Skraelings: Clashes in the Old Arctic

In this adventurous novel - set in the ancient Arctic, but narrated for modern readers by an inquisitive and entertaining contemporary narrator - a young, wandering Inuit hunter named Kannujaq happens upon a camp in grave peril. The inhabitants of the camp are Tunit, a race of ancient Inuit ancestors known for their shyness and meekness. The tranquility of this Tunit camp has been shaken by a group of murderous, pale, bearded strangers who have arrived on a huge boat shaped like a loon.
Unbeknownst to Kannujaq, he has stumbled upon a battle between the Tunit and a group of Viking warriors
As the camp prepares to defend itself against the approaching newcomers, Kannujaq and a Tunit shaman boy named Siku discover that the Vikings may have motivations other than murder and warfare at the heart of their quest.
This lush historical fiction is steeped in Inuit traditional knowledge and concepts of ancient Inuit magic. The unique time and place brought to life in this exciting novel will delight young fans of historical and fantastical fiction alike.


Author: Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley, Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley
Publisher: Inhabit Media
Published: 02/12/2014
Pages: 120
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.35lbs
Size: 8.90h x 6.00w x 0.30d
ISBN: 9781927095546
Audience: Young Adult


Award: Governor General's Literary Awards - Finalist


Review Citation(s):
Quill & Quire 05/01/2014 pg. 38
School Library Journal 08/01/2014 pg. 104
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 12/01/2014

About the Author

Of Inuit ancestry, Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley was born into the traditional 1950's culture of iglu-building and dog-sledding, later becoming a translator, writer, and activist. She is a scholar of world religions, and considered an authority on Inuit language, mythology, and pre-colonial religion. She has published several hundred articles, as well as many mythic retellings and works of original fiction. Her current projects focus on utilizing fiction to discuss unique Inuit mystical and philosophical concepts stemming from Inuit cosmology of the pre-contact period. Her goal is to reveal, for all readers, the secret thought and sophistication behind Inuit cosmology. She has published for a wide range of ages, her work having been accessed as university course content. In 2012, she received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award for her written contributions to Canadian culture.

Of mixed heritage, Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley enjoyed a multicultural background steeped in naturalism, before training as a writer in Toronto. He is a literatist of world religions, comparative esoterism, and mythology, having come to focus on Inuit pre-colonial cosmology. After receiving an international award for a speculative fiction short (Green Angel, 2005), he undertook the task of showcasing the unique flavour of pre-colonial Inuit imagery, combining speculative fiction elements with the world-setting of ancient Inuit thought. He is fascinated by the deep structure and "magical histories" borne in mythical allegory. His fiction and non-fiction, some of which has been accessed as university content, addresses a general range of ages.