The Middle of Everywhere (20 page)
“The Inuit say you can make the lights dance by whistling loudly.”
And so, lying on our backs in the snow, our arms spread out like wings, Dad and I try whistling. The cold air comes shooting down our lungs on the inhale, but the whistles come out okay.
If anyone saw us, they'd definitely think we were crazy. But no one sees us. And the funny thing is, the lights really do dance when we whistle.
| ataata | dad |
| anaana | mom |
| Inuk | Inuit person (singular) |
| Inuit | Inuit people (plural) |
| inukshuk | manmade stone landmark used for navigation or as marker for hunting grounds; literally standing man |
| Inuktitut | Inuit language |
| nassak | traditional Inuit woolen cap, usually with a pompom |
| nulujiutik | wood plank with an eye screw at one end, used for ice fishing |
| Qallunaaq | non-Inuit person (singular) |
| Qallunaat | non-Inuit people (plural) |
| qamutik | sled |
| tuuk | stick with sharp metal end, used to make hole |
This book was “born” in February 2007 when I traveled to Nunavik, Quebec, as part of the Blue Metropolis Literary Foundation's Quebec Roots project. Special thanks to my traveling companions Maïté de Hemptinne, coordinator of educational programs at Blue Met, and photographer Monique Dykstra. Thanks also to the rest of the Blue Met team, to the Kativik School Board and to the Quebec Culture in the Schools program. Even a writer cannot find words to thank our friends in Kangiqsualujjuaq and Kuujjuaq for welcoming us into their homes and their communities. I owe a particular debt to Isabelle Guay, my host in Kangiqsualujjuaq, for her friendship and for answering my questions about life in the North; to Nancy Etok and Gillian Warner for reading the first draft of this book; and to Mark Brazeau, who read the first and final drafts and who spent too many hours answering my questions and setting me straight. I could never have written this book without all of you. Thanks too, to the wonderful team at Orca Book Publishers, especially to my smart and sensitive editor, the very dear Sarah Harvey, for taking such good care of another project that is so close to my heart. And as always, thanks to Mike and Alicia, whose love makes all things possible.
Monique Polak is the author of eleven books for young adults, including
What World is Left
, a novel about the Holocaust. She teaches English literature, creative writing and humanities at Marianopolis College in Montreal. She is also an active freelance journalist, whose work appears regularly in publications across the country. This book was inspired by Monique's trip to Nunavik in 2007.