Iqaluit/Toronto: Inhabit Media, 2025
CAN$19.95 Paperback
Reviewed by Lena Leimgruber Haraldsson
In the burgeoning field of contemporary Arctic literature, few voices resonate with as much cultural authority and raw emotional honesty as Aviaq Johnston. Following her award-winning debut Those Who Run in the Sky, Johnston’s latest collection, Leave Our Bones Where They Lay, moves beyond conventional narrative structures to offer what might best be described as a careful act of witnessing. Organized by the five Inuit seasons - Ukiuq (Winter), Upirngassaaq (Early Spring), Upirngaaq (Spring), Aujaq (Summer), and Ukiaq (Fall) - the book serves as both a meditation on trauma and a vibrant reclamation of Inuit identity.
The collection is anchored by a poignant framing narrative concerning Jupi, an aging hunter, and Maati. For decades, Jupi has maintained a solitary, millennia-old oath to a spirit named Kipik, once a caribou who sacrificed itself to save a starving family. This ritual, involving the lighting of a qulliq (stone lamp) and the sharing of stories, represents a sacred burden passed through generations. Johnston uses this device to explore the unhealed wounds of colonial history. Jupi’s own sons, Aatami and Mark, are presented as casualties of this history, struggling with addiction, incarceration, and a profound inability to connect with the land: conditions framed not as exotic tragedies but as complex social realities.
The turning point of the collection is the introduction of Maati, Jupi’s ten-year-old granddaughter who has grown up in the South. Her journey from a sensitive child who only speaks English to a brave storyteller fluent in her culture mirrors the broader movement of Indigenous self-determination. As she takes over the mantle from Jupi, the narrative elevates from a standard procedural to a profound meditation on the Arctic soul.
Interspersed throughout this frame are standalone stories that range from the haunting to the surreal, reminiscent of the satire and surrealism found in the work of Alootook Ipellie. In “Welcome to Maktaaq City,” Johnston presents a bureaucratic pressure cooker where infants are born from the earth, satirizing modern social ills. In contrast, “Tarnikuluk” offers a spiritual perspective, featuring the raven spirit Tulugaq guiding a young soul through the aftermath of suicide; this is a story that notably avoids romanticization in favor of a visceral exploration of grief.
The environment in these stories is never a mere backdrop; it is a character that dictates the logic of life and death. From the jagged edges of the tidal ice to the soft earth of the summer tundra, the landscape is inextricably tied to the characters’ survival. This connection is reinforced by the book’s inclusion of a detailed glossary of Inuktut words and illustrations by Danny Christopher and Andrew Trabbold, which provide a strong sense of the place in which these stories transpire.
The inclusion of an extensive Inuktut glossary at the end of Leave Our Bones Where They Lay functions as a vital pedagogical resource for non-Inuktut readers. With its phonetic pronunciation guides and clear English translations, the glossary provides access to the linguistic and cultural framework that underpins the collection. It encompasses the five Inuit seasonal terms that structure the narrative: Ukiuq (Winter), Upirngassaaq (Early Spring), Upirngaaq (Spring), Aujaq (Summer), and Ukiaq (Fall). Moreover, it features key elements of material culture and daily life, such as the qulliq, amauti, and qamutiik. Importantly, it also introduces readers to mythological and spiritual figures, including Sanna, qallupilluit, and angakkuit, alongside complex ethical and cultural concepts like inummarik and Inummarialuulaurmat, which articulate relational ways of being and living well. Everyday expressions, such as Ajunngilatiit? and Quviasugit Quviasuvvingmit, further situate the language in lived practice, while attention to dialectal variation underscores the diversity within Inuktut itself. As such, the glossary supports comprehension and thus deepens engagement, offering what might be described as a necessary linguistic and cultural education for any critical reading of Johnston’s work.
While some of these stories were previously published individually, their collection here creates a coherent whole that builds on the idea that the exploration and habitation of the Arctic cannot be separated. Leave Our Bones Where They Lay is more than a collection of folklore; it is a necessary education on the fragile threads that bind communities together in an unforgiving landscape. Johnston’s prose is raw and confident, ensuring that the strength and stories of her people, much like the ancient qulliq at the heart of the book, remain an active, enduring presence.
