Kimutaa (kʰɪ.mu.tʰɑː)
"We live where others cannot, and we do not invite them to our lands. Let them go their way, and not cross our paths. We have no wish to speak to outsiders." - Tleeyágnaak, speaker for the Kimutaa
Four hundred years ago, the great prophet, mage, and shaman Kaagúshaan was born on the island of S'Chaanee, to the Tleinataayi people. Kaagúshaan's gifts were many, and when he was an adult, many came from across the Northwestern Region to learn from him, and many stayed with him for the rest of their lives. When the White Comet passed over the Great Ring in the year 3639, Kaagúshaan had a vision that would shape the future of his people.
He saw that there would be a great calamity in the future, that the people of S'Chaanee were not prepared to survive. He never shared the details of this disaster, but he did have a way to endure it. In the east, among the Tuniit Selkies, there was an artifact of a god known as Igalaaq's Wand. This wand could transform a human being into one of the furred Selkies, and Kaagúshaan saw that the gifts of this transformation would tip the balance from extinction to survival.
He began to prepare immediately. He gathered his followers and told them of the pilgrimage he intended to lead, east to the island of Umingmak where they could petition the Tuniit to make them into Selkies. This was shocking to the people - the idea of undertaking this journey and transformation was hard to accept, as was the tale of an ill-defined impending disaster. It split the followers of Kaagúshaan, and a full third chose to leave their teacher rather than follow him east. But as the story spread and the followers of Kaagúshaan prepared to leave, others came to join them. Kaagúshaan's reputation was such that many believed his vision was true, and were willing to do whatever he advised for a chance at survival.
They named themselves the Kimutaa, for the otters they believed the Selkies most resembled, and who they hoped to become. A hundred boats departed S'Chaanee for the journey, carrying people of all ages and from many cultures of the northwest. After an arduous journey, they arrived in the land of the Tuniit, and sought out the chief who bore Igalaaq's Wand. Kaagúshaan told the story of his vision and their journey, and pleaded for the gift of transformation to be bestowed upon his people. He was convincing, and the Tuniit were convinced. They had long offered this gift to their own human cousins, in accordance to the spirit in which the god Silakpak had given the wand to them. One by one, the Kimutaa came forth and were touched by the wand, each one becoming a new being, furred and strong and more at home in the ocean than any human could hope to be.
With their pilgrimage complete, the Kimutaa returned to their boats and sailed west again. But when they arrived on S'Chaanee, they were not welcomed home. Their cousins and neighbors were afraid of Kaagúshaan and his Kimutaa, called them monsters and drove them from their villages. Nowhere in their homeland could they find peace. And so Kaagúshaan called his people to the water once more, to find a new place to live away from the people who spurned and despised them.
They went north, to Natchilliq and Qikiqtaq, islands where no people had yet lived. They were harsh places, cold and unforgiving, but the Kimutaa were strong and able, and they made these lands their home. Since then, they have thrived and grown in the far north, always preparing for the doom Kaagúshaan had predicted would come to the Great Ring. With each passing of the White Comet, Kaagúshaan's heirs have learned more of what is to pass, and guides the Kimutaa in their preparations.
The Kimutaa have not forgiven their cousins to the south, and are suspicious of all outsiders. They do not allow boats coming to their islands to land, and will often capsize or sink them if they will not turn away. Their relatives on S'Chaanee call them monsters, and tell tales about them kidnapping and forcing people to become Selkies, or of them maliciously drowning anyone who crosses their path. There is little truth to these stories - but they are told, and believed, all the same.
Physical Appearance
The Kimutaa are slender and strong, with bodies covered by dense fur. They are smaller and more otterlike than the Tuniit, with an average height of 5 foot 4 inches, and sleek build. Their fur comes in a variety of shades, including brown, black, red, and white.
Common Dress & Style
Kimutaa clothing is similar to that worn by the Tleinataayi, adjusted a little for available materials and differing needs. Leather, fur, and wool are common materials, as is a cloth made from woven cedar bark. Men typically wear breeches or kilts with a tunic, and will add a fur lined cloak when the weather is cold. Women wear similar garments, typically with a skirt rather than breeches.
Jewelry is common, typically made from copper, shell, ivory, wood, or bone. Earrings, bracelets, and necklaces are common for all genders. Irridescent shells are the most prized adornment, and will be worked into all types of jewelery. The Kimutaa are also known to dye streaks of color into their fur for adornment or ritual purposes, with a light blue dye being the most common choice.
Religion & Folklore
Like most cultures in the Million Islands, the Kimutaa are animistic and believe that the natural world is filled with spirits and gods that inhabit many physical landmarks. These spirits are collectively known as the Yéik'naa, a term they share with the Tleinataayi. Yéik'naa can be benelovent or malicious, but they are always important and always nearby.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Main Article: Tleinaa'háat
Foods & Cuisine
Kimutaa cuisine is highly focused on the sea, and almost all dishes contain one or more ingredients from the ocean. Shellfish are particularly beloved, and during great feast the discarded shells can make piles taller than a grown adult. Cooking is minimal, although they will smoke and salt food to preserve it for storage.
Librarian's Note - Kaagúshaan's Prophecy
In the centuries since Kaagúshaan first reported on his prophecy of doom, only a few details have ever made it outside of the Kimutaa shamans. We know that it is something to do with a great cold spell, and possibly with a blotting out of the sun. Whatever the specifics are, the Kimutaa believe that their greater ability to hunt the oceans will make a critical difference to surviving the disaster. Agents have been sent to Natchilliq to try and gather more details from the Kimutaa about the specifics in the prophecy, but so far they have not been successful.
Related Articles
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2024. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2023. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
I love them and their history.
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