When I was thinking about what to bring, these two things came up immediately. The object on the left is a necklace and it represents an Inuk (singular of Inuit). My grandparents are sheep farmers and they live in Sillisit, which is between Qassiarsuk and Narsaq in the south of Greenland. The necklace was a gift from my auntie, and she made it from a stone that is very typical for this area. You can find this kind of rock very close to my family’s place. For me, it symbolizes where my mother and my family come from, where I feel most at home and where I partly have been taught to become the person that I am today.
The little stone on the right is from the time I visited the Taj Mahal in India. I wanted to have some sort of souvenir and decided to take a piece from the gravel surrounding the Taj Mahal. I think the stone represents who I have also become. I have a dream of travelling the whole world and seeing places. Many members of my family don’t have that possibility because, as a sheep farmer, you have to work all year around – literally every day. Even travelling to Nuuk for a week can be difficult because there are so many things to take care of at home. Plus, coming to the city is also different to what they are used to. Where they come from, it is only them. There is their sheep farm, my grandparents, my uncle, his wife and their children. They have to sail, drive or take the snowmobile in winter to reach the nearest city.
These two objects both represent me. They say something about where my family comes from and about my freedom to travel the world.
Ingerlaannaq isumassarsivunga suut nassassanerlugit, ukua ujaqqat marluk kinaassutsinnik takutitsipput. Saamerleq ujameq tassa Inuk. Ilaquttakka, ittu, ningiu angaarara ilaqutaalu Sillisini savaatiliupput. Sillisit nunatta kujataani Qassiarsuup Narsallu akornaniippoq. Ujameq ajaaqqama sanaaraa tunniussaralugulu. Ujaqqat taamak ittut Sillisit eqqaani nassaassaapput. Ujaqqat taakku eqqaasittarpaannga anaanama ilaquttammalu suminngaanneerfiannik, toqqissisimanarisara, peroriartorfimma ilaat ullumikkumullu kinaassutsinnik sunniilluarnikoq.
Ujarak talerperleq Indiami angalallunga Taj Mahalimiillunga tigusara. Tassanngaanniik arlaannik tammaviutsumik nassarusukkama, illorsuup ilaaniit ujarak tigusara. Una ujarak kinaassutsinnik aamma takutitsivoq. Angalaneq nuannaraara nunarsuarlu tamaat takornariafigerusullugu. Ilaquttamma ilaat tamanna killilimik periarfissaqarfigivaat. Savaateqarfimmiuugaanni ullut tamaasa, ukioq kaajallallugu isumagisassaqartuaannarpoq, taamaammat savaateqarfik imaaliallaannaq qimanneqarsinnaanngilaq. Illoqarfik aamma savaateqarfimmiik allaanerujussuuvoq. Sillisini najugallit tassa taamaallaat ittu, ningiu, angaarara, aappaa meeraallu. Arlaannukarniarunik nunakkut immakkulluunniit angalaqqaartariaqarput.
Ukua ujaqqat marluk kinaassutsinnik takutitsipput; ilaquttama suminngaanneerfiat, uangalu kiffaanngissusera nunarsuarmut angalanissannut.
