Simon Tookoome facts for kids

Simon Tookoome (born December 9, 1934, in Chantrey Inlet – died November 7, 2010, in Baker Lake) was an important Inuk artist. He was from the Utkusiksalingmiut Inuit group.

Life Story

When Simon Tookoome was young, he and other Utkusiksalingmiut people lived near the Back River. They also lived in Gjoa Haven on King William Island. There, he met and learned from the Netsilik Inuit.

In the 1960s, his family and community faced very tough times finding food. Because of this, he moved to Baker Lake, Nunavut, Canada. In 1969, people who helped artists arrived in Baker Lake. That's when Tookoome started to draw and carve stones. He was one of the people who helped start the Sanavik Co-op, which supports Inuit artists.

Simon Tookoome passed away in Baker Lake, Nunavut, on November 7, 2010.

His Art and Stories

Simon Tookoome wrote a children's book called Shaman's Nephew: A Life in the Far North. He wrote it with Sheldon Oberman. This book tells the story of Tookoome's own childhood. It shares what life was like growing up with traditional Inuit ways. He wrote about hunting and his first experiences with people who were not Inuit. The book won the $10,000 Norma Fleck Award for Canadian children's non-fiction in 2000.

His stories also appeared in another book, Irene Avaalaaqiaq Myth and Reality. In one story, he shared a powerful memory from 1957. Food was very hard to find, and many people were hungry. His family survived by eating fish. He remembered praying for help near a large rock. Soon after, five healthy caribou appeared. He was able to hunt them easily, even though it seemed impossible. He felt very thankful to the caribou. He showed his respect by shaking their hooves and giving them water. He always hunted with deep respect for animals after that day.

Besides being a skilled artist, Tookoome was also known as a master at using a whip.