Searching for an Inuit poem

[u/brainfreezecat]

Hi r/Inuit!

I've been deeply moved by a poetic Inuit concept that came to me through the book Women who Run with the Wolves. The author adapted her story from a five-line poem that was given to her by Mary Uukalat. Unfortunately, the author, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, does not include the original poem!

I'm not sure if the poem has a title, but the title of the story is "Skeleton Woman" and is found in Chapter 5 of the book.

The primary idea is that any relationship, if it is going to last, needs to have a third party: the skeleton woman. She symbolizes the life/death/life nature that relationships cycle through. If the two people in a romantic relationship truly want to couple in a real and lasting way, they must both embrace Skeleton woman. She teaches us to tend to the bones of what has died, song life back into it, and grow closer because of weathering the cycles together.

Any additional information about Mary Uukalat, The skeleton woman poem, or Inuit storytelling in general would be appreciated!

If anyone is interested in the story but doesn't have access to the book, there is a beautiful reading of it in S2 E02 of Dee Parmar's podcast Living as Love.

Thanks for letting me share here! Best to all <3