Meet the 8-year-old hunter from Nunavut who harvested a walrus this year

By Samuel Wat

Elijjah Aatami Adla’s parents always knew their son was born to be a hunter.

Elijah’s father, Etidloi Adla, says when his son was a toddler, he was always curious about the catches Etidloi would bring home.

“Whenever I’m working on my rifles, or my motors, he’s always there wanting to give a helping hand and asking so many questions,” Etidloi said. 

He would let Elijjah, who’s now eight years old, shoot some targets in their community of Kinngait, Nunavut. And when Elijah was three, he made his first catch — an arctic char.

The following year, with help from dad, Elijah shot his first goose.

“He wasn’t even able to hold the rifle on his shoulder … he was about the same height as the rifle,” Etidloi recalled. 

But it was this past summer when Elijjah marked his biggest harvest yet. They had heard there was a beluga in the harbour, but turned out to be a walrus — around 40 times Elijah’s weight. 

Listening to his dad, Elijjah aimed for the spot behind the walrus’s eye, and got it on the fourth shot.

“He nearly hit the kill spot,” Etidloi said proudly. 

The walrus, or aiviq in Inuktitut, has been an important resource for Inuit for many generations. Almost every part of the animal is used: the blubber as fuel, the skin for tents and boat covering, the tusks for tools and carvings, and the meat for eating. 

Etidloi believes it’s important to teach children about firearm safety while they’re young, and also to ensure they are never left alone with a gun. 

He knows his son will continue to hone his hunting skills as he grows older. 

“I hope he stays safe … learn as much as he can. And I want him to share everything he catches with the community,” Etidloi said. 

When asked what he wants his next hunt to be, Elijjah recalls the animal from the last summer that he never got.

“Beluga,” he said, with a big cheer. 

Related stories from around the North:

Canada: Exploring Norse-Inuit links: How walrus ivory shaped medieval Arctic trade routes, Eye on the Arctic

Norway: Svalbard registers first case of bird flu death in walrus, The Independent Barents Observer

Russia: A year after Russia invaded Ukraine, a walrus discovery is caught up in geopolitics, Alaska Public Media