Not sure what you're supposed to understand from the very last minute when Crozier is kneeling in the snow?

I thought it was just him patiently hunting for a seal. His new life

I didn't buy how Hickey went out at all. He was too vain to mutilate himself like that and try to appease the Tuunbaq in the way that he did imo (and sing like a complete idiot). More likely he would have tried to kill it somehow and even talked about the fact that it bled when they attacked it previously. idk I just thought the whole scene was a little silly.

In the novel, Hickey cuts out his tongue as well but is portrayed as completely insane from what I understand so it made more sense. He seemed of somewhat rational mind on the show; there was a calm method to everything he did.

I also really never totally understood what the Tuunbaq was or why it even existed so here is a summary from wikipedia:

"The Tuunbaq:
A creature from Inuit mythology, the Tuunbaq is an indestructible killing machine that has taken the form of a massive polar bear with an elongated neck. The product of a war between the Inuit gods, it has been banished to the frozen northern wastes. The Tuunbaq preys on all creatures within its icy domain but particularly likes to eat the souls of humans. Only the sixam ieua' - spirit governors of the sky - a select group of Inuit shaman specially bred for their psychic abilities, hold any sway over the beast. The sixam ieua allow the Tuunbaq to eat their tongues as a sign of their dedication, but they can summon the creature and pay homage to it with their throat singing and gifts of animal flesh. They communicate with it (and other sixam ieua) using a form of telepathy."


I did like the ending with Crozier, seemed appropriate.And as razorbacker pointed out, he was kneeling at the end because he was ice-fishing in regards to the question from above.

Him making Crozier eat part of Goodsir. For the audience that scene had a ton of tension because we knew Goodsir had poisoned himself, but Hickey clearly hadn't even considered that possibility since he ate Goodsir too. So what was he doing, just some weird power play? Why did he care? It was just a little too neat of a callback to Goodsir's warning.

Crozier at peace in his new life.

I thought the author meant for the Tuunbaq to represent the force of the old shamanistic religion of the Eskimos. As they had done elsewhere in the world, the effect of the arrival and partial settlement of the Christian Westerners caused a spiritual conflict between the modern form of spirituality and an ancient one. After a struggle, it lead to the attenuation of the primitive religion.

I think Hickey wanted Crozier to submit to his will and to debase himself by eating flesh to show everybody who was the new boss.