Uki the Inuit

Chapter 5

The Bladder Ceremony is an annual event that our Inuit tribe does every Winter Solstice. Other Inuit tribes do this as well, but might have slightly different customs than us. Throughout the year, whenever we caught animals (mainly seals), we'd save their bladders. We would dry them out, and store them away until the next winter.

After killing a seal, melted snow had to be dripped into the seal's mouth to quench the spirit's thirst. We saved their bladders because we believe the spirit still lives there. During the Bladder Ceremony, we would inflate all of the stored bladders, and paint them with identifying marks. Female dancers will hold the inflated bladders, and dance with them. The male drummers will also play for the bladders.

You see, the seal's "spirit" is believed to have retreated to the animal's bladder at death. To honour and respect the seal, we set up this ceremony every year. Once the ceremony is over, we'd deflate the bladders, and return them to water. This was believed to send the seal's spirit back home, and to enter a new body. The spirit would be encouraged to return next year in their next body.

"Bye, spirit!" I said, tossing the bladder into the water along with everyone else.

I watched the bladder slowly sink deeper and deeper into the water, until I couldn't see it anymore.

As I walked away, Toklo came up to me.

"Hi Uki," he said.

"Hey, I really enjoyed the ceremony. Thanks for waking me up on time!" I told him.

"Every year," he shakes his head, laughing. "Every single year."