![]() ![]() The blessings of Sedna are still sought by the people of the North, who know it is She who sustains them.A harpoon is a tool used in the Fishing skill to fish in fishing spots with the "Harpoon Fishing spot" option. As the young woman sank into the sea she was transformed into the mystical being known as Sedna, Mother of Oceans and ruler over all life in the Sea. When Sedna’s fingers fell into the water, they became whales, seals and polar bears, and the nails became whalebone. Sedna fell in to the water and soon sank below the waves and was gone. The selfish father, fearing for his own life, swung his knife and chopped off her fingers. Trying to save herself, Senda grasped the sides of the boat and pleaded with her father to pull her back into the boat. Fearing the power of the sea bird, the father decided to rid himself of his daughter and threw her into the sea. The angry and abandoned sea bird made a great storm to stop them. Father and daughter began the long journey home in a skin boat. On hearing what had really happened, her father set out to rescue his rebellious daughter.įinding Sedna in the nest of the Sea Bird, he spirited her away. Long, long ago, when Sedna was a young girl she refused suitors from her own clan, instead Sedna chose a mysterious lover who turned out to be a sea bird in disguise. The Sedna Tales tell of a willful, strong young woman and a great storm. Sedna’s story is one of the most popular Inuit Legends. She is the Sea Goddess who drives the walrus and seal to the Inuit and ensures a bountiful hunt. Sedna is known as Niviaqsiaq, Talilajuq, Nuliajuk and by many other names. Without Her blessing, hunts fail and the people starve. It is Sedna who rewards the people of the land with food from the sea. As the stringer grew heavier, it was pulled ashore and the fish were laid out on the side of the river. The needle was passed through the fish just behind the operculum, through or under the spine. A fish needle (mitqun or nuvit ikaalukmut or qupirut) was used to string the fish together on a thong. The central prong pierced the fish, and the two arms spread out, the barbs catching in the side of the fish and holding it. The fish were speared with pronged spears (singular: kakivak plural: kakivat). This watcher alerted all others, ran out to close off the channel with stones, and the fishing began. A watcher on shore could easily see fins and tails as fish began to use the passage. Often a narrow channel was left open in the edge of the weir, floored with stones until only a shallow stream of water flowed over the stones. People sometimes walled in the opposite edge of the crescent to keep the fish from escaping, or simply waded in, trapping the fish in the weir and spearing or hooking them with hooks on long handles. Weirs were constructed by piling stones in a crescent shape from the shore out into the flow of the river, and gradually building the stone wall up until it could trap fish. Inuit often fished by using stone weirs at the mouths of Nunavut’s rivers. ![]() The concept of recreational sport fishing is a new idea to the native culture of Nunavut – however many communities enjoy spring fishing derbies for lake trout, cod or sculpin featuring friendly competition and generous prizes for the fastest-caught and the largest fish. One of the most popular means of harvesting fish among the Inuit is by casting and snagging with large weighted hooks. Today there are few harvest restrictions for the Inuit, who continue to catch fish by traditional means as well as by rod and reel. Fishing hooks were made of wood, bone, antlers and claws as well as sharpened goose bones and the jaw bones of large fish.įor the Inuit, fishing has always been a means of harvesting food. These homemade spinners were dragged through the water with a hand line to attract arctic char. The Inuit excelled at creating highly realistic fishing lures from bone, shell and antler. Nets were also set in winter between holes in the ice. They were strung across streams and rivers during arctic char runs. ![]() Nets were woven from thinly sliced leather or animal sinew – the tough fibrous tissue uniting muscle to bone. In winter, spear fishing involved boring holes through the ice and exercising a great deal of patience before wielding kakivait or harpoons with deadly accuracy. Carved from walrus ivory, traditional Inuit harpoon heads detach in the deep muscle tissue and bone of an animal or fish. Harpoons have a detachable projectile head fastened to a hand-held line. Harpoons and spears were important items in the fishing arsenal of the Inuit. Traditionally, they fished using their hands, weirs and three-pronged fishing spears. For over 1000 years Inuit have been catching a wide variety of marine life in ingenious ways. ![]()
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