July 19, 2013

A unique life


The Shaman's Nephew: A Life in the Far North
by Simon Tookoome with Sheldon Oberman


Simon Tookoome was one of the last Inuit to live a traditional nomadic life. He resisted government efforts to leave his land and continued to follow the caribou and the seals. He was eventually compelled to join his family in Baker Lake, west of Hudson Bay, where he began his artistic career. This is Tookoome's memories of his life on the land.

Tookoom talks about his beliefs, culture, and family, revealing a very unique way of life. When he describes the foreignness of the Kabloonaq's (white people's) homes and food, you begin to understand why the creation of reservations was so destructive. And when he talks about animals, spirits, and shamans, and how they influence his paintings, you can see the oneness between nature and the Inuit.




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