0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Prophecy, Sorcery, and Reincarnation
Levi’s older sister Noodloo was given a pair of wristbands and a head-
band by the parents of one of her namesakes. Their son, who shared
Noodloo’s name, enjoyed playing basketball and loved to wear wrist-
bands and sweatbands. Students of Inuit childrearing practices often
emphasize how permissive and patient parents strive to be around
their children (Briggs 1998 ). There is very little admonishment or
punishment, and very few demands are placed on children, although
there are exceptions. I found this attitude toward parenting, this per-
missiveness, frustrating at times, for I was raised to believe that hu-
mans develop emotionally and psychologically if they are guided by
rules that teach them self-discipline and restraint. Because children
are reincarnated, there is a tacit assumption that they are born with
accumulated wisdom that is hidden but that gradually emerges as the
child awakens to his reincarnated identities. It would have been very
wrong for me to train Levi to be comfortable putting his head under
water. His family believed that this was not a problem to be resolved
but a habit to be tolerated, even valued. His family did not judge him
based on how well he developed according to a set of psychological
and educational criteria.
Perhaps the most detailed and breathtaking description of nam-
ing comes from Alexina Kublu, a longtime instructor of Inuktitut for
non-Inuktitut speakers in Iqaluit. Kublu describes how the choice of
a name is often precipitated by visions and dreams, unusually in the
form of visitations from deceased relatives. Far from being a static
system, however, the practice of naming is integrated into a world
where name-souls have a direct impact on the everyday reality. Kublu
describes how changing an individual’s name can protect that indi-
vidual from sickness or death, a custom that Alexina Kublu reports
is still being practiced by members of her family (Kublu and Oosten
1999 , 75 ). It also creates much space for children to experiment and
learn from different names. When Kublu’s daughter was five years
old, she demanded to go live with her mother’s midwife and her hus-
band. The daughter had been given the name of their son, and she
was convinced that she was their son, and when she moved in, they
called her irniq (son). Later, she grew tired of this arrangement and
returned to live with her mother. Naming is also a source of fun and
