PRESS RELEASE
Sedna and her Creatures
Feb 7 – Mar 16, 2013
Sedna, the woman who lives under the sea, was a powerful spirit in Inuit lore who was known by a different names in different regions. There are many variations on the Sedna myth, but the common elements include the deception of a young woman by an ostensibly desirable suitor, her betrayal by her father when she asked him to rescue her from her undesirable husband, and her transformation into a spirit living beneath the ocean who was the source of all the marine mammals. When Sedna was angry, storms would roil the ocean, or the marine mammals would not allow themselves to be caught. She could be placated if a shaman visited her under the sea, and combed and braided her hair. The ocean would then become calm, and the whales and walruses would once again be available to feed the Inuit.
Other names by which Sedna is known include:
Nuliajuk, the poor wife
Niviarsiang, the girl
Kavna, she down there
Takanakapsaluk, the terrible one down there
Arnakapfaluk, the big woman
Uinigumissuitung, she who never wished to marry
Aivilayoq, she who gives many useful things
Taleelayo
Our exhibit includes sculptures, prints and a wall hanging depicting Sedna and her creatures.