Kikkik: Difference between revisions

'''Kikkik''' was an [[Inuit]] woman who, in 1958, was charged with, but acquitted of, murder, [[child neglect]] and causing the death of one of her children. Her story was told by [[Farley Mowat]].

During 1957 [[Reindeer|caribou]], the Ihalmiut's main source of food, [[Reindeer|caribou]] did not appear. Consequently, the Henik group began to starve during the winter. Kikkik, her husband Hallow (Hallauk), and their children (son Karlak; daughters Ailoyoak, Annecatha, Nesha, and baby Nokahhak [Elisapee]) had their [[igloo]] close to her half-brother Ootek (Ootuk) and his family. Ootek had not been able to provide for his family. Now Ootek told his wife that he was going to the [[trading post]] at Padlei, but went and visited Hallow. Hallow left to go fishing and, after a short period, he was followed by Ootek, who had brought his rifle. Creeping up behind Hallow, who was fishing, Ootek shot him in the back of the head.

Kikkik found her dead husband and placed his rifle next to him, as is the Ihalmiut's custom. She loaded up a sled with the few supplies she had, bundled her infant onto her back, and began the 40 mile walk to Padlei with the children. After a few days she met Yahah, Hallow's brother, and she followed him to his camp. She waited there while her brother-in-law went to Padlei. After five days, without food, and no sign of Yahah, she and the children resumed the trek. After a few more days, she was unable to continue with all the children and left Annecatha and Nesha, both under age 10, wrapped in sealcaribou skin, in an igloo she made with a frying pan.

Kikkik, Karlak, Ailoyoak, and baby Nokahhak were rescued by a [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] aircraft that also was able to find the two stranded girls, one of whom had died. Kikkik was charged with the murder of Ootek, child neglect for abandoning Annecatha, and causing the death of Nesha.

At her trial, in [[Rankin Inlet, Nunavut|Rankin Inlet]], presided over by Judge [[John Sissons]], Kikkik was found not guilty of all charges. Sissons, in his remarks to the jury said the case "demands that we revert our thinking to an earlier age and try to understand Kikkik and her life and her land and her society" and that she should be judged by her culture.

Her story was featured in the 1959 book ''The Desperate People'' by [[Farley Mowat]]. Kikkik never talked about this part of her life, nor did community elders. Her children did not learn of it until Annecatha read Mowat's book. Kikkik's story was also turned into twothe documentariesdocumentary featuringfilm daughter Elisapee''[[Kikkik (néefilm)|Kikkik]]'', Nurrahaqwhich [Nokahhak])was Karetakreleased in 2000both ([[English language|English]]) and 2002 ([[Inuktitut]]) versions by director [[Ole Gjerstad]] and Kikkik's daughter Elisapee Karetak.<ref>[https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/remembering_kikkik/ "Remembering Kikkik"]. ''[[Nunatsiaq News]]'', June 21, 2002.</ref>

* Damas, David. [httphttps://books.google.com/books?id=3TZHXQaFk2IC&pg=RA1-PA92&lpg=RA1-PA92&dq=henik+padlei+distance&sourcepg=web&ots=J8abU6OmUF&sig=3On_bl7Fd8zpdhn4y57eyLQvgmMRA1-PA92 ''Arctic Migrants/Arctic Villagers The Transformation of Inuit Settlement in the Central Arctic'']. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2002. {{ISBN |0-7735-2405-3}}

* Eber, Dorothy. ''[httphttps://books.google.com/books?id=g7Qcr7vzQbQC&dqq=angulalik+trial Images of Justice A Legal History of the Northwest Territories As Traced Through the Yellowknife Courthouse Collection of Inuit Sculpture]''. McGill-Queen's native and northern series, 28. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1997. {{ISBN |0-7735-1675-1 }}

* Tester, Frank J., and Peter Keith Kulchyski. ''[httphttps://books.google.cacom/books?id=HVf9N3jdsp4C&pg=PA231&dq=Kikkik+mistakes&sigpg=XR12iNbrg1qE5haPARJhMC7LZoE#PPA234,M1PA231 Tammarniit (Mistakes) Inuit Relocation in the Eastern Arctic, 1939-63]''. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1994. {{ISBN |978-0-7748-0452-3 }}

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120207005018/http://www.nwtcourts.ca/Sissons/Kikkik3.htm Ootek shooting Hallow]

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120207005023/http://www.nwtcourts.ca/Sissons/Kikkik2.htm Kikkik stabbing Ootek]

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120207005027/http://www.nwtcourts.ca/Sissons/Kikkik1.htm The girls left in the igloo]