Nuliajuk facts for kids

Nuliajuk is a powerful goddess from the Netsilik Inuit people. She lives deep at the bottom of the sea. Nuliajuk controls all the important sea animals like seals, walruses, and sea lions.

Sometimes, if people do not follow certain rules or traditions, Nuliajuk gets upset. When she is angry, she traps the sea animals. This means hunters cannot find any food. To help their people, shamans (spiritual leaders) must visit Nuliajuk. They try to calm her down so she will release the animals.

The Story of Nuliajuk's Fingers

Here is a famous story about Nuliajuk from the Kivalliq Region. It explains why she is so powerful.

Nuliajuk has lived in the ocean for a very, very long time. She sits on the ocean floor, and her long hair floats and sways with the water. If you look into the sea from a boat on a calm summer day, you might even imagine you see her hair moving below.

Sometimes, Nuliajuk's hair gets very tangled. When this happens, sea creatures get caught in it. They try hard to escape, but they cannot. It would be easy for Nuliajuk to comb her hair and free the animals, but she cannot. Nuliajuk has no fingers.

How Nuliajuk Lost Her Fingers

A long time ago, Nuliajuk was a young girl. She lived in a very hard world. There were no animals to hunt, like caribou, seals, whales, or fish. Her family was starving and could not feed her. Nuliajuk refused to marry anyone, even though having a husband would have helped support her.

One day, Nuliajuk's parents decided to leave her behind. They loaded their boat with their few belongings and went to find a new hunting place. They could no longer support a daughter who refused to marry.

Nuliajuk did not want to be left behind. She swam out to the boat and grabbed onto its side, called the gunwale. She tried to climb in. But her father took his axe and chopped off her fingers to stop her from getting on board.

Nuliajuk could no longer hold on. She slipped down into the deep sea. That is where she lives to this day. As her fingers fell into the water, one by one, they changed. Each finger became a different sea animal. They became whales, walruses, fish, and all the other creatures of the sea.

Nuliajuk's Anger and the Shamans

Because Nuliajuk has no fingers, she cannot comb her hair. When her hair gets tangled, the animals caught in it tickle her head. This makes her very angry. She shakes her head, screams, and moves her arms wildly. This makes the ocean boil and creates huge waves.

When Nuliajuk's hair is tangled, no animals can be hunted. There is no meat to eat, no sealskin for boats, and no whale meat for dogs. Even if there were animals, no one could go hunting in the stormy sea when Nuliajuk is angry. She has become the most feared being in the land. She holds the power of life and death over all the people.

Only the shamans can calm her down. From time to time, they dive deep to the bottom of the sea. They gently comb her hair, making it neat and tidy. They free the trapped animals. They soothe Nuliajuk and help her settle down. Then, the sea becomes calm and smooth again. Seals, walruses, fish, and whales return. People can go out to hunt and find food to eat.