Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk

alt=An older woman sits outdoors. She has a medium skin tone and long black-and-grey hair, and is wearing a purple parka. Mitiarjuk Nappaaluk at the Nunavik Inuit Elders Conference in Tasiujaq in 1996.Mitiarjuk Attasie Nappaaluk (; 1931 – April 30, 2007) was an Inuk author, educator, and sculptor from Kangiqsujuaq in Nunavik, in northern Quebec, Canada. She was noted for writing Sanaaq, one of the first Inuktitut-language novels. Nappaaluk translated books into Inuktitut and contributed to an early Inuktitut dictionary. She went on to teach Inuit culture and language in the Nunavik region, authoring a total of 22 books for use in schools. Her soapstone sculptures are held in collections at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec, the Musée de la Civilisation, and the British Museum.

For her efforts in supporting and preserving Inuit culture, Nappaaluk was recognized with a National Aboriginal Achievement Award (1999) and an honorary degree from McGill University (2000).

Early life Mitiarjuk Attasie Nappaaluk was born in 1931 in Kangiqsujuaq, Nunavik. Although Inuit custom dictated that the wife usually went to live with the husband's family, Naalak agreed to move in with Mitiarjuk's parents instead and become the family's main provider. The manuscript was completed over the course of more than 20 years, the writing balanced alongside Nappaaluk's obligations as a parent and educator and interrupted twice by trips south for tuberculosis treatment. Anthropologist Bernard Saladin d'Anglure provided her with assistance and support in completing the novel and sharing it with a wider audience.

Teaching and translation In her early work with the missionaries, Nappaaluk translated the Roman Catholic Book of Prayer into Inuktitut, also translating a number of novels and works of literature. After retiring from her career as an educator, Nappaaluk stayed involved with the Community Council of Kangiqsujuaq. the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec, the Musée de la Civilisation, and the British Museum.

She died on April 30, 2007, following an illness. In 2001, her literary work was acknowledged and honoured by UNESCO at an international conference focused on Indigenous writers. Nappaaluk was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2004.