You have posted this same series of images and commentary on several other web sites.
I appreciate that you are trying to share these images but, since you are selling them, this seems like an effort to drive people to your web site.
Do you have model releases from the people whose pictures you are selling?
Educational material requires NO MODEL releases.. My store isn't even open yet. My store is for the artists of all villages.. OUR PRODUCTS will (photographs) not be listed here. We have other means and ways of selling our photographs all over the world .. 95 countries this month !!
and.. for what it is worth ,, In case you want to disagree with what I posted.. I have full written permission signed sealed and delivered of all the people in images that we do sell !!!
In other words.. (I was born at night .. .. .. but it wasn't last NIGHT !)
The model releases begain when I first captured that image of Daisy Della Fay. lDec 82 . she wasn't old enough to sign it @ age 3.. .. .. but her father - Ruppert Koonuk was and he did sign. He passed away shortly a few years later..
Our store is demo mode only and it was just posted last week..
so your logic of me doing this to send people to my store.. is false.
57 FORUMs for one purpose ONLY !! These people are about to be destroyed !! Their unique lifestyle / culture is about to be stripped from them .. .. that is the whole point of doing all of this incredibly hard work.
I do not need money.. I am not sending people to my store. So far your the only person that has asked !! No problem. .I will always admit if I have done something wrong.
I made my fortune many years ago !! when I retired !! I do not have to use a camera ever again to make BIG BUX..
Images I created 27 years ago.. bring in a huge amount of money in many other ways & methods.. I would never rely on the internet for making sales of my images.. I have a much better proven method !!
thanks for the comments and questions !!
Now for an update: Polar Bears are NOT IN ANY DANGER. .they are not threatened... THIS IS A HUGE LIE !!!
But, because this animal (highest population #'s in decades) is or has been put on this list !! Now the walrus and seal is being added.. in other words.. ALL OF OUR FOOD is now being taken away .. we cannot even hunt ducks now becuase of these lame brain dead people deceiving the masses with "what sounds good"
I live in the Arctic for 30 years.. (28 1/2 )... Weather goes in cycles. Nothing is ever the same.
1982 we were 7 miles out on the ocean ice.. each year the ice would be less - less - less until we finally had no ice 1991. During the 1990's we went whaling from the shore, There was no ice. 2003 - 2008 We have had the best ice in many decades, last year 11 miles out on the ice pack.
People hear the world Polar Bear and are introduced to mass deception with mis information. Alaska - Sibera only accounts for 20% of these magnificent beasts. The population is thriving. Norway is allowed to harvest 150 each year.
We do not go looking for the polar bear to hunt. That is just much too dangerous. Point Hope usually has perhaps 3 each year, that have to be taken down only as a last resort.
Lying & Deceiving the masses to stir up the massess to take all the food away from these people and force them to eat food that is not natural for them is a discrace. Inupiaq People need their food to survive.! NO OTHER FOOD will keep you warm out on that ice pack. Native food for native people is a must to continue.
Inupiaq People only take that which is needed to eat. NOTHING is ever wasted. ! Your culture cannot make those same claims.
We never ever thow out a zip lock baggie no matter which size it is. they are always washed out and saved for future use.
Proof.. .. of the Little People I spoke of earlier !! I know most think this is far fetched and just myth. so here in the words of someone else.. you can make your own decision. It doesn't matter which village you enter. All speak the same of the same wierd things that happen out there in the middle of no where. !!
Luke Koonuk Jr. was hunting a few years ago, many miles from the village of Point Hope, hunting all alone. His 4 wheel honda got stuck in the mud in some ruts. He tried and tried and tried to get that honda free from the grasps of the mucky mud. He could not lift it over the ruts. He was exhausted tying to move that honda that was too heavy to move. At one point, he was bent over, exhausted trying to catch his breath, out of the corner of his eye he saw his honda rise and come crashing down on a firm hard place. He turned to see a flash / blur running away. His honda was ready to go… he drove home and told; & re-told his experience out there that day. I could fill pages with stories that are told here, experiences people have when out hunting. Reports are phoned in from Kivalina frequently about these people.
Three years ago. Some people in Kivalina encountred a small group of these people, they were speaking fluent Inupiaq, They were trying to locate a ‘friend” that had a book; they wanted to learn more about this person called Jesus Christ !!
The little people (called by many different names ) Used to live with and among the people of Point Hope. Long before the Yankee whaling companies arrived. One of their young was killed and eaten by a dog, they moved out of the village and continue to live underground and in caves throughout this region.
They still dress the old ways using nothing but caribou skins for clothing and they still hunt with bow & arrow to this day.
Barrow 2008 whaling festival (more coming soon)
Now fast forward 2008 - Barrow - Whaling Festival !
Barrow does everything 'different' from Point Hope.
whaling is different, festivals are different, Point Hope (Tikigaq) is the oldest of all villages and as such they strictly adhere to and employ all the age old traditions that the elders insist upon. Centuries old, Millenia Old traditions, ingrained into their unique lifestyle / culture that must be studied and understood for their wisdom.
Here we are for the first of four festivals held in Barrow this year. These images were created on June 21 of 08. How hot is it where you live ? Here in Barrow it is 50 degrees. that sounds very warm but it is very cold. As you view some of these images, you will easily see and discern that people have their hands hidden (for warmth). The wind is bitting cold, keep your ears covered, ear infections are extremly common here for adults & children alike. The wind will change many times during the day, Wind is a must to learn and understand here, out in the tundra or on the ocean ice, that wind is the key to survival, Death is what awaits if you ignore the warning signs of wind. In the village itself, you are protected from the elements of disaster which are significent in other locations, i.e. Ice movement(s), the freezing rain, ice storms, etc.
Each whaling festival, no matter which village, begins with prayer and thanksgiving . Food & drink is the main course for many hours & hours. Then blanket toos and Eskimo Dance. the festival day is over and it ends.. except in Point hope. it goes on for 3 days non - stop for all practical purposes. Rosemary Oviok (86 year old elder) says that in the old says. they would stay out there for those 3 days. no matter what the weather, rain, snow, sleet, freezing rain, they stayed and gave thanks and celebrated!
Handing out food, waiting in line, servers serving the elders first. Coffee,Tea, Hot chocolate is constantly brewed in these two tents that you will see. Hundreds of people are present for the day's activities, Barrow has a population of 5k give or take, But in comparision, very few people attend, not quite what I had expected at all to see. In Point Hope, Everyone shows up. plus visitors from all over the states and all over the world.
The weather will change constantly here in the Arctic. When those flags are not moving, Something is about to change, suddenly, watch, learn !!
One of the most common indicators of how cold it is outside, look at peoples hands. study the way people are dressed for 50 degrees ! that is very hot for the arctic, with no wind. Once that wind is moving, the chill from the ice, as the wind blows over it, makes it very cold outside.!!!
Boxes and boxes of frozen fish are brought to the festival site, It took less than two minutes to unload this huge trailer and setup the boxes on the table for everyone to partake of more of themany different native foods served here today
Tony Bryant (Point Hope) is here in Barrow, asking this young whaler who old he is. The merging of the wood in the background and the woman raising her two fingers make this image perplexing and interesting indeed.
Tony Briant is an 'actor' in a new movie about Barrow that was recently made here.
In January, filmmaker Andrew Okpeaha MacLean, originally from Barrow and Fairbanks, walked the red carpet with familiar Hollywood faces at the Sundance Film Festival. His film, which in English means "On the Ice," was chosen as one of 83 special selections of short films out of 5,000 films sent.
More recently, the film collected awards for screenplay and directing at the First-run Film Festival at New York University, where MacLean completed his graduate studies.
Inspired by Sergio Leone and other Western filmmakers in the 1950s and 1970s, "Sikumi" is an "Arctic western" featuring a fictional treatment of a real-life situation.
Apuna, the lead character in this Inupiaq-speaking film, crosses the sea ice several miles north of Barrow on a dogsled when he witnesses a community member in the act of murder. Isolated from anyone and anything, both men face tough questions about their morality "outside the bounds of society," according to MacLean.
"I was thinking about how the characters would react to this situation and how they would react as Inupiaq people, taking into consideration our concepts, values .
"'Avoidance of conflict,' this is how this character would deal with this situation," MacLean said.
"He wouldn't try to subdue the killer but tries to find way to bring the killer to realize the magnitude of what he's done — bring justice within himself."
All three men playing in this film are local actors from Barrow. Brad Weyiouanna plays Apuna, Tony Bryant, with family ties to Point Barrow and Point Hope, plays Miqu, and Olemoun Rexford plays Taqi, the murdered hunter.
MacLean wrote the film as his master thesis project for the filmmaking program at NYU.
This is MacLean's second film to appear at Sundance. His first film, "Seal Hunting with Dad," or "Natchiliagniaqtuguk Aapagalu" in Inupiaq, was a documentary inspired by MacLean's grandfather's life and was screened at the New York Museum of Modern Art in April 2005.
MacLean's films are primarily shot in Alaska and focus on the Arctic and the Inupiaq culture. While living in Barrow before leaving for film school, MacLean co-founded the first Inupiaq-speaking theater company. Both Rexford and Bryant had acted in the theater prior to making films with MacLean.
MacLean has dedicated himself to promoting the preservation of his Native tongue.
Familiar with the language from home but not a fluent speaker, MacLean taught himself the language with the help of his mother Edna Agheak MacLean, who is a well-known linguist. His mother also helped translate the film's script from its original English version to Inupiaq, according to MacLean.
"Most of my generation grew up around the language but couldn't really speak it myself, and I was feeling something was missing," MacLean said.
"I tried to teach it to myself and tried to find ways to use it — one of the ways that has been effective is in theater and film pieces that I make," he said, "I want to get it to be used in a more public way as part of the media."
"Everywhere you look there is pop culture reference to Eskimos, but no one has seen Inuit culture as expressed by Inuit people," MacLean said.
"People are very curious about it and definitely respond to that."
MacLean's next goal is to make a full-length feature. He is working on the script for that project.
Another project under the works is a documentary film about the effects of global warming in the Arctic.
The servers assigned to each crew walk around to make sure everyone receives a portion of the many varied types of food prepared for this event. Mikigaq is the main delicacy served. This food is dangerous to eat. Just make sure you have not had any sugar products that day. It is possible to die from Botulisim if you have sugar in your system and you eat this food. I always smile and say 'no thank you" I'll pass on this treat !
Many different types of soup are available,
Fresh caribou soup,
Fresh duck soup of many different varieties !
Just be patient and wait, Food is served where you sit. You are waited on by many servers that are part of each ot the two crews that were successfull this year in receving a whale.
some of the elders even bring their own favorite bowl, to make things easier for the servers that are passing out food to everyone that is here at the festival grounds.
There are three more festivals for Barrow this year. the 26th - 28th & 30th. Hurry if you want to visit and enjoy a day you will never forget !!
Governor Palin - In Barrow - Nalakutaq !!
Yes it is true. The Governor of the State of Alaska is on the blanket, she is pregnant so they had to be gentle ! Go Sarah go !! The weather was perfect, a most spectacular day indeed. Up she went, just a few feet. Into the air and back down safely. The crowd around her was massive, it was dificult to even begin to get close to where she was, Immediatly upon her arrival she was swarmed from all directions. This brilliant woman has done something no other governor in the U.S. has ever attained .. 86% approval rating ! That is unheard of .. .. .. in any state by any governor ever !! That was just the most wonderful news item to hear over the television on the news !! I stood up and applauded !! Its about time we have someone who knows the importance of telling and speaking the truth. I am so sick of having to put up with people that choose to lie, to impress others.
It is no easy task to maintain your balance when that blanket is moving up and down, learning how to walk the blanket takes much practice. Governor Palin exhibited her true skills in her first attempt at nalakutaq !!Bending her knees when she landed prevented her from falling over. Go show Governor !! Atta Girl !!
The crowd was pressed on all sides, people wanting to get close to this incredible woman, who has shown the people of Alaska that she truely cares about the people of this Great State of Alaska.
Oops, she sees me, !!! It is obvious !! - We had a good quick chat and a hearty laugh !!
Now for some of the not so common blanket toss !!
Nope I am not going to attempt that !
IN Barrow, during blanket toss, candy is thrown, and it is for the children of the village that are present at the sides of the blanket. In Point Hope, the tradition is totally different and with meaning ! Candy that is thrown, money, furs, and any other 'gifts', are for the 'elders' only !! Fierce competition is witnessed as the oldest women in the village, compete with one another to grab that prize. women in their 80's and up, running, jumping, diving head first into that gravel to claim their prize. A person only has to witness this once, to see how much different Barrow is from Point Hope in celebrating its culture of many thousands of years.
Blanket toss had its origns down at the lead opening FOR MANY THOUSANDS OF YEARS for one purpose and one purpose ONLY !! Hunters would toss a hunter or captain into the air, for only one reason, to see if any animals are migrating through the lead opening ! that was the only purpose ! Everyone out on that ice pack is well aware of the wind and the dangers it presents, As long as that wind (Point Hope) is from the North, (prevailing wind), Life out on the ice continues day to day. No wind ? same situation applies, but everyone is instantly aware of what that can mean or represent. A change is coming.. .. if the North wind continues then all is well.. THE ONLY time, people 'killigvaq' (evacuate the ice in mass panic) is when that wind shifts to south wind. The North Slope Borough published a book in the early 80's, everyone in each village received a copy of this thick blue book. It was published by the 7 sisters - The common name for the Oil companies! this expression is heard all over the place in Prudhoe Bay. Back to the book, I am not able to correctly spell the name of that book, Puiiwiichaq But it was in this book that elders of all villages told stories of long ago, and it was in this book that I read Dina Frankson (Point Hope) tell of when she was out on the ice and a south wind would arrive, they would take a new born child and strip that child of all clothing and hold that child into the wind and move the child in the direction they NEEDED the wind to change so they could stay out there, and hunt for food !!
Again Point Hope is way different from Barrow and as such I will present it in both views.. In Point Hope, the entire community of 700 people head out to the ocean to live on that ice pack for the entire two months. In Barrow a very small portion of the community is directly involved in the activities out on the ocean ice.
Landing correctly is not as easy as it might appear, candy is still flying all over the place from some of the pieces landing on the blanket itself. Each time that blanket is raised, the candy and the person on the blanket go high into the air. In Point Hope, only a woman that has given birth to her first born may get on the blanket to throw 'gifts' to the elders !!
Form, and laughter are the other aspects of blanket toss. what posture or position can you achieve during those 2 seconds in the air ?? Each person has their own unique style of jumping, and what to do once you are airborne.
Award winning form, of walking in the air, is very difficult to achieve. Much skill and practice is the only way to gain these skills. This is not like jumping on a trampoline. Nalakutaq is all together different !
Two successfull crews are honored, two huge cakes, Lots of dessert !! Yummy !
Lillian Lane (Johnson) from Point Hope sings an Inupiat song and recites a poem. There are always quite a few people here in Barrow from the village of Point Hope. These people in all of these villages are very close to each other no matter which village ! In such a vast area you would not think it possible for the different vilages to be in constant communication with each other but through the VHF radio(s) and the FM radio (KBRW) the whole region is UNITED as ONE. We use airplanes in the same manner you use automobiles !! We constantly fly.. to different villages & different cities - i.e. Fairbanks & Anchorage are the two popular destinations INUPIAQ VALUES are what keeps these people so closely knit ! It is sad that other people and cultures do not believe and act in this manner. When a person has to deliberatly lie and twist and change the truth to make his reputation counter increase, SOMETHING IS WRONG with that attitude and the types of people associated with that 'personality' !!
Walking around Barrow .. ..
Some of the sights that are in plain view around the village of Barrow. Food being prepared, Skins being cleaned, for the new covers for the skin boats (umiaq). Umiaq's are everywhere you look in this village, some new, some of them, decades old, filled with stories of past whale hunts.
And then, you come across a new umiaq underconstruction. This is a lot of work to build a sea worthy craft, this requires very skilled workmanship.
An umiaq requires the use of 5 or 6 (Oogruk) (Bearded Seal) skins to cover the boat in the correct manner.
Everyplace you walk in this village, you will see, old umiaq wooden frames from boats used long ago. Whaling equipment is visible everyplace you walk and look in Barrow.
Children are in constant training in their own special ways & methods. Whaling is deep ingrained into their spirit !
Living in a whaling village is very exciting, watching the people work, seeing all of the work involved, BEFORE whaling ever gets started. I have said many times in other forums, it takes a whole year.. .. just to get ready to go whaling. The expense(s) that each captain has to invest is just staggering !!
You have absolutely no idea on the incredible amount of work involved to move hundreds of people many miles, and live out on that ice pack for two months time. One whaling captains sled collection. Moving all that is needed to each camp, requires dozens of dangerous trips out to the camp sites. Anything can happen out there, with no warning at all.
Having personally attended & photographed 5 whale hunts, spending a total time of 10 months or more living on that ice pack is a completly different frozen world for sure. There is just no way to put that experience into words that will impart the difficulty of doing the most menial of tasks.
Food is prepared well in advance, Jerky, (Panaqtaq), dried fish, dried caribou, dried Oogruk ribs. This takes many weeks or months depending on how the individual likes it prepared. Some like it soft and some like it very hard. It also depends on the weather, If it is hot and sunny it will only take a few weeks.
Panataq is delicious, I do not like eating fish per say, but dried salmon is absolutely delicious !!!
I went to Point Hope, AK about 5 or 6 years ago during a humanitarian trip that I signed up for while I was in the Air Force. My memory is fuzzy on a lot of it because my memory sucks and it was about 5 years ago. I was an eye tech and we went to various villages like Shungnak, Kobuk, Point Hope, and I think another village or two giving out prescriptions for glasses and doing eye exams. We were "based" out of Kotzebue for the 2 weeks and we'd fly out to each village on a bush plane. It was an amazing experience and the native alaskans up there were great people. They were very nice and generally somewhat shy around us. The only exception is that there was a young black girl in her teens (I believe in Point Hope) who refused to take off her beanie. She had it pulled down really low onto her face and we needed it to come up a little. She was very hesitant to do that and I was really curious why. Turns out that she was being bullied by other girls at the village. They would tear her hair out in clumps. That's why she refused to take off the beanie. I assumed it was a racial thing but I was told it wasn't. Still, I came away very impressed with the people, the area, and their lifestyle. I definitely saw the appeal in all of it, but didn't have to deal with the harsh winters or anything. I was up there around September so it was chilly, especially when the wind would blow, but not so bad that someone living in Florida at the time couldn't take it. I took as many pictures as I could up there but by the time we got to Point Hope, my batteries would only let me take a couple pictures of the village. The pictures I did take are pretty boring as they are really just to help my memory with what the villages looked like. I didn't label these images from village to village but I think these are from Point Hope (obviously the post office is).
I would also like to say that I'm definitely no photographer. I was searching for a good map image of how far north Point Hope is and came across this thread and felt compelled to reply. If any of those kids are familiar to you, tell them Senior Airman Strigle says "Whats up". They will have no idea who that is, but it doesn't matter. The time I spent up there was amazing and I hope everyone is well up there.
WALRUS for supper time takes a great deal of preparation !! This is a skill that only the Inupiat people possess. I have no idea which end is which !
The only thing I am interested in are the three sets of tusks from those three walrus he got earlier in the day.
Rebecca Brower and her husband hard at work preparing food for the freezer. Filling up all the freezers for the long dark cold winter is first priority in the summer time. Stock up on food, from the ocean, and some from the rivers, some from the land and the air also with many varieties of birds, ducks, geese, owls. Soon it will be time for picking berries.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT : See those whiskers? that are very hard and are often used in sewing as a "needle" they are that sharp and hard enough to use for that purpose !! Quite a 'pin cushion' eh ?
I went to Point Hope, AK about 5 or 6 years ago during a humanitarian trip that I signed up for while I was in the Air Force. My memory is fuzzy on a lot of it because my memory sucks and it was about 5 years ago. I was an eye tech and we went to various villages like Shungnak, Kobuk, Point Hope, and I think another village or two giving out prescriptions for glasses and doing eye exams. We were "based" out of Kotzebue for the 2 weeks and we'd fly out to each village on a bush plane. It was an amazing experience and the native alaskans up there were great people. They were very nice and generally somewhat shy around us. The only exception is that there was a young black girl in her teens (I believe in Point Hope) who refused to take off her beanie. She had it pulled down really low onto her face and we needed it to come up a little. She was very hesitant to do that and I was really curious why. Turns out that she was being bullied by other girls at the village. They would tear her hair out in clumps. That's why she refused to take off the beanie. I assumed it was a racial thing but I was told it wasn't. Still, I came away very impressed with the people, the area, and their lifestyle. I definitely saw the appeal in all of it, but didn't have to deal with the harsh winters or anything. I was up there around September so it was chilly, especially when the wind would blow, but not so bad that someone living in Florida at the time couldn't take it. I took as many pictures as I could up there but by the time we got to Point Hope, my batteries would only let me take a couple pictures of the village. The pictures I did take are pretty boring as they are really just to help my memory with what the villages looked like. I didn't label these images from village to village but I think these are from Point Hope (obviously the post office is).
I would also like to say that I'm definitely no photographer. I was searching for a good map image of how far north Point Hope is and came across this thread and felt compelled to reply. If any of those kids are familiar to you, tell them Senior Airman Strigle says "Whats up". They will have no idea who that is, but it doesn't matter. The time I spent up there was amazing and I hope everyone is well up there.
Now you know why I stay in the Arctic. This is paradise of the north !! Although I live in Barrow now, I still miss Point Hope immensly !!
Well in the first photo.. er second photo the boy on the far left is Barney Stone, the boy on the far right on top of someone's shoulders is young Erin Tyler. Erin is on top of (Carl Logan) Erin saved Robert Kingik's life in 2007 when Robert drove his snowmachine off the ice into the ocean and almost drown. That 11 year old (at the time) saved a 27 year old man from drowning !!
The single boy looking out the window is Charlie Tuzroyluk
The big fence is the snow fence which stops drifts of snow from burynig some of the homes in the village. Before that 9 foot tall fence was erected, 30 - 40 foot drifts of snow in the village was very common !! Now we do not get those huge drifts when the wind blows !!
Thanks for the photos.. !! yes everyone of those images is Point Hope !!
Fall Whaling in Barrow
Fall Whaling in Barrow Alaska - Top of the world.
Last year fall whaling started on October 4th and this year it was the same.
Here are a few images of what happened during the first three days.
Fredrick Brower is the whaling captain for the crew we are on.
At first light we were ready to go.. gear is all packed and we head out to the beach to launch the boat.
Fall whaling is much different than spring whaling. In the spring time April - May we are living out on the ocean ice and using skin boats.
Fall whaling uses the big boats with massive horsepower to tow a whale, and you might remember that a bowhead whale weighs an amazing TON per foot !!
George Ahmoakaq has the largest boat in town with twin 350 horse outboard engines. He can easily tow two whales with his powerful craft.
The captain whose crew we are on, broke down, many miles out to sea, Search & Rescue had to be called, they came out to tow us back to the village where repairs were made and then back out to sea.
Continuing Onward .. .. ..
We stopped to assist and help these crews rig the whale for the trip back to the village.
As each crew reaches the whale, they are given shares in the order in which they reached that location. The amount of shares, and the size of the shares depends on which order you reach that crew !
We have a 'crisis' on our hands, what to do ? Forty tons of food is stuck on / in a sandbar of sorts.
Four boats could not budge that whale, engines were overheating, something had to be done
A solution was proposed, and This crew, Fredrick Browers crew had been chosen for the up coming task as hand.
Four very powerful boat could not move this whale, they tried and tried for over an hour. something had to be done,
The craft we are on, was the chosen vessel, to ram that whale again and again, while the other three boats tried in vain to move it during a synchronous effort,
Finally, after about 45 minutes the whale managed to move into deeper water and was towed away through the slush ice that was beginning to form all around us. The whale is towed backwards, the flippers and flukes are removed, these are the prized portion(s).
It sure beats standing in line in a grocery store !
It was a long hard day, from 8 am till 8 pm we finally brought the whale in and people were waiting for us !! More photos to follow & follow !!
Thanks for taking the time.!!
Gotta rest for a bit and process some more images !!
Everyday is an adventure here in the Arctic, you are the ONE that determines - what the 'day' will be like. Where do you want to go ? what do you want to do ? the arctic is yours, go out there and explore, you WILL come back with stories that no one will believe, you will witness nature.. alone, no buildings, nothing made made to speak of, your view in all directions, is clean, pristine, and full of surprises !! 10,000 lakes, flat flowing tundra, and off in the distance some 100 miles or so give or take.. the Brooks Range, on a clear day, it is spectacular.
Jesse received a 'share' of the whale, for all the work he did while on Fredrick Browers crew, this chunk was the small piece, the bigger pieces came three days later from a different whale.
Here ya go, prep it up !!
How to prepare ?? A very sharp Ulu knife, lots of cardboard, the traditional manner in which to prepare native foods.
slice, cut, and make individual size pieces to be boiled, this is too fresh to eat in the traditional manner, (raw & frozen). This has to age for a while, but for those who can't wait. Boil it for 1/2 hour or so, until all the pieces are floating, then it is ready to eat, with french's mustard !!!
This is no easy task as you can see, by her 'grip' . flammable oil ! coats her hands making the task extremely slippery & messy !!
these ulu's have to be sharpened many times, while doing this difficult (happy) work !!
an ulu is only sharpened on one side only. Usually the preferred method is a special 'rock'. Here is has to be done the ol fashioned way, using a file !!
It still beats standing in line at a grocery store !! This food means something very special, and for the question I get asked most often:
what does whale taste like. ?? I can only say, it doesn't taste like any thing I can describe, cept rubbery maypo & clams !! sorta !!
Arctic Sunsets .. .. .. ya gotta wait !!!
and it is darn cold out. camera on tripod, waiting in that ever present wind.... .. waiting.. some times I feel like a complete jerk out here, freezing my ASA / ISO off big time !!
but the results are often worth the wait. !!
What happens when you bring your camera in from these extreme temps of 40 below zero and colder (w/wind chill)?? ??
The camera 'sweats" for hours, I usually place the camera on a thick towel to sux up the water as it drips from every location on that camera.
Ukpeagvik Inupiaq Construction Company
Hired me to create images of 23 of their construction projects in Barrow, I am going to take the time to post some of these images here.
My purpose for this is to inspire you.. .. to think !! How to take something plain, and create a stunning work of "Art" that the customer is willing to purchase.
IN less than 2 1/2 weeks, I made $14,000 from this one little job !!!
.. .. and over the years, a ton more, from selling some of the images that are "mine" ... ... .. created by mua.
Just outside of Barrow sits this drill rig, . .. .. .. drilling for OIL !!
The weather station .. .. ?? How to make it .. look spectacular ??
This was my attempts to convince the customer. They loved it !!
WOW!!!! I noticed in the beginning a young caucasian person in the tent. Who? Also is there anyway to get more personal info on you. Age, etc.
bsvirginian:D
Here.. .. we are located some 7 miles out on the frozen ocean ice pack, the ice has cracked open and the lead is visible, now animals will migrate through the lead opening! We wait.... this is much more exciting than standing in line @ some grocery store !!
We harvest 'animals' for our food supply, these animals do not fit into the frig or freezer,
So what do you do with the food ???
(chuckle) !!
125 of a sec @ 5.6 100 Iso ! I know these values.... I do not need a light meter to tell me how to set up my camera !!
Back lighting is the most dramatic lighting available, but also the most difficult to expose properly.
I only require one frame of film !!
Out on the frozen ocean ice pack, some 7 miles out, it is pure quiet, the sound of the wind, ice cracking, and peace & quiet everywhere for miles in every direction, Unless someone harvests an animal and begins to dress it or prepare it for transport back to the village, Once the smell of blood escapes that animal, Sea Gulls magically appear by the thousands out of no where.
they walk around looking to scavange some portion of the scraps.
.. .. .. and what does a 5 year old boy do, when he is bored out here ? Why, try to set a trap & catch a sea gull !!
Aquiilaq, is this young boys name, He had me laughing for a long time, making a loop out of rope and waiting patiently for a sea gull to step into the loop.
He gave up, after a couple of hours, I sat down to take his place.
It is late in the evening (chuckle) as in about 11:30, you can tell by the 'warmth' of the light.
That dumb bird finally walked over and stepped in and took the bait I had laid out inside the loop of rope, YANK as he stepped in and the bird became 'air-borne'. I reeled in the slack and gently caressed the bird in my huge mittens and went to the nearest tent.
I asked what are you cooking to night ? they said nothing, we are cleaning up. I said (as I extended my arms.) How about some sea-gull soup ???
they all said Yuk and laughed. OH well time to let this bird go, but first I have to give it to Aquiilaq, and show him what a great job I did .. .. in not giving up !!
Aquiilaq is trying to sneak up on his prey. they flew away ! (chuckle)
He was so suprized when I had that bird flying at the end of the rope after making the initial catch.
I gave the rope over to him to release the bird.
All in all it was a good photo opportunity, something a bit 'different'
Just a little something to break up the slow part of the day, midnight here in the arctic is wonderful,
you can tell by the long flat shadows that it is very late in the evening .. ! just one long continous day that lasts for over 3 1/2 months with no darkness ever !!
Disclaimer, no birds were hurt or injured in photographing this event ! but we had some fun for a short time, @ 30 below zero !!
It is not un-common for people to break down here in the village, there is always someone to help.
But as you have heard me say many times, anything can happen at any time without any warning here in the arctic, or anyplace else in the world for that matter, but when your out on the ocean ice, alone, and your machine breaks down, now you have real problems, unless your traveling with an 'expert'.
We are preparing to get some supplies from the village for our crew out here on the ice. And as usual I have my regular spot for this ride, not on the snowmachine, but on the ever dreaded sled of pain & bumps and snow sprayed in my face as we travel along.
Well for this trip, I can take you along, with the miracle of the internet, I can show you, what happened, and how the disabling problem was ingeniously fixed and repaired, many miles out on the frozen ocean ice pack.
We are headed to camp to pick up a passenger to bring back to the village, we enounter some problems
The left ski, the support or linkage to steer it properly, broke, the ski is warbling all over the place and Joe cannot steer the machine. So we have to stop, assess the damage and see what or how HE can get this machine working again. Anything can happen, and it just did. How do you fix a snowmachine, out here, in the middle of no where, I am puzzled and thinking, oh oh.. we gotta walk for miles, many miles.. Joe laughs
He walks over to the sled, and breaks a piece of wood, from the frame.. .. this I just gotta see.. .. click , click
How clever.. !!
Taking a knife out of his pocket, Joe begins to cut a notch in one of the ends of the wood.
He fits this notch into the right hand 'good' ski, Marks it and then begins to notch the other side.
Make one ski.. .. do the work of both, by tying them together. That is simple and yet brilliant, I
do not think I would have ever thought about that.
Aquiilaq is having fun as usual, always making the best in every situation.
Finally it is all tied off, tested, and off we go.. back on the trail
Whew, we finally made it back to the village, we see the first signs of 'land' and the exciting feeling of almost being home.. .. .. .. Ahh.. finally, a nice hot shower, and change clothes before we head back down.. .. to paradise in a frozen ocean ice pack, in the middle of the Chukchi Sea !!
There is no way I can possibly describe the 'feeling' of being out there, for extended periods of time, I can only show you what it looks like, and yes, it is darn cold, but you see absolutly no sign of that, by looking at the people and their expressions. happy happy happy people !! Food shopping in the arctic.. This is 'take out' food in the extreme !!
I'm hooked!!
I could spend at least another week reading all this! I'm loving it and feel as if I'm learning by the minute! This has been the best post I've ever read on any forum on any site! Thank you soo much for posting your life's work and the wonderful people that have befriended you! This is truly priceless and incredible to read and see.
Ken
Here comes the Sun !!
HERE COMES THE SUN !!! (finally) !!
In Barrow Alaska, top of the world, the sun dipped below the horizon on November 18th, it rose today for the first time in 2009 !!
On the roof, of the Suvat Center, trying to capture images of the upcoming sunrise.
You would never think it is almost NOON here in Barrow, but that is the time of day !!
11:30 a.m. Barrow Alaska, we had to leave this site because they close @ noon !!
People busy about their business walking, driving, the temp is 40 below w/ 20 mph winds
Here comes the SUN .. .. (insert music here) !!
For the very first time in 2009 - we finally see the SUN !!!
Now there is enough light for a while, to dig out this old tent and begin to get ready for the spring hunt (soon) !!
4 cameras on 4 different crews this spring hunt will bring you right out on the ice, to enjoy the beauty and splendor of the frozen far north, gathering food !!
We will be creating movies, images and I am sure there will be a lot of stories that are all easily verifiable !!
Stay tuned to this ongoing thread of life in the Arctic ! I promise you spectacular images .. ..
Longer days mean work !
Yes it is great to see the sun again, longer days, more time to be outside instead of sitting at this computer.
Lots to do to get ready for whaling in a couple of months, we are all looking forward to this next spring hunt, four of us are on four different crews to create images and make movies, (fingers crossed).
Ice must be cut and brought back to the village, from 100 miles round trip to the kupak river, wood needs to be gathered, along the coast on the north side of the village (Point Hope), food cleaned out from the siglauq, (sig -lock) and of course fuel, sicpan (seal blubber).
After the long dark winter, everything must be cleaned and that takes a lot of time, this is not something that is accomplished in a week or two, it takes major time and effort.
Again we go through the routine, of doing daily chores outside, for the task at hand, this is the most exciting time of year coming upon us, (whaling villages -9 )
Someone lost an Avatakpak, a seal skin filled with air, to be used to slow the whale down and to mark its location.
One of the Captains has his umiaq brought into the church to be blessed by the pastor.
In 1961 ( a one time freak accident Pt. Hope), a whole crew died when a whale flipped the umiaq over.
This sad tragic incident is written in a book, I happened to just come across this story the other day, The name of the book is The Tigara Eskimos & Their Enviornment - page 27
Another book which will fascinate you about the 'ghosts' and little people and the 'spirits' that come around the bend is named PUIGUITKAAT
Each of these books and many others can be purchased from the North Slope Borough, much of what I explain is located in these books and from the hunters I have lived with for many decades !!
Although others may doubt the accuracy of these books, I have heard it stated that no western observer has witnessed any form of government before 1970 in Point Hope, that statement was obviously taken from a book that is no where near the truth. 1936 The Inupiaq people drafted their constitution with the help of the federal governement, In the Late 1800's Point Hope had a well organized goverment with tribal meetings and infrastructure.
Comments
Sparkyphotography.net
You have posted this same series of images and commentary on several other web sites.
I appreciate that you are trying to share these images but, since you are selling them, this seems like an effort to drive people to your web site.
Do you have model releases from the people whose pictures you are selling?
Educational material requires NO MODEL releases.. My store isn't even open yet. My store is for the artists of all villages.. OUR PRODUCTS will (photographs) not be listed here. We have other means and ways of selling our photographs all over the world .. 95 countries this month !!
and.. for what it is worth ,, In case you want to disagree with what I posted.. I have full written permission signed sealed and delivered of all the people in images that we do sell !!!
In other words.. (I was born at night .. .. .. but it wasn't last NIGHT !)
The model releases begain when I first captured that image of Daisy Della Fay. lDec 82 . she wasn't old enough to sign it @ age 3.. .. .. but her father - Ruppert Koonuk was and he did sign. He passed away shortly a few years later..
Our store is demo mode only and it was just posted last week..
so your logic of me doing this to send people to my store.. is false.
57 FORUMs for one purpose ONLY !! These people are about to be destroyed !! Their unique lifestyle / culture is about to be stripped from them .. .. that is the whole point of doing all of this incredibly hard work.
I do not need money.. I am not sending people to my store. So far your the only person that has asked !! No problem. .I will always admit if I have done something wrong.
I made my fortune many years ago !! when I retired !! I do not have to use a camera ever again to make BIG BUX..
Images I created 27 years ago.. bring in a huge amount of money in many other ways & methods.. I would never rely on the internet for making sales of my images.. I have a much better proven method !!
thanks for the comments and questions !!
Now for an update: Polar Bears are NOT IN ANY DANGER. .they are not threatened... THIS IS A HUGE LIE !!!
But, because this animal (highest population #'s in decades) is or has been put on this list !! Now the walrus and seal is being added.. in other words.. ALL OF OUR FOOD is now being taken away .. we cannot even hunt ducks now becuase of these lame brain dead people deceiving the masses with "what sounds good"
I live in the Arctic for 30 years.. (28 1/2 )... Weather goes in cycles. Nothing is ever the same.
1982 we were 7 miles out on the ocean ice.. each year the ice would be less - less - less until we finally had no ice 1991. During the 1990's we went whaling from the shore, There was no ice. 2003 - 2008 We have had the best ice in many decades, last year 11 miles out on the ice pack.
People hear the world Polar Bear and are introduced to mass deception with mis information. Alaska - Sibera only accounts for 20% of these magnificent beasts. The population is thriving. Norway is allowed to harvest 150 each year.
We do not go looking for the polar bear to hunt. That is just much too dangerous. Point Hope usually has perhaps 3 each year, that have to be taken down only as a last resort.
Lying & Deceiving the masses to stir up the massess to take all the food away from these people and force them to eat food that is not natural for them is a discrace. Inupiaq People need their food to survive.! NO OTHER FOOD will keep you warm out on that ice pack. Native food for native people is a must to continue.
Inupiaq People only take that which is needed to eat. NOTHING is ever wasted. !
Your culture cannot make those same claims.
We never ever thow out a zip lock baggie no matter which size it is. they are always washed out and saved for future use.
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for your reading pleasure.!!
http://www.adn.com/life/story/422883.html
Luke Koonuk Jr. was hunting a few years ago, many miles from the village of Point Hope, hunting all alone. His 4 wheel honda got stuck in the mud in some ruts. He tried and tried and tried to get that honda free from the grasps of the mucky mud. He could not lift it over the ruts. He was exhausted tying to move that honda that was too heavy to move. At one point, he was bent over, exhausted trying to catch his breath, out of the corner of his eye he saw his honda rise and come crashing down on a firm hard place. He turned to see a flash / blur running away. His honda was ready to go… he drove home and told; & re-told his experience out there that day. I could fill pages with stories that are told here, experiences people have when out hunting. Reports are phoned in from Kivalina frequently about these people.
Three years ago. Some people in Kivalina encountred a small group of these people, they were speaking fluent Inupiaq, They were trying to locate a ‘friend” that had a book; they wanted to learn more about this person called Jesus Christ !!
The little people (called by many different names ) Used to live with and among the people of Point Hope. Long before the Yankee whaling companies arrived. One of their young was killed and eaten by a dog, they moved out of the village and continue to live underground and in caves throughout this region.
They still dress the old ways using nothing but caribou skins for clothing and they still hunt with bow & arrow to this day.
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This years whaling festival dates and the photographs will be posted here shortly
That always puts a smile in peoples faces !
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Now fast forward 2008 - Barrow - Whaling Festival !
Barrow does everything 'different' from Point Hope.
whaling is different, festivals are different, Point Hope (Tikigaq) is the oldest of all villages and as such they strictly adhere to and employ all the age old traditions that the elders insist upon. Centuries old, Millenia Old traditions, ingrained into their unique lifestyle / culture that must be studied and understood for their wisdom.
Here we are for the first of four festivals held in Barrow this year. These images were created on June 21 of 08. How hot is it where you live ? Here in Barrow it is 50 degrees. that sounds very warm but it is very cold. As you view some of these images, you will easily see and discern that people have their hands hidden (for warmth). The wind is bitting cold, keep your ears covered, ear infections are extremly common here for adults & children alike. The wind will change many times during the day, Wind is a must to learn and understand here, out in the tundra or on the ocean ice, that wind is the key to survival, Death is what awaits if you ignore the warning signs of wind. In the village itself, you are protected from the elements of disaster which are significent in other locations, i.e. Ice movement(s), the freezing rain, ice storms, etc.
Each whaling festival, no matter which village, begins with prayer and thanksgiving . Food & drink is the main course for many hours & hours. Then blanket toos and Eskimo Dance. the festival day is over and it ends.. except in Point hope. it goes on for 3 days non - stop for all practical purposes. Rosemary Oviok (86 year old elder) says that in the old says. they would stay out there for those 3 days. no matter what the weather, rain, snow, sleet, freezing rain, they stayed and gave thanks and celebrated!
Handing out food, waiting in line, servers serving the elders first. Coffee,Tea, Hot chocolate is constantly brewed in these two tents that you will see. Hundreds of people are present for the day's activities, Barrow has a population of 5k give or take, But in comparision, very few people attend, not quite what I had expected at all to see. In Point Hope, Everyone shows up. plus visitors from all over the states and all over the world.
The weather will change constantly here in the Arctic. When those flags are not moving, Something is about to change, suddenly, watch, learn !!
One of the most common indicators of how cold it is outside, look at peoples hands. study the way people are dressed for 50 degrees ! that is very hot for the arctic, with no wind. Once that wind is moving, the chill from the ice, as the wind blows over it, makes it very cold outside.!!!
Boxes and boxes of frozen fish are brought to the festival site, It took less than two minutes to unload this huge trailer and setup the boxes on the table for everyone to partake of more of themany different native foods served here today
Tony Bryant (Point Hope) is here in Barrow, asking this young whaler who old he is. The merging of the wood in the background and the woman raising her two fingers make this image perplexing and interesting indeed.
Tony Briant is an 'actor' in a new movie about Barrow that was recently made here.
In January, filmmaker Andrew Okpeaha MacLean, originally from Barrow and Fairbanks, walked the red carpet with familiar Hollywood faces at the Sundance Film Festival. His film, which in English means "On the Ice," was chosen as one of 83 special selections of short films out of 5,000 films sent.
More recently, the film collected awards for screenplay and directing at the First-run Film Festival at New York University, where MacLean completed his graduate studies.
Inspired by Sergio Leone and other Western filmmakers in the 1950s and 1970s, "Sikumi" is an "Arctic western" featuring a fictional treatment of a real-life situation.
Apuna, the lead character in this Inupiaq-speaking film, crosses the sea ice several miles north of Barrow on a dogsled when he witnesses a community member in the act of murder. Isolated from anyone and anything, both men face tough questions about their morality "outside the bounds of society," according to MacLean.
"I was thinking about how the characters would react to this situation and how they would react as Inupiaq people, taking into consideration our concepts, values .
"'Avoidance of conflict,' this is how this character would deal with this situation," MacLean said.
"He wouldn't try to subdue the killer but tries to find way to bring the killer to realize the magnitude of what he's done — bring justice within himself."
All three men playing in this film are local actors from Barrow. Brad Weyiouanna plays Apuna, Tony Bryant, with family ties to Point Barrow and Point Hope, plays Miqu, and Olemoun Rexford plays Taqi, the murdered hunter.
MacLean wrote the film as his master thesis project for the filmmaking program at NYU.
This is MacLean's second film to appear at Sundance. His first film, "Seal Hunting with Dad," or "Natchiliagniaqtuguk Aapagalu" in Inupiaq, was a documentary inspired by MacLean's grandfather's life and was screened at the New York Museum of Modern Art in April 2005.
MacLean's films are primarily shot in Alaska and focus on the Arctic and the Inupiaq culture. While living in Barrow before leaving for film school, MacLean co-founded the first Inupiaq-speaking theater company. Both Rexford and Bryant had acted in the theater prior to making films with MacLean.
MacLean has dedicated himself to promoting the preservation of his Native tongue.
Familiar with the language from home but not a fluent speaker, MacLean taught himself the language with the help of his mother Edna Agheak MacLean, who is a well-known linguist. His mother also helped translate the film's script from its original English version to Inupiaq, according to MacLean.
"Most of my generation grew up around the language but couldn't really speak it myself, and I was feeling something was missing," MacLean said.
"I tried to teach it to myself and tried to find ways to use it — one of the ways that has been effective is in theater and film pieces that I make," he said, "I want to get it to be used in a more public way as part of the media."
"Everywhere you look there is pop culture reference to Eskimos, but no one has seen Inuit culture as expressed by Inuit people," MacLean said.
"People are very curious about it and definitely respond to that."
MacLean's next goal is to make a full-length feature. He is working on the script for that project.
Another project under the works is a documentary film about the effects of global warming in the Arctic.
The servers assigned to each crew walk around to make sure everyone receives a portion of the many varied types of food prepared for this event. Mikigaq is the main delicacy served. This food is dangerous to eat. Just make sure you have not had any sugar products that day. It is possible to die from Botulisim if you have sugar in your system and you eat this food. I always smile and say 'no thank you" I'll pass on this treat !
Many different types of soup are available,
Fresh caribou soup,
Fresh duck soup of many different varieties !
Just be patient and wait, Food is served where you sit. You are waited on by many servers that are part of each ot the two crews that were successfull this year in receving a whale.
some of the elders even bring their own favorite bowl, to make things easier for the servers that are passing out food to everyone that is here at the festival grounds.
There are three more festivals for Barrow this year. the 26th - 28th & 30th. Hurry if you want to visit and enjoy a day you will never forget !!
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Yes it is true. The Governor of the State of Alaska is on the blanket, she is pregnant so they had to be gentle ! Go Sarah go !! The weather was perfect, a most spectacular day indeed. Up she went, just a few feet. Into the air and back down safely. The crowd around her was massive, it was dificult to even begin to get close to where she was, Immediatly upon her arrival she was swarmed from all directions. This brilliant woman has done something no other governor in the U.S. has ever attained .. 86% approval rating ! That is unheard of .. .. .. in any state by any governor ever !! That was just the most wonderful news item to hear over the television on the news !! I stood up and applauded !! Its about time we have someone who knows the importance of telling and speaking the truth. I am so sick of having to put up with people that choose to lie, to impress others.
It is no easy task to maintain your balance when that blanket is moving up and down, learning how to walk the blanket takes much practice. Governor Palin exhibited her true skills in her first attempt at nalakutaq !!Bending her knees when she landed prevented her from falling over. Go show Governor !! Atta Girl !!
The crowd was pressed on all sides, people wanting to get close to this incredible woman, who has shown the people of Alaska that she truely cares about the people of this Great State of Alaska.
Oops, she sees me, !!! It is obvious !! - We had a good quick chat and a hearty laugh !!
Now for some of the not so common blanket toss !!
Nope I am not going to attempt that !
IN Barrow, during blanket toss, candy is thrown, and it is for the children of the village that are present at the sides of the blanket. In Point Hope, the tradition is totally different and with meaning ! Candy that is thrown, money, furs, and any other 'gifts', are for the 'elders' only !! Fierce competition is witnessed as the oldest women in the village, compete with one another to grab that prize. women in their 80's and up, running, jumping, diving head first into that gravel to claim their prize. A person only has to witness this once, to see how much different Barrow is from Point Hope in celebrating its culture of many thousands of years.
Blanket toss had its origns down at the lead opening FOR MANY THOUSANDS OF YEARS for one purpose and one purpose ONLY !! Hunters would toss a hunter or captain into the air, for only one reason, to see if any animals are migrating through the lead opening ! that was the only purpose ! Everyone out on that ice pack is well aware of the wind and the dangers it presents, As long as that wind (Point Hope) is from the North, (prevailing wind), Life out on the ice continues day to day. No wind ? same situation applies, but everyone is instantly aware of what that can mean or represent. A change is coming.. .. if the North wind continues then all is well.. THE ONLY time, people 'killigvaq' (evacuate the ice in mass panic) is when that wind shifts to south wind. The North Slope Borough published a book in the early 80's, everyone in each village received a copy of this thick blue book. It was published by the 7 sisters - The common name for the Oil companies! this expression is heard all over the place in Prudhoe Bay. Back to the book, I am not able to correctly spell the name of that book, Puiiwiichaq But it was in this book that elders of all villages told stories of long ago, and it was in this book that I read Dina Frankson (Point Hope) tell of when she was out on the ice and a south wind would arrive, they would take a new born child and strip that child of all clothing and hold that child into the wind and move the child in the direction they NEEDED the wind to change so they could stay out there, and hunt for food !!
Again Point Hope is way different from Barrow and as such I will present it in both views.. In Point Hope, the entire community of 700 people head out to the ocean to live on that ice pack for the entire two months. In Barrow a very small portion of the community is directly involved in the activities out on the ocean ice.
Landing correctly is not as easy as it might appear, candy is still flying all over the place from some of the pieces landing on the blanket itself. Each time that blanket is raised, the candy and the person on the blanket go high into the air. In Point Hope, only a woman that has given birth to her first born may get on the blanket to throw 'gifts' to the elders !!
Form, and laughter are the other aspects of blanket toss. what posture or position can you achieve during those 2 seconds in the air ?? Each person has their own unique style of jumping, and what to do once you are airborne.
Award winning form, of walking in the air, is very difficult to achieve. Much skill and practice is the only way to gain these skills. This is not like jumping on a trampoline. Nalakutaq is all together different !
Two successfull crews are honored, two huge cakes, Lots of dessert !! Yummy !
Lillian Lane (Johnson) from Point Hope sings an Inupiat song and recites a poem. There are always quite a few people here in Barrow from the village of Point Hope. These people in all of these villages are very close to each other no matter which village ! In such a vast area you would not think it possible for the different vilages to be in constant communication with each other but through the VHF radio(s) and the FM radio (KBRW) the whole region is UNITED as ONE. We use airplanes in the same manner you use automobiles !! We constantly fly.. to different villages & different cities - i.e. Fairbanks & Anchorage are the two popular destinations
INUPIAQ VALUES are what keeps these people so closely knit ! It is sad that other people and cultures do not believe and act in this manner. When a person has to deliberatly lie and twist and change the truth to make his reputation counter increase, SOMETHING IS WRONG with that attitude and the types of people associated with that 'personality' !!
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Some of the sights that are in plain view around the village of Barrow. Food being prepared, Skins being cleaned, for the new covers for the skin boats (umiaq). Umiaq's are everywhere you look in this village, some new, some of them, decades old, filled with stories of past whale hunts.
And then, you come across a new umiaq underconstruction. This is a lot of work to build a sea worthy craft, this requires very skilled workmanship.
An umiaq requires the use of 5 or 6 (Oogruk) (Bearded Seal) skins to cover the boat in the correct manner.
Everyplace you walk in this village, you will see, old umiaq wooden frames from boats used long ago. Whaling equipment is visible everyplace you walk and look in Barrow.
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Living in a whaling village is very exciting, watching the people work, seeing all of the work involved, BEFORE whaling ever gets started. I have said many times in other forums, it takes a whole year.. .. just to get ready to go whaling. The expense(s) that each captain has to invest is just staggering !!
You have absolutely no idea on the incredible amount of work involved to move hundreds of people many miles, and live out on that ice pack for two months time. One whaling captains sled collection. Moving all that is needed to each camp, requires dozens of dangerous trips out to the camp sites. Anything can happen out there, with no warning at all.
Having personally attended & photographed 5 whale hunts, spending a total time of 10 months or more living on that ice pack is a completly different frozen world for sure. There is just no way to put that experience into words that will impart the difficulty of doing the most menial of tasks.
Food is prepared well in advance, Jerky, (Panaqtaq), dried fish, dried caribou, dried Oogruk ribs. This takes many weeks or months depending on how the individual likes it prepared. Some like it soft and some like it very hard. It also depends on the weather, If it is hot and sunny it will only take a few weeks.
Panataq is delicious, I do not like eating fish per say, but dried salmon is absolutely delicious !!!
Lots more to follow.. .. .. soon !!
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I would also like to say that I'm definitely no photographer. I was searching for a good map image of how far north Point Hope is and came across this thread and felt compelled to reply. If any of those kids are familiar to you, tell them Senior Airman Strigle says "Whats up". They will have no idea who that is, but it doesn't matter. The time I spent up there was amazing and I hope everyone is well up there.
The only thing I am interested in are the three sets of tusks from those three walrus he got earlier in the day.
Rebecca Brower and her husband hard at work preparing food for the freezer. Filling up all the freezers for the long dark cold winter is first priority in the summer time. Stock up on food, from the ocean, and some from the rivers, some from the land and the air also with many varieties of birds, ducks, geese, owls. Soon it will be time for picking berries.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT : See those whiskers? that are very hard and are often used in sewing as a "needle" they are that sharp and hard enough to use for that purpose !! Quite a 'pin cushion' eh ?
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Now you know why I stay in the Arctic. This is paradise of the north !! Although I live in Barrow now, I still miss Point Hope immensly !!
Well in the first photo.. er second photo the boy on the far left is Barney Stone, the boy on the far right on top of someone's shoulders is young Erin Tyler. Erin is on top of (Carl Logan) Erin saved Robert Kingik's life in 2007 when Robert drove his snowmachine off the ice into the ocean and almost drown. That 11 year old (at the time) saved a 27 year old man from drowning !!
The single boy looking out the window is Charlie Tuzroyluk
The big fence is the snow fence which stops drifts of snow from burynig some of the homes in the village. Before that 9 foot tall fence was erected, 30 - 40 foot drifts of snow in the village was very common !! Now we do not get those huge drifts when the wind blows !!
Thanks for the photos.. !! yes everyone of those images is Point Hope !!
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Fall Whaling in Barrow Alaska - Top of the world.
Last year fall whaling started on October 4th and this year it was the same.
Here are a few images of what happened during the first three days.
Fredrick Brower is the whaling captain for the crew we are on.
At first light we were ready to go.. gear is all packed and we head out to the beach to launch the boat.
Fall whaling is much different than spring whaling. In the spring time April - May we are living out on the ocean ice and using skin boats.
Fall whaling uses the big boats with massive horsepower to tow a whale, and you might remember that a bowhead whale weighs an amazing TON per foot !!
George Ahmoakaq has the largest boat in town with twin 350 horse outboard engines. He can easily tow two whales with his powerful craft.
The captain whose crew we are on, broke down, many miles out to sea, Search & Rescue had to be called, they came out to tow us back to the village where repairs were made and then back out to sea.
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We stopped to assist and help these crews rig the whale for the trip back to the village.
As each crew reaches the whale, they are given shares in the order in which they reached that location. The amount of shares, and the size of the shares depends on which order you reach that crew !
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We have a 'crisis' on our hands, what to do ? Forty tons of food is stuck on / in a sandbar of sorts.
Four boats could not budge that whale, engines were overheating, something had to be done
A solution was proposed, and This crew, Fredrick Browers crew had been chosen for the up coming task as hand.
Four very powerful boat could not move this whale, they tried and tried for over an hour. something had to be done,
The craft we are on, was the chosen vessel, to ram that whale again and again, while the other three boats tried in vain to move it during a synchronous effort,
Finally, after about 45 minutes the whale managed to move into deeper water and was towed away through the slush ice that was beginning to form all around us. The whale is towed backwards, the flippers and flukes are removed, these are the prized portion(s).
It sure beats standing in line in a grocery store !
It was a long hard day, from 8 am till 8 pm we finally brought the whale in and people were waiting for us !! More photos to follow & follow !!
Thanks for taking the time.!!
Gotta rest for a bit and process some more images !!
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Jesse received a 'share' of the whale, for all the work he did while on Fredrick Browers crew, this chunk was the small piece, the bigger pieces came three days later from a different whale.
Here ya go, prep it up !!
How to prepare ?? A very sharp Ulu knife, lots of cardboard, the traditional manner in which to prepare native foods.
slice, cut, and make individual size pieces to be boiled, this is too fresh to eat in the traditional manner, (raw & frozen). This has to age for a while, but for those who can't wait. Boil it for 1/2 hour or so, until all the pieces are floating, then it is ready to eat, with french's mustard !!!
This is no easy task as you can see, by her 'grip' . flammable oil ! coats her hands making the task extremely slippery & messy !!
these ulu's have to be sharpened many times, while doing this difficult (happy) work !!
an ulu is only sharpened on one side only. Usually the preferred method is a special 'rock'. Here is has to be done the ol fashioned way, using a file !!
It still beats standing in line at a grocery store !! This food means something very special, and for the question I get asked most often:
what does whale taste like. ?? I can only say, it doesn't taste like any thing I can describe, cept rubbery maypo & clams !! sorta !!
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and it is darn cold out. camera on tripod, waiting in that ever present wind.... .. waiting.. some times I feel like a complete jerk out here, freezing my ASA / ISO off big time !!
but the results are often worth the wait. !!
What happens when you bring your camera in from these extreme temps of 40 below zero and colder (w/wind chill)?? ??
The camera 'sweats" for hours, I usually place the camera on a thick towel to sux up the water as it drips from every location on that camera.
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Hired me to create images of 23 of their construction projects in Barrow, I am going to take the time to post some of these images here.
My purpose for this is to inspire you.. .. to think !! How to take something plain, and create a stunning work of "Art" that the customer is willing to purchase.
IN less than 2 1/2 weeks, I made $14,000 from this one little job !!!
.. .. and over the years, a ton more, from selling some of the images that are "mine" ... ... .. created by mua.
Just outside of Barrow sits this drill rig, . .. .. .. drilling for OIL !!
The weather station .. .. ?? How to make it .. look spectacular ??
This was my attempts to convince the customer. They loved it !!
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Sometimes... .. obtaining food.. .. good meat, is easy, and extremly cheap.
Caribou meat is delicous.. there is absolutley NO FAT. !! Grind up about three pounds and fry it.. the amount of fat will be less than 1/2 teaspoon !!
Fresh food right outside your door.. .. in Point Lay Alaska.
A few bullets will fill up your freezer for the entire winter for a family of ten.
All that's left is a nice 'hood' ornament for whatever, and a nice warm skin for keeping your "Ickauq's" warm when sitting outside !!!
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bsvirginian:D
I am 61 years young. she is Inupiaq, I am caucasian (Italian) from Boston.
My Blog will give you far more info about me / us and our life in the Arctic.
Thanks for taking the time !!
Reflections are a great way to add some creativity to your images, make use of them.. .. when possible !!
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We harvest 'animals' for our food supply, these animals do not fit into the frig or freezer,
So what do you do with the food ???
(chuckle) !!
125 of a sec @ 5.6 100 Iso ! I know these values.... I do not need a light meter to tell me how to set up my camera !!
Back lighting is the most dramatic lighting available, but also the most difficult to expose properly.
I only require one frame of film !!
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Yep, he is here, all frozen with frozen reindeer or caribou !!
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they walk around looking to scavange some portion of the scraps.
.. .. .. and what does a 5 year old boy do, when he is bored out here ? Why, try to set a trap & catch a sea gull !!
Aquiilaq, is this young boys name, He had me laughing for a long time, making a loop out of rope and waiting patiently for a sea gull to step into the loop.
He gave up, after a couple of hours, I sat down to take his place.
It is late in the evening (chuckle) as in about 11:30, you can tell by the 'warmth' of the light.
That dumb bird finally walked over and stepped in and took the bait I had laid out inside the loop of rope, YANK as he stepped in and the bird became 'air-borne'. I reeled in the slack and gently caressed the bird in my huge mittens and went to the nearest tent.
I asked what are you cooking to night ? they said nothing, we are cleaning up. I said (as I extended my arms.) How about some sea-gull soup ???
they all said Yuk and laughed. OH well time to let this bird go, but first I have to give it to Aquiilaq, and show him what a great job I did .. .. in not giving up !!
Aquiilaq is trying to sneak up on his prey. they flew away ! (chuckle)
He was so suprized when I had that bird flying at the end of the rope after making the initial catch.
I gave the rope over to him to release the bird.
All in all it was a good photo opportunity, something a bit 'different'
Just a little something to break up the slow part of the day, midnight here in the arctic is wonderful,
you can tell by the long flat shadows that it is very late in the evening .. ! just one long continous day that lasts for over 3 1/2 months with no darkness ever !!
Disclaimer, no birds were hurt or injured in photographing this event ! but we had some fun for a short time, @ 30 below zero !!
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But as you have heard me say many times, anything can happen at any time without any warning here in the arctic, or anyplace else in the world for that matter, but when your out on the ocean ice, alone, and your machine breaks down, now you have real problems, unless your traveling with an 'expert'.
We are preparing to get some supplies from the village for our crew out here on the ice. And as usual I have my regular spot for this ride, not on the snowmachine, but on the ever dreaded sled of pain & bumps and snow sprayed in my face as we travel along.
Well for this trip, I can take you along, with the miracle of the internet, I can show you, what happened, and how the disabling problem was ingeniously fixed and repaired, many miles out on the frozen ocean ice pack.
We are headed to camp to pick up a passenger to bring back to the village, we enounter some problems
The left ski, the support or linkage to steer it properly, broke, the ski is warbling all over the place and Joe cannot steer the machine. So we have to stop, assess the damage and see what or how HE can get this machine working again. Anything can happen, and it just did. How do you fix a snowmachine, out here, in the middle of no where, I am puzzled and thinking, oh oh.. we gotta walk for miles, many miles.. Joe laughs
He walks over to the sled, and breaks a piece of wood, from the frame.. .. this I just gotta see.. .. click , click
How clever.. !!
Taking a knife out of his pocket, Joe begins to cut a notch in one of the ends of the wood.
He fits this notch into the right hand 'good' ski, Marks it and then begins to notch the other side.
Make one ski.. .. do the work of both, by tying them together. That is simple and yet brilliant, I
do not think I would have ever thought about that.
Aquiilaq is having fun as usual, always making the best in every situation.
Finally it is all tied off, tested, and off we go.. back on the trail
Whew, we finally made it back to the village, we see the first signs of 'land' and the exciting feeling of almost being home.. .. .. .. Ahh.. finally, a nice hot shower, and change clothes before we head back down.. .. to paradise in a frozen ocean ice pack, in the middle of the Chukchi Sea !!
There is no way I can possibly describe the 'feeling' of being out there, for extended periods of time, I can only show you what it looks like, and yes, it is darn cold, but you see absolutly no sign of that, by looking at the people and their expressions. happy happy happy people !! Food shopping in the arctic.. This is 'take out' food in the extreme !!
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I could spend at least another week reading all this! I'm loving it and feel as if I'm learning by the minute! This has been the best post I've ever read on any forum on any site! Thank you soo much for posting your life's work and the wonderful people that have befriended you! This is truly priceless and incredible to read and see.
Ken
From the Top of the World - Barrow Alaska - Happy New Year from the Arctic !!
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Thanks for those comments; I have done my job well to deserve so much of your time !!
I have literally thousands more photographs to post here, with more stories of the Arctic and the wonderful Inuupiaq people of Alaska !!
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HERE COMES THE SUN !!! (finally) !!
In Barrow Alaska, top of the world, the sun dipped below the horizon on November 18th, it rose today for the first time in 2009 !!
On the roof, of the Suvat Center, trying to capture images of the upcoming sunrise.
You would never think it is almost NOON here in Barrow, but that is the time of day !!
11:30 a.m. Barrow Alaska, we had to leave this site because they close @ noon !!
People busy about their business walking, driving, the temp is 40 below w/ 20 mph winds
Here comes the SUN .. .. (insert music here) !!
For the very first time in 2009 - we finally see the SUN !!!
Now there is enough light for a while, to dig out this old tent and begin to get ready for the spring hunt (soon) !!
4 cameras on 4 different crews this spring hunt will bring you right out on the ice, to enjoy the beauty and splendor of the frozen far north, gathering food !!
We will be creating movies, images and I am sure there will be a lot of stories that are all easily verifiable !!
Stay tuned to this ongoing thread of life in the Arctic ! I promise you spectacular images .. ..
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Yes it is great to see the sun again, longer days, more time to be outside instead of sitting at this computer.
Lots to do to get ready for whaling in a couple of months, we are all looking forward to this next spring hunt, four of us are on four different crews to create images and make movies, (fingers crossed).
Ice must be cut and brought back to the village, from 100 miles round trip to the kupak river, wood needs to be gathered, along the coast on the north side of the village (Point Hope), food cleaned out from the siglauq, (sig -lock) and of course fuel, sicpan (seal blubber).
After the long dark winter, everything must be cleaned and that takes a lot of time, this is not something that is accomplished in a week or two, it takes major time and effort.
Again we go through the routine, of doing daily chores outside, for the task at hand, this is the most exciting time of year coming upon us, (whaling villages -9 )
Someone lost an Avatakpak, a seal skin filled with air, to be used to slow the whale down and to mark its location.
One of the Captains has his umiaq brought into the church to be blessed by the pastor.
In 1961 ( a one time freak accident Pt. Hope), a whole crew died when a whale flipped the umiaq over.
This sad tragic incident is written in a book, I happened to just come across this story the other day, The name of the book is The Tigara Eskimos & Their Enviornment - page 27
Another book which will fascinate you about the 'ghosts' and little people and the 'spirits' that come around the bend is named PUIGUITKAAT
Each of these books and many others can be purchased from the North Slope Borough, much of what I explain is located in these books and from the hunters I have lived with for many decades !!
Although others may doubt the accuracy of these books, I have heard it stated that no western observer has witnessed any form of government before 1970 in Point Hope, that statement was obviously taken from a book that is no where near the truth. 1936 The Inupiaq people drafted their constitution with the help of the federal governement, In the Late 1800's Point Hope had a well organized goverment with tribal meetings and infrastructure.
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