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Biography & Autobiography Native Americans

What I Remember, What I Know

The Life of a High Arctic Exile

by (author) Larry Audlaluk

Publisher
Inhabit Media
Initial publish date
Apr 2021
Category
Native Americans, Historical, Polar Regions, General
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781772272376
    Publish Date
    Oct 2020
    List Price
    $25.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781772273823
    Publish Date
    Apr 2021
    List Price
    $13.99
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781772274530
    Publish Date
    Jan 2024
    List Price
    $32.95

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Description

Nominated for the Governor General's Literary Award for Non-fiction

Nominated for John W. Dafoe Book Prize for Non-Fiction Excellence

Larry Audlaluk was born in Uugaqsiuvik, a traditional settlement west of Inujjuak in northern Quebec, or Nunavik. He was almost three years old when his family was chosen by the government to be one of seven Inuit families relocated from Nunavik to the High Arctic in the early 1950s.They were promised a land of plenty. They were given an inhospitable polar desert.

Larry tells of loss, illness, and his family’s struggle to survive, juxtaposed with excerpts from official reports that conveyed the relocatees’ plight as a successful experiment. With refreshing candour and an unbreakable sense of humour, Larry leads the reader through his life as a High Arctic Exile—through broken promises, a decades-long fight to return home, and a life between two worlds as southern culture begins to encroach on Inuit traditions.

"Weaving together his own memories and interviews with family and friends, Audlaluk writes like a storyteller...This book will be eye-opening for southern Canadians who are just now realizing the depth of the history they were never taught." - Broadview Magazine

"If those interested in the modern history of the Inuit people of eastern Canada were to read just one book on the subject, Larry Audlaluk's What I Remember, What I Know, should be it." - Arctic Book Review

About the author

Larry Audlaluk was born in Uugaqsiuvik, a small camp west of Inujjuak in northern Quebec. He was relocated to the High Arctic with his family when he was almost three years old. Larry was inducted into the Order of Canada for his years working as an ambassador for the people of Grise Fiord, Canada’s northernmost civilian settlement, and is the community’s longest-living resident.

Larry Audlaluk's profile page

Excerpt: What I Remember, What I Know: The Life of a High Arctic Exile (by (author) Larry Audlaluk)

Many stories have been written about how Inuit families were relocated to the High Arctic. The one most written about is economic opportunity. The other is sovereignty. The writers are always careful to use the word “claims” when they’re talking about sovereignty, as if to make our claims untrue. The story is long, complicated, and documented by various groups, besides the official records. It has been told from so many angles and moods, from social and political perspectives. I will tell you the story of my family’s relocation from personal experience.

Editorial Reviews

If those interested in the modern history of the Inuit people of eastern Canada were to read just one book on the subject, Larry Audlaluk's What I Remember, What I Know, should be it.