Takannaaluk

“ᑕᑲᓐᓈᓗᒃ” ᑐᑭᓕᒃ “ᑕᑲᓐᓇ ᑕᐅᓇᓃᑦᑐᖅ”–ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓲᖅ ᑲᓇᑕᒥᐅᑉ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᖓᓂ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᓂᖅᐹᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐅᒃᐱᕆᔭᖏᓐᓂ. ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᒻᒥᔪᖅ ᓴᓐᓇᒥ, ᓄᓕᐊᔪᕐᒥ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒡᓗ, ᑕᑲᓐᓈᓗᒃ ᑲᑉᐱᐊᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᒃᐱᒋᔭᐅᑦᑎᐊᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᓂᓗ ᐊᕐᓇᕆᔭᐅᒻᒪᑦ ᐃᒫᓂ ᐳᐃᔨᓄᑦ. ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖓ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᐱᔭᕆᔭᐅᓂᕐᒥᒃ.

ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑑᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᑕᑲᓐᓈᓗᒃ ᒪᖓᑕᑦᑕᐅᓐᓂᖅᐳᖅ ᐅᐃᑖᖅᑐᓂ ᐃᒫᓃᓲᕐᒥᒃ ᑎᖕᒥᐊᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᖑᑕᐅᖖᒍᐊᖅᑐᓂ ᐃᔅᓯᓐᓇᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᐃᓚᔮᖏᓐᓄᑦ. ᑕᕝᕙᓂ ᐊᔾᔨᖃᖏᑦᑐᒥ ᐊᔾᔨᖖᒍᐊᓕᒻᒥ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᕐᒥ, ᐅᓂᒃᑳᖅ ᓴᖅᑭᑕᐅᑦᑎᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᓐᓇᕐᒧᑦ ᕼᐆᕐᕕ ᐸᓂᐊᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᒻᒪᕆᒃᑐᒧᑦ ᑕᑯᒥᓇᖅᑐᓕᐅᖅᑎᒧᑦ ᔪᕐᒪᐃᓐ ᐊᕐᓇᖅᑕᐅᔪᕐᒧᑦ.

“Takannaaluk” means “the one down there”—a term used in Canada’s High Arctic to refer to the most important being in Inuit mythology. Also known by Sedna, Nuliajuk, and many other names, Takannaaluk came to be both feared and respected as the mother of the sea mammals. But her story begins with a betrayal.

As a young woman, Takannaaluk is tricked into marrying a sea bird posing as a man and then abandoned by her family. In this unique picture book, her story is brought to vivid life by respected elder Herve Paniaq and renowned artist Germaine Arnattaujuq (Arnaktaujok).

Written by Herve Paniaq | Illustrated by Germaine Arnattaujuq (Arnaktaujok)

Hardcover (Bilingual Inuktitut and English) | ISBN: 978–1-77227-181-2 | $16.95 | 8″ x 9″ | 32 pages | Full-colour illustrations throughout | Ages 5–7 | F&P Level P |

Praise

“Germaine Arnaktauyok’s images…are gorgeous, rich in colour and shape, culturally relevant and wholly appropriate for a story from the Arctic, making Takannaaluk bewitching as well as edifying.”—CanLit for Little Canadians

Awards

Aesop Accolade — American Folklore Society, 2019