Novel in Inuktitut and in French translation
The publication of Harpoon of the hunter in 1969 marks the beginning of a new era: the first novel written by an Inuit in Canada, it symbolises a historic passage from the spoken word to a written Inuit literature. The novel, both complex and dark, plunges its reader in the violent and hostile environment that is the Arctic, in which Markoosie’s hero, confronting the death of his loved ones, resorts to suicide as his only solution. Despite its importance, this work was never edited as a book in Inuktitut; a French translation by Catherine Ego accompanies the text.
With an introduction, notes and a timeline by Daniel Chartier, professor at the Université du Québec à Montréal. This book was published in cooperation with the Avataq Cultural Institute.
Markoosie Patsauq ᒫᑯᓯ, Le harpon du chasseur, ᐊᖑᓇᓱᑦᑎᐅᑉ ᓇᐅᒃᑯᑎᖓ, Québec, Presses de l'Université du Québec, “Jardin de givre“ series, 2011 [1969], 191 p.
ISBN 978-2-7605-3088-1