This week Pegman is in Resolute, NU, Canada. Your mission is to write up to 150 words inspired by the location. Feel free to use the image supplied in the prompt or snag your own. Both streetview and photospheres are available in this location.
Once your piece is polished, you can share it with others using the linkup below. Reading and commenting on others’ stories is part of the fun.
In pursuance of a story this morning, I ended up south of Resolute, although still in Nunavut. Thanks as always to Karen and Josh for facilitating this blog challenge.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Word Count: 150
BIRTHRIGHT
“You hold the pencil like this.” I imagine Napachie guiding her daughter’s tiny hand. “Draw what you see.”
I watch Annie draw a face on the paper and smile up at her mother. “I want to be an artist like you when I grow up, Anaana.”
Perhaps Napachie Pootoogook’s heart swelled with pride. “And like your grandmother Pitseolak Ashoona.”
Did fame destroy the child who became an internationally acclaimed artist? Her boyfriend claims she’d disappear for days to drink. Others say she feared him. Did he murder her? Or did it happen as the chief investigator told reporters?
“…could be suicide, accidental, she got drunk and fell in the river and drowned…much of the Aboriginal population in Canada is just satisfied being alcohol and drug abusers.”
What would she say?
Her depictions are courageous and straight forward. Although her pencils lay still and bereft, deep calls to deep. Annie speaks to me.
To know a little more CLICK here.
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple 
Excellent tale, Rochelle. I had no idea. I love when you open my eyes to something new. Well done.
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Dear Josh,
I never know where my Google path will lead. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Moving and tragic. In telling the story, the connection you feel comes across to me too! The story is all the more poignant with the tender opening. Kudos!
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Dear Karen,
I like to imagine a person’s earliest beginnings. We all start out as wide-eyed children, don’t we? Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A well told story of family pride, history and mystery. Apparently, the truth will never be known concerning her death. Thanks for another history lesson Professor Wordsmith.
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Dear Jan,
Who knows? So many unsolved cases. Professor Wordsmith? Hm. It has a nice ring to it. 😉 ❤ Thanks, m’luv.
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Dear Rochelle,
Only you can bring a historical person to life the way you do. Beautifully done and a tragic story. The Indigenous suffer greatly from abuse, unfortunately. So, of course it is an easy “go-to” reason for her death… Many questions asked, none properly answered.
Well done, my friend, well done.
Lots love,
Dale
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Dear Dale,
Not so far back in history this time. 😉 Incidentally, the chief investigator caught flack from community outrage over his racist comments. Rightfully so. I have my own theories about what happened. A life and a talent gone and no one seems to care. 😦
Thank you.
Shalom and hugs,
Rochelle
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Not so far indeed. I think we can all come up with all sorts of theories. And of course there was outrage – as there should have been!
A sad story all ’round…
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What a sad mystery. I love how you bring to life the personalities and emotions behind these real stories. And what a great line, “deep calls to deep.” I’ll remember that one.
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Dear Joy,
I wish I could claim originality on “deep calls to deep.” But King David used it before I did. 😉 It’s a great phrase though. Thank you for your affirming comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Even if you didn’t originally write it, I give you credit for teaching it to me!
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Telling a story through rhetorical questions is a risky business – but you pull it off here, probably because you couple the questions with the description of the small girl taking her first steps as an artist, and your very concise description of her art. Clever writing, Rochelle!
Thank you, too, for the link; Annie sounds a fascinating character.
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Dear Penny,
Your comments make my head swell and my lips smile. 😀 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A good story based on a real person, Rochelle. I learned something from this. I knew before that many native people have drug and alcohol problems but not about this particular person. It seems foul play is suspected in this case. Good writing as always. —- Suzanne
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Dear Suzanne,
Alcoholism is a sad fact among First Nations folk. I hope authorities will care enough to get to the bottom of the crime. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you Rochelle for sharing this story, about Annie – her talents then her untimely death. You tell it with such compassion.
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Dear Francine,
Annie was a new find for me. Apparently I found her too late. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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To say this is a sad story is stupidly understating the truth. The worst for me is to imagine that sweet child, with all that hope and ambition and potential and to know the end that awaited her. What a tragic way for any life to end. All that creativity lost. This punched me in the heart
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Dear Lynn,
Of course the child is a product of my imagination. But we all come into the world wide-eyed and innocent. Since I knew Annie’s parents and grandmother were artists…;)
It makes me sad that she was taken so young. Thank you for your generous comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Always sad when all that potential is lost, and so pointlessly. My pleasure Rochelle
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I agree with those who have said that you have a nice way of adding some of your emotion into your work – well sometimes you do – and it is part of your writing voice (something like that)
and this is so sad.
and reminded me of a different story –
but a teenager was really wasted one night and walking along the side of the road.
He stumbled and fell –
A Jeep ran him him over and he died on the spot.
His family keeps a huge shrine for him on the corner near a stop sign and after two years it remains alive.
I drive by and send good thoughts their way – but it also reminds me as to how sad it is when people drink to escape or drink way too much to where they die.
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Dear Yvette,
There are way too many similar stories out there. Glad you liked my story. Thank you for your head-scratching comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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can you fix there to their – ha
and yes – so sad – wishing you a good day
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Their is fixed. But that had nothing to do with why I’m scratching my head. Never mind.
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hahhah a
LOVE your quick wit – ahhhhh
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We have friends in Neah Bay, home of the Makah, whose daughter “disappeared” in Seattle. Every time I hear about indigenous women disappearing, I think of her. A well-wrought story. my friend. Makes me tear up.
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Dear Lish,
Tears are always the epitome of praise. (Unless I was writing humor 😉 ) Thank you, my friend.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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With that kind of artistic pedigree she could have gone so far. It is tragic how many creative souls are waylaid by substances they cannot resist or people who mean them harm.
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Dear Andrea,
The story’s as old as Cain and Abel isn’t it? Nonetheless I felt sad that Annie was cut off so soon. Thank you for stopping to read and comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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People uprooted from their lives often cannot drop anchor in new society and new lifestyle. Sad and unfortunate!
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