English, she can sew better than I,” the old woman told her daughters. I felt a flood of pride as they examined my stitches.
“She’s full of pure enthusiasm for her work,” Mitti Diebitsch went on. “I believe she could make a lady’s gown in a single day.”
Mitti Peary looked at me. “Billy Bah, would you like to do more sewing?”
I beamed. “Yes.”
My morning grew even happier. Mitti Peary took me upstairs to her room and opened a chest. Inside, in boxes with pictures on them, were needles, thread, buttons, laces, ribbons, and materials of every color. She smiled and put a gold button in my hand.
The shiny, patterned button and scraps of the blue material I gathered from the table became the start of mycollection of treasures. One day, I’d describe the white man’s world to my family. With my treasures, my proof, I’d show them the beauty and the strangeness of the place. Without these things, no one would truly believe I had seen such wonders.
Now, in Musk Ox Land, snug and warm between layers of thick seal furs, I awoke to sounds of children all talking at once. Then a woman said: “They don’t think they can save the ship.”
Save the ship?
What was happening? I sat up and rubbed my eyes. A small boy and girl crouched around a cooking pot, taking turns sipping soup from it. As the previous night came back to me, I recognized the shapeless woman with long white hair sitting next to them.
After Duncan put us ashore, Angulluk and I had struggled against the wind to set up our tent. As we fought the snowstorm to find a temporary shelter, we were lucky, and came across the old woman’s igloo. She and her son and daughter-in-law had welcomed us and given us warm musk ox broth. We’d feasted on musk ox meat and fallen asleep.
Now my eyes met hers. The white-haired woman said, “You look better today. My name is Navarana. Tell me yours again.”
“Eqariusaq.” Then I added, “The
qallunaat
call me Billy Bah.”
“What does it matter what the
qallunaat
say?” Shescowled. “Eqariusaq is a good name. I don’t like this other one—Bill-eee baah.”
“I like it.”
She eyed the ribbon in my hair as I studied the deep, wavy lines on her forehead. Her teeth were ground down to tiny stubs from chewing hides. I had rarely seen a person so old. She must have been more than sixty winters; most of our people died by the time they’d seen forty.
She looked at me with sympathy. Her shrewd eyes told me that she already knew and understood everything about me. “You were exhausted. You must have slept well.”
“Ii,”
I said. “Very well, Aana.” Grandmother, our greeting for an elder woman. I stretched out my cramped legs. The fierce storm had forced snow inside the fur cuffs of my
kapatak
, leaving me wet and stiff all the way to my bones.
“The wind was very strong most of the night. You slept through all that howling.”
“It was the best rest I’ve had in many nights,” I said. “I’m grateful to you for taking care of my husband and me. Is he looking for our tent?”
She nodded kindly. “Tending to that and to your dogs. My son and his wife are down on the beach. Come, have some broth.”
What did she mean about saving the ship?
I was keen to know. But it would be rude to ask too many questions before we’d been properly acquainted. I joined Navarana and the children at the center of the igloo. A pretty girlabout Marie’s age handed me the cooking pot. She had laughing eyes and a space between her two large front teeth. I silently named her Tooth Girl.
The delicious broth warmed me.
After the meal, I ventured, “Did I hear you say something about the ship?”
“That big ship is lying on its side over the rocks.”
A shipwreck! Duncan—hurt, or dead? Marie? Mitti Peary?
I stood up.
“Let the men do their work. Now you should rest.”
“Aana.” I spoke more sharply than I intended. “I must see what is happening.”
“As you like.”
I pulled on my
kamiit
and
“She’s full of pure enthusiasm for her work,” Mitti Diebitsch went on. “I believe she could make a lady’s gown in a single day.”
Mitti Peary looked at me. “Billy Bah, would you like to do more sewing?”
I beamed. “Yes.”
My morning grew even happier. Mitti Peary took me upstairs to her room and opened a chest. Inside, in boxes with pictures on them, were needles, thread, buttons, laces, ribbons, and materials of every color. She smiled and put a gold button in my hand.
The shiny, patterned button and scraps of the blue material I gathered from the table became the start of mycollection of treasures. One day, I’d describe the white man’s world to my family. With my treasures, my proof, I’d show them the beauty and the strangeness of the place. Without these things, no one would truly believe I had seen such wonders.
Now, in Musk Ox Land, snug and warm between layers of thick seal furs, I awoke to sounds of children all talking at once. Then a woman said: “They don’t think they can save the ship.”
Save the ship?
What was happening? I sat up and rubbed my eyes. A small boy and girl crouched around a cooking pot, taking turns sipping soup from it. As the previous night came back to me, I recognized the shapeless woman with long white hair sitting next to them.
After Duncan put us ashore, Angulluk and I had struggled against the wind to set up our tent. As we fought the snowstorm to find a temporary shelter, we were lucky, and came across the old woman’s igloo. She and her son and daughter-in-law had welcomed us and given us warm musk ox broth. We’d feasted on musk ox meat and fallen asleep.
Now my eyes met hers. The white-haired woman said, “You look better today. My name is Navarana. Tell me yours again.”
“Eqariusaq.” Then I added, “The
qallunaat
call me Billy Bah.”
“What does it matter what the
qallunaat
say?” Shescowled. “Eqariusaq is a good name. I don’t like this other one—Bill-eee baah.”
“I like it.”
She eyed the ribbon in my hair as I studied the deep, wavy lines on her forehead. Her teeth were ground down to tiny stubs from chewing hides. I had rarely seen a person so old. She must have been more than sixty winters; most of our people died by the time they’d seen forty.
She looked at me with sympathy. Her shrewd eyes told me that she already knew and understood everything about me. “You were exhausted. You must have slept well.”
“Ii,”
I said. “Very well, Aana.” Grandmother, our greeting for an elder woman. I stretched out my cramped legs. The fierce storm had forced snow inside the fur cuffs of my
kapatak
, leaving me wet and stiff all the way to my bones.
“The wind was very strong most of the night. You slept through all that howling.”
“It was the best rest I’ve had in many nights,” I said. “I’m grateful to you for taking care of my husband and me. Is he looking for our tent?”
She nodded kindly. “Tending to that and to your dogs. My son and his wife are down on the beach. Come, have some broth.”
What did she mean about saving the ship?
I was keen to know. But it would be rude to ask too many questions before we’d been properly acquainted. I joined Navarana and the children at the center of the igloo. A pretty girlabout Marie’s age handed me the cooking pot. She had laughing eyes and a space between her two large front teeth. I silently named her Tooth Girl.
The delicious broth warmed me.
After the meal, I ventured, “Did I hear you say something about the ship?”
“That big ship is lying on its side over the rocks.”
A shipwreck! Duncan—hurt, or dead? Marie? Mitti Peary?
I stood up.
“Let the men do their work. Now you should rest.”
“Aana.” I spoke more sharply than I intended. “I must see what is happening.”
“As you like.”
I pulled on my
kamiit
and
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