FernFolio

Shortly after the birth of his son, Wolverine, The-man-with-no-eyebrows visits Paaliaq to arrange a marriage between Wolverine and Paaliaq’s infant daughter, Breath. But Paaliaq, irritated by his daughter’s crying and The-man-with-no-eyebrows’ quiet amusement at his discomfort, bad-temperedly turns down the match and curses his baby son. When Wolverine reaches marriageable age, Paliaaq swears, he will never set foot on the land again. Since Paaliaq is a powerful shaman, the curse uttered in a moment’s anger makes it impossible for The-man-with-no-eyebrows to seek another bride for Wolverine, and so the young boy grows up facing an uncertain future.
As he matures from a young child to a boy to a young man, Wolverine proves himself to be a skilled hunter, a strong and tireless worker, and a joyous and loving son. He is fiercely protective of his young sister Little-loved-one, and a good friend to Breath, with whom he spends lots of time playing whenever the two families find themselves in camp together. With Breath, Wolverine finds and rescues a young owl, Ukpigjuaq, who becomes his constant companion.
Impressed with Wolverine, Paliaaq approaches The-man-with-no-eyebrows to discuss a marriage between him and Breath, an offer which Wolverine’s father joyfully accepts. The shaman apologizes for his ill-humour, years earlier, and promises to lift the curse. But Paliaaq reckons without his tuurnngaq, his animal helper, a very unpleasant Arctic ground squirrel or Siksik, who has grown increasingly bitter during his long years of service to the shaman. When Paliaaq reverses the curse, the Siksik simply chooses not to hear.
When The-man-with-no-eyebrows decides to take Wolverine to visit Marble Island, a long day’s paddle from the mainland, the tuurnngaq is able to set the curse into motion and, Wolverine discovers that every time he tries to leave the island, the weather gets bad and the sea becomes stormy. Eventually, The-man-with-no-eyebrows is forced to leave his son on the island and return home to his wife and daughter. While he goes in search of the shaman and a solution to the curse, Wolverine is trapped on Marble Island alone and missing his family but especially longing for Breath.
The Curse of the Shaman is a wonderful story that weaves together the traditional stories of the Inuit with the tale of Wolverine, one young boy who draws upon the teachings of his people and his own strength of character to overcome almost insurmountable difficulties. I also enjoyed the joyous insights into the daily lives of Inuit peoples who lived hundreds of years before contact with Europeans. I am looking forward the Kusugak’s next Marble Island Story!
FernFolio Editor