History of the Tunrit

When our forefathers came to these hunting grounds

the Tunrit people already lived here.

it was the Tunrit who first learned

how to survive in this difficult country.

They showed us the caribou crossing places

and taught us the special way to fish in the rivers.

Our people came from inland

so we love caribou hunting more than anything else,

but the Tunrit were sea people

and preferred to hunt seal.

They actually went out on the salt sea in their kayaks,

hunting seal in open water. That takes nerve.

We only hunt them through the ice at their breathing holes.

They also caught whales and walruses as they swam by:

The bones of these creatures are still lying around

in the wrecks of the Tunrit houses.

And they hunted bear and wore their skins for clothes.

We wear caribou.

The Tunrit were strong, but easily frightened.

In a fight they would rather run than kill. Anyway,

you never heard of them killing anyone.

And we lived among the Tunrit in those days peacefully,

for they let us come and share their land:

until once by accident some of them killed one of our dogs

and ran away scared, leaving their homeland.