓚᒃᖢᑎᒃ ᐊᓂᖅᓵᖅᑰᔨᕙᒃᖢᑎᒃ. ᑖᓐᓇ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔭᑐᐊᕋ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: The only thing she can remember is the very loud whistling sound from narwhal, lots and lot narwhal together. And then she says, they’re eating together, she can kind of hear something like a farting noise from them. And you know how they, their breathing hole, is shoot up air lots of water comes out. She remembers that some too.

Interviewer: When the calves, or the mothers playing with the calves, is there a story that she can remember about how the mother interacted with the calves at all?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᔪᓐᓇᖅᐱᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑲᐅᓯᕐᒥᒃ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᐃᑦ, ᐊᓈᓇᓗ ᕿᑐᓐᖓᖏᑦ ᐱᓐᖑᐊᖃᑎᒌᒃᑐᑦ, ᖃᓄᖅ ᐱᓐᖑᐊᖃᑎᒌᓲᖑᖕᒪᖔᑕ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐃᓛᒃ, ᐅᖅᓱᐊᖅᑐᐊᓘᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᓯᑭᑕᖃᐅᖅᖢᓂᓗ, ᐱᓐᖑᐊᖃᑎᒌᖅᑰᔨᔪᐊᓘᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ. ᑑᒑᓖᓪᓗ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐳᐃᒐᒥᒃ, ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᑑᒑᒥᓄᑦ ᐃᒪᐅᑉ ᖄᑕ ᐊᓇᐅᓕᑲᑕᐅᔮᕐᔪᒃᖢᓂᐅᒃ. ᐊᓇᐅᓕᑲᑕᐅᔮᕐᔪᖅᑰᔨᓪᓗᓂᐅᒃ, ᐊᖅᑲᕈᔫᔭᖅᐸᒃᖢᓂ. ᐊᓈᓇᓗ ᕿᑐᓐᖓᑯᓗᒡᓗ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᕐᒪᖔᑕ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓐᖏᑕᕋᓗᐊᒃᑲ. ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᕿᒫᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑐᐊᕕᒃᖢᑎᒃ, ᐊᓈᓇᐅᑉ, ᐊᓈᓇᖓᑕ ᖄᖓᓃᓲᑯᓗᐃᑦ. ᖃᓄᑭᐊᖅ ᓄᒃᑎᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᓂᐅᒃ, ᐊᒫᖅᑕᖓᒎᖅ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐊᓱ.

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᑐᐊᕕᕌᖓᒥᒃ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐅᓲᖑᔫᒐᓗᐊᑦ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: She can’t really remember, like, times when they’d be playing anymore. But she remembers the calf, or when it had a little tusk, its head bopping up and down on the surface of the water, playing around like that. And, whenever they’re running away, or trying get away from humans (mumbling), the mother will quickly take the calf - and you know how they have amautiks for children here? - it’s like carrying a child (mumbling).

Interviewer: When she was talking earlier about the different types of narwhal, she said that – I don’t know if it was the older ones had the darker skin, or the lighter skin – but does she remember if there were different types of narwhal, as adults, that she identified?

I don’t know if that question is clear but… In other words, it almost seem like there were different types of adult narwhal that she was describing, almost like a dark one, a light one, and then a bigger, either light or dark one. If she can just clarify the different types of adult narwhal.

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑐᐃᓐᓈᓘᖕᒪᑕ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᐃᑦ, ᑕᖅᓴᖏᓪᓗ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑐᐃᓐᓇᐃᑦ, ᖃᓄᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑑᑏᑦ ᐅᖃᕈᓐᓇᖅᐱᒌᑦ? ᐃᓐᓇᕈᔪᖕᓂᑦ.

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᕿᓐᓂᖅᑕᒐᓛᑦ ᖁᓖᖓᓐᓂ, ᐊᖑᑎᐊᓗᒃ ᑖᓐᓇ ᐊᖏᓛᕌᓗᒃ, ᑎᒡᒑᓘᓂᕋᖅᑕᐅᑦᖤᖅᐳᖅ; ᐊᕐᓇᕐᓗᒃ ᑖᓐᓇ, ᐃᓛᒃ ᐊᕐᓇᖅ ᐊᕐᓇᕐᓘᓂᕋᖅᑕᐅᑦᑕᖅᐳᖅ, ᑕᐃᒃᑯᐊ ᑑᒑᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᓇᐃᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᒪᒃᑖᖅᑭᐅᒃᖤᖅᐳᑦ; ᑖᓐᓇ ᑑᒑᖃᓐᖏᑦᑐᑯᓗᑦ, ᕿᑐᓐᖓᕆᔭᐅᔪᑯᓗᒃ, ᐅᒋᐊᖑᑦᖤᖅᐳᖅ. ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᑕᕝᕙ ᐊᑎᖏᑦ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: Lots of names with (mumbling): the big ones with the black parts on the back is the oldest ones. She said the name, “tiggak” – that’s the name of it – and, then, there’s female that are large skinned. And, then, there’s the baby whales with a small tusks, or no tusks.

Interviewer: How about the different types of just adult narwhal?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐃᓐᓇᑐᐊᓂᒡᒎᖅ ᑕᖅᓴᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑑᒑᖏᑦ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᖃᑦᑕᓐᖏᓚᑦ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᑕᒪᐅᖓ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒧᐊᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ ᑕᐃᒃᑯᐊ ᖃᐅᕐᓗᖅᑕᐃᓐᓇᑦᑎᐊᑦ, ᑭᒍᑎᖃᕐᓂᕋᖅᑕᐅᔪᑦ, ᑭᒍᑎᖃᖅᑐᑎᒃ. ᑖᒃᑯᐊᓕ ᕿᓐᓂᖅᑕᐃᑦ ᒫᓂ ᓄᓇᑦᑎᓐᓃᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ, ᕿᓐᓂᖅᑕᐃᓐᓇᐅᒐᓗᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᐃᓛᒃ ᕿᓐᓂᖅᑕᒐᓛᒃᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᒐᓗᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᒪᕐᕈᐃᖑᐊᕐᔪᖕᓂᕋᖅᑲᐅᒐᒃᑭᒃ, ᑐᐊᖑᔭᕐᓂᖅᓴᐃᓪᓗ, ᑕᑭᐅᔭᖅᑐᕈᓘᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑑᒑᖏᑦ ᕿᐱᓴᓗᖓᕐᔪᐊᖅᑐᑎᒃ. ᐊᐃᑉᐸᖏᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᓯᓕᑲᑕᓐᓇᒃᑐᐸᓗᐊᓗᐃᑦ. ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᑕᕝᕙ ᐱᖓᓲᖅᑰᔨᔪᑦ ᒪᐅᓐᖓᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: Ok. There’s only, like, three types of narwhals that come around here that she knows of. There’s the lighter skinned ones with narrower bodies, and then there’s dark spots in the back, and there’s a darker skinned ones that are a lot bigger than the narwhals, and longer tusks.

Interviewer: So, there are just three types?

ᑐᓵᔨ: three adults that come around here and...

INTERVIEWER: yeah? Does she notice any difference between the adult males with and without tusk?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᕿᓚᓗᒐᐃᑦ ᐊᖑᑎᐅᓂᖅᓴᐃᑦ, ᑑᒑᖃᓐᖏᑦᑐᓪᓗ ᑑᒑᖃᖅᑐᓪᓗ, ᐊᔾᔨᖃᓐᖏᑦᑑᑦ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᖃᖅᐸᑦ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐊᔾᔨᖃᖅᑰᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᖃᓄᖓᐃ?

Interviewer: I’ll ask it maybe differently: Some males have a tusk and some males don’t have a tusk, has she noticed or heard of any difference between the ones that have – just the males now…

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐊᖑᑏᑦ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᑦ ᑑᒑᖃᖅᑐᓪᓗ ᑑᒑᖃᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ… ᖃᓄᖅ… ᐊᔾᔨᖃᖅᐹᑦ, ᑕᕝᕙ ᑑᒑᖃᕈᓂ ᐅᓇ ᐊᔾᔨᖃᖅᐸ ᑑᒑᖃᓐᖏᑦᑐᒥᒃ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐄ. ᐊᔾᔨᒌᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᕈᓗᐃᑦ, ᑑᒑᖃᓐᖏᑦᑐᐊᓗᒡᓗ ᐊᖑᑎᐊᓗᒃ ᐃᒪᓐᓇᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂ. ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ, ᐊᕐᓇᕐᓗᐃᑦ - ᐅᓄᕐᓂᖅᓴᐃᑦ - ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ ᑑᒑᖃᓚᐅᓱᖓᖅᐸᒃᑭᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᑐᐃᑦᑐᑯᑖᖑᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᑕᑭᓪᓗᓂ ᑑᒑᑦᑎᐊᕚᓗᐃᑦ. ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑎᐊᑑᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᒃᑯᐊ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: There’s a lot of differences between… she says a lot of the guys don’t have tusks, and a lot of them do. But more females don’t have tusks, but when they do have tusks, they’re nice and long and perfect for carvings.

Interviewer: So, let’s say of the percentage of males, what percent have tusks? She could do a rough… roughly, if there were ten narwhal that were males, how many would have a tusk, and how many wouldn’t?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᑕᕝᕙ ᖁᓕᓂᒃ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᖅᑐᖃᕈᓂ ᐊᖑᑏᓐᓇᐃᑦ, ᖃᑦᓯᑦ ᑑᒑᖃᕋᔭᖅᐸᑦ; ᖃᑦᓯᑦ ᑑᒑᖃᕋᔭᓐᖏᑉᐸᑦ? ᐅᖄᕐᔪᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓗᑎᑦ.

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᓇᓗᓇᖅᑐᖅ. ᑑᒑᓖᓐᓇᕐᓂᒃ ᐱᓇᓱᖃᑦᑕᖅᑑᒐᓗᐊᑦ, ᐊᔪᕐᓇᖅᑐᐊᓘᖃᑦᑕᕐᒥᖕᒪᑕ. ᖃᓄᑭᐊᖅ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐅᓄᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᕙᑦ ᑑᒑᖃᖅᑐᐃᑦ, ᐊᖑᓂᑎᑦ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐋᒃᑲ. ᐅᓄᓐᖏᓐᓂᖅᓴᑦ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: There’s… It’s hard to say, she says but she thinks there’s less on tusks. Yes. Less males with tusk than without tusks.

Interviewer: But you’re not sure… And of the females with tusks – she mentioned that when they do have a tusk it was longer and better for carving – but is there any other feature… does… when the female does have the tusk, for example, is it longer sometimes than the male with a tusk? Or…

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ ᑑᒑᖃᖅᑐᐃᑦ, ᐱᐅᓂᖅᓴᐅᓲᖑᕙᑦ ᐊᖑᑎᓂᒃ ᑑᒑᖃᖅᑐᓂᒃ? ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐊᖏᓂᖅᓴᐅᓲᖑᕙᑦ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐃᓛᒃ, ᐊᖏᓂᖅᓴᐅᓐᖏᑦᑑᒐᓗᐊᑦ ᑑᒑᑦᑎᐊᕆᒃᑐᐊᓘᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ. ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ ᑑᒑᖃᕌᖓᒥᒃ ᑕᑭᔪᑯᑖᖑᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᐃᒃᐸᒃᑐᐊᓘᓐᖏᑦᖢᓂᓗ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: The females have a lot cleaner tusks. They don’t have to be necessarily longer. But they have nicer and a lot narrower.

Interviewer: And what’s the.. cleaner… Is it a different kind of colour?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐃᕆᐸᓂᖅᓴᐃᑦ ᑑᒑᑦ ᑕᖅᓴᖏᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒋᖃᑦᑕᓐᖏᑉᐹ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐃᓛᒃ, ᐊᔾᔨᒌᕈᓘᒐᓗᐊᑦ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐊᖑᑎᐊᓗᐃᑦ ᑑᒑᖏᑦ ᕿᓐᓂᕈᔪᒃᐸᓵᖃᑦᑕᕐᒪᑕ ᐊᑲᔭᕈᔪᒃ, ᐃᒪᐅᑉ ᑭᓱᕈᔪᐊᓂᒃᑭᐊᖅ ᓂᐱᑎᑦᑎᕕᒋᓯᒪᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ. ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐃᓗᐊᕌᓗᖃᑦᑕᓐᖏᑦᖢᑎᒃ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐊᕐᓇᖏᑦ ᐃᕆᐸᓂᖅᓴᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐄ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: Yeah. The male tusks have a lot more sea… seaweed or stuff in the sea… (mumbling).

Interviewer: Yeah. Stop there…

Good… I’ve also read descriptions about tiny little lice that there at the bottom of the tooth, right around where the tooth goes into the whale. Can she tells us anything about that?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᓂᕐᔪᑎᕋᓛᑯᓗᖕᓂᒃ, ᑑᒑᖑᖕᒪᑦ ᒪᐅᓇᕈᔪᒃ, ᐱᑕᖃᓲᖑᖕᒫᑦ? ᖃᓄᐃᒻᒪᒡᒎᖅ ᐱᑕᖃᓲᖑᕙ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐋᒪᐃ. ᑑᒑᕌᓗᐊᑕ ᑭᒡᓕᖓᓂ ᒫᓂ ᑯᒪᐅᓂᕋᖅᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᑕᖃᓲᕌᓘᖕᒪᑦ. ᐊᒻᒪ ᖁᑭᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᒍᓂ, ᖃᓄᐃᓕᔭᐅᓯᒪᒍᓂ ᕿᓕᕈᐊ, ᑕᕝᕙᓃᑦᑐᐊᓘᓲᖑᒋᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᑎᒥᖓᓂ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᐅᓐᖏᑦᑐᒥᒃ, ᖃᓄᐃᓐᓂᐅᔪᒥᑭᐊᖅ, ᕿᓯᖓ ᑕᒪᕐᒥᐅᓐᖏᑦᑐᖅ, ᐱᑕᖃᓲᖅ. ᖁᐱᕐᕈᖅ… ᑭᓱ… ᑯᒪᐅᓂᕋᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ. ᑑᒑᖓᑕ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᑭᓪᓕᖓ ᓈᓪᓗᓂ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᖁᑭᖅᑕᐅᒍᓂᑦᑕᐅᖅ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᒃᑲᔭᖅᖢᓂ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐄ. ᐃᓛᒃ, ᕿᓕᕉᒍᓂ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: It’s like a wound, when it’s healing there’s a lot of, like when the narwhal gets shot, the wound tries to heal with lots of lice or bugs on it. And they eat all the dead skin or something. That’s the same as tusk coming out. A lot of little bugs trying to heal that area.

Interviewer: Has she noticed the appearance of those little bugs, more or less, in certain whales that she’s seen? Like, the more the adult, for example: are there more, or children, less. Or…

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐃᓐᓇᐅᓂᖅᓴᓂᒃ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᓂᒃ ᐅᓄᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓲᖑᕙᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᑯᒪᑯᓗᐃᑦ, ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ…

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ; ᐄ. ᐃᓐᓇᐅᓂᖅᓴᓃᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊᓕ ᒪᒃᑖᖅᑭᕈᔪᐃᑦ, ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᐊᓐᓄᐃᑦ ᐱᑕᖃᖃᑦᑕᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: The older whales have a lot more than the teenagers. The teenagers don’t have any at all. (mumbling) the tusk is a lot bigger, the bugs start coming.

Interviewer: Make another note or (mumbling). The other question I have is, on the broken tusks that she’s seen, has she noticed the narwhal’s ability to repair the broken end?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᓱᕋᒃᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᑑᒑᖏᑦ, ᖃᓄᖅ ᐃᖕᒥᓂᒃ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓯᔪᓐᓇᖅᐸᑦ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᑕᐃᒫᒃ ᓱᕋᒃᓯᒪᐃᓐᓇᓲᕌᓗᐃᑦ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ; ᓱᕋᒃᓯᒪᐃᓐᓇᓕᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ. ᓄᐃᕙᓪᓕᐊᑲᓐᓂᖃᑦᑕᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ. ᓇᑲᒃᑯᓂ ᓇᑲᓯᒪᐃᓐᓇᓕᕐᓗᓂ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: Once it’s broken, it’s broken. No way of fixing it or repairing it neither.

Interviewer: When she’s seen the broken edges, are the breaks very sharp, or are they rounded?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᓱᕋᒃᓯᒪᔪᐃᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᐊ… ᖃᓄᖅ… ᖃᓄᖅ… ᐃᒪᓐᓇᐃᓕᖓᓲᖑᕙᑦ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᑲᐱᓇᖃᑦᑕᖅᐸᑦ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᓇᑲᓪᓗᐊᖅᓯᒪᑦᑎᐊᖃᑦᑕᓐᖏᑦᑐᕈᓗᐃᑦ. ᓄᕗᖃᒐᓛᕐᓚᕈᓗᒃᐸᒃᑐᑎᒡᓗ. ᐊᔾᔨᒌᑦᑎᐊᖃᑦᑕᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ. ᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᓇᑲᓪᓗᐊᖅᓯᒪᔪᑯᓘᖃᑦᑕᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ, ᖁᐱᓯᒪᕐᓚᒃᑐᓂ -ᖑᓲᑦ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: There all different kinds of broken tusks. But really there’s a little bit of the sharp edges, sometimes. But usually it’s just straight. Little bit of sharp edges.

Interviewer: On the ones that have been broken, has she noticed any pattern? Do they usually appear maybe just at the tip, or sometimes halfway, or…

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᑕᐃᒃᑯᐊ ᑑᒑᑦ ᓱᕋᒃᓯᒪᓂᖏᑦ, ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑑᑎᐊᓗᖕᓂᒃ ᓱᕋᒃᓯᒪᔪᖃᓲᖑᕙ; ᖄᖓᑐᐊᑯᓗᒃ ᓱᕋᒃᓯᒪᒡᒍᕙ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑑᑎᐊᓘᕙᑦ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᑐᑭᓯᑦᑎᐊᓐᖏᓐᓇᒪ, ᖄᖓᑐᐊᑯᓗᒃ…

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᑕᕝᕙ ᑑᒑᖑᖕᒪᑦ, ᖄᖓᑐᐊᑯᓗᒃ ᓱᕋᒃᓯᒪᓲᖑᕙ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᓐᖏᑦᖢᓂ, ᖁᐱᓯᒪᖅᑰᔨᔪᓐᓇᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᓇᑲᓪᓗᓂᐅᖏᓐᓇᐅᔭᖅᑰᔨᔪᖅ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: There’s a lot of different, different ways of breaking the tusk. She’s not sure.

Interviewer: Of the ones that she’s seen that are broken – I know that we asked in a different way earlier – but, does she think that most of them are naturally occurring, or does she think that during the hunting, that that’s where they’re broken, or when they’re driven into the land? So, in other words, does she think the breaks were naturally occurring, or caused by something else?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᑑᒑᑦ ᓱᕋᒃᑳᖓᑏᒃ, ᐃᒻᒥᓂᒃ ᓱᕋᓲᖑᕚᑦ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐃᓄᖕᒧᑦ ᓱᕋᒃᑕᐅᓲᖑᕙᑦ? ᑕᕝᕙ ᓄᓇᒧᑦ ᓱᕋᒃᑕᐅᓲᖑᕙᑦ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᖁᑭᖅᑕᐅᓇᓱᒃᖢᑎᒃ ᓱᕋᒃᓯᓲᖑᕙᑦ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᖁᑭᒃᓯᓇᓱᒃᑐᒥᒃ ᑑᒑᖓᒍᑦ ᖁᑭᖅᑖᓗᒋᒐᒥᐅᒃ, ᑐᓴᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓐᖏᑦᑐᖓ. ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᓄᓇᒨᖅᑰᖅᑐᖅ ᓱᕋᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ. ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓐᖏᓴᖅᑐᓂ ᑐᖁᕙᓪᓕᐊᓪᓗᓂ ᑕᒪᐅᖓ ᓄᓇᒧᑦ ᑐᓗᖅᐸᒃᖢᓂ, ᓇᑲᑎᕆᓲᑦ. ᐃᓛᒃ, ᓇᑲᒋᐊᓐᖏᒃᑲᓗᐊᖅᖢᒍᖃᐃ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: There’s different ways: one natural way is for them to beach on the rocks, the rocks and stuff. But when the whale gets shot by a person, puts its head around, everything, like it starts getting unconscious, that’s another way of breaking the tusk.

Interviewer: Does she think that there’s any possibility of the tusk being used for any other thing, whether the whale… maybe phrase it this way: It’s such an odd tooth, does she think or has she heard of another reason why this whale has such an unusual tooth?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᖃᓄᐃᒻᒪᑦ, ᖃᓄᐃᒻᒪᐅᓂᐊᕋᓱᒋᕕᐅᒡᓕ ᑕᒪᐅᓈᓗᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᑭᒍᑎᖃᕐᒪᑕ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᐃᑦ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐊᒃᓱᑦ. ᓇᓗᑦᑎᐊᕐᒥᔭᕋ. ᐊᑑᑎᖃᖅᑰᔨᓐᖏᑦᖢᓂ. ᐅᕝᕙᖃᐃ, ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕈᑎᒃᓴᐅᖕᒪᑦ ᑕᕝᕙ…

Laughter

ᑖᑉᓱᒧᖓᓗ ᕿᓚᓗᒐᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᑑᑎᖃᖅᑰᔨᓐᖏᑦᖢᓂ. ᐅᕙᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕈᑎᐅᖕᒪᑦ ᑕᕝᕙ ᐊᑑᑎᑐᐊᖅ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: There’s… She doesn’t know any reason, just being like that. Maybe the tooth is (mumbling) to make human some money.

Interviewer: The angle that the tooth comes out is often very different; what’s the most odd example that she’s seen?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑑᑎᐅᖃᑦᑕᕐᒪᑕ, ᒪᐅᓈᖅᑐᓪᓗ, ᒪᐅᓈᖅᑐᑦ ᑭᒍᑎᖏᑦ; ᑭᓱ ᐊᔾᔨᐅᓐᖏᓛᒥᒃ ᑕᑯᓐᓂᖅᐱᑦ ᑑᒑᕐᒥᒃ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐊᔾᔨᐅᓐᖏᓛᒥᒃ ᑕᑯᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓐᖏᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᖓ. ᑕᒪᔾᔭ ᒪᕐᕉᔭᕌᖓᒥᒃ ᐊᔾᔨᐅᓐᖏᑕᐃᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ. ᑕᒪᐅᓇᓗ ᓴᐅᒥᖔᖓᒎᓚᔪᐃᓐᓈᓘᖂᔨᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᐊᔾᔨᐅᓐᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᔪᓐᓇᓐᖏᑦᑐᖓ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: They pretty much come out the same way. The only different ones she’s ever seen is the ones with the two tusks. Usually the left one being bigger. That’s pretty much the only difference.

Interviewer: Has she ever heard of any other type? Even with the additional tusk coming out, whether it’s from the bottom… has she ever seen one with more than two tusks?

ᑐᓵᔨ: ᑕᑯᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓐᖏᑦᑎᐊᖅᐲᑦ ᒪᕐᕉᒃ or, ᐱᖓᓱᓂᒡᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᑑᒑᖃᖅᑐᒥᒃ?

ᐃᓕᓴᐱ: ᐄ. ᐊᐃᕕᐅᓐᖏᑦᑐᒥᒡᓖ. ᐊᐃᕖᑦ ᐱᖓᓲᓱᖑᓂᐸᖅᑕᐅᔫᒐᓗᐊᑦ, ᕿᓚᓗᒐᕐᒥᒡᓕ ᐱᖓᓱᓂᒃ ᐱᑕᖃᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᖅᑰᓐᖏᑦᑐᖅ. ᑐᓴᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓐᖏᑦᑐᖓ.

ᑐᓵᔨ: She’s seen a walrus with more than two tusks, but never a narwhal.