Inuunira: My Story of Survival

by Brian Koonoo, Ben Shannon (Illustrator)

Overview

Kirkus Best Teen & YA Nonfiction of 2022

"An unforgettable physical and emotional journey." —★ Kirkus, STARRED review

In this harrowing survival story, Brian Koonoo takes off on a hunting trip in Canada’s Arctic. After his snowmobile breaks down, his GPS loses signal, and his camping fuel runs low, he is left alone to survive for seven days. Inuunira is an Inuktitut term that means "how I'm alive," and this account shows exactly how Brian managed to stay alive. He experiences close encounters with planes, blizzards, and hunger, all while much of his gear is lost. Walking 60 kilometres in search of safety, he uses the knowledge his father and Elders taught him—modern and traditional means of navigation, finding water, making shelters, and keeping his spirits up—to continue on. With photos, illustrations, and diagrams throughout, readers are sure to be inspired by this story of strong will and hope.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781772274301
Publisher:	Inhabit Media
Publication date:	10/18/2022
Pages:	38
Sales rank:	326,935
Product dimensions:	6.75(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.31(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Brian Koonoo was born and grew up in Pond Inlet. He is married to Samantha Koonoo, originally from Rankin Inlet. They have six daughters at home, Chantal, Janelle, Josephina, Shanelle, Alina and Alaira. Chantal and her partner Curtis have a son named Rogan, who is Brian and Samantha’s first grandson and first boy in the family. Brian currently works with Parks Canada as a resource management officer. Brian continues to hunt and provides country food for his family, relatives, and community.

Ben Shannon is a Canadian-born, award-winning illustrator, animator, and father of two. An alumni of Sheridan College’s Illustration program, Ben has worked for numerous high profile clients including National Geographic, Rolling Stone, The Globe and Mail, The Wall Street Journal, Nike, Universal Music, Marvel, and DC Comics. Winner of the ADCC interactive Design Illustration award in 2008, and the Applied Arts award of excellence in the field of illustration in 1998, his work was also nominated for a Canadian Screen Award in 2014. Ben is currently employed by the Canadian Broadcast Corporation by day and is a contributing artist to the First Nations comic anthology Moonshot by night.

Editorial Reviews

10/31/2022

Inuit Koonoo, from Pond Inlet in Nunavut, Canada, recounts a lifetime of hunting expeditions in this visceral autobiographical telling. When he was three, he shot his first caribou. Though his father says, “you’ll have to eat it, it’s your catch,” Koonoo, proud of his work, decides he’d rather keep it than eat it. The next day, he learns his father has given the caribou to his grandfather, imparting a valuable lesson on Native hunting principles: always give thanks for the animal’s sacrifice, and only kill what one will use. This pivotal childhood experience resonates into adulthood, during which Koonoo uses his skills to provide for his family. Amid a caribou shortage in May 2015, he travels to Canada’s Arctic to hunt, but a broken-down vehicle, missing radio, and dwindling camp fuel jeopardize the expedition. The trip is further complicated by an incoming blizzard, but Koonoo survives using the knowledge he gained from hunting with his father in his youth. Abundant photographs and Shannon’s meticulously detailed illustrations—a half-page spread renders a step-by-step iglu-building method—accompany immersive text. Koonoo artfully crafts an adventurous read that is equal parts appreciation for nature and Indigenous culture, and thrilling survival story. An Inuktut glossary concludes. Ages 12–up. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"An unforgettable physical and emotional journey." —★ Kirkus, STARRED review

"Koonoo artfully crafts an adventurous read that is equal parts appreciation for nature and Indigenous culture, and thrilling survival story."—Publishers Weekly

"One strength of this narrative is the author’s emphasis on the traditional knowledge that enabled him to survive his ordeal when his modern conveniences (radio phone, snowmobile, sleeping bag) failed him."—Booklist

"This true survival story showcases two powerful themes: man against nature, and traditional versus modern...Drawings, photos, and other illustrations significantly add understanding to the descriptions of the instruments and tools used by the author...This title will have particular significance for Canadians, those interested in Inuit culture, and survival enthusiasts."—School Library Connection

Highly Recommended."—CM: Canadian Review of Materials

From the Publisher

★ 2022-08-17
A vivid firsthand account of a hunting expedition that goes disastrously wrong.

Koonoo, from Pond Inlet in Nunavut, Canada, relates a page-turning story about a near-fatal caribou-hunting trip to Naujaat, 500 km to the southwest. A Parks Canada employee, he learned Inuit hunting and survival skills from his father, using them to provide for his wife and daughters. From shooting his first murre at age 3 to hunting hare, ptarmigan, seal, and caribou, Koonoo took pride in his ability to feed those he loved on a traditional, healthy diet. In 2015, when a shortage of caribou resulted in a hunting moratorium on Baffin Island, he set off alone for the Melville Peninsula. Despite careful preparations, a combination of bad weather, human error, and mechanical issues with his snowmobile led to his nearly perishing. This slim volume is rich in sensory details enhanced by beautiful, informative illustrations and photographs. Descriptions of family and community life, the landscape, and animal behavior are shared in straightforward but evocative prose. Even knowing that the author survives, readers will feel breathless anticipation as they follow his trek by foot through harsh conditions in search of help. He explains how to build an iglu, melt snow to create naturally filtered drinking water, shelter in a snow cave, and more. Speaking directly to Inuit readers in a way that instills pride in heritage, this work has broad appeal, especially for readers interested in wilderness survival narratives.

An unforgettable physical and emotional journey. (glossary, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews