Izwe Elingalokothi Lincibilike

INYAKATHO ekude ibingikhanga ngaso sonke isikhathi. Ngisho nalapho ngisengumfanyana osakhula eGold Beach, e-Oregon, e-U.S.A., ngangivame ukubuka amabalazwe aseCanada bese ngiphupha ngolunye usuku ngihlola izindawo ezinamagama azwakala engavamile, njengelithi Great Slave Lake nelithi Great Bear Lake. Ngakho ngolunye usuku ngo-1987, mina nomngane wami uWayne saqalisa amalungiselelo okuvakashela i-Auyuittuq National Park, ipaki lokuqala laseCanada elisenyakatho ye-Arctic Circle.

Ngolimi lwesi-Inuit, igama elithi Auyuittuq lisho ukuthi “Izwe Elingalokothi Lincibilike,” futhi lelipaki lagcinelwa ukulondoloza ihlane lase-Arctic elineziqongo zezintaba ezicijile, izigodi ezijulile, imihosha ewumbukwane, nezilwane zasemanzini ezihlala ogwini. Lelipaki lihlanganisa neNtaba Yeqhwa iPenny, inguzunga enkulu engamakhilomitha-skwele angu-5 700 eqhwa eliwiswe yizintaba zeqhwa nhlangothi zonke. Yingakho i-Auyuittuq iteketiswa ngokuthi “iSwitzerland yase-Arctic.”

IsiQhingi iBaffin, esingamakhilomitha angu-1 600 ubude, siyisiqhingi sesihlanu esikhulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni. Nokho, akukho noyedwa kubangane bethu owayeke wezwa ngaso ngaphambili! Eqinisweni, babelokhu bebuza, “Niya nini e-Alaska?” (IsiQhingi iBaffin singamakhilomitha angaba ngu-3 200 empumalanga ye-Alaska kodwa cishe sisengxenyeni eyodwa yomhlaba.) Nakuba oFakazi BakaJehova baseCanada beye bahola phambili emsebenzini wokushumayela esiQhingini iBaffin, abekho oFakazi abahlala kulesisiqhingi. Eqinisweni, ibandla eliseduze liqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-1 000, eDolobheni laseLabrador, eNewfoundland.

I-Auyuittuq inezinyanga ezintathu zehlobo neziyisishiyagalolunye zobusika, ngakho sanquma ukuya khona ngo-August 1988, ngemva kokuncibilika kweqhwa lasolwandle nangemva kokuhamba kwama-blackfly amaningi antinyelayo. Lokhu futhi kungaphambi kokuba liqale ukukhithika ngo-September.

Uhambo Lwethu Lokuya EsiQhingini IBaffin

Ekugcineni isikhathi safika. Sahamba ngemoto sisuka ekhaya eNorth Carolina siya eMontreal, eQuebec, lapho sagibela khona indiza i-Boeing 737. Ngemva kokundiza ihora, labalela, lisinikeza umbono ocacile weCanadian Shield, indawo enamadwala ebonakala yomile enamakhulu amaningi amachibi akheke ngezindlela eziningi ezihlukahlukene nobukhulu obuhlukahlukene futhi engenaso nesisodwa isihlahla. Ngemva kokuma isikhashana eKuujjuaq (eyayiyiFort-Chimo ngaphambili), saqala ukubona iqhwa elifinyelela phansi olwandle. Ngokushesha sadlula e-Ungava Bay, futhi okwasimangalisa ukuthi yayigcwele izinguzunga eziningi zeqhwa kuyo yonke indawo.

Ngemva kohambo lwendiza lwamahora angaba mathathu, sehla e-Iqaluit, okusho ukuthi “Indawo Yezinhlanzi.” Njengoba ngaphambili yayibizwa ngokuthi yiFrobisher Bay, i-Iqaluit iyisikhungo esiphambili sesiQhingi iBaffin futhi iyidolobhana elikhulu kunawo wonke, elinenani labantu abangaba ngu-3 000.

Njengoba sasinamahora ambalwa ngaphambi kokugibela enye indiza, sanquma ukuhlola lelidolobhana. Into yokuqala esayiqaphela kwakuwukugcwala komthente, onezimbali ezimhlophe ezithambile, abantu abangama-Inuit (ngaphambili ababebizwa ngokuthi ama-Eskimo) abazikhayo futhi bazomise bese bezisebenzisa njengokotini. Njengoba sasihamba sehlela ethekwini futhi sikhuphukela ogwini, saqaphela ukuthi amagagasi ayephela ngokushesha. Phakathi nemizuzu yokuqala emibili amamitha ayisithupha ogu avela ngaphandle, ome nké!

Esikhathini esifushane kamuva, sagibela indiza encane ehamba ngophephela ukuze sindizele ePangnirtung, ngezansi nje kwe-Arctic Circle. Loluhambo lwendiza lwehora elilodwa lwasinikeza umbono wangaphambili wezinto ezikhangayo esasisazozibona. Phakathi kwamafu asabalele, amnyama, sasilokhu silithi shazí ihlane eliluhlaza elineqhwa, amadwala, namanzi okugcwele endaweni ebanzi. Yonke into yayibonakala ibanda futhi ifiphele. Futhi ukusondela “ePang” ekugcineni kwamane kwanezela kulowombono. Ngaphansi kwamafu amnyama aguqubele, indiza yazungeza ngaphezu komhosha ojulile ozungezwe amawa ezintaba ambozwe yiqhwa ngaphambi kokuba ihlale phansi eshashalazini lenhlabathi.

Imibono Eyiphutha

Izulu lalina “ePang,” ngakho sakhosela ngaphansi kwephiko lendiza, silinde izikhwama zethu ezaziphethe konke ukudla kwethu nezimpahla kanye nepotimende elaligcwele izincwadi zeBhayibheli. Lapho indawo yokugcina izimpahla ithululwa, izinto zethu zazingekho. Esakhiweni esincane sokuqondisa, satshelwa ukuthi mhlawumbe zazizofika ngendiza elandelayo, eyayizofika emahoreni amabili. Okungenani sasiliphethe itende lethu, ngakho saqala ukuhamba siyofuna indawo yokugxumeka itende lethu. Sakhoselela imvula esitolo esincane esiseduze nendawo yokugxumeka amatende futhi saxoxa nentombazane eyayisebenza kulesitolo ngalelidolobhana kanye nabantu abahlala kulo.

Yaqeda eminye imibono yethu eyiphutha. Okokuqala, njengoba lelidolobhana lalinenani labantu abayinkulungwane, sasicabanga ukuthi kumelwe kube nemizi engaphezu kuka-300. Eqinisweni, kunemizi engaba ngu-180 kuphela. Izinto eziningi zifika ngendiza, akunjalo? Cha. Zifika ngomkhumbi, kanye ngonyaka. Eqinisweni, kufika imikhumbi emine. Owodwa uthwala impahla ye-Hudson Bay Company, isitolo sokudla nezimpahla saseNyakatho; omunye uthwala izinto zokwakha; omunye uthwala uwoyela nophethiloli; futhi omunye uthwala impahla ethengiswayo yazo zonke ezinye izitolo, kuhlanganise nakho konke ukudla okusemathinini konyaka wonke. Yiqiniso, ukudla okonakalayo kulethwa ngendiza.

Ubusuku Abuzange Bufike

Ngemva kokuba izimpahla zethu sezifikile ekugcineni, sagxumeka itende sase sipheka ukudla kwakusihlwa, konke lokhu sikwenzela emvuleni. Omunye umqondisi wohambo lokubona indawo wasitshela ukuthi wayenezinyanga ezintathu elapho kodwa wayebone izinsuku eziyisishiyagalolunye ezibalele! Kwafudumala kunangendlela okwakulindeleke ngayo—cishe ama-degree Celsius ayishumi, imini nobusuku.

Nokho, ubusuku abuzange bufike; kwakusemini ngaso sonke isikhathi silapho. Sathola ukuthi sasikwazi ukuthatha izithombe ngokukhanya kwemvelo ngehora lokuqala ekuseni. Kodwa sasingalala kanjani uma kwakuyimini ngaso sonke isikhathi? Phela, kwakuphole ngokwanele ukuba singathwala izigqoko zikavolo, ngisho nokulala ngazo; ngakho lapho sicisha izibani, sasimane sivale amehlo ethu ngezigqoko.

Ngobunye ubusuku ngehora lesithathu, ngavuswa ukukhanya okuhlabayo okwakuvela enyakatho. Ngadideka. ENyakatho neNkabazwe, ilanga liphuma empumalanga, liba seningizimu emini, bese lishona entshonalanga, kodwa alibonakali ngasenyakatho. Ngakho-ke ngaqaphela ukuthi sasisesiqongweni somhlaba esiphakeme, futhi ehlobo phakathi kwamabili, ilanga liyakhanya ngasenyakatho. Kwathatha isikhashana ukukujwayela lokho.

Ingabe Ama-Inuit Ayezosamukela?

Cishe wonke amakhaya ePangnirtung aboshelwe enhlabathini ngezingcingo ezinkulu ukuze avikeleke eziphephweni ezinamandla. Imikhaya eminingi inezinqola ezincane zokuhamba eqhweni ezisetshenziswa ebusika nezinqola ezinamasondo amathathu noma amane ezisetshenziswa ehlobo. Futhi kunezimoto ezimbalwa, ngisho nakuba lelidolobhana linemigwaqo engamakhilomitha angaba mathathu! Njengoba lelidolobhana lisendaweni encane eyisicaba eduze nomhosha futhi lizungezwe amawa ezintaba amade, ayikho enye indawo yokushayela imoto.

Ukudla okuningi komkhaya ngamunye kutholakala ngokuzingela ama-caribou asendaweni eyomile nezimvu zamanzi, kanye nokudoba ama-char ase-arctic. E-Iqaluit sazama ukudla i-caribouburger, i-musk-oxburger, kanye ne-muktuk eyingcosana, noma isikhumba somkhomo esinamafutha. Ngokungafani namafutha enkomo, amafutha omkhomo awanambitheki njengamafutha, ngisho nalapho ebanda, satshelwa nokuthi anamaprotheni.

Kulo lonke idolobha, sathola abantu abambalwa kuphela ababeke bezwa ngoFakazi BakaJehova, futhi babengebona abendabuko. Babethuthele lapha bevela kwezinye izindawo. Ngakho, umbuzo omkhulu owawusezingqondweni zethu wawuwukuthi, Labantu basenyakatho bayosabela kanjani esigijimini soMbuso? Akuzange kuthathe isikhathi eside ukuthola impendulo. Cishe bonke abantu esasihlangana nabo bazamukela izincwadi zeBhayibheli. Eqinisweni, usuku ngalunye ngangivakashela amakhaya angu-45, futhi usuku ngalunye abantu abathathu kuphela ababethi, “Anginasithakazelo.”

Lapho siqala ukungqongqoza eminyango ngosuku lokuqala, insizwa ethile yasidlula iphuthuma endlini esasiyivakashele futhi yathi: “Ningangqongqozi. Ngenani nje. Yilokho bonke abantu abakwenzayo lapha.” Ngakho salandela iseluleko salensizwa, sivula umnyango wangaphandle ngesineke, singena ngaphakathi emnyango wesibili, ngokuvamile owawuvuliwe, bese sibiza abantu ngaphakathi. Izakhamuzi, cishe zonke ezazingama-Inuit, zaziqale zisole. Kodwa ngokumomotheka ngendlela enobungane, sizethule ngokushesha, bese sizibonisa imifanekiso emihle kwethi INcwadi Yami Yezindaba ZeBhayibheli, sasikususa ngokushesha ukwesaba kwazo futhi sivuse isithakazelo sazo. Kwazikhanga ukuzibonisa umfanekiso wengane edlala nebhubesi nokukhuluma ngosuku lapho ngisho namabhele asezindaweni ezibandayo eyothenwa futhi abe nokuthula khona nokudla kungasayikubiza ngalendlela.

Ngemva kokuvakashela wonke amakhaya kulesisigodi, sachitha izinsuku eziyisithupha sihamba sibona i-Auyuittuq National Park, indawo emangalisayo eneqhwa, izintaba zeqhwa, iziqongo ezinamadwala, nezimpophoma.

Njengoba indiza yethu yayisuka ePangnirtung futhi izungeza eningizimu iphuma ngasemhosheni, sabonga uJehova uNkulunkulu ngethuba lokuvakashela lensimu engayodwa. Ngisho nanamuhla, izingqondo zethu zibuyela emuva kulawoma-Inuit anobungane alamukela kahle kangaka iqiniso leBhayibheli, ezweni elingalokothi lincibilike.—Inikelwe.

[Izithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

Umthente. INtaba iThor, ngasemuva, esesiQhingini iBaffin iphakeme ngamamitha angu-1 500 ngaphezu kwesigodi

Ekugcineni kwesokudla: Ukuwela umfula obanda qá kudinga indawo yokuwela eqinile

Ekugcineni kwesokudla ngezansi: Izikebhe ezisele endaweni engenamanzi ogwini lwasePangnirtung

Kwesokudla: Intombazane engum-Inuit iphethe incwadi yayo eyigugu “Yezindaba ZeBhayibheli”