I wrote this book together with my father – Hendrik Mørch. The title, Kinaassuseq, means identity and is inspired by one of the poems my father wrote. He had already written these poems, 20 years ago. Back then, they were considered harsh and unfit for the public, and it was impossible to print them as a book. Even though times are changing, I believe that they are still relevant today and we were able to publish them together with my short stories before Christmas 2018. The funny thing is, usually everybody tells me that I look and behave like my father. But since Kinaassuseq was my father’s first book, and for me already the second, I tell people that now he acts like his son.
With my first book, Arpaatit qaqortut, I decided against translating it to Danish because I wanted my fellow Greenlanders to be the first people to know about my work. Concerning my second book, Kinaassuseq, I have a slightly different attitude, because I don’t mind if it is translated into different languages in the future. The thought behind this is, of course, my father’s unique poems.
I grew up with the debate that our language is about to be lost, and I think we should keep it alive as much as possible, not only as the official language but also the dialects we speak should be valued as well. I can express myself so much better in my mother tongue, Greenlandic, than in my second and third languages which are English and Danish. Greenlandic became our official language in 2009 with the adoption of the Self-Rule Government, it has only been 11 years – imagine!
I would like to be remembered as someone who talked about emotions freely and recognised that doing so is not a bad thing. I was brought up in the second most northern town in Greenland, Upernavik. There, writing and reading weren’t considered manly enough, since fishing and hunting were still the traditional livelihoods. It was so hard for me to talk about my interest openly, let alone about feelings and emotions. With the release of my books, I broke this barrier that I had created. I started to openly talk about my interests and my love for literature. I began to talk about emotions and the reasons behind the context of my stories or poems, and I hope to motivate and inspire my fellow Greenlanders.
Back in the day, fathers used to teach their kids how to kayak or how to hunt and fish. I wasn’t taught something like that by my father, but I was taught how to write. My mother inspired me to love books because she used to read children’s books to me and my siblings. This should be an example of the new time period. It’s the same thing as you did back in the day, but this one is connected to books instead of hunting or fishing. It has to do with doing something with your parents and learning from them.
I just became a father myself, and I started to think about new perspectives and the relationship I will have with my son. I want to set an example of how parents can interact with their kids with the utmost of a child’s interest. The support and love of a parent to their kid means everything.
Atuagaq una ataatagalu – Hendrik Mørch atuakkiaraarput. Kinaassuseq kinaassutsinut assigiinngitsunut tunngasuuvoq, ataatamalu taalliaata ilaat aallaavigalugu atuagaq qulequtsiutissallugu aalajangerluta. Taalliat ilai ukiut 20-t matuma siorna allataapput, taamanilu atuakkatut saqqummernissaannut sakkortuallaarmata inunnut atuarneqarnissaat tulluarsorineqaqqaarsimanngikkalualuarlutik. Piffiit allanngoraluartut imarisai suli ullumikkumut atuupput; taamaattumik oqaluttuaaraliakka ilanngullugit atuakkiarput 2018-imi juullinngitsiartoq saqqummersipparput. Nuannequtaalu unaavoq: Pissusikkut imaluunniit isikkutigut angusisarnerartillunga oqarfigineqartuaannarpunga, ataatamalu Kinaassuseq atuakkiaqqaatigalugu. Uanga aappassaa atuakkiorpunga, taamaammat ataataga ernilisartoq oqaatigisalerpara.
Atuakkiaqqaatinni, Arpaatit qaqortut, qallunaatut nutsernissaanut akuersisimanngilanga, isumaqaramami nunaqqatikka kalaallisut oqaluttunit isummersorfigineqaqqaarnissaa siunertaassammat. Uanilu atuakkiami, Kinaassuseq, allaanerulaartumik isummerfigisarpara. Tassanimi siunissami allamiusut nutserneqarsinnaaneranut ajorinnginnakku. Tassuuna eqqarsaatersornera soorunami ataatama taalliai immikkuullarissut peqqutigitippakka.
Kalaallisut oqaatsivut annaanissaannut oqallinneqartuartoq peroriartorpunga; aamma oqaatsinut uummaaritsitsinissaq siunertaralugu suliniuteqarneq pingaarutilerujussuusoq isumaqarpunga, pisortatigoortumik kisiartaatinnagu aamma sumiorpaluutit ulluinnarni atorneqartartut naleqartillugit. Ilitseqqussaralugu kalaallisut oqaluttarninnik isummersorluarsinnaaneruvunga, aappaattut pingajuattullu allamiusut oqaluttarninniit sanilliutissagaanni; tassaasut tuluttut qallunaatullu. Namminersornerup eqqunneqarnerani 2009-mi Kalaallit Nunaanni kalaallit oqaasii pisortatigoortumik atuutilerput. Ukiut 11-it taamaallaat qaangiussimalerput, takorloornaraluttuaq.
Misigissutsit ammasumik eqqartorsinnaanerinut eqqaamaneqarusuppunga, misigissusilerillunimi ajortuunnginnera erseqqissarusukkakku. Nunatsinni illoqarfiit avannarpasinnerpaat ilaanni inunngorpunga, Upernavimmi. Allanneq atuarnerlu angutivittut isigineqanngitsoq eqqaamasarpara, aalisarnikkut piniarnikkullu inooriaaseq sungiusimaneqarnerungami. Atuakkialerinikkut soqutiginninnera eqqartornissaa siullermik ajornakusoortissimavara, annerusumik misigissusilerilaarnissaq inoqatinnut matoqqaffigisarlugu. Atuakkiaqqaatiga saqqummernerani assiaqusersorlunga imminut killilersortarnera qaangerneranut taasinnaavara, nammineq soqutigisannik atuakkialerinikkullu soqutiginningaatsiarnera ammaffigalugu eqqartorsinnaalerakku. Atuakkap imarisaatigut tunuliaqutai – taalliatigut oqaluttuaaraliatigut tunuliaqutai – eqqartorsinnaalerpakka, misigissusilerinerillu ilaasalerlutik. Nunaqqatikka ammasumik taamatut eqqartuisinnaanerinut neriuppunga maligassiuillunga sunniuteqarfigisinnaassallugit.
Taamanikkut ataataasup erni qajartortalernissaanut ilinniartittarpaa, imaluunniit piniarnikkut aalisarnikkulluunniit. Ataatanninngaanniit taamatut ilinniartinneqanngilanga, kisianni allannissannut ilinniartinneqarlunga. Anaanama atuakkanut nuannarinnitsilerpaanga, meeraangattami qatanngutikkalu meeqqanuunik atuffatsittaratta. Piffiit nutaanngorsimanerinut tamanna assersuuttariaqarpoq. Taamanikkusut assigaa, taamaallaat atuakkanut tunngatiliinnarlugu piniarnikkuunngitsoq imaluunniit aalisarnikkuunngitsoq. Angajoqqaap qitornaminut ingerlatitseqqiineranut tunngavoq, qanorlu qanilaassutsikkut tunniussaqarsinnaaneraniilluni.
Uangattaaq nammineq ataatanngoqqammerpunga, inuuninnilu isiginnittariaasera allanngorujussuarluni. Erninnut qanoq perorsaassanerlunga; qanorlu qitornannut qanilaartiginissaq siumungaaq eqqarsaatigisalerpara. Meeqqap nammineerluni sutigulluunniit soqutiginninnera kiffaanngissuseqartillugu qitiutinnissaa angajoqqaatut akisussaaffigissavara; tamannalu angajoqqaajunermut meeqqamullu pingaartitsinermut assersuutaassaaq. Angajoqqaap tapersersuinera, asanninneralu qitornamut isumaqarnersaapput – allaat sunut tamanut pingaarnersaalluni.
