Central Coast of Labrador Archaeology Partnership, translated by Sophie Tuglavina, illustrated by Cynthia Colosimo,
Angutiup Ânguanga / Anguti's Amulet
Pennywell Books, 2010.

Rating: E*

Angutiup Ânguanga / Anguti's Amulet is a fictional story based on an archaeological site occupied by the Inuit along the Labrador coast in the mid 1700's. Informed by the excavated artifacts and historical documents, the narrative part of the book was written by the students and staff who worked at the Long Tickle site over several summers. The back section of the book, supported by photographs and diagrams, describes the excavation site in detail and further explains how the archaeology informs the story. The artistic drawings and the inclusion of the complete Inuktitut translation throughout the story add to its authenticity.

The story is told through the eyes of young Anguti, recalling a frightening winter when his family was cold and hungry and how the amulet, a gift from his Shaman grandmother, had kept him safe. The story opens with the winter storms finally clearing and his father, uncle, and older cousins leave the small village to hunt. Being too young to join them, Anguti is left behind. From a hilltop, he and his younger sister spot a bearded seal and, despite the danger, go out onto the ice alone to harpoon it. Soon they find themselves adrift on the moving ice floe. After three days and nights, a stranger finds them and takes them back to his snow house to recover. After several days, the stranger takes them back to their home. The reminiscent Anguti attributes their survival to the amulet.

Thematic Links: Inuit Folklore and Traditions; Archaeology; Native Studies; Newfoundland and Labrador History; Survival; Cultural Studies

Louise Sidley
Vol. 16, number 3
February 2011

*Rating System:
E - Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it!
G - Good, even great at times, generally useful!
A - Average, all right, has its applications.
P - Problematic, puzzling, poorly presented.