Born on the land in 1925, Henry grew up in Whale Cove. He moved with his family to various communities in the north and for one year lived in Baker Lake. It was a desperate time as very few caribou could be found. Most of the people living in the camps survived on the few fish they managed to catch.
His father taught Henry how to survive on the land and by 16, after receiving a dog team as a gift from his uncle, Henry became a hunter. He was very successful and in 1945 Henry bought a boat from the H.B.C. with the fox furs he trapped.
Henry married Akupinik and in 1954 Henry and his growing family moved to Arviat. For 20 years he worked for the Arviat Medical Services as a community Health Care worker. During this period Henry hunted and fished primarily on the weekends. Henry also began carving and continues to do so.
Since retiring he spends more time on the land and also hunts seal and beluga whale. When I caught up with Henry in 2006 he had just returned from a successful caribou hunt. Henry is a small, friendly, fellow with an engaging smile who enjoys talking about his life and experiences.