Theresie Tungilik

Early History of Theresie Tungilik

My mother Louisa Angugatsiaq gave birth to me, as my father, Marc Tungilik delivered me and tied with sinew thread my umbilical cord. He then proudly dried me with a caribou skin and laid my skin against my mother’s warm breasts, as it was a bit chilly in the igloo on the sea ice that March day.

The next day,my family continued their journey by dog team to Najuat, a small Inuit community on the West Coast of the Hudson Bay, directly on the Arctic Circle.

Genova, Tungilik, Angugatsiaq, Theresie, Kadluk, front Angugasak
My Dad and Mom and some of my
sisters and brother. I am the baby.

It wasn’t until after the death of both of my parents did I receive a strong inspiration to make my own art – wall hangings and drawings. I have always sewn for my family, their outer wear of beaded mitts, parkas, ladies amauti, boots and wind pants.

Within my wall hangings, I depict the life of the Inuit, my father’s and mother’s lives who were part of the nomadic people of the Eastern Coast of the Hudson Bay. Their clothing styles, events, seasons and kajaanatuq landscape are presented by my work using wool, thread, cloth, animal skins and my own hair.

Both my mother and father were very gifted, talented people. Angugatsiaq, my mother made many traditional clothing for her family. Those who desired her work knew her stitches were so fine, the clothing would last a very long time and no water would pass through the stitches.

I remember my mother’s clothing for its comfort and its durability and her carvings of Inuit life images, from soap stone, that southern Canada still recognizes her for.

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Marc Tungilik, my father is a very well known carver of the bust of Christ, animals, people and in his later years, miniature ivory land and sea animal carvings on soapstone. His carvings are in private and in museum collections. One of his ivory bust of Christ carving was given to Pope Pius XII of the Vatican.