Umingmaq: It literally means “The Bearded One” in Inuktitut (the language of the Inuit) and is their word for muskox, named to describe the long, flowing, beard-like hair of these glacial relics. It is also the nickname given to the owner of Umingmaq Paddle Touring Center by an Inuk friend.
Matt Magolan, the owner of Umingmaq Paddle Touring Center, lived among the Inuit of Inukjuak on the East coast of Hudson Bay from the summer of 1997 to the summer of 1998.
The nickname of Umingmaq was given to Matt by Adamie Inukpuk, who befriended Matt while he lived in the village. Adamie often invited Matt out fishing or hunting “on the land”. Adamie is the grandson of the Inuk who played the lead of Nanook in “Nanook of the North,” the famous silent film depicting life in the Arctic at the beginning of the 20th Century. Adamie was also a movie star, having played Nanook in a 1994 film titled “Kabloonak.”
During a large community gathering, at which Adamie was the Master of Ceremonies, he called Matt “Umingmaq”. It was meant as a joke due to the long scraggly beard Matt had grown while living among The People that winter. Everyone got quite the laugh when Adamie called Matt “Umingmaq”, although Matt didn’t know what Adamie had called him until an Inuk woman poked Matt in the ribs and said, “He just called you a muskox,” while laughing hysterically. It was just one of many wonderful moments during his time among the Inuit. Matt lived in Inukjuak for over a year, learning their modern way of life, hunting techniques, fishing techniques and how to carve soapstone in the Inuit tradition.
In the summer of 1998, after the sea ice retreated from the shores around Inukjuak, Matt paddled his sea kayak down the East coast of Hudson Bay. From Inukjauk to the village of Umiujaq, Matt paddled with Dave Stonier, a friend he had met while living in Inukjuak. From Umiujaq to Kuujjuarapik, Matt continued solo down the coast. The entire expedition was approximately 375 nautical miles. This Arctic sojourn was the beginning of Matt’s passion for kayak touring in remote places.
Matt designed the Umingmaq Paddle Touring Center logo to portray the muskox in a form that closely follows the design elements of Inuit carving. The logo is Matt’s attempt to show the simple, elegant, flowing lines that capture the essence of umingmaq.
