I couldn’t stop laughing as Jennifer
and I, both cold to the bone, made our way from Simmonds Field, along the dirt
path and then through mud puddles, each clad in heavy jackets, hats, gloves and
tall rubber boots, both hanging onto a handle of her cooler that was filled
with gallon sized zip lock bags containing fermented and unfermented whale
meat, intestines, kidney, heart, tongue, maktak and whipped caribou fat. A collapsed folding chair was balanced on top
as we walked, with me making brief stops to double over laughing at what we
must look like and how different my life is here. Jennifer laughed too while saying "What
are you laughing about!? We live in Barrow...this is what people do
here!" I know, I know, but
it still strikes me as very funny for us to be doing it.
We had arrived empty handed and curious
at close to noon to partake in Saturday’s Nalukataq, a celebration of the spring
whale catches by the Hopson and Adams crews.
We saw many people sitting on chairs and coolers around the inside periphery
of a large visqueened off area of the field just west of the post office. It was the first time either of us had
attended and we soon learned that we would need to go home and return with
seating as well as bowls, spoons and napkins if we wanted to enjoy some
of the food the whaling crews and their families were distributing and zip lock
bags if we wanted to take any home. We
returned with the requisite items and found a comfortable spot amid the several
hundred other people.
A woman sitting behind us suggested
that we raise our hands. We took her
advice and soon two of the whalers’ family members carried a large pot of hot
soup between them over to where we sat and ladled our paper bowls until full of
broth, rice, duck meat and in my case, a delicacy, I’m sure, a duck head. I’m
sure we were a comical pair now and later as we gratefully partook with
Jennifer leaning over and saying softly, “are you kidding? You’re actually going to eat that duck head?”
I had been served the same thing while in Kaktovik last September and had felt
the same way, but this time decided, when in Barrow, do as the hunters do, and
actually enjoyed my entrée.
The weather was overcast and cool in
the high 30’s, but I felt warmed by a combination of conversation with
Jennifer, hearing about her month-long family trip to Europe, listening to the
beautiful voices of Inupiat women and men as they said prayers and sang to
accompanying acoustic guitar music, visiting with friends who happened to walk
by and watching children play. This was picnicking
at its best. Jennifer was agreeable to
our staying until the maktak was served which I greatly appreciated. I enjoy it when taken in small quantities and
wanted to have some of it and the other parts in my freezer as well for when
company comes to visit. Although she
declined taking some for herself—I think they fell into the same category as
the duck head--she accepted some of each on my freezer’s behalf and expressed
beautifully what I was thinking when served each time, thanking the men and
women servers for their generous sharing and for the sometimes life-threatening
conditions they endured to bring in their catch. We both reflected on how generous and
hardworking they are, preparing their skin boats for the hunt, hunting, hauling
the whales in, harvesting and storing or boiling or fermenting and then
preparing for the daylong celebration where they serve the entire
community. I loved her words and thought
about them being a tribute to their generosity, something I’ve pondered and
wondered how I could ever repay. Maybe
sincere words reflected back by their warm smiles was truly the only gift that
could be given.
The hours passed as they do when fully
engaged in one’s surroundings. Every once in a while, Jennifer would ask if I
was ready to leave…we were both shivering, not being used to sitting in the
cold for so long. Assuring her that I thought
that the maktak would be served anytime, we found the tent with large urns of
coffee and tea. After returning to our
seats, servers asked if we would like to try some Eskimo ice cream. They were passing out what looked like small,
rectangular cakes covered with powdered sugar.
Usually not something I’d eat, I accepted one and bit into it thinking
how wonderful to be enjoying something sweet after the fermented whale meat
that I’d recently had. I was happy to see Jennifer enjoying her first bite as
well when we both stopped and looked at each other with curious expressions. We
asked a woman walking by what the supposed confection was made of and learned
that it was whipped and frozen caribou fat…ah, Eskimo ice cream…I get it.
Jennifer was a very good sport, staying
with me until the coveted maktak was finally served soon after 5 pm. I’m sure I put her friendship to the test,
but she never said so, although she was very glad when at last the large frozen
white and black chunks fell into our open bags and we had expressed our thanks. We were very cold, but happy while we hauled
her cooler and my folding chair to my apartment. We agreed to meet and return to the field
again after 7 pm for the blanket toss, something we were both hoping to
participate in as well as to see. I didn’t
dare warm up with a shower or bath as I’m sure I would have fallen into a deep
sleep, especially after having returned from a week of long days in Point Lay
the afternoon before. At 7:15 pm, I
texted Jennifer and when she didn’t respond, found myself relieved, thinking
that she had fallen asleep and that I would soon find myself in my own comfortable
bed. A few minutes later, however, her
bright response was texted back indicating that she’d meet me behind her
building in a few minutes. She looked as
chipper as ever, having had a hot shower and dinner…amazing.
I was happy that we’d come as soon as
we started walking. It felt warmer out
and the sun was lighting up the formerly gray sky. There were several children playing on the suspended
blanket that we learned later was made up of the ugruk seal skins that had been
sewn together to cover the wooden whale boat frames. This one was taken off of the boat that
caught the first whale and was made part of the celebration. I grew cold quickly as Jennifer I and sat on
a wooden beam at the base of the visqueen wind barrier so suggested that we
walk for a while until the activities began.
We met several other people who walked with us, a nurse and a lab
technician from the hospital who also thought they’d heard that the blanket
toss would begin around 7 pm. I was
ready to wander home, shivering and cold again by 8 pm, but definitely owed
Jennifer my company this evening as she had her heart set on staying longer to
see if the blanket toss would be taking place.
Other people started arriving after 9 pm and soon the tall wood pieces
with a V at the top that served as elevators for the ropes attached to the seal
skin blanket and anchored into the ground some distance away were hoisted
higher. Adults began gathering around the
blanket, each taking a hold of a rope handle.
After an individual was lifted up and onto the blanket and found their footing,
the group began pulling rhythmically, creating a soft trampoline effect. This lasted for several minutes until at last
more energy was put into the pulling and the person was thrown high into the
sky. Some landed on their feet for
several tosses while others landed in various positions and some almost flew
over the side but were fortunately caught.
I was mesmerized and so glad we’d stayed. Jennifer and I decided that we didn’t feel
experienced enough to risk breaking any needed bones and I didn’t want to get
my clothes dirty although I’m sure I could impose on a friend and use their
washing machine to clean my thick jacket.
We stayed until almost 10:30 pm when we relented from shivering, both
happy to have had a fun day but also to be headed in the direction of our respective
hot showers and warm beds.
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THE HOPSON AND ADAMS WHALING CREWS AND THEIR FAMILIES PREPARING TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY. |
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PARKA WITH RUFF MADE FROM SILVER FOX. FUR AND HIDES HAVE KEPT THE INUPIAT PEOPLE HERE WARM FOR CENTURIES. TEMPERATURES DROP TO LOWER THAN 50 BELOW ZERO IN THE WINTER. |
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AN OLDER UNUPIAT WOMAN WEARING AN ATIKLUK OR SUMMER PARKA. |
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MIKE AND LEIGH MAYBERRY STOPPED BY TO SAY HELLO TO JENNIFER AND ME. MIKE IS A NURSE AT THE HOSPITAL, LEIGH IS A NURSE IN THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AID PROGRAM AND JENNIFER AND I ARE PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES. |
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A MEMBER OF THE HOPSON WHALING CREW SERVING. |
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CHILDREN GATHERING BENEATH THE UGRUK SKIN BLANKET. |
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CHILDREN ARE ALLOWED TO PLAY ON THE BLANKET, LOWERED FOR SAFETY. |
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PRAYERS ARE SAID IN GRATITUDE FOR THE SUCCESSFUL SPRING WHALING HUNT. |
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HANDMADE MUKLUKS AND PARKAS. |
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A WOMAN HAS HER BABY TUCKED INTO HER ATIKLUK, KEEPING WARM. |
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WHALE MEAT SLICED BY A SHARP ULU. |
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THE ADAMS CREW PASSING OUT FROZEN CHUNKS OF MAKTAK. |
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WOMEN ON THE HOPSON CREW HELPING AN ELDER. |
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I'M NOT SURE, BUT THINK THIS IS THE ADAMS CREW CAPTAIN. |
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RAISING THE BLANKET FOR THE ADULT TOSS. THE HOLE BENEATH THE BLANKET IS NEEDED FOR THOSE WITH QUITE A BIT OF REBOUND. |
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READY FOR THE FIRST TOSS. |
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UP SHE GOES... |
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A BABY ENJOYING AN ESKIMO DONUT ON HIS MOTHER'S BACK. |
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A BRAVE YOUNG LADY, |
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...FLYING HIGH. |
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A GOOD CATCH ON THE SIDE. |
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UP AND AWAY! |
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WHOO HOO! |
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CREATIVE TOSSING. |
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THROWING CANDY WHILE BEING TOSSED. |
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SUMMER PARKA WITH RUFF FOR WARMTH MADE WITH ARCTIC FOX. |
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