The stories in this space will come from various places. Some stories come from books other stories from people in the north. Where known I will give credit to the author. I do not vouch for the factualness of some of the stories. It will I hope reflect the spirit of the north, of the people who call it home, and the church that serves the Almighty in it. I will change these stories regularly. If you have a story to share of the high north, (that is NT, Yukon and Northern Quebec), its people or its Church past or present, pass it on to me and if appropriate I it will appear in this spot. My address will be at the end of this section.
Click to go to the following stories
The Bishop Who Almost Lost His Ring
The story of the Inuit Syllabic Writing System
The eldest among the Inuit of southern Baffin Island still speak of a short, thickset man who lived among them at the turn of the century and visited them periodically by ship for many years thereafter. They called him Uqammak - the one who speaks well. But he did far more than just speak well. He brought Christianity and literacy to Baffin Island as he had done earlier to the east coast of Hudson Bay. Nonnative history remembers him as the Reverend Edmund James Peck and often refers to him as The Apostle to the Eskimo.
In 1875 Bishop John Horden of Moose Factory wrote to the Church Missionary Society in England, asking them for a missionary to come to Canada to work with the Inuit of Hudson Bay. The Society interviewed a young sailor, turned theology student, named Edmund James Peck. When they asked him what climate, he preferred, he replied “Cold,” and added that he wanted to be sent to the “wildest and roughest mission-field in the world.” The Society accepted him for training that same year, and in June of the following year he got his wish, for he was sent to Hudson Bay.
Peck’s mission was at the Hudson’s Bay Company’s post at Little Whale River. He realized early that “the first work of every missionary is to acquire the language of the people as well as gain their confidence,” and at Little Whale River he set himself a tortuous program of learning both Inuktitut and Cree. “My plan,” he wrote, “is to write down some simple words and sentences. I then get the corresponding Indian or Esquimaux words . . . I find all very willing to help me, for which I am indeed thankful. My daily collection averages from eighty to a hundred words. These are learned the following day, and brought into use as soon as possible . . . ” Peck was a man not easily satisfied. He considered himself a master of the Inuktitut language only after six hours of student daily for seven years.
The young missionary was not content, however, to simply master the native language and preach in it. He wanted also to produce written religious material. Indeed he had been mandated to do this by the Church Missionary Society, and to use the Syllabic script created for use among the Cree by the Wesleyan missionary, James Evans. This writing system consisted of nine symbols, each of which could be written in four positions, and it could be mastered within a few hours. It was so simple that each person who learned it became a teacher of it, spreading its use quickly among nomadic Indians throughout northern Canada. It had been modified for Inuktitut by John Horden and E.A. Watkins, but their work had been only peripherally with Inuit. Peck was the first to work almost exclusively with Inuit. He promoted the use of the Syllabic script, transcribed material into it, and taught reading and writing skills to all who would listen. He noted that they are very eager to learn.
The Bishop Who Almost Lost His Ring
(as told to me by Mrs. Sarah Simons)
There are many strange and unusual things that happened under the midnight sun, as one traveled down the great Mackenzie River to the vast Arctic wilderness. Some are funny, some are sad, and many will never be know. But let me share one of these tales with you that I have only just discovered myself.
Introduction
Mrs. Sarah Simons is the wife of the late Rev. James Simons Both are members of the Gwich’in Nation. They grew up in Fort McPherson and when James received his call to the ministry part of his training was done in Hay River. Bishop Archibald Fleming picked Sarah and James up to take them back north. This is where the story picks up.
Everyone who knows anything about northern history knows the story of the Bishop who ate his boots. This is even more true of any one interested in the history of the church in the north.
But how many of us have heard the story the Bishop who almost lost his ring. To be more to the point his ecclesiastical ring. In this story related to me by Mrs. Sarah Simons of Fort McPherson, the story is not only how the Bishop almost lost his ring, but as the question who’s ring is it real? You read the story, you be the judge.
After James and Sarah Simons were anxious to get back down river to Fort McPherson and home. They had just finished some training for the ministry. I say “they” because Sarah says they taught her almost as much as the taught him. They were met by the Rt. Rev. Archibald Fleming the first Bishop of the Arctic and together they boarded to river boat to take them down river towards the arctic circle and home. As they traveled down river the boat made many stops and in each the Bishop and his party would disembark and met people and in most case conduct a worship service. Sometimes it would be morning or evening prayer, but usually it was Holy Communion because ordained clergy who could conduct an Anglican Communion Service were few and far between, so people wanted this sacrament when ordained clergy came by. Now and then it would be a baptism for babies born since the last clergyman’s visit. It was at one of these stops that the incident in question took place.
The Bishop’s party had just landed in Fort Norman when one of the church leader approached Bishop Fleming that they had a wedding to perform and he could not leave with out doing it. The Couple had waited several months and finally just moved in with each other and now a child was involved. So now only did he have a wedding to perform but a baptism as well. Beside all that many were waiting to have Holy Communion. With this tall task awaiting him, the Bishop rose to the occasion and asked to be lead to the church.
The church was full when Bishop Fleming entered the church. He suggested the proper order would be the wedding first, then the Baptism Service and ending with a service of Holy Communion. During the Wedding service it came time for the groom to put the wedding ring on the bride. The problem arose when it was discovered that there was no wedding ring. The groom did not think it was necessary. Not so the Bishop. He said you needed a room even if it was borrowed for the occasion. He requested that someone loan them a ring for the service. No response come. Sarah was sitting beside a lady with “many rings on her fingers”. Sarah said “You loan her a ring, you have many”. The reply was “no these are my rings. I do not want to give one away.” The bishop said “loan”, Sarah said “loan”, but the lady definitely thought that she would be giving her ring away. Bishop Fleming annoyed that no-one came forward and probably wanting to get on with the service said they could use his ring and give his ecclesiastical ring to the groom, who put it on the brides finger and said, “with this ring I thee wed”. The wedding service was finished and then the Baptismal service and finally the Holy Communion Service was completed.
When the people began to leave, the Bishop realize the new bride was leaving with his ring. Blocked by the people, he called to Sarah, “Stop that girl and get my ring”. Sarah rang and caught up with the women and when asked to give up the ring refused and said it now belong to her because she was married with it. By this time the Bishop had caught up to them and was a little frantic. Sarah calmed the Bishop and as she said to me, “I had a long talk with the lady and she finally gave up the ring. She was not happy, but she gave up the ring.”
As to the question of ownership, I guess we can say it belonged to the Bishop. But I find it hard not to believe that in the eyes of that new bride (whoever she was), that part of that ring would not always belong to her as her wedding ring.
A strange tale indeed. The Bishop who almost lost his ring, or, the women who gave up her wedding ring for the Bishop who married her.
As to the authenticity of this tale I can only say to you that Sarah Simons who told me the tale is one of the most noble and honorable saints of God I have ever had the privilege of knowing and calling a friend.