Nunavut family discovers father's long-lost story on CBC podcast

A family in Nunavut recently discovered their late father's voice on a CBC North podcast.

The podcast, Inuit Unikkaangit, released an episode with an unknown storyteller talking about how to interpret the wind, and the things it can tell you. 

The host, Mary Powder, has been digitizing decades worth of CBC content in Inuktitut and has discovered many stories. The eight-episode series features storytellers from across the Nunavut and Nunavik — but the identities of three were unknown.

After episode three aired, Audrey Qamanirq, who lives in Igloolik, Nunavut, got a message from a friend telling her that the storyteller talking about wind was Audrey's father, Philip Qamanirq.

"I was so excited, my late father had so many stories," she told Powder in a bonus episode airing Tuesday. "Stories about Inuit culture and Inuit ways, I was so happy, one of his stories was found."

Audrey's brother also heard the episode and contacted Powder to reveal his father's name as the storyteller. 

Audrey said her father died nearly 20 years ago, but he passed his stories on to her, many of which she videotaped, or recorded. She's never played them for anyone else.

"I loved my father, it was kind of hard to try and listen or watch them," she said.

"I would like to have all my siblings, family members and my father's family members to listen and/or watch the stories someday."

She said his stories were about Inuit traditions, parenting and relationships, sewing, hunting and animals. Philip Qamanirq wrote daily notes, Audrey said, which she has and reads sometimes. She also has Inuit tools that he made — utensils and ulus (traditional Inuit knives), and figurines made of seal bones.

Identities of 2 storytellers still unknown

Audrey said her father taught himself how to read Inuktitut syllabics through the Bible, which he read daily. He also sat on elders' committees, and helped people any way he knew how.

Audrey said her father's knowledge sharing has inspired her.

"I try my best to help other fellow Inuit, to pass on the Inuit knowledge," she said.

"I teach sewing, go on the land and make other things that Inuit make. He wanted Inuit culture and Inuit ways to be known."

Episodes of Inuit Unikkaangit can be found here, including the bonus episode of Audrey Qamanirq. The identities of the two other mystery storytellers are still unknown.