One of Arctic Bay’s Elders, and one of my favourite people, died this evening here in Arctic Bay. Kautaq Joseph was a fantastic woman, born around 1930, with sparkling eyes and a ready smile, a truly beautiful woman. She had lived in Arctic Bay (the community) longer than anyone else, having moved here when she was about 3 years old. Her father had worked for the Hudson Bay Company. Growing up around the Hudson Bay post meant that she spoke English better than anyone else of her generation here. She was one of the first people to welcome me to Arctic Bay, and always had time for me. She also excelled at making my favourite country food, strips of seal cooked on a rock over a heather fire. Yum.
A short time after I arrived here I was given a book, written by a woman who spent a year here, with her husband at the meteorological station in 1945. In it Kautaq was mentioned, and there were pictures of her as a young woman. I took the book to her to show her, and she was familiar with it. It was written in a less enlightened time and had some unflattering things to say about Inuit. Kautaq said to me, "Some things in that book are true, some of it is not". And proceeded to tell me stories of her father and of other people in Arctic Bay connected in some way to the book ("Did you know that that man Jimmy is so and so’s real father"). She knew of my interest in history and helped me understand the way things were. Leah and I had been talking recently that we need to interview her on video for posterity. I guess we shouldn’t have just talked about it.
I worked with Kautaq as she was a member of the inumarit (The elders, who served as an adult justice committee here in town). By far the most progressive thinker, her opinion carried a lot of weight with me, and she was one of the few who wouldn’t cotton to any violence against women in the community. She was also very active in the movement to fight the suicide epidemic that has such a hold on Nunavut. One of her daughters wrote children’s books (from which I learned the word for snow), another grew up to be Nunavut’s first Language Commissioner.
Unfortunately like so many people in Nunavut (young and old) she smoked, and a lifetime of smoking carries a heavy price. Lung disease has now robbed Arctic Bay, and indeed Nunavut, of one of it’s greatest citizens. She will be sorrily missed, and not the least by me. Taima. 
First photo by Patricia D’Souza (Nunatsiaq News). Second Photo courtesy Stewart Klebert (CCG)
Comments
9 responses
Thanks Clare for the kind words. Kautaq was very involved in our lives in Arctic Bay, and she was kind of my role model, in that she was an interpreter while I was growing up, I use to envy the way she could talk in a strange language.
I shall cherish the advise and wisdom she bestoyed on us all.
Thanks Mishak, I hadn’t realized that you were reading the blog. (As a point of interest to others Mishak is standing on the other side of the inuksuk in the picture above, I just cropped it to include only Kautaq. It was taken high above Fellfoot Point, at Maxwell Bay on Devon Island)
I am sure her memory will last long in your community. You were lucky to meet and be friends with such a strong person.
Kautaq Joseph (c1930-2005)
(Clare Kines/The House & Other Arctic Musings blog, 30 October 2005) — One of Arctic Bay’s Elders, and one of my favourite people, died this evening here in Arctic Bay.
Clare, what a nice honour you’ve done for her and the wisdom of generations. How fortunate for both of you to have known each other.
Hello Clare, I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Kautaq. She was certainly a real bright spot in one of my most memorable trips North. It was a pleasure having both Kautaq and Mishak onboard for our trip to Fellfoot Point.
Hi, I have just found out that my great great grandfather who was a seaman on the whaling ship Resolute was buried at Fellfoot Point in 1885. Can you please tell me more about it?
I visited Arctic Bay once, I believe Kautaq was in the school in some program, she struck me as a very unique person, and your comments about her solidified my impressions about her. Until now, I didn’t realize she left us. Thanks for this blog.
She was a very special person Eric. Thanks for visiting.