Actual Eskimo News

Today I was hanging out collaborating with some of the teachers on the elementary side. And I saw Mina Weyiouanna. Mina is an aide in one of the first grade classrooms. (That's right, we have two. It's the only class that has two, because there are so many of them.)

Several years ago, in the wee hours of the morning, I was sitting around with Mina, Bea, Sue, and several other people, at an establishment in Nome. I think we were there for Iditarod.

Susie started calling me "Sunshine," in that sing-song voice from Remember the Titans. So they decided it should be my Eskimo name. And Mina told me what it was in Inupiaq. Now, I wasn't drinking that night, but Inupiaq words are hard for me, so I tried to remember it the best I can, even though I knew my memory was wrong.

In my head, it was something like  Mussuq Ongtowasruk.  Now, I knew that was wrong, because Mussuq is warm cereal (usually oatmeal) and Ongtowasruk is a last name.

Today, while collaborating, I asked Mina to tell me again, and she did, but refused to write it down, as she didn't know the spelling. So I wrote: musuk twoq. Then, with the help of Uncle John, the bilingual teacher, I got the right spelling:

Mazaq tuaq.   Pronounced: Muu-zack Two-ack.

Officially, it means: It is sunny, because there is no translation for Sunshine. But, it's close enough, and it makes me feel special.