Stephen Angulalik facts for kids

Stephen Angulalik (born around 1898, died 1980) was a well-known Ahiarmiut Inuk from northern Canada. He was famous as a Kitikmeot fur trader and ran a trading post in Kuugjuaq, also known as Perry River, in the Northwest Territories. His life story and photographs were shared in magazines and newspapers all over the world.

Stephen Angulalik: A Famous Inuit Trader

Early Life and Family

Angulalik was born near the Ellice River on the Queen Maud Gulf. His parents, Oakoak (father) and Okalitaaknahik (mother), were Caribou Inuit.

In 1923, Angulalik lived near a Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) post on the Kent Peninsula. The HBC is a very old Canadian company that was important for trading goods. This post had opened three years earlier and was managed by Hugh Clarke. It was one of the most distant HBC posts in the Canadian Arctic. Angulalik learned a lot about the fur trading business from Clarke.

In 1926, Clarke and George Porter opened another trading post for a company called Canalaska. This new post was in Perry River. They likely chose this spot because many Ahiarmiut people were moving there, and caribou were becoming harder to find on the Kent Peninsula. Clarke even built a home for Angulalik. This helped make sure the Ahiarmiut people would trade with the Canalaska post instead of a nearby HBC post.

Building a Trading Business

In 1928, new laws caused both trading posts to close. However, Angulalik continued to trade independently, getting his supplies from Canalaska. When Canalaska was sold to the Hudson's Bay Company, the agreement included a special rule. The HBC post in Cambridge Bay would continue to supply Angulalik with goods for his trading business.

The "Tudlik" Schooner

In 1929, Angulalik traveled to Herschel Island and bought a schooner (a type of sailing ship) called the "Tudlik" from Canalaska. He used the "Tudlik" throughout his career to transport goods from Cambridge Bay or Herschel Island to his own trading post.

His store had some surprising items, like parasols and umbrellas. The Inuit people found a clever new use for them. When covered with white cotton, these items became easy-to-carry shields. Hunters could use them to sneak up on seals sleeping on the spring ice.

Trading with Different Inuit Groups

Angulalik traded with many different Copper Inuit groups. These included the Hanningajurmiut from Garry Lake and the Illuilirmiut from Adelaide Peninsula. Since these Inuit groups were located between Angulalik's Perry River post and the Gjoa Haven HBC post, Angulalik set up a smaller outpost closer to them. This outpost was at Sherman Inlet and helped him secure their business. His adopted son, George Oakoak, managed it from 1948 to 1955.

Angulalik's trading businesses were very successful, even though he could not speak or write English. He often got help from others or copied words from the boxes he received. This sometimes led to funny situations, like him ordering "5 cases of This Side Up"!

Challenges and Changes

In 1956, Angulalik was involved in a difficult situation where he defended himself. Sadly, another person involved passed away a few days later. This event led Angulalik to sell his Perry River trading operations to the Hudson's Bay Company in 1957. He later faced a legal process in Cambridge Bay but was found not guilty. After this, he returned to the Perry River post and worked with the new young manager, Red Pedersen, who became a lifelong friend. Angulalik stayed there until the post closed in 1967.

His Family and Later Years

Among the Ahiarmiut people, it was sometimes customary for a man to have more than one wife. At one time, Angulalik had two wives, and they were featured in Life Magazine in October 1937. His first wife was Kuptana, who passed away in 1939. His second wife was Koloahok, who passed away in 1938.

After this, Angulalik was baptized "Stephen" in 1938, according to Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sergeant Henry Larsen. In 1941, Angulalik married Mabel Ekvana, who was about 16 years old. Together, they raised 11 children.

Mabel Ekvana Angulalik shared memories of their life: "Inuit had used this area to trap foxes. I have gone trapping with Angulalik when we were just married. A long time ago on this river, Perry River we would set traps all along the shores of this river. When he ran the post, he enjoyed travelling and setting traps... we would travel up river not very far and set up traps with help from young men. He would always have someone helping him all the time. We would set traps along the coast by Sherman Inlet."

In 1967, Angulalik and Ekvana moved to Cambridge Bay. Their children attended the local school, and they lived a more settled life for most of the year. However, every summer, they would return to Perry River. Unlike many other adults, Angulalik could not read or write Inuktitut.

A Love for Photography

He loved photography, though, and owned cameras and other equipment. His photographs are now part of a collection at the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa.

Awards and Recognition

• 1935, King George V Silver Jubilee Medal
• 1953, Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal

See Also

• Notable Aboriginal people of Canada