THE FROZEN NORTH

Evening Star, Issue 21006, 21 January 1932, Page 7

THE FROZEN NORTH

WIVES GAMBLED AWAY WITH THE MOUNTED Wild games of draw poker in which men stake their wives and youthful daughters on the turn of a card when all their other worldly possessions have been lost are being played by certain natives of the Far North. Moreover, the exchanging of wives is a more or less common occurrence in these tribes, the women apparently having no say in the matter whatever. News of the discovery that such barbarous practices are prevalent in the vicinity of Baker Lake, inland from Chesterfield Inlet, on the western shore of Hudson Bay, and of the efforts made to put an end to them has just been revealed to the world with the publication of the latest annual report on the activities of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police by Commissioner Cortland Starnes (writes John T. Brady, in the ‘ San Francisco Chronicle ’). Every year the hardy and adventurous members of the world-famous “ Mounties” arc extending their patrols deeper and deeper into the uncivilised Arctic and sub-Arctic regions _ of Canada. And every year they bring back from those wilds stranger and more amazing tales of real life which would be hard to believe did they not come from such reliable sources and appear in terse matter-of-fact official reports. Shocking as the report of gambling for women and young girls is, it may not stir the. emotions so deeply, however, as the dramatic, tragic story of how a despondent old Eskimo hunter, crippled and helpless from paralysis, prevailed upon his wife to help him commit suicide, and she stood by while he took his own life without making any effort to stop him. This incident shows a peculiarity of Eskimo psychology. Then, by way of relief, comedy and evidence that the “Mounties” who make these long and arduous patrols of the Far North keep their sense of humour despite the hardships they have to endure and frequent sights of human suffering and misery, there is a most amusing story about an Eskimo who would rather hunt wolves than eat or sleep. Jn fact, he got up in the middle of the night and went hunting them with nothing on but his underwear, although the temperature was 40 below zero and there was much snow on the ground. STAKE ALL. , The serious results of the develop(ment of the craze for gambling among the native inlanders of the provisioned district of Keewatin to the north of Manitoba were reported by Corporal H. G. Nichols. He spent the winter of 1929-30 at .Baker Lake, where a new detachment was being established, and being prevented, because of the extreme scarcity of dogs, from making any extensive patrols throughout the whole period, he employed his time to good advantage studying the natives. He visited and talked with all natives from the various camps inland when they arrived at_ the two trading posts to trade in their fur, and as a result of questioning them about their mode of living, he states: — “I am of the opinion that natives, more especially the inlanders, spend a considerable time during the rough weather gambling. Apparently it is a more or less common event for a man to gamble his wife or daughters, apart from foxes, rifles, etc, “ One case on the settlement camp to my notice during the winter. Native Soodyyailuk, now employed by the Dominion Explorers, had lost, by card playing, to native Ishootmata his tent, rifle, ammunition, one dog, deerskins, snowknife, in fact, all his worldly possessions. MORE SERIOUS. “ In response to my inquiries, Ishootmata produced a pack of cards and I discovered that the game played was draw poker. I had the articles mentioned returned to the , former owner, and informed all natives that gambling was wrong and would therefore cease. It was at this inquiry that I heard of the more serious gambling inland. “I am unaware whether polygamy or polyandry exists among any of the various tribes. Neither occurs amongst the Krainelmiut, though I am almost sure polygamy is practised amongst the inlanders. The exchanging of wives is a more or less common occurrence, the women apparently having no voice in the matter whatsoever but merely obeying the husband.” Though the primary object of these, long patrols which the “Mounties” make into . the northern Canadian wilderness is to encourage respect for law and order, they also have a humanitarian aspect, for the patrolmen often discover and take steps to relieve cases of physical suffering and destitution. A typical example of this relief work is given by Corporal Nichols. The native Shilictuk fell sick with obscure stomach trouble in the fall or early winter of 1929-30, and he was also somewhat handicapped by a crippled thigh. Immediately he heard of this Corporal Nichols set out with hired natives and a team of dogs for Shilictuk’s camp, about fifty miles inland, north-west of the post on Baker Lake. Upon arrival at his destination the officer found that the Shilictuk family consisted of a man, his wife, and three children. None of them were able to hunt or trap, and all were in a halfstarved condition. The eldest girl, about seventeen years of age, bad also fallen sick apparently about Christmas and had not left the snowhouse for weeks. She was dragging herself about dh hands and knees and presented a pitiable sight when Corporal Nichols came to the rescue. He brought this family, with all their goods, into the post, and authorised the post manager of the Hudson’s Bay Company to issue a destitution ration until the police supplies could he landed in the summer. STRANGE SUICIDE. In another case of hopeless illness, that was not brought to the attention of the “ Mounties ” until it was too late to prevent a tragedy, an Eskimo in the Coronation Gulf region committed suicide in a manner remarkable for the deliberation and determination shown, and for the attitude of the eye witnesses. Reporting on this affair, Sergeant E. G. Baker, in charge of the detachment at Cambridge Bay, says “ From inquiries made in this case I found that Mukhagaluk, a man of about fifty years of age, who was a cripple, having been paralysed in spine and hips for some considerable time, and consequently unable to provide for himself and wife, had hanged himself in his snowhouse on a small island near the mouth of the Kugarynak River, approximately ten miles west of Ellice River. “Konaikuk, his son-in-law, who had been supporting deceased and his wife, left the camp four days previously and Mukhagaluk seemed to_ have the impression that ho was being abandoned. This worried him to such fW extent

that he determined to take his own life. This he accomplished by hanging himself to a double strand of cotton backing twine made fast to a stick across the roof of the snowhouse. He had threatened to kill himself each day since the departure of his son-in-law, had repeatedly asked his wife for a rifle to shoot himself with, and had made an attempt to choke himself with his fingers. “ On the fourth day so insistent was he that he prevailed upon his wife, Kaiaryuk, to attach the string to the pole across the roof. He then, with difficulty on account of his'lameness, crawled along the snow bench and, making a noose in the string, put it around his neck and hung his head therein until death occurred. ALWAYS OBEYS. “ Remarkable as it may appear, this took place while other natives were present in the snow, all of whom remonstrated with him to desist, but none of them made any attempt actually to prevent him. “ In order to appreciate this attitude it is necessary to consider the psychology of these people. It is natural among them not to interfere physically with the action of another so long as those actions affect no one other than the persom himself. In regard to the action of the wife, Kaiaryuk, who tied the string to the roof pole, she would feel that she was doing so by compulsion, as the husband is always considered to be the head of the household, and his desires and orders are invariably* carried out.” After an inquiry Sergeant Baker did not feel justified iii charging the woman with the offence, and was satisfied that the greatest amount of good could be accomplished by not doing so, as she had the sympathy of all who knew of her unfortunate position. The account of a heavy winter patrol which was made from the Bache Peninsula to the west coast of Ellesmere Island, across it to the east coast and then down to the southern end, provides some humour. This, patrol was made by Constables N. M'Lean and W. C. Beatty, with the Eskimo hunter Nookapeeungwah, who loses no opportunity to avenge the death of Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother, even at the risk of exposure that might land, him in gaol here, but is much more dangerous to his health in the Far North. IN A HURRY. Many wolves were encountered on this patrol, especially after Bay Fiord was reached. The "party made camp there, and Constable M'Lean reports: “ During the night we were awakened by wolves howling outside the igloo, so Nookapeeungwah jumped up out of his sleeping bag, and only waiting to put on a pair of kuniks went out. But owing to the fact that he was just awakened he could not get a very good sight, and missed a shot at about 50yds. But this man is kuch a keen wolf hunter that he immediately followed the pack, and after going about 500yds he got another shot at one' and bagged it. “ By this time he decided that it was rather cool to be out at 40 below with nothing on but a suit of undejwear and a pair of kuniks, so he came back to the igloo, dressed, and left again. It was several houfs before he came back, but he did not see any wolves.” Owing to a great ‘scarcity of game, due to the presence of so many wolves along the route covered by this patrol, the problem of replenishing the expedition’s supply of dog food became _ a serious one, and when Bjorne Peninsula was reached there was only enough meat left for a small snack for two teams. So Constable M'Lean let his comrades use it for their dogs and gave his own some bacon that he had for himself. This emergency ended the next day, however; when a herd of nine musk oxen were sighted, and two were killed. '

“ While we were skinning them,” Constable M'Lean tells us, “ I happened to look up, and there were four wolves about 200yds off, but as soon as I moved to grit one of the rifles, which were on the komatik, they beat it for the hills.”