They Called Me Elanak

This title for my latest book came as a result of a fellow worker at my office in Cambridge Bay telling me what the works called me among themselves. I knew that my name meant friend and it was a compliment so I used it as the title.

I decided to write a book about my adventures because it was such an exciting part of my life for nearly five years. It was a dream of mine since I was a young person and when the opportunity came I grabbed the chance for a time of my life. The events which I have remembered and wrote about were mainly about my attempts to meld into the harsh environment and enjoy every minute I shared with the Inuit people.

I truly believe that the Inuit are a remarkable people with outstanding skills to exist let alone thrive in the harshest climate known to man. I shared much of my time with people in various communities but it was the time I lived by myself with Buck ,my Husky companion which gave me the greatest memories. I had time to build a remote cabin far from the hamlet where I spent so much of my spare time and had viewed first hand the animals and the vegetation which helped me to strengthen my philosophical base of being part of the natural order of things.

The spiritual life of the Inuit made so much sense when they explained that every living thing had value and should be respected for its place in the universe. I learned so much and came away with a great calmness about where I fitted in the natural order.

I had help with this 236 page book from my editor in chief Lynda. She has always been my helper and advisor and did much of the technical work which is way beyond my capabilities. This actually is my tenth attempt at writing as I have written many books of blogs and so on. I intend to complete two more books and then become serious about completing my real love of children's books.

I always loved to read and now I derive great pleasure from sitting down and writing stories. It is the sharing that is important and I love to share.