Another world
Thank you so much for taking me to a whole new place. I loved your pictures and commentary. I felt like I was truly in another place as you were sharing your experiences. Thank you. Now, if we could have MORE, MORE, MORE!!!
Canon 30D & REB XT (thinking of converting to infrared), Sigma 10-20mm, Tammy 17-50mm 2.8, Canon 24-70mm 2.8, 70-200mm 2.8 IS, Tokina 100mm 2.8 Macro, Canon 50mm 1.8, Canon 1.4 ext, and Sigma 4.5 fish eye along with a Bogen by Gitzo Tripod, Manfrotto Ball Head, MacBook PRO, several HOYA filters and a 2GB & 8GB San Disk, 160GB Sanho storage device (really cool btw)......wishing for a Canon 100-400mm. :wink
Thank you so much for your wonderful words of praise. I have done my job well in this photo essay of life in the arctic to have you that interested to take the time to read all of "some" of what has happend to me, and others, in this .. the oldest people, in North America.
High in the Arctic, has been posted on OVER 40 different photo forums & other type forums. Here
99.9% of all replies to my post have been XCELLENT!
but there is always one in a bunch ( a tiny percentile).
that wants to bash me down and call me a liar.
My aim is to remove some of the mystery of this land, this culture, and these wonderful people of the North Slope.
I have tons of stories that are all true. But how to prove all of this, a person would have to come up here, go out and get lost, and see what happens.
There are just so many stories of people being rescued in desperate situations.
and things much more bizarre than anything I have typed yet.
My model for this, my last day in Point Hope. I just love to photograph little children, especially when they are playing out, @ midnight !!!
The entire village is alive with the sounds of little children playing out all night long. Our summers are just so fantastick, I would not want to live anyplace else in this world. The Arctic is home, forever, global warming ??
I don't think so, I think it is just a matter of "cycles".
The last photo(s) I created in Point Hope, just before leaving for Barrow.
This image was created @ midnight !!! My flight arrives in 12 hours !!
The Arrival of the Barge
The end of July .. the Barge arrives and this is a fun filled three days.
For one, many artists, are always eager for new faces to come to town as this means more money into the economy here in the village.
There are a lot of people that work on the barge and they always purchase Arts & Crafts each and every year.
Once the barge leaves point hope and makes its way up to Barrow, they return to each village on the way back. Two stops per year.
Below is a scrimshaw walrus ivory tusk that Hanko made. Henry Koonuk.
Henry works on Arts & Crafts every day,
This is the only means of obtaining an income for many of the people of all villages.
During these next three days, round the clock activites are on going. I love to capture and create images of children. The "innocence" of their expressions, fascinates me.
you never know what your going to find on these beaches, everything in and throught the village is gravel,
Walking on the tundra, damages the tundra, that is why "gravel" was blanketed throughout the entire new village, when it was moved in the 70;s due to flooding, The tundra is very fragile and most people have no idea of what it is like to walk on this spongy stuff.
Most of the beaches are gravel and this is what you have to search through, or walk or ride on, to find Ivory.
The secret to finding Ivory is, to look, for something that just doesn't look right in that "gravel". Mastadon Ivory is often passed over, and passed by, because it looks, so much like wood, until you pick it up. Its very heavy.
Anything can wash up on these beaches, and usually does, all you gotta do is walk the beaches and you will find, something, Ivory is the best source of income, it sells quickly to the first person who has the $$, it doesn't take long, once a piece is found to sell it to local artists in the villages or in anchorage even because this stuff is so rare, it is more valuable than gold.
Although the summers are fun and constant sunlight 24/7, I much prefer the village when it is covered with snow and it is cold, crisp & refreshing.
No one, is allowed on the Barge, and it is forbidden to get up into the Control room unless your invited. As my son Jesse was.
This was our reason for moving to Barrow, The captain of the barge upon his return, told Jesse, get up to Barrow with your bracelets.
and we left on August 7th.
The Captain is looking @ 5 bracelets he ended up purchasing from Jesse, when he returned he bought some more and said get up to Barrow.
NO one in Barrow has bracelets such as we make.
(more to follow)
In Kotzebue, & In Point Hope, we can only get 1-2 hundred for our bracelets. In Barrow we get 3 times that amount or more.
We want to build a "hotel" here in Barrow, this is our goal, to purchase the land that is for sale beside the postoffice & Open Majik
Imaje up here and Re-Open the Anchorage store.
Photo Tours @ The Top of the World promises to be an exciting event.
600 years ago, here in Barrow, the ice piled up and advanced and crushed an entire family inside their sod house, and everything was perfectly perserved. The North Slope Borough has a 2 hour movie on this event. When it was discovered in the 1990's. Archeologists uncovered what is known as Mound 44.
This fascinating 2 hour movie will keep you glued to the edge of your seats. I will post a link to the North Slope Borough if anyone is interested in purchasing this incredible historical event.
This is one of my favorite ways to make $$. And we did, find something interesting and create images of it, print them up 'el-quicko' and show them to the same people as fast as possiblel.
We have four 13 x 19" printers @ home here in point hope. 3 Epson & 1 HP.
Those four printers have all been sold and we now have an Epson 1400 & soon our next Epson printer(s) are for 17 X 22 " format and 36" wide format.
Here in Barrow the North Slope Borough has many buildinigs and the walls are bare.
Some of my images taken 27 years ago are still on display inside the North Slope Borough's Main Office.
I always create images, print up what I think is saleable and try and sell them to the people "working" in these type photographs. I have learned from experience, that this method ALWAYS brings in $$.
And this particular event was no different, my goal was to sell 20 images @ 50 each in the three day period. That challenge presented no difficulty at all. People love to have photographs of what they do at work. That has been my experience in the construction industry and I made a ton of money over my 40 year career as an electrician on huge construction projects.
EVERYONE today has a camera or a means of creating a photograph. Now what can you do with that photograph is what is important. How can you market that image ? This is another aspect of photography that most people completly overlook or reach for a goal that is way out of reach.
I do not want to sell one image @ 500 dollars. I want to sell thousands of them @ an affordable price to the person/client I am having a dialogue with, attempting to make a sale.
Learning how to market your images and how to approach total strangers to make a sale is not something your gona learn from a book from some expert, It takes practice, and learning how to smile when they say NO.
I never give up.
I do some very strange things, to make a sale to a customer, some of my methods are very bizarre. ha ha ha ha ha. .such as..
ripping up the photograph, when they say no.
And then going back with a brand new one, 85% of the time. I make the sale !!!
Now with that knowledge that you just gained, how can you make money with your camera ?
To some people, that is not the issure,
For others that is their goal.
It is always a real thrill to go out and purchase new toys to advance your photographic endevors. But it is not how much you have. It is all about learning to use what you have to the fullest extent possible.
Create an image, that people want to look at and pay for.
Now-a-days, everyone is a "photographer".
But supporting a family. or creating your own successfull "gallery" or business is the only way to go.
That takes a lot of Marketing skills to sell yourself, and some images.
Inupiaq Values
Unfortunately these images are not the size I had hoped for:
and thus the "english" is difficult to read. so for those who can't understand the Inupiaq words I will post the english translation below :
COMPASSION
Though the environment is harsh and cold, our ancestors learned to live with warmth, kindness, caring and compassion. AVOIDANCE OF CONFLICT
The Iñupiaq way is to think positive, act positive, speak positive and live positive. LOVE AND RESECT FOR OUR ELDERS AND ONE ANOTHER
Our Elders model our traditions and ways of being. They are a light of hope to younger generations.
May we treat each other as our Elders have taught us.
COOPERATION
Together we have an awesome power to accomplish anything HUMOR
Indeed, laughter is the best medicine! SHARING
It is amazing how sharing works. Your acts of giving always come back. FAMILY AND KINSHIP
As Iñupiaq people we believe in knowing who we are and how we are related to one another. Our families bind us together. KNOWLEDGE OF LANGUAGE
"With our language we have an identity. It helps us to find out who we are in our mind and in our heart."
Lee Barger, 1986 Iñupiat Language Convention.
HUNTING TRADITIONS
Reverence for the land, sea and animals is the foundation of our hunting traditions.
RESPECT FOR NATURE
Our Creator gave us the gift of our surroundings.
Those before us placed ultimate importance on respecting this magnificent gift for their future generations.
HUMILITY
Our hearts command we act on goodness. Expect no reward in return. This is part of our cultural fiber. SPIRITUALITY
We know the power of prayer. We are a spiritual people.
Wow
This has to be one of the most interesting threads I've ever read on a forum. Very well done. You certainly live in a beautifully remote part of the world.
TOP OF THE WORLD - Barrow Alaska
thank you Imonk and Awais. Lots more to follow, in "another" village.
Barrow Alaska - Top of the World.
And the vast area of the Arctic region(s). so much empty land. the land of 10,000,000 lakes !!
Remember ?? Will Rogers ? or Wiley Post ?? Two very famous people who met their demise in Barrow when the plane crashed.
walking around the village affords some strange sights that you will never see in your part of the world. This is the norm here. People preparing their food. I don't have the recipie for this, but it is caribou meat, drying out to make paniktaq. (jerky ) !!
Those bones at the bottom left portion are whale bone vertabrae bones. These are used to make arts & crafts. and for some. it is their playground for the days events at increasing their imagination.
It is just so different here at the top of the world in these villages.
and to these children. this is all they know. them bones don't bother them one bit. I inquired about these bones. for sale ?? sure the owner said.. $1,000 bux and you can have them all.. nope. I know I can get all of that for 300 or less.. and we did.. we got that much and more from a Jim Allen from Wainwright..
and My son Mark, made a mask.. Mark Anrew Eves.. = MAE on the back of his art work. everyone thinks it is a woman's sig !!! LMAO !!
Yes mark made this bone mask and it sold for 1500 bux.
two days work.. not bad..
We moved up to barrow on a whim. based on what the barge captain told us.. we arrived broke, no place to stay, I can do this in these villages, just go to any one, broke and have a place to stay and food to eat.. This is the Inupiaq way.. take care of people that need help.
We needed help and we ended up helping a 71 year old alcoholic.
James Sielek he has been in this state since he was 14, no schooling and believe it or not. this man went through two bottles of R& R whiskey each and every day and did not get drunk. he drniks it straight. !!
I have never met anyone who could speak so articulate after having two bottles of this stuff in him.. it costs us ten grand to stay in his house for those two months.!!! My sons make outrageous money, selling ivory bracelets that they make at home.
we were very glad to get a new place Oct. 1st and the rent was not too much cheaper.
We paid all of Jimmys bills every month, purchased, lots of food, did all of the cooking and cleaning for his house. plus gave him 1,000 a month which all went for whiskey.. that's only 5 days worth !!! @ 100 bux a bottle and he went through two a day for two months !!!
I don't drink I have nver been drunk.. and I never will be.
I don't want to smell like that
I don't want to talk like that
I don't want to ever walk like that
I just don't understand it all..
There are many exhibts around the village of barrow. the skull bone(s) of a bowhead whale, this exhibit is located in about 4 places throughout the village of Barrow.
One is located outside of the Inuiaq hertiage center which is a focal point for all tourists that come to the village in the summer time.
One is located outside of the North Slope Borough main building in the center of Barrow proper.
the third one is located at the college 5 miles outside of Barrow / Browerville.
Next door to this heritage center located in Browerville is the "stuagpak"
the store.
I notice this whaling captain coming out of the store. Each whaling captain in all villages designs and purchases crew jackets for all of the members of the crew.
The Patkotak sisters are very famous in Barrow (home town) and all other villages all throughout the entire state of Alaska; for the three Inupiaq gospel albums they have made. These are played in almost every household in all of the villages. It is a welcome famiilar sound when traveling into unknown regions of the arctic.
Walking around is always a pleasure to capture and create something interesting. Children captivate me and challenge me to create something pleasing to behold.
This is the traditional manner in which to carry a child or new born. a belt is worn so the baby can sit down, and fall asleep. or play peek a boo.
the biggest bit of advice I can give. is to keep creating and updating your portfolio and doing something with those images. showing them to people. but now with the internet, hundreds of millions of people are now.. photographers. that part is true in essence. but marketing your images is a whole complete different ballgame that many are not prepared for or know where to start.
I like to tell stories with my photographs. Every picture tells a story is the name of a song long ago. .and that is true, so true.
The crisp razor sharpness we now enjoy, is incredible, but is just can't match what "film" can impart.
Hopefully with this new house herein Barrow which has a lot of extra room I can now set up a darkroom and get out on that ocean ice and produce and create some new images.
whaling is timeless. it doesn't matter which year you are out there,, everything is the same. but different.. ! a frozen world of broken up ice. for miles in every direction
People are out there, right now, breaking trail, working on the trails that will take them 10 miles out or closer.. no one knows just yet. how far they will have to go. Things change quickly.. anything can happen.
You can tell when the ice breaks, from miles away in town, just by looking at the .. .. sky !!
This will show you if. there is open water way out there, it will not give an indication of how far it is out there. They can tell, but I can't. I just know that when the ice breaks that water will reflect back up to the clouds same way as the ice does and the sky is darker where the water is reflecting up onto those clouds.!!
If there are clouds present (chukle).. .. This is a lot of very hard work to smooth out these trails. pick & axe are used to chop and smooth out this trail that must be kept open for supplies and other equipment to arrive down here.
As things begin to happen here in Barrow I will post more images of this years hunt !
Meanwhile I have a lot to show and tell about Barrow !!
Wonderful
Absolutely wonderful......I just love it when you post more pics with the story to go along. Your posts are my escape to a new world. More please!!!!
Canon 30D & REB XT (thinking of converting to infrared), Sigma 10-20mm, Tammy 17-50mm 2.8, Canon 24-70mm 2.8, 70-200mm 2.8 IS, Tokina 100mm 2.8 Macro, Canon 50mm 1.8, Canon 1.4 ext, and Sigma 4.5 fish eye along with a Bogen by Gitzo Tripod, Manfrotto Ball Head, MacBook PRO, several HOYA filters and a 2GB & 8GB San Disk, 160GB Sanho storage device (really cool btw)......wishing for a Canon 100-400mm. :wink
ROFLMAO !!! well you now have a verifiable source to point to.. Admiral Perry he lost 3 members of his crew.
and I have some more recent accounts to add! Thanks for your interest in my work and photo essay.
(chuckle) I have so many people do the same thing to me also.. and when they find the info on the internet they act as through they have the proof!
One lady on one forum said to me.. Now I know your lying to us. you said it was Feb and it was light, then it got dark "and we all know there is six months light and six months darkness"
(double chuckle) !!
Many people and publishers have been after me to write a book, ha ha.. why bother! I want the movie !! and the only person I know of that could possibly play my part, with my sarcasim humor and wit, would be George Carlin !
It is just astounding how people who have never been here, will make such brash bold statments !
Now let me bust one of the biggest myths that exist, about Alaska & the Inupiat Eskimos and the land in which they live & thrive in.
Well I have to explain this in two sections, because Point Hope is much different frm Barrow.
first lets take a much better look in the area of which I am speaking about so you can understand in a much easier way.
December is the worst month no matter which village you live in or the whole state for that matter. Dec 21st is the shortest day of the year.
So lets start there. In Barrow Novermber 17th the sun sets and goes below the horizon and it will not come back ABOVE the horizon until Jan 23rd
but we have some "light" each and every day. dusk type not very bright. and for only a very short amount of time (Dec 21) that "dusk" like sorta bright light only lasts for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours, then we slowly start to pick up extra minutes every day, continuing into Jan, then the sun comes back up and only stays above thehorizon for 1 1/2 hours then down, then darkness again.
This is Barrow.Dec 21 55 below 11:30 a.m. we will have dusk type sorta bright light by 12:30 and darkness again by 2:30 perhaps.
As we move into february we are really gaining more minutes each day as in 20 minutes more sunlight each day. on into march sun is up by 8 am and sets at 5 pm now we are really gaining. mid march sunlight at 5 am - 9 pm once we hit april .. towards the end we never see darkness until the end of August. 3 1/2 months of sunlight 24 - 7
June 21st is the longest day of the year. well we have been in 24 / 7 sunlight since end of april - mid may in point hope there is that much difference between those two villages
People say I am nuts when I tell them you can see the curvature of the earth up here. you can. get out on that ice and look at the open ocean water. to your right it is higher than the lower on your left
but in the winter, we never have 3/12 months of TOTAL darkness What we have is more darkness than light for 3 1/2 months but the summers are indescribable. extemly easy to stay awake and alert for 3 days or longer and it only takes about 4 hours rest to re-charge for another 3 or more days if yu stay outside in that sunlight !!
They say we spend 1/3 of our lives asleep. Move to the Arctic and enjoy life longer and fuller !! ha ha ha ha.!!
FACT ? or FICTION.. you be the judge. Read the page !!
I've been enjoying reading your story on dGrin... and dcwatch, and shuttertalk, and flashkit, and photogalaxy, and dphoto, and ozzu, and openphotographyforums, and fredmiranda.
Your new approach of simply linking to another forum is much more efficient, and must save you hours of internet time.
WOW! Lucky!
I just finished reading this thread from the beginning, and all I can say is, wow. You're great storytelling coupled with the photographs really kept me glued to my seat for a while. I hope I have a chance to visit in the future...maybe at you're proposed hotel? I'd love to get away from all the hustle and bustle of American life and retreat to "Heaven on Earth." I can't wait until you post more...thanks again!
I see a forum such as this where people can interact with whaling captains, and children and even teachers that are imported into this village to "teach"? these children.
I have no idea which talent pool they reach into to find some of the qualified people that are sent to this village in responsible positions.
The head counselor for the students, when I met with her suggesting a program of arts & crafts and photography, she replied no! I am going to teach these children how to make "buttons" !. ??
Believe it or not, the photography teachers they send up here, keep saying the same thing, No, that darkroom cannot be used to process color. Hmmm. I was very successfull in the same area with my equipment 25 years ago, but the childish mindset of people in responsible positions, have no vision, no preception of how much damage they are causing the children of these villages.
I lost 3 hours work, on this post, eariler, oh well, no problem, I can reconstruct most of it but not with the flow it had before.
The time today, at 9 a.m. the streets are bright, there is plenty of light even though the street lights are still on, by 10 am the sun was above the horizon, The sun went down below the horizon @ 4:30 and it was dark at ten past five. p.m.
We are gaining 6 miuntes more each day I believe. I will watch more closely, but this is all charted out, someplace on the net. http://majikimaje.com/barrow/sunset.jpg
I have had some elders from Point Hope visiting here in Barrow for meetings, They are spending most of their off time @ our house here. this is indeed a true pleasure. Everyone knows of the winner for the very first Iditarod in 1973, But no one remembers what happened to Ron Oviok, from Pt. Hope he placed 14th, he had to walk most of the way, his dogs became sick, and they ran out of food, The packages of seal meat and maktak and caribou is all that these dogs had ever eaten. But none of this was arriving in time at the check points, He stayed two days at one checkpoint hoping for food to arrive. All he could find or obtain was a big bag of friskees, he sat down with his dogs and ate the friskees with them, they followed his lead .
He finally entered Nome, during a white out at 1:30 a.m. No one was at the finish line, he went straight to the bar-room, some women from point hope recognised him and he felt right at home, among close friends. His 21 day journey was over.
I asked him, how do you ever find your way in the blinding white out, he said, you don't yell at the dogs; or the dogs will take you back home.
Suicides ? Oh yes (sob) Notice when I mentioned about Rozella's children I past right by Ricky ? He was a genius in understanding complicated circuitry and the ability to draw them from memory, He could not read or write, even though he had graduated from High School, I know of a lot of people in this village that have graduated from High School and cannot read or write.
In the village it is so tiny and eveyrthing everyone does is known by all, There is no way to escape the pressure, and some resort to the untinkable. Ricky could not handle what he saw, his wife in the arms of another man.
Each village has two PSO's Public Saftey Officers. over the years , more of these officers (imported) have ended up in jail for trying to bribe young girls in the village
Too many of these children spend too much time, in jail. Bored out of there wits, there is little that is or can be done, BUT things need to change, it is has been my dream for 25 years to use the proceeds from these images to help these people. and I have done so many times, in ways they are not even aware of.
http://majikimaje.com/barrow/model.jpg
Here are some of my very last images, before leaving Pt. Hope on August 7th.
taken @ midnight !! http://majikimaje.com/barrow/lastphoto.jpg
These children live on these 4 wheel hondas
as much as possible, they learn how to drive them at
a very young age. And as you have seen in many of these images,
An entire family of 5 or 6 is loaded onto just one of these vehicles.
YOu can see the fresh strips of Salmon drying, lots of houses have this hanging up all over the village, fresh fish is plentiful up here and with many different varieties most of which I have never heard of. But salmon is plentiful
Death is a recognizable site in any village
and it is all too common and frequent for my state of mind.
It disturbs me greatly to see people die at such a very young age.
Especially since I have come to know them so well.
But there are some good stories also, but always bizarre and preposterous, and even documented by: the Discovery Channel, yes indeed, true story, 1993, before everything was computer data base MYSQL driven or stored.
This was reported and they had to come up here and find out the true facts, when all was established then they filmed the entire sequence of events with Morris in the water of the pool in the school but it was extremly believeable the manner in which they reconstructed the entire events of that day.
This story I saw on TV in Anchorage and I was spellbound, shocked and amazed at the same time. Inupiaq people can survuve tragic deadly incidents with some astounding results that defy logic, defy science and all medical knowledge known to man at this present date and time.
This is a 2 hour movie I am going to type in just a few short paragraphs. Sayers & Morris have copies of this movie, I have tried in vain to obtain a copy by calling the discovery channel and other associated branches of that unit.
The story begins with Morris Sage and Sayers Tuzroyluk returning to the village from hundreds of miles away, hunting caribou, no luck, coming home, almost home 7 miles to go across the lagoon and they both went through the ice and plunged into the ocean, Sayers was able to jump off his machine to safer ice and land. Morris went down with his machine but managed to climb off and grab his 10 foot sled which was vertical just barely sticking above the survace of the water. Clinging on to that sled he was barely able to keep his head above the water. Sayers tried to jump in and swim over but that was not possible as the weight of all your clothing brings you down very quickly. Sayers barely managed to get himself out of that icey water for the second time and decided the only way to get help here is to walk back to the village. He knows Morris is in very serious trouble but what can he do, just standing there.? He has nothing that can be used and the only recourse is to abandon Morris and head back to the village for help and hope that someone is headed this way.
Morris is going to die and he knows it, He is in an impossible situation. He thinks of his daughter, coming home from school and finding out that her father died and the shock and devastation that would ensue, He just could not let that happen, NO ! He was determined, I must see my daughter, I cannot die, I must see my daughter , this must not happen, then he remembered what his grandfather had taught him when he was a very young boy, how to use his mind to control the water and defy death.
And Morris said, to himself and to his mind.. Oh this feels so good and warm this water is just so warm and it feels so good, He went into some sort of trance believing this was true and this was what his body was actually feeling,
Meanwhile Sayers is slowly trying to walk the seven miles back to the village but he is in very serious condition, as his clothes are all frozen with ice, His legs are hurting he can't walk and he falls down and wants to go to sleep, He just cannot get back up. He knows if he falls asleep that Morris will die, he has to get back to the village and with great effort he was able to rise and continue walking slowly toward the village which can be seen on the horizon a geat distance away.
Sayers fell again, and again, several times, and each time, it was more difficult to get up and the time that passed was longer and longer. He had to do something, he had to keep going but the pain in his legs was too much for him to continue.
As a last resort with no other options available he turned around and started to walk backwards, a much slower pace but far less painful.
At some point in time, Sayes cannot remember how long it had been or how far he had walked, someone, noticed something that was not normal and rushed out there to see why this was happening, it didn't make sense. Sayers was quickly brought back to the village and many people with the proper equipment sped out to Morris' location. Morris is unconscious, but still holding on.
They had a very difficult time in prying Morri's frozen hand off that the top of the back of the sled that was sticking up out of the water about 18". It took quite some time to pry his fingers and loosen his grip and get him out of that water.
Morris was submerged in icy cold water for 4 hours !
It was 20 below outside
He was rushed back to the village into the clinic and medivaced by plane down to the hospital in Kotzebue.
When ever anyone has to be medivac to Kotzebue, first they have to send the plane up here, that takes at least 40 minutes. Morris has now had all clothing removed and is now wrapped in many layers of warm blankets.
When he arrived at the hospital in Kotzebue, the doctors were stunned, amazined and bewildered, Morris' core temp was 58 degrees. He recovered fully
with no side effects what so ever !
Want proof ? Morris Sage - General Delivery - Point Hope Alaska 99766
Sayes Tuzroyluk > same info !
Inupiaq Eskimo's think different, they do things different and still today, science has no answers for these peoples unique abilities that defy anything we know of.
David, you have brought me to a place I will more than likely never venture. Through your photographs and story (continuing I hope), I am there. What a unique priviledge it is to share this adventure you bring to us!
This is exactly what the Journeys Forum was designed for. More! More!
Thanks David ! (chuckle) I am david also !! and in Eskimo that would make us "namesakes" which is attik. (person with the same name)
when ever two people that have the same exact name in the village see each other. they always refer to each other as Ut !
Hello Attik (ut tick) but usually the term Ut is used A= Uh In Inupiaq
I have many more photos, and tons of photographs to post- show & tell of the most wonderful life in the Arctic.
What if I told YOU .. .. .. .. that YOU.. .. can.. with practice.. make 10k in less than a week. This not some get rich scheme or spam or phishing.
I just want to share.. a 'secret".. .. that very very few people know about.
Arts & Crafts is a huge business in the Arctic. guess what ? you can do the exact same thing at home no matter which part of the world you live in.
This is a scrimshawed Walrus Ivory tusk.. .. it sold for 120 bux.
You cannot purchase RAW white walrus ivory. that is 100% illegial.
but you can purchase Beach Washed Ivory, that is legal for anyone to own, possess and carve on and sell.
anyone can own, purchase fossil ivory. mastodon ivory, Mammoth Ivory.
There are NO LAWS against this. I do not care if you live in the deserts of Afghanistan or anyplace in the world. If you can read these words. You can get ivory and make big bux. At home.
All of these villages have extremly high rates of unemployment. Very few jobs in small villages, the exceptons to this are Barrow & Kotzebue.
Plenty of jobs for anyone that wants to work are available in these villages.
but in the smaller villages of 300 people or 600 people, Parents who have very large families.. .. . their only income is from Arts & Crafts @ home on a daily basis.. '" this is your job" work work work. @ home !!
This bracelet which was made by one of my sons, sold instantly for 300 bux very little ivory is used. it is fossil ivory. I have provided step by step instructions of everything you need to know.. to begin to learn how to make major bux in no time at all.. 10 thousand in less than a week ?
This is no joke. I have all the necessary proof for you to read.
go to my blog. go to the search window on my blog and type in So Proud
take the time to read and make up your own mind.. NO !! .. .. YOU WILL not LEARN this by next weekend.. but in less than a month your going to begin to make money, if you continue. . .. with practice your going to be blown away that $$ coming in far surpasses any thing you ever thought possible.
That sounds like a real moneymaker. I think I'd like to try my hand at that at some point. It sounds like an incredible craft, with a lot of skilled workmanship involved. I wish I had the time to learn now.
Anyone can learn this.. .. with dedicated practice ! Little children do this kind of stuff.. all it takes is practice !
We didn't do this over night.. but when our first bracelets sold (20 bux) 2 of them.. these boys were so happy.. lets make more, was the decision. This is fun !!
4 boys, sitting on a couch in a cold qanichaq (artic entry ) barely 6 feet wide.
Once they learned all the steps, and could create a bracelet in a day.. then they were off and running. At first 20 bux then 40 bux, after a week or two, 60 bux, 80 bux and 120 bux per bracelet. Now n Barrow it is much much higer than that. 200, - 750 !!! This is all we do each and every day. Go to work and work hard and long hours. THIS IS HOW YOU SUCCEED.
Keep working, and then it all of a sudden it happens. .money coming in every day. Much more than you ever thought possible.
Hello Hello from the land of the Eskimo - in Barrow TOP of the WORLD.
Here is perhaps the most well known site in the entire village, The Arch of the two Jaw bones from a Bowhead Whale.
But these were put here, not by the people of Barrow.. .. People of Point Hope came up here to show and help them how to do this in the ways of Tikigaq ! in 1964.
An Elder informed me of this little tidbit of info about the Arctic. Ron Oviok from Point Hope. He was my former landlord in Point Hope, In one of the many different homes have rented in the village.
Its that time of year again, it is time to go whaling.. new skins need to be put on those umiaq frames !! Clean skins or the whale will not give up its gift to the hunter of its choice.
New skins are hanging, drying in the wind. To stretch and stretch and sewn together to cover that wooden frame.
These are thousands of years of age old traditions that must be strictly adhered to. The whale can see, hear, smell. They know the personality of that hunter. They know his umiaq each and every year, the same whales with the same hunters in the same umiaq. Whales are SMART. they will only give up the sacrifice to the hunter of its choice.
Everyone has had a whole year to get ready. That Captain must spend many thousands of dollars to feed his crew and provide the supplies, ammuntion, meals for 8 hunters many times each day. There is lots of very difficult hard work to do out on that ice. If you want a much closer view of Barrow by the best there ever was up here. Bill Hess is most respected person up here. He lives in Wassilla but has made many trips to Barrow in his own private plane. The Gift of the Whale by Bill Hess - a MUST READ ! that will keep you utterly spell bound. I now know how you feel when you read this thread. I felt the excitment all over me reading his exceptional book 289 pages with oodles & oodles of fascinating images that had me breathless page after page. (Gasp !!)
I was shocked .. .when I found out, we each began our quest in the same year. In fact when he was in Point Hope in 82,after the hunt I was in the darkroom processing all this film, we have never met. but his name is a 'legend' and well respected at that.
We have spoken on the phone years ago, But this book is wonderful. and he verifies many of the stories and customs that I have written about. I felt like I was beside him the whole time. I will read - reread and read that book many times. The rush was incredible !!
What an incrediable Journey......Is trhere more to tell or show? Surely there is??
Hope to see more......When does the book come out?
The book is in the works, .. .. I am in negotations with the same publisher that Bill Hess used for his book Sasquatch Publishers.
Here is a poem by an Inupiat whaler
Charles Hopson from here in Barrow Expressing the unique relationship between the Captain & the whale !
Bowhead
by Charlie Hopson, Inupiat whaler
Silently I move toward destiny.
Quietly, you, Inupiat, await my destiny.
I can hear you as I move under the ice.
I can see you as I surface.
Together we wait.
Both know what the other thinks.
Although we live in different worlds,
We exist for each other.
I move towards you Inupiat,
Because it is my destiny.
Quietly I approach you.
Silently you move towards me.
I give you your culture.
I give myself, Bowhead Whale.
"The Inupiat never boast they have caught a whale. Theyreceive a whale, and they do so humbly. They believe that the whale chooses to sacrifice itself, that if a hunter creates a place pleasing to the animals, it will choose to die there and tell the others to come next year. Nothing logical about animal behavior or natural selection can shatter this belief, it is so deeply felt among the Inupiat. Doubting it would be akin to blasphemy, an abandonment of their heritage."
- Marla Cone
A house, next to the palm trees.. . .here in the Arctic !
Now that does sound rather bizarre.. No one would ever believe me for sure... ... that is.. .. unless I post an image of these three trees in the Arctic.!
Humor is everywhere up here, these are happy happy people that never complain !!
head to Barrow.. walk the streets. complete strangers will look you straight in the eye, smile and give a big hello !!!
Comments
There were 3 1/2 people on this flight while I was telling you this latest story in this Journal series.
The flight was exceptionally smooth and it was a gorgeous day to fly
400 for the price of the flight, Adult or infant !!!
and here we are.. .. about to land.. @ the TOP OF THE WORLD !
"That is the name of one of the Hotels here in Barrow.
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Thank you so much for taking me to a whole new place. I loved your pictures and commentary.
High in the Arctic, has been posted on OVER 40 different photo forums & other type forums. Here
99.9% of all replies to my post have been XCELLENT!
but there is always one in a bunch ( a tiny percentile).
that wants to bash me down and call me a liar.
My aim is to remove some of the mystery of this land, this culture, and these wonderful people of the North Slope.
I have tons of stories that are all true. But how to prove all of this, a person would have to come up here, go out and get lost, and see what happens.
There are just so many stories of people being rescued in desperate situations.
and things much more bizarre than anything I have typed yet.
My model for this, my last day in Point Hope. I just love to photograph little children, especially when they are playing out, @ midnight !!!
The entire village is alive with the sounds of little children playing out all night long. Our summers are just so fantastick, I would not want to live anyplace else in this world. The Arctic is home, forever, global warming ??
I don't think so, I think it is just a matter of "cycles".
The last photo(s) I created in Point Hope, just before leaving for Barrow.
This image was created @ midnight !!! My flight arrives in 12 hours !!
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The end of July .. the Barge arrives and this is a fun filled three days.
For one, many artists, are always eager for new faces to come to town as this means more money into the economy here in the village.
There are a lot of people that work on the barge and they always purchase Arts & Crafts each and every year.
Once the barge leaves point hope and makes its way up to Barrow, they return to each village on the way back. Two stops per year.
Below is a scrimshaw walrus ivory tusk that Hanko made. Henry Koonuk.
Henry works on Arts & Crafts every day,
This is the only means of obtaining an income for many of the people of all villages.
During these next three days, round the clock activites are on going. I love to capture and create images of children. The "innocence" of their expressions, fascinates me.
you never know what your going to find on these beaches, everything in and throught the village is gravel,
Walking on the tundra, damages the tundra, that is why "gravel" was blanketed throughout the entire new village, when it was moved in the 70;s due to flooding, The tundra is very fragile and most people have no idea of what it is like to walk on this spongy stuff.
Most of the beaches are gravel and this is what you have to search through, or walk or ride on, to find Ivory.
The secret to finding Ivory is, to look, for something that just doesn't look right in that "gravel". Mastadon Ivory is often passed over, and passed by, because it looks, so much like wood, until you pick it up. Its very heavy.
Anything can wash up on these beaches, and usually does, all you gotta do is walk the beaches and you will find, something, Ivory is the best source of income, it sells quickly to the first person who has the $$, it doesn't take long, once a piece is found to sell it to local artists in the villages or in anchorage even because this stuff is so rare, it is more valuable than gold.
Although the summers are fun and constant sunlight 24/7, I much prefer the village when it is covered with snow and it is cold, crisp & refreshing.
No one, is allowed on the Barge, and it is forbidden to get up into the Control room unless your invited. As my son Jesse was.
This was our reason for moving to Barrow, The captain of the barge upon his return, told Jesse, get up to Barrow with your bracelets.
and we left on August 7th.
The Captain is looking @ 5 bracelets he ended up purchasing from Jesse, when he returned he bought some more and said get up to Barrow.
NO one in Barrow has bracelets such as we make.
(more to follow)
In Kotzebue, & In Point Hope, we can only get 1-2 hundred for our bracelets. In Barrow we get 3 times that amount or more.
We want to build a "hotel" here in Barrow, this is our goal, to purchase the land that is for sale beside the postoffice & Open Majik
Imaje up here and Re-Open the Anchorage store.
Photo Tours @ The Top of the World promises to be an exciting event.
600 years ago, here in Barrow, the ice piled up and advanced and crushed an entire family inside their sod house, and everything was perfectly perserved. The North Slope Borough has a 2 hour movie on this event. When it was discovered in the 1990's. Archeologists uncovered what is known as Mound 44.
This fascinating 2 hour movie will keep you glued to the edge of your seats. I will post a link to the North Slope Borough if anyone is interested in purchasing this incredible historical event.
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This is one of my favorite ways to make $$. And we did, find something interesting and create images of it, print them up 'el-quicko' and show them to the same people as fast as possiblel.
We have four 13 x 19" printers @ home here in point hope. 3 Epson & 1 HP.
Those four printers have all been sold and we now have an Epson 1400 & soon our next Epson printer(s) are for 17 X 22 " format and 36" wide format.
Here in Barrow the North Slope Borough has many buildinigs and the walls are bare.
Some of my images taken 27 years ago are still on display inside the North Slope Borough's Main Office.
I always create images, print up what I think is saleable and try and sell them to the people "working" in these type photographs. I have learned from experience, that this method ALWAYS brings in $$.
And this particular event was no different, my goal was to sell 20 images @ 50 each in the three day period. That challenge presented no difficulty at all. People love to have photographs of what they do at work. That has been my experience in the construction industry and I made a ton of money over my 40 year career as an electrician on huge construction projects.
EVERYONE today has a camera or a means of creating a photograph. Now what can you do with that photograph is what is important. How can you market that image ? This is another aspect of photography that most people completly overlook or reach for a goal that is way out of reach.
I do not want to sell one image @ 500 dollars. I want to sell thousands of them @ an affordable price to the person/client I am having a dialogue with, attempting to make a sale.
Learning how to market your images and how to approach total strangers to make a sale is not something your gona learn from a book from some expert, It takes practice, and learning how to smile when they say NO.
I never give up.
I do some very strange things, to make a sale to a customer, some of my methods are very bizarre. ha ha ha ha ha. .such as..
ripping up the photograph, when they say no.
And then going back with a brand new one, 85% of the time. I make the sale !!!
Now with that knowledge that you just gained, how can you make money with your camera ?
To some people, that is not the issure,
For others that is their goal.
It is always a real thrill to go out and purchase new toys to advance your photographic endevors. But it is not how much you have. It is all about learning to use what you have to the fullest extent possible.
Create an image, that people want to look at and pay for.
Now-a-days, everyone is a "photographer".
But supporting a family. or creating your own successfull "gallery" or business is the only way to go.
That takes a lot of Marketing skills to sell yourself, and some images.
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Unfortunately these images are not the size I had hoped for:
and thus the "english" is difficult to read. so for those who can't understand the Inupiaq words I will post the english translation below :
COMPASSION
Though the environment is harsh and cold, our ancestors learned to live with warmth, kindness, caring and compassion.
AVOIDANCE OF CONFLICT
The Iñupiaq way is to think positive, act positive, speak positive and live positive.
LOVE AND RESECT FOR OUR ELDERS AND ONE ANOTHER
Our Elders model our traditions and ways of being. They are a light of hope to younger generations.
May we treat each other as our Elders have taught us.
COOPERATION
Together we have an awesome power to accomplish anything
HUMOR
Indeed, laughter is the best medicine!
SHARING
It is amazing how sharing works. Your acts of giving always come back.
FAMILY AND KINSHIP
As Iñupiaq people we believe in knowing who we are and how we are related to one another. Our families bind us together.
KNOWLEDGE OF LANGUAGE
"With our language we have an identity. It helps us to find out who we are in our mind and in our heart."
Lee Barger, 1986 Iñupiat Language Convention.
HUNTING TRADITIONS
Reverence for the land, sea and animals is the foundation of our hunting traditions.
RESPECT FOR NATURE
Our Creator gave us the gift of our surroundings.
Those before us placed ultimate importance on respecting this magnificent gift for their future generations.
HUMILITY
Our hearts command we act on goodness. Expect no reward in return. This is part of our cultural fiber.
SPIRITUALITY
We know the power of prayer. We are a spiritual people.
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thanks for sharing this amazing place
My Gallery
This has to be one of the most interesting threads I've ever read on a forum. Very well done. You certainly live in a beautifully remote part of the world.
Many thanks for sharing!
Ian
thank you Imonk and Awais. Lots more to follow, in "another" village.
Barrow Alaska - Top of the World.
And the vast area of the Arctic region(s). so much empty land. the land of 10,000,000 lakes !!
Remember ?? Will Rogers ? or Wiley Post ?? Two very famous people who met their demise in Barrow when the plane crashed.
walking around the village affords some strange sights that you will never see in your part of the world. This is the norm here. People preparing their food. I don't have the recipie for this, but it is caribou meat, drying out to make paniktaq. (jerky ) !!
Those bones at the bottom left portion are whale bone vertabrae bones. These are used to make arts & crafts. and for some. it is their playground for the days events at increasing their imagination.
It is just so different here at the top of the world in these villages.
and to these children. this is all they know. them bones don't bother them one bit. I inquired about these bones. for sale ?? sure the owner said.. $1,000 bux and you can have them all.. nope. I know I can get all of that for 300 or less.. and we did.. we got that much and more from a Jim Allen from Wainwright..
and My son Mark, made a mask.. Mark Anrew Eves.. = MAE on the back of his art work. everyone thinks it is a woman's sig !!! LMAO !!
Yes mark made this bone mask and it sold for 1500 bux.
two days work.. not bad..
We moved up to barrow on a whim. based on what the barge captain told us.. we arrived broke, no place to stay, I can do this in these villages, just go to any one, broke and have a place to stay and food to eat.. This is the Inupiaq way.. take care of people that need help.
We needed help and we ended up helping a 71 year old alcoholic.
James Sielek he has been in this state since he was 14, no schooling and believe it or not. this man went through two bottles of R& R whiskey each and every day and did not get drunk. he drniks it straight. !!
I have never met anyone who could speak so articulate after having two bottles of this stuff in him.. it costs us ten grand to stay in his house for those two months.!!! My sons make outrageous money, selling ivory bracelets that they make at home.
we were very glad to get a new place Oct. 1st and the rent was not too much cheaper.
We paid all of Jimmys bills every month, purchased, lots of food, did all of the cooking and cleaning for his house. plus gave him 1,000 a month which all went for whiskey.. that's only 5 days worth !!! @ 100 bux a bottle and he went through two a day for two months !!!
I don't drink I have nver been drunk.. and I never will be.
I don't want to smell like that
I don't want to talk like that
I don't want to ever walk like that
I just don't understand it all..
There are many exhibts around the village of barrow. the skull bone(s) of a bowhead whale, this exhibit is located in about 4 places throughout the village of Barrow.
One is located outside of the Inuiaq hertiage center which is a focal point for all tourists that come to the village in the summer time.
One is located outside of the North Slope Borough main building in the center of Barrow proper.
the third one is located at the college 5 miles outside of Barrow / Browerville.
Next door to this heritage center located in Browerville is the "stuagpak"
the store.
I notice this whaling captain coming out of the store. Each whaling captain in all villages designs and purchases crew jackets for all of the members of the crew.
The Patkotak sisters are very famous in Barrow (home town) and all other villages all throughout the entire state of Alaska; for the three Inupiaq gospel albums they have made. These are played in almost every household in all of the villages. It is a welcome famiilar sound when traveling into unknown regions of the arctic.
Walking around is always a pleasure to capture and create something interesting. Children captivate me and challenge me to create something pleasing to behold.
This is the traditional manner in which to carry a child or new born. a belt is worn so the baby can sit down, and fall asleep. or play peek a boo.
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On a steep learning curve...
Nikon D100, Nikon 18-135mm, Tamron 5.6 200-400mm
slodave!
Thanks for your time and your kind words.
the biggest bit of advice I can give. is to keep creating and updating your portfolio and doing something with those images. showing them to people. but now with the internet, hundreds of millions of people are now.. photographers. that part is true in essence. but marketing your images is a whole complete different ballgame that many are not prepared for or know where to start.
I like to tell stories with my photographs. Every picture tells a story is the name of a song long ago. .and that is true, so true.
The crisp razor sharpness we now enjoy, is incredible, but is just can't match what "film" can impart.
Hopefully with this new house herein Barrow which has a lot of extra room I can now set up a darkroom and get out on that ocean ice and produce and create some new images.
whaling is timeless. it doesn't matter which year you are out there,, everything is the same. but different.. ! a frozen world of broken up ice. for miles in every direction
People are out there, right now, breaking trail, working on the trails that will take them 10 miles out or closer.. no one knows just yet. how far they will have to go. Things change quickly.. anything can happen.
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This will show you if. there is open water way out there, it will not give an indication of how far it is out there. They can tell, but I can't. I just know that when the ice breaks that water will reflect back up to the clouds same way as the ice does and the sky is darker where the water is reflecting up onto those clouds.!!
If there are clouds present (chukle).. .. This is a lot of very hard work to smooth out these trails. pick & axe are used to chop and smooth out this trail that must be kept open for supplies and other equipment to arrive down here.
As things begin to happen here in Barrow I will post more images of this years hunt !
Meanwhile I have a lot to show and tell about Barrow !!
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Absolutely wonderful......I just love it when you post more pics with the story to go along. Your posts are my escape to a new world. More please!!!!
thank you so much for this effort of sharing. This thread has me captivated and almost got me in trouble at work for spending so much time reading it
This would be a great book of your adventures with all the great pics. Once again, thank you for the share. It was an absolute pleasure to read
My Photo Blog -->http://dthorpphoto.blogspot.com/
and I have some more recent accounts to add! Thanks for your interest in my work and photo essay.
(chuckle) I have so many people do the same thing to me also.. and when they find the info on the internet they act as through they have the proof!
One lady on one forum said to me.. Now I know your lying to us. you said it was Feb and it was light, then it got dark "and we all know there is six months light and six months darkness"
(double chuckle) !!
Many people and publishers have been after me to write a book, ha ha.. why bother! I want the movie !! and the only person I know of that could possibly play my part, with my sarcasim humor and wit, would be George Carlin !
It is just astounding how people who have never been here, will make such brash bold statments !
Now let me bust one of the biggest myths that exist, about Alaska & the Inupiat Eskimos and the land in which they live & thrive in.
Well I have to explain this in two sections, because Point Hope is much different frm Barrow.
first lets take a much better look in the area of which I am speaking about so you can understand in a much easier way.
December is the worst month no matter which village you live in or the whole state for that matter. Dec 21st is the shortest day of the year.
So lets start there. In Barrow Novermber 17th the sun sets and goes below the horizon and it will not come back ABOVE the horizon until Jan 23rd
but we have some "light" each and every day. dusk type not very bright. and for only a very short amount of time (Dec 21) that "dusk" like sorta bright light only lasts for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours, then we slowly start to pick up extra minutes every day, continuing into Jan, then the sun comes back up and only stays above thehorizon for 1 1/2 hours then down, then darkness again.
This is Barrow.Dec 21 55 below 11:30 a.m. we will have dusk type sorta bright light by 12:30 and darkness again by 2:30 perhaps.
As we move into february we are really gaining more minutes each day as in 20 minutes more sunlight each day. on into march sun is up by 8 am and sets at 5 pm now we are really gaining. mid march sunlight at 5 am - 9 pm once we hit april .. towards the end we never see darkness until the end of August. 3 1/2 months of sunlight 24 - 7
June 21st is the longest day of the year. well we have been in 24 / 7 sunlight since end of april - mid may in point hope there is that much difference between those two villages
People say I am nuts when I tell them you can see the curvature of the earth up here. you can. get out on that ice and look at the open ocean water. to your right it is higher than the lower on your left
but in the winter, we never have 3/12 months of TOTAL darkness What we have is more darkness than light for 3 1/2 months but the summers are indescribable. extemly easy to stay awake and alert for 3 days or longer and it only takes about 4 hours rest to re-charge for another 3 or more days if yu stay outside in that sunlight !!
They say we spend 1/3 of our lives asleep. Move to the Arctic and enjoy life longer and fuller !! ha ha ha ha.!!
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FACT ? or FICTION.. you be the judge. Read the page !!
http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php?p=198067#post198067
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I've been enjoying reading your story on dGrin... and dcwatch, and shuttertalk, and flashkit, and photogalaxy, and dphoto, and ozzu, and openphotographyforums, and fredmiranda.
Your new approach of simply linking to another forum is much more efficient, and must save you hours of internet time.
this time I did. but usually most of these are hand typed in each forum. you can easily see that.
I have copied and pasted the info on polar bears & Iglu..
go to City-data dot com.
they banned me because I made one mistake in a story. .I sure am pissed !!
especially @ megansmom & floyd Davidson
again.. THANKS
WHEN you check out Floyd Davidsons images on his web site in Barrow. I would not be a bit surprised if you fall over laughing !!
a very pitifull atempt at depicting the Inupiaq way of life.!! and full of mistakes I might also add.
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I just finished reading this thread from the beginning, and all I can say is, wow. You're great storytelling coupled with the photographs really kept me glued to my seat for a while. I hope I have a chance to visit in the future...maybe at you're proposed hotel? I'd love to get away from all the hustle and bustle of American life and retreat to "Heaven on Earth." I can't wait until you post more...thanks again!
-DK
www.dank-photo.com
www.dank-photo.blogspot.com
Well I have published this on over 50 photo forums.
If you would like to see and read lots more storeis and more photos
go to Fred miranda dot com.. two posts
in the PEOPLE section .. "Arctic MOdels @ 30 below zero
it is on page 2 or 3 or 4 by now..
In the ABSTRACT -CITY section
hHIGH IN THE ARCTIC .. .. Eskimo !!
probably on page 2 or 3 also !!
I posted lots more there than I have on any other forum !!
again.. um. er . THANKS.
You do not have to live that type of life.. there's tons of jobs up here.. very high paying jobs.
Barrow Alaska (that's my location now ) !!
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I have no idea which talent pool they reach into to find some of the qualified people that are sent to this village in responsible positions.
http://majikimaje.com/barrow/NSB.jpg
The head counselor for the students, when I met with her suggesting a program of arts & crafts and photography, she replied no! I am going to teach these children how to make "buttons" !. ??
Believe it or not, the photography teachers they send up here, keep saying the same thing, No, that darkroom cannot be used to process color. Hmmm. I was very successfull in the same area with my equipment 25 years ago, but the childish mindset of people in responsible positions, have no vision, no preception of how much damage they are causing the children of these villages.
I lost 3 hours work, on this post, eariler, oh well, no problem, I can reconstruct most of it but not with the flow it had before.
The time today, at 9 a.m. the streets are bright, there is plenty of light even though the street lights are still on, by 10 am the sun was above the horizon, The sun went down below the horizon @ 4:30 and it was dark at ten past five. p.m.
We are gaining 6 miuntes more each day I believe. I will watch more closely, but this is all charted out, someplace on the net.
http://majikimaje.com/barrow/sunset.jpg
I have had some elders from Point Hope visiting here in Barrow for meetings, They are spending most of their off time @ our house here. this is indeed a true pleasure. Everyone knows of the winner for the very first Iditarod in 1973, But no one remembers what happened to Ron Oviok, from Pt. Hope he placed 14th, he had to walk most of the way, his dogs became sick, and they ran out of food, The packages of seal meat and maktak and caribou is all that these dogs had ever eaten. But none of this was arriving in time at the check points, He stayed two days at one checkpoint hoping for food to arrive. All he could find or obtain was a big bag of friskees, he sat down with his dogs and ate the friskees with them, they followed his lead .
He finally entered Nome, during a white out at 1:30 a.m. No one was at the finish line, he went straight to the bar-room, some women from point hope recognised him and he felt right at home, among close friends. His 21 day journey was over.
I asked him, how do you ever find your way in the blinding white out, he said, you don't yell at the dogs; or the dogs will take you back home.
Suicides ? Oh yes (sob) Notice when I mentioned about Rozella's children I past right by Ricky ? He was a genius in understanding complicated circuitry and the ability to draw them from memory, He could not read or write, even though he had graduated from High School, I know of a lot of people in this village that have graduated from High School and cannot read or write.
In the village it is so tiny and eveyrthing everyone does is known by all, There is no way to escape the pressure, and some resort to the untinkable. Ricky could not handle what he saw, his wife in the arms of another man.
Each village has two PSO's Public Saftey Officers. over the years , more of these officers (imported) have ended up in jail for trying to bribe young girls in the village
Too many of these children spend too much time, in jail. Bored out of there wits, there is little that is or can be done, BUT things need to change, it is has been my dream for 25 years to use the proceeds from these images to help these people. and I have done so many times, in ways they are not even aware of.
http://majikimaje.com/barrow/model.jpg
Here are some of my very last images, before leaving Pt. Hope on August 7th.
taken @ midnight !!
http://majikimaje.com/barrow/lastphoto.jpg
These children live on these 4 wheel hondas
as much as possible, they learn how to drive them at
a very young age. And as you have seen in many of these images,
An entire family of 5 or 6 is loaded onto just one of these vehicles.
YOu can see the fresh strips of Salmon drying, lots of houses have this hanging up all over the village, fresh fish is plentiful up here and with many different varieties most of which I have never heard of. But salmon is plentiful
Death is a recognizable site in any village
and it is all too common and frequent for my state of mind.
It disturbs me greatly to see people die at such a very young age.
Especially since I have come to know them so well.
But there are some good stories also, but always bizarre and preposterous, and even documented by: the Discovery Channel, yes indeed, true story, 1993, before everything was computer data base MYSQL driven or stored.
This was reported and they had to come up here and find out the true facts, when all was established then they filmed the entire sequence of events with Morris in the water of the pool in the school but it was extremly believeable the manner in which they reconstructed the entire events of that day.
This story I saw on TV in Anchorage and I was spellbound, shocked and amazed at the same time. Inupiaq people can survuve tragic deadly incidents with some astounding results that defy logic, defy science and all medical knowledge known to man at this present date and time.
This is a 2 hour movie I am going to type in just a few short paragraphs. Sayers & Morris have copies of this movie, I have tried in vain to obtain a copy by calling the discovery channel and other associated branches of that unit.
The story begins with Morris Sage and Sayers Tuzroyluk returning to the village from hundreds of miles away, hunting caribou, no luck, coming home, almost home 7 miles to go across the lagoon and they both went through the ice and plunged into the ocean, Sayers was able to jump off his machine to safer ice and land. Morris went down with his machine but managed to climb off and grab his 10 foot sled which was vertical just barely sticking above the survace of the water. Clinging on to that sled he was barely able to keep his head above the water. Sayers tried to jump in and swim over but that was not possible as the weight of all your clothing brings you down very quickly. Sayers barely managed to get himself out of that icey water for the second time and decided the only way to get help here is to walk back to the village. He knows Morris is in very serious trouble but what can he do, just standing there.? He has nothing that can be used and the only recourse is to abandon Morris and head back to the village for help and hope that someone is headed this way.
Morris is going to die and he knows it, He is in an impossible situation. He thinks of his daughter, coming home from school and finding out that her father died and the shock and devastation that would ensue, He just could not let that happen, NO ! He was determined, I must see my daughter, I cannot die, I must see my daughter , this must not happen, then he remembered what his grandfather had taught him when he was a very young boy, how to use his mind to control the water and defy death.
And Morris said, to himself and to his mind.. Oh this feels so good and warm this water is just so warm and it feels so good, He went into some sort of trance believing this was true and this was what his body was actually feeling,
Meanwhile Sayers is slowly trying to walk the seven miles back to the village but he is in very serious condition, as his clothes are all frozen with ice, His legs are hurting he can't walk and he falls down and wants to go to sleep, He just cannot get back up. He knows if he falls asleep that Morris will die, he has to get back to the village and with great effort he was able to rise and continue walking slowly toward the village which can be seen on the horizon a geat distance away.
Sayers fell again, and again, several times, and each time, it was more difficult to get up and the time that passed was longer and longer. He had to do something, he had to keep going but the pain in his legs was too much for him to continue.
As a last resort with no other options available he turned around and started to walk backwards, a much slower pace but far less painful.
At some point in time, Sayes cannot remember how long it had been or how far he had walked, someone, noticed something that was not normal and rushed out there to see why this was happening, it didn't make sense. Sayers was quickly brought back to the village and many people with the proper equipment sped out to Morris' location. Morris is unconscious, but still holding on.
They had a very difficult time in prying Morri's frozen hand off that the top of the back of the sled that was sticking up out of the water about 18". It took quite some time to pry his fingers and loosen his grip and get him out of that water.
Morris was submerged in icy cold water for 4 hours !
It was 20 below outside
He was rushed back to the village into the clinic and medivaced by plane down to the hospital in Kotzebue.
When ever anyone has to be medivac to Kotzebue, first they have to send the plane up here, that takes at least 40 minutes. Morris has now had all clothing removed and is now wrapped in many layers of warm blankets.
When he arrived at the hospital in Kotzebue, the doctors were stunned, amazined and bewildered, Morris' core temp was 58 degrees. He recovered fully
with no side effects what so ever !
Want proof ? Morris Sage - General Delivery - Point Hope Alaska 99766
Sayes Tuzroyluk > same info !
Inupiaq Eskimo's think different, they do things different and still today, science has no answers for these peoples unique abilities that defy anything we know of.
[c]-=[WoWoW]=-[/c]
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Thanks David ! (chuckle) I am david also !! and in Eskimo that would make us "namesakes" which is attik. (person with the same name)
when ever two people that have the same exact name in the village see each other. they always refer to each other as Ut !
Hello Attik (ut tick) but usually the term Ut is used A= Uh In Inupiaq
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That was an amazing adventure and interesting story. Thank you for sharing the great Pictures.
DW
What if I told YOU .. .. .. .. that YOU.. .. can.. with practice.. make 10k in less than a week. This not some get rich scheme or spam or phishing.
I just want to share.. a 'secret".. .. that very very few people know about.
Arts & Crafts is a huge business in the Arctic. guess what ? you can do the exact same thing at home no matter which part of the world you live in.
This is a scrimshawed Walrus Ivory tusk.. .. it sold for 120 bux.
You cannot purchase RAW white walrus ivory. that is 100% illegial.
but you can purchase Beach Washed Ivory, that is legal for anyone to own, possess and carve on and sell.
anyone can own, purchase fossil ivory. mastodon ivory, Mammoth Ivory.
There are NO LAWS against this. I do not care if you live in the deserts of Afghanistan or anyplace in the world. If you can read these words. You can get ivory and make big bux. At home.
All of these villages have extremly high rates of unemployment. Very few jobs in small villages, the exceptons to this are Barrow & Kotzebue.
Plenty of jobs for anyone that wants to work are available in these villages.
but in the smaller villages of 300 people or 600 people, Parents who have very large families.. .. . their only income is from Arts & Crafts @ home on a daily basis.. '" this is your job" work work work. @ home !!
This bracelet which was made by one of my sons, sold instantly for 300 bux very little ivory is used. it is fossil ivory. I have provided step by step instructions of everything you need to know.. to begin to learn how to make major bux in no time at all.. 10 thousand in less than a week ?
This is no joke. I have all the necessary proof for you to read.
go to my blog. go to the search window on my blog and type in So Proud
take the time to read and make up your own mind.. NO !! .. .. YOU WILL not LEARN this by next weekend.. but in less than a month your going to begin to make money, if you continue. . .. with practice your going to be blown away that $$ coming in far surpasses any thing you ever thought possible.
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-DK
www.dank-photo.blogspot.com
We didn't do this over night.. but when our first bracelets sold (20 bux) 2 of them.. these boys were so happy.. lets make more, was the decision. This is fun !!
4 boys, sitting on a couch in a cold qanichaq (artic entry ) barely 6 feet wide.
Once they learned all the steps, and could create a bracelet in a day.. then they were off and running. At first 20 bux then 40 bux, after a week or two, 60 bux, 80 bux and 120 bux per bracelet. Now n Barrow it is much much higer than that. 200, - 750 !!! This is all we do each and every day. Go to work and work hard and long hours. THIS IS HOW YOU SUCCEED.
Keep working, and then it all of a sudden it happens. .money coming in every day. Much more than you ever thought possible.
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Here is perhaps the most well known site in the entire village, The Arch of the two Jaw bones from a Bowhead Whale.
But these were put here, not by the people of Barrow.. .. People of Point Hope came up here to show and help them how to do this in the ways of Tikigaq ! in 1964.
An Elder informed me of this little tidbit of info about the Arctic. Ron Oviok from Point Hope. He was my former landlord in Point Hope, In one of the many different homes have rented in the village.
Its that time of year again, it is time to go whaling.. new skins need to be put on those umiaq frames !! Clean skins or the whale will not give up its gift to the hunter of its choice.
New skins are hanging, drying in the wind. To stretch and stretch and sewn together to cover that wooden frame.
These are thousands of years of age old traditions that must be strictly adhered to. The whale can see, hear, smell. They know the personality of that hunter. They know his umiaq each and every year, the same whales with the same hunters in the same umiaq. Whales are SMART. they will only give up the sacrifice to the hunter of its choice.
Everyone has had a whole year to get ready. That Captain must spend many thousands of dollars to feed his crew and provide the supplies, ammuntion, meals for 8 hunters many times each day. There is lots of very difficult hard work to do out on that ice. If you want a much closer view of Barrow by the best there ever was up here. Bill Hess is most respected person up here. He lives in Wassilla but has made many trips to Barrow in his own private plane. The Gift of the Whale by Bill Hess - a MUST READ ! that will keep you utterly spell bound. I now know how you feel when you read this thread. I felt the excitment all over me reading his exceptional book 289 pages with oodles & oodles of fascinating images that had me breathless page after page. (Gasp !!)
I was shocked .. .when I found out, we each began our quest in the same year. In fact when he was in Point Hope in 82,after the hunt I was in the darkroom processing all this film, we have never met. but his name is a 'legend' and well respected at that.
We have spoken on the phone years ago, But this book is wonderful. and he verifies many of the stories and customs that I have written about. I felt like I was beside him the whole time. I will read - reread and read that book many times. The rush was incredible !!
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Hope to see more......When does the book come out?
The book is in the works, .. .. I am in negotations with the same publisher that Bill Hess used for his book Sasquatch Publishers.
Here is a poem by an Inupiat whaler
Charles Hopson from here in Barrow Expressing the unique relationship between the Captain & the whale !
Bowhead
by Charlie Hopson, Inupiat whaler
Silently I move toward destiny.
Quietly, you, Inupiat, await my destiny.
I can hear you as I move under the ice.
I can see you as I surface.
Together we wait.
Both know what the other thinks.
Although we live in different worlds,
We exist for each other.
I move towards you Inupiat,
Because it is my destiny.
Quietly I approach you.
Silently you move towards me.
I give you your culture.
I give myself, Bowhead Whale.
"The Inupiat never boast they have caught a whale. They receive a whale, and they do so humbly. They believe that the whale chooses to sacrifice itself, that if a hunter creates a place pleasing to the animals, it will choose to die there and tell the others to come next year. Nothing logical about animal behavior or natural selection can shatter this belief, it is so deeply felt among the Inupiat. Doubting it would be akin to blasphemy, an abandonment of their heritage."
- Marla Cone
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Now that does sound rather bizarre.. No one would ever believe me for sure... ... that is.. .. unless I post an image of these three trees in the Arctic.!
Humor is everywhere up here, these are happy happy people that never complain !!
head to Barrow.. walk the streets. complete strangers will look you straight in the eye, smile and give a big hello !!!
http://majikimaje.com/Ivory/tree2.jpg
Oh, I forgot to mention.. .. these three trees have 'baleen' for leaves !!
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