“Uluit Atuqtaatka” (Ulus I Use) is the first book in a new children’s series by Nome artist Kunaq Tahbone. The book was shared with the public for the first time at a special reading at Nome’s Katirvik Cultural Center this summer.
Tahbone and her collaborator, Kiminaq Alvanna-Stimpfle, took turns reading each page to a group of kids sitting on the floor—one reading in Iñupiaq and the other in English.
An ulu is a traditional knife that comes in many shapes and sizes. Tahbone painted five different ulu designs with watercolors, each made for a special task. Tahbone shared that each ulu in the book was based on one she actually owns.
Alvanna-Stimpfle was joined by her mother, Yaayuk Alvanna-Stimpfle. The retired Inupiaq educator helped with translations for the book.
“I was raised with an Inupiaq mind and Inupiaq brain until I heard English at age five. So to me, when I do this work, content is very important,” Yaayuk Alvanna-Stimpfle said to the group. “It comes from our language. It comes from our heart.”
Copies of “Uluit Atuqtaatka” are available locally at Kawerak and online at Barnes & Noble’s website.
