The Northern Lights
of Nunatsiavut

It was told to me thusly: A powerful angakok wanted the beauty of the northern lights all to himself, so he stole them from the sky and trapped them
within the rocks at his home along the coast of Northern Labrador. A group of people living nearby suffered in despair during the sudden darkness.
Amongst these people there lived a great hunter, one to whom everyone looked to lead in hunting, in travelling, and in all aspects of the community. This great hunter knew immediately who was responsible for the absence of the northern lights, for he had dealt with the angakok before, and knew of his desire to capture the dancing colours for himself.

The hunter grabbed his harpoon and took off in a run, towards the angagok’s home.

Upon arrival, the hunter tried to convince the angakok to return the northern lights to the night sky, to no avail. Determined to bring beauty back to the night sky, the hunter killed the angakok in hopes that his spell would die with him.

It didn’t work.

So the hunter found the spot where the northern lights were brightest in the rock, called upon all his strength and drove his harpoon into the stone.

The force of the blow released some of the northern lights back into the sky, but the angakok’s magic was so strong that some of the colours stayed steadfast in the rock, giving us what we call Labradorite today.