Click to view attachmentHello everyone, I am new here, My name is David. Originally from Boston. I have worked on the Trans Alaska Pipleline as an IBEW Journeyman wireman / foreman from Prudhoe Bay clear down to Valdez at the other end.

I was sent to a very small Eskimo village, for just 3 weeks to wire two construction camps. When the job finished, I quit the company and stayed, That was 28 years ago, I am still here






50 below zero, Seven miles out on a frozen ice pack, for two months, to gather food. These hunters sleep outside, for two months with no tents !

i am sooo in love with that sled photo!

welcome! your life sounds very interesting.

I will +1 what Tami says! Great shot! Thats very cool! (or maybe cold!). At 50 below, what camera are you using?

Absolutely AMAZING! Welcome!

Cool! Welcome to Osp!

Well thank you all for that very 'warm' welcome (shiver) !! I am using two different type of mechanical camera(s). Pentax K1000 was 'king' out here in this frozen land.. and a mamiya RB 67 was "kong" !! I was literally dragged down to the ice on that sled.. I had the flu.. I was very sick. I slept outside that first night, I froze the flu.. I was 100% that next morning.

Point Hope Alaska - The oldest continually inhabited settlement or Village in ALL of North America. Life here can accurately be traced back to over 3,000 years ago to this one tiny spot of land.



Point Hope - Tikigaq - (Tig E uck)

Point Hope is a very small whaling community of 800 Inupiaq Eskimos, Their life revolves around the BowHead Whale.

This is a typical whaling camp, some 7 miles out on the ocean ice pack of the Chukchi Sea in the Bering Strait of upper Alaska 200 miles above the Arctic circle in the Northwest portion of the state.



This particular image was created @ midnight in mid May. This is home sweet frozen home for the hunters down at the edge of the ice. This is where they sit, eat, hunt & sleep 24 / 7 for the next two months, right here. Each whaling camp is set up identical, everything is in the exact same place.
A whaling crew, consists of the Captain, 8 hunters, One boyer, and 3-5 women to do the cooking in tents which are 1/2 - 3/4 of a mile in BACK of the hunters. The women are situated on much safer ice. Each of the 19 different whaling captains are spaced out some 1/2 - 3/4 of a mile away from each other. spread out some 10 miles to setup a 'gaunlet' for the animals that migrate through the narrow lead opening in the ocean ice pack.



Point Hope Alaska - 99766 thanks to google's eye in the sky, we can now see the ocean ice forming around the village.



Now you have a much better indication of where we are, we are headed south, 7 miles out to the edge of the ice.



These people are just so happy, no one ever complains about anything. This is their favorite time of year. Living out on the ocean ice. Many familes stay together out here. The tents are just for the women only to do all of the incredibly hard work associated with whaling. The entire community moves their whole familes out here, to gather food.

A trail has to be hand chopped through the ocean ice.. This ice is not smooth, it is constantly changing, Hundreds of people have to get out here with pick and axe to smooth out a trail so that supplies, equipment, and many other things associated with whaling can be started. This is a lot of very difficult work. No one receives any pay for all this hard work. The only reward .. .. you get to eat !!



That man with the axe is Tigluk, He is more than 70 years 'young' his job is to keep that trail open, cut down the high spots, fill in the low spots and smooth it all out. This is a very harsh, tough, unforgiving lifestyle, anything can happen out here, and usually does in many unexpected ways, often with bizarre results.



Come along for the most fantastic photo essay of North america's oldest people, I promise you amazing photographs, and spectaular spell binding stories, come along from the warmth and comfort of your home or office.

Awesome!

David...are the people there known as Eskimos or Inuit? I wonder because we were always corrected in school, and told they were Inuit people.

Wow - I am digging that first sled photo.

I work with a wireless integrator that did some wireless work up in Barrow - they were telling me about how all the coax cable, Ethernet cable, and antennas had to be rated for these ultra-low temps because the older stuff was snapping in half... That is very hard for me to visualize temperatures THAT cold.

Wow! Welcome to OSP!

I've only visited Alaska once, backpacked around for about a month, and have been smitten ever since. Please post often!

Wow. Thanks for posting. Incredible pics! I can't even understand how things (like cameras) behave mechanically in that cold of temperture. Truly amazing. Please keep posting!

Well... I never thought I'd say this, but you've got a fellow IBEW brother here (Local 1212 at CBS News). Welcome!

OSP is a great place!

WoWoW !! Thank you for your interest. and the wonderful comments you have expressed.

Inuit = Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Russia These are the 'Inuit' People of the world.

Inupiat / Inupiaq = All the Eskimo's above the Arctic circle in Alaska

(In oop E at) (In you pack).

Many thousands of years ago, these people migrated across the land bridge and settled in Point Hope. Greenland was founded and established by the very same people.

My camera(s), were very sluggish, sometimes encased in ice about 1/16" thick, all over the camera body and controls, The ice would crack as some of the controls were moved. Everything worked perfectly, I would have to put the lens cap on at night when the sun went down in April. I would literally have to chip the ice out of the viewfiner on the pentax K1000 every morning using a small nail clipper. These winds are extremly strong and never ending, Yes it is very cold out. but the Inupiaq people employ many 'tricks' to keep warmer out here in these extreme temps.

April - May is the spring hunt. by mid May we have 24 hour sunlight till the end of August.

That's got to be so flippin' weird.

IBEW wow !!! Hello Brother.. I retired 10 years ago at a very young age!!

I know I am going to enjoy this forum very much, I promise you spectacular photos and spell binding text that will keep you on the edge of your seat for a couple of hours !!

We are just getting started on this fantastic journey into a land that very few people ever are allowed to view or witness, a land & people that are shrouded deep in mystery. I will expose all the myths and show you first hand who these people are and how they thrive and survive in such a harsh unforgiving climate.

Point Hope - Tikigaq - Tigara on very old maps.. This village used to have a population of just over 10,000 people, & 22 clans, in the mid 1800's. Then the whaling companies arrived in full force. Through greed, disease & mass starvation, this population was reduced to just 190 people and 2 clans were left. I arrived in 1981 the population had climbed up to 420 people. Now today it is @ 800 people that live in the village, Many have moved out, (500) and live in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Barrow, and other parts of the state and other parts of the lower 48 states.

The whaling companies destroyed and decimated the whales for commercial purposes, the walrus and caribou were literally wiped out leaving these people with no food to survive.

A huge whaling ship was loaded up to the max with walrus Ivory, thousands of precious ivory was loaded on that ship to take back to the home port back east. That overladen ship, sunk just a few miles off the coast of Point Hope.



Notice the sled under the umiaq (oo me ack), These skin boats are covered with six ugruk skins from a bearded seal, They are stretched and sewn together in a zig zag water type stitch using.. .. .. 'dental floss' for its much needed strength. The sled is to protect the bottom of this boat, from the sharp edges of the ice, which can easily tear that skin.





The Inupiaq People only take, that which is needed to eat, nothing is ever wasted. They have never depleted any of the resources. These people live in complete harmony with the land, sea, and air. They are truely one with the whale, as you will come to see and experience later in this unique photo essay.

Well Rick.. Yes at first it is very wierd.

2 p.m. is the same as 2 a. m. No one cares what time of day it is, who cares, we have the greatest summers. BUT there is no such thing as 24 hours of darkness. never, we get or receive light every day of the year.

On one forum one woman said.. .. "Now we know your lying, because you said, it was February and it was light and then it got dark.. and "We all know there are six months of light and six months of darkness.

That is a myth. !!

When your out on the ocean ice, exposed to that 24 hours of sunlight, you easily become 'solar powered' it is very easy to stay alert and awake for 3 days or longer. when you finally become tired, just lean back on that sled, and rest for a few hours, Now your good to go for another 3 days or longer.



Here is how light works in the Arctic. I will start with the shortest day of the year, Dec. 21st. It is dark out. this is the shortest day of the year,

Here it is in Barrow, in Dec21st @ 11:30 a.m. just before noon.



by noon it will be 'dusk' out, but it is bright enough to read a newspaper outside. this dusk type light will only last for about 2 hours, if that, then it is dark again. Each day we pick up a minute or two of extra light.

In Barrow the sun sets and goes below the horizon on Novermber 17th, It will not come back above the horizon until Jan 23rd. Then we are getting 10 more minutes of light per day. The sun comes above the horizon and goes quickly back down. we now have 4 hours of light per day. by the end of Februray we are gaining 20 more minutes of light each day.
By april it doesn't get dark until very late at night as in 11:00 p.m.
by mid may we have 24 hour sunlight, the moon and the sun are visible in opposite ends of the sky 24 / 7 until the end of August. when we start to loose 20 minutes of light per day.



Sleeping outside in these temps is a real trip! The tents are for the women, who do incredible amounts of work out here, Imagne cooking for 12 - 15 people 3 - 5 times every day, from inside that tiny tent. this is a real chore.

At night when these women go to sleep exhausted from the hard non -stop work. they have a "boyer" to take care of the wood stove. This persons job, his responsibility is to keep that home made wood stove fired up just right all night long. He is alone, awake by himself, he has many different chores to do and accomplish all night long. Hand him your matches and lighter, lie down and go to sleep, your in very good hands, he has been trained very well.

he must chop wood using an axe, feed that stove and keep it burning, If the wood is wet he must cut sicpan (seal blubber) and place very small pieces on that wet wood inside the stove, sicpan is extremly flammable and if you use too much you will burn down that tent.

In addition to keeping that wood stove buring and fired up .. he must make fresh hot coffee, hot tea and hot chocolate and fill the empty thermoses and bring those down to the hunters at the edge of the ice, bring the new empty ones back and repeat this same process many times each and every night. he must melt snow, to obtain water for washing and cleaning dishes and cups. He knows how to obtain delicous fresh water for drinking and cooking purposes.. snow.. tastes yuk! We do not use snow for drinking water or cooking water.. Just where do you think these people obtain delicous fresh drinking water many miles out in the middle of a salt water ocean surrounded by salt water ice.? Hundreds of people are out here, hidden in the ocean ice. We need lots of delicious fresh drinking water. Just how do you think we obtain that ??

This boyer must also be aware of the wind and make sure if that wind shifts to wake everyone up and run !!! ICE is heading our way if that wind shifts and it will run over everything and crush anything in its path.

He must also be aware of the ice in his area, cracks can appear at any moment, this is a very dangerous place to be, anything can happen at tny time. This 3 year old child... . is also armed with many rifles in case of a polar bear attack. yes you heard and read that correctly..

this boyer is only 3 years old !!!

Great images and blog! Welcome to OSP.

Welcome to OSP.

I just finished reading a book called "Terror" by Dan Simmons. Fabulous read about an English expedition looking for the Northwest passage that was stuck in pack ice for three years. Just a great read.

It's interesting for me to see your pictures with the context of that book still fresh in my mind. Thanks for sharing these. Good stuff!

~rc

YES .. 3 YEARS OLD. with that much responsibility !! Children of all ages, even babies are brought down to the ocean ice, to learn. these children are trained very well and handle huge amounts of responsibility out here.



Although weapons and firearms are everywhere out here, thousands of them, no one has ever been hurt in any hunting type accident out here. Many people have died out here, but not from weapons. I have witness too many deaths in this tiny village, hundreds more than you would ever expect to see or witness or happen.



When the ice cracks in your area, this is dangerous, This ice is only ten feet thick if that, a very strong current is runing under that ice, these cracks must be constantly monitored using stakes, lined up with other stakes, very far apart. This ice can move at any time. we have to be prepared for anything out here.



If and when that wind shifts from North wind to south wind, we must evacuate this ice in a mass panic..Everything has to come off that ice, including all trash. If you do not have a ride, that's ok. .just run. someone will pick you up on the trail, snow machines and hondas keep circling, the ice until everyone is picked up and taken to safety of land.

Here we see another typical whaling camp. These hunters are fed delicious food 3 - 5 times each and every day. The food out here is delicous, the menu is extensive and varied, you just will not believe what we eat out here. Delicous fresh hot food is prepared and delivered to these hunters.

that open lead, is narrow here, but it will widen, close, widen again. that ice on the other side of the lead opening is moving from right to left in this image. The wind is always from the north and it is strong, cold and vicious.
that ice on the other side of the lead opening is moving quickly perhaps 5 - 15 mph. DO NOT STARE at that ice pack. I found out the hard way, much to the delight of these hunters, I provided much entertainment to keep these hunters laughing hysterically at me.



This is what happens when you stare at that ice that is moving. At some point in time. that ice will stop, you will experience the sensation of moving in th eopposite direction, I was constantly falling over, from watching that ice too closely. It is fascinating out here. A different world, A different planet, A frozen planet of ice, for many miles in all directions.

Wow, thank you again for posting all this--I am fascinated! It is like Natl. Geo, only better, because we can ask you questions.

I read somewhere (probably Natl. Geo for that matter) that the land in Point Hope is rapidly disappearing due to rising sea levels.

Oh, and I have a 3 year old little boy, 4 in July. I cannot IMAGINE entrusting him with all that responsibility, and he is a very conscientious child--what an amazing culture these people have.

I am facinated with these images and stories. I don't think I could live like that, Edmonton Alberta is cold enough for me.

LOVE seeing these kind of images. Welcome!

Thank you both so much for your comments.. National Geographic approached me twice.. (chuckle) first time, they offered me 5k for all the rights to everything, I declined (of course), they later approached me and doubled that offer, I told them flat out.. go to ....... photograph another place. I knew what I had was extremly valuable. despite all the shortcomings in my images, (some people insist and harass me, these are just snapshots) Well to them, that may be true, but they are missing the whole point.. This is just a simple photo essay. Showing images, and text to acompany these images. These images make a huge amount of money every year.. these were created almost 30 years ago.. There are 9 whaling villages, and in 30 years time, there is nothing that exists, (in color) that can match or come close to this collection of many thousands of images from 5 whale hunts. There are other scarce images here and there, but none will show and impart an intimacy with these people such as I am gong to provide you with here.

This is a good place to STOP. and let me introduce you to a few of my very close friends.



Aaka (Grandmother) Aapa (Grandfather) Lilly & Donald Oktollik

These two kids.! (chuckle) are just so adorable, Dressed in traditional native dress. Lilly made each of these parky's her self. The fancy trim at the bottom of each parky are called kupaks (coo pucks) They are hand made, Lilly's kupaks are hand made using calf skin. Donalds kupaks are made using glass beads !!

Donald was a successfull whaling captain and also an Episcopal Minister in his day. He passed on, in 1990 one year after this photo was created in 89.
I have four Inupiaq sons, These are their Great Grand parents !!
yes I married into the Oktollik family, you will meet a lot of them out on the ice later.
Lilly passed on in 2003 at the young age of 98, Donald was 90 when he went home.

Lilly is / was my Uma (oo mah) = sweetheart ! Or better yet.. 'special friend'

Uma's and Attak's are strange different 'greetings' that are used in all villages.

If someone has the same name as you do, in any Eskimo village.. that person is your Attak (ut tick). your namesake.. so when you see that person.. you would not say.. hello (name). You would say.. Hello Attak or hello At (uht).
The same is true with your uma's.. This is more difficult to explain. I have many umah's because they have the same name as the woman I married.
And all my umah's always greet me by saying hello ooom or hello umah !!

All my umah's are women, but there is one man that is my umah also.
His momma gave him eskimo name before he was born, wanting a girl for a child, His English name is Frank, but his eskimo name is the same as Lilly's and the same name as the woman I married (Eskimo name). Agnnin.
I can't type that word correctly because we do not have dotted g and n with a ~ over it. and n with a 'tail'


Two Inupiaq Teenage girl-friends pose for me in Traditional Native Dress @ 50 below zero. February is a very cold month in the Arctic, Extremly cold, the wind is very strong. Do these women look cold ? No ! Inupiaq clothing is very light and extremly warm, hand made and always sewn using dental floss.


The land in Point Hope is rapidly disappearing in ALL coastal villages, It has absolutly nothing to do with rising sea levels, that is just not true.

the reason is these storms up here, are vicious and those pounding waves against the fragile tundra are ripping them apart. We are loosing land mass here because of the tundra sinking. but not in the village itself.

Let me back up and explain something worth mentioning. The village had to be moved in the mid 1970's due to flooding in the old town site. The old town site is still there, Dry, It has not been flodded since the 1970s. The village was only moved 2.5 miles to the east. The area to the East (our village (Jabber town) much of that is sinking. Extremly noticable. that lagoon in the back of the village was very small when I first arrived. it is 5 times its original size.. that is getting bigger from the salt water waves that splash over the walls during vicious storms from the ocean waves that are at times 30 foot tall.

The Point disappeared in 1989 so we have lost land. from erosion, not from sea levels rising. When you fill a glass and fill it with ice cubes and let it sit and that ice melts.. does that glass over flow ??

Be carefull of what you believe about all this global warming hype.. !! This is a very clever way for global dominance or governance.. and to raise money!

Glaciers have been melting for thousands of years.. The earth is changing and always has been changing.. Our weather up here is very consistent.

summers are getting hotter and longer.. the main thing the elders complain about : It does not get dark like it used to... It does not get cold like it used to.


I was walking, from one camp, to the next camp about 1/2 mile or so away, I was walking past a huge wall of ice. I could hear children giggling, it is perhaps 20 below zero, A wonderful day out here, just right. I came around the ice and saw these threee girls (chuckle) the one on the left Rachel, said, wanna see me eat snow ? -=[click]=- I love it when I see children playing, these are some very happy people and the children are always laughing. Doreen Koonuk is in the middle and my 'special friend' Daisy Della Fay is on the right.

There is quite a story behind this image. Much too long to type out here.

Well for one, Daisy Della Fay at the airport runway outside of the village. (see map) she is 3 years old in this image created in Dec of 82. 30 below zero. United Bank of Alaska, when they saw this image, they went ballastic, they offered me 100K for the complete rights to this image. Samantha Delay was the vice president of that bank, back then, Samantha is just getting out of jail by this time. not for what she did to me. but what she attempted to do to others, she got caught. She ripped me off big time. I am glad I said no to that offer, from advice from friends of mine back east that were professionals high in the Art world, their gallery only represented the top ten artists in the world.

Kathy Rock Age 10, sittin out on the seat of a snowmachine, 7 miles out on the ocean ice. I walked over to this young girl and asked if I could 'take her picture' she smiled and said yes. As I brought the camera up to create this image she began to smile, I brought the camera down and said, No ! Kathy please do not do that. I knew exactly what I wanted, before I ever asked her for her permission. I spent 1/2 hour with this child, I told her, I am not even here, you cannot see me, look right through me, past me as though I am invisible. I waited for 'that look' yes ! yes -=[click]=- THAT is exactly what I wanted. I spent 1/2 hour with her, I only exposed one frame of film.



Let me tell you a little secret, about the method I always use, to create a striking image of a child.

First I ask, then I wait. When I am ready, all composed, ready to squeeze that shutter, I communicate.. .. in a special way, I only have to say one word.. .. .. "Lord" ? !!! (DO YOUR THING) !!!

He is the ONE who created that individual ! I always ask and WAIT, for HIM to change that face, to get the look I want.

The look on Daisy Della Fays face, pure innocence, probably the very first whiteman she has ever seen. here is the original copy





She had just got off the plane, I was getting ready to get on this same plane, This is MY #1 favorite image, i have ever created. It required two frames. Mamiya RB 67 normal 90mm lens, overcast sky, no light meter 30 below zero. I saw her, click nope .. oh Lord.. click YES ! oH i JUMPED WITH JOY.. As soon as that shutter released. I saw that look, which was only there for a mere fraction of a second, The first frame ? worthless.

125 @ f 5.6 VPS 100 ASA A computer monitor cannot do justice to the actual look of these prints. Scanning these negatives, and digitizing them in the manner I employ does not show the 'look' of these images. NOt even close. The number 1 comment I receive from people all over the state, when they are in front of a 'printed' photograph using the ol fashion method of EP 2 process in trays.. .. .."these do not look like photographs, they look different, more like 'paintings'.

When I finished the first whale hunt, I processed 60 rolls of vericolor film, I had everything I needed except one thing. I had no water, no running water, NO water, I had to melt snow !!

Let me take the time here, to introduce you to the youngest whaling captain I have ever met, Molly - Margret - Stone

She is a whaling captain, she is the boss over all, She will harpoon the whale.

her crew will make sure the umiaq is headed in the right direction.




Well she doens't look like a whaling captain .. .. does she.. much too young.!!!

Well to tell the truth, I accidently discovered this "captain" in Action one Sunday morning @ 9:00 a.m. Easter Sunday, I was walking past a house and I could hear much yelling with extreme excitement, these children were yelling and speaking in Inupiaq, I could hear the words, I understood the words,, when I came into view, this is what I saw -=[click]=-

this is what I heard .. ( Killamiik Killamiik) Hurry up Hurry up, (Samma) Look I show you.. .. (Agviq Agviq !!) Whale ! whale !!

This image is our #1 best selling image it outsells all other images combined.



These children mimmick and copy their parents in every detail !! This is their life. to grow up and become a successfull whaling captain !!

Great stuff! Thanks for sharing.

Wow, such a cool story and such great details! Thanks so much for sharing this!

WORKING ... .. cooking,, cleaning,, washing,, dishes in thiss enviorment, well you can just imagine. or can you ?

to help you picture what is going on.. lets go inside some tents and tell you how this all works out here. this has to be the 'worlds most dangerous kitchen' ! Imagine having the floor move and the water appear as the ice splits ? This has happen to one crew. at night, when they were sleeping.

It takes 8 hours to set up a working whaling camp that is functional. When that wind 'shifts' we have to evacute in a mass panic. It only takes 20 minutes to scram. mass panic. run for your lives.. .. ice is coming and it will crush everything in its path.

it is hard for you to imagine what this is like.. so here. this is what happened to our camp site when we ran and came back two days later.


That wind can move that huge sheet of ocean ice that is larger that some states !! Once it gets moving, .. ..
After this mad dash.. . .. .. everyone is thirsty, .. where did we put this ?? where did we put that ?? Everything is packed up. the tent is stippped and put into the umiaq and as much as possible. get the hell outta here now. just run for your lives.
whew. we need something to drink, but.. .. we need to wash some cups. make new coffee, new everything here on land. We don't go back home to the village. nope...... right here.
It is cold, , but we need clean cups. Ok, place your back to the wind and go to work.



Life in the Arctic.. .. and these people just never complain !!

It reminds me of my trip to Tibet, just a lot colder! I love using my work to represent people all over the world...I know you must love your life.Thanks for sharing!PS>>>> HOW DO I GET ONE OF THOSE COATS...I AM OBSESSED!!!!!

Write to Rosemary Oviok - Point Hope Alaska 99766

Inupiaq Parkys are extremly warm, light and wicked expensive !!

I do not know who makes parky's here in Barrow, but I do know people in Point Hope that make them.

Wolverine is the best fur to use for the ruff, Isigagviq (Iz ugh ah vick} the hood is Nasiq (nuh sick).
but wolverine is expensive, but it cannot make your face cold, even if it is wet. just shake it, and it is 100% dry ! warm.

Wolf, fox, will keep your face very cold and wet at all times in nasty weather.



Yuu can probably save yourself some money by purchasing the material you want to use, the fancy trim (kupaks ) (koo pucks) you will need 5 mouton skins, I will have detailed step by step instructions on our Arctic forum very shortly !! 5 yards of material.

This image was created on July 4th in the village of Point Hope !!

A festival parky like this .. .. is about 5 thousand dollars !!

If I type in the word IGLOO no doubt you have heard that word, but do you know what an IGLOO IS ? I sincerly doubt that very much, you think an IGLOO is built out of snow or ice.. that is a myth ! that simply is not true, NOT FOR ALASKA EVER!

First of all, in the Inupiaq language there are no O's or E's. Therefore the correct spelling of THAT WORD is Iglu

Iglu = one dwelling place.

Iglut = two dwelling places.

Igluk = three or more dwellings.

ever since the begining of time thousands of years ago, The Inupiaq people have always constructed an iglu out of whale bones and sod ! These ancient ruins are all over the place and still visible here today. and in many villages. From Kotzebue just over the Arctic circle clear up to Barrow and beyond, Kaktovik

This is an Iglu, this broken down "condo" once had electricity running to it. The service drop is on the left hand side. one of the porclean insulators is still visible.



When covered with snow, the inside of these dwellings were quite protected from
the elements of the constant never ending strong Arctic winds.



As you can easily see, there is quite a bit of room in some of these old units. Some of them were very long with rooms off to the side. Large families lived in these dwellings for 2,600 years and some of the old ancient ruins are still visible here today as the wind and erosion, uncovers earth and sod to display the ancient bones dug deep into the permafrost many thousands of years ago!



All over the OLD TOWN SITE, ruins are still visible and more are becoming visible each year, The village of Point Hope had to be moved 2.5 miles south in the late 70's due to flooding. That is still a major problem today, we are only about 12 feet above sea level, one huge wave and we are all fish food!




Bones are everywhere, and they have significant meanings and uses !

and of course.. .. stories !


Bones.. .. .. what is there to say about .. "bones" ?

Well usually a subject not many would find interesting, except up here, because of the "varied" use of bones. A lot can be said and shown to explain many things and uses for "bones".

The whalebone graveyard has jaw bones from many whales collected over many thousands of years.

Nothing is ever wasted by the Inupiaq peoples. Jaw bones from whales mark grave sites and cermonial festival sites.

The last chief of Point Hope (1920s era) is buried here. Atangorak.



The whale bone graveyard is 1 mile away in the distance, yes it is that far away from this, grave which as you notice, for some reason is not among the people of Point Hope. He was not considered a nice person. He had six wives and took another man's wife for his # 7 th wife. He was murdered shortly there after. all of his six wives are buried here also !

Jaw bones from a whale of that whaling captain are always used to mark their grave sites with the biggest whale that captain has ever "received".

Kamaktoaq is a cermonial festival site used once a year @ whaling festival which is held each June, if we have been successful in receiving a whale.
Point Hope used to have more than 20 clans, before the whaling companies arrived here. Now we have just two clans left. Kamaktoaq & Unisigsicauq.



We are under a quota system and as such we cannot hunt in the traditional manner of years long ago. We are prohibited in obtaining the necessary amount to feed this village. We are allowed 10 attempts only. Last year we received no whales. This year we have been blessed to receive 3. That is no where near enough to feed 800 people for the entire year. This is the one food we enjoy the most. Blubber, maktak, fat, flammable fat. This keeps us warm and very happy. NO other food can do what blubber can do for us. This has been our mainstay for thousands of years. But due to the animal activists and PETA and the INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION we must refrain from eating our food, based on false information and knowledge about our way of life.

In 1983 I had to return to Boston as my father passed.
On the streets of Boston, greenpiece was passing out phamplets to STOP THE ESKIMO'S FROM KILLING WHALES.. there are only 250 right whales remaining.. that is what the propaganda said. which was / is totally false. Well over 15,000 Bowhead whales were counted by federal biologists the year before. I went to the greenpiece office, and met with them. I asked one question. Isnt a "right whale" the same thing as a Bowhead whale ? well um, er, oh.. yes it is they said. I produced my album, they kicked me out !

When my first whale hunt finished I worked ferverishly around the clock to process this film and begin the tedious process of printing 11 x 14 color enlargements right here in the village. Gorgeous color prints delivered down to the ocean ice, same day, for free to everyone.



Then I began the ardous process of creating 7 albums complete with hand written calligraphy. i had to get these images up to Barrow for the CLOSED MEETING of whaling captains only with the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission and the International Whaling Commission. I was very upset. I had to try and do something, no matter what the cost.

I worked and worked and worked and prepared the albums:

on the inside cover was calligraphy explaing what your about to see:

Imagine chopping a trail through ice for 7 miles, to move equipment, supplies and hundreds of people to live out on the ocean ice for two months, just to obtain food.

Imagine sleeping outside @ 50 below zero for two months.. .. just to eat !

The Album was finished with days to spare and I flew at my own expense up to Barrow to gain access to this closed meeting. I had high hopes. and lots of prayers.

The morning of the meeting, I was walking down a street in Barrow with the album in hand, my foot hit a slick piece of ice and I went completly horizontal, the album went flying into the air, came down hard and both covers broke and the pages were scattered all over the street in mud. I just sat there and cried like a baby. Got up.. and gathered everything up, tottally in shock over the event that had just happened. I am a totall mess, mud all over me, the pages are ruined, i gatherered everything up and headed to that meeting, nothing was going to stop me. Outside I took my jacket off and use my shirt to clean the pages as much as possible. I took a deep breath and walked in and was immediately thrown out.!

This meeting is closed:! Even if the Mayor of Barrow tried to gain access. NO! closed: this is serious.. oh oh.. um.. what do I do now.. I tried to clean up as much as possible and went back in and again I was thrown out physcially!

I gotta do something different.. but what.? took a deep breath, said.. .. "Thanks" and waked back in.. here they come.. I opened the albumn and yelled .. YOU NEED THESE PHOTOGRAPHS!!!!!!!
AFTER much whispering at the main table, I am allowed in ! I apologized for my appearance and told them a new albumn would be on the next plane headed up to Barrow from Point Hope. I was allowed to get up on that podium and in front of 2 state senators and the International whaling commission and the Alaska Eskimo whaling commission I presented my case, in Inupiaq and in English.

NO ONE.......... NO COMMISSION,, NO AGENCY. NO PERSON, NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT to hinder these people in their age old plight to eat their food.

These people are truely one with the whale. We do not hunt and kill whales !

We wait for that whale to give itself over to the captain of its choice.

I spoke for 1/2 hour and thanked the natives peoples for giving me the chance to express my OPINION on this world wide plight of the Eskimo people of all 9 whaling villages in Alaska.

I flew back to point hope very depressed at the outcome of that days events. A few days later I received this in the mail.

The marine mammal act has governed industry activities in northern Alaska for three decades, and the result has been only "negligible" impacts on polar bears, federal biologists say.

BUT .. someone else says different and has put the animal on the endangered list , (MARCH 14TH) Much to the anger of the people of Alaska, this is headed into court for litigation. .because it IS NOT TRUE !!

UPDATE: Polar Bears are not in any danger !! They have been deciding for over three years now, whether to put them on the endangered list. Last year or so ago they put that animal on that list and then quickly took it off. Now, the decison is being pondered again, with much scientific research & 5,000,000 dollars.
If they succeed in putting this animal on this list, .. .. a tragic disaster would take place. The walrus and seal and caribou are next ! This unique culture will perish, - we do not hunt. for that bear. it is too dangerous.

Here is something your not even aware of.. Alaska; - the Arctic - Sibera. only counts for 20% of the Polar Bear Population of the entire globe. Now it is going into court for litigation !!
The federal government is with-holding the info needed to make this decision. There is so much you do not know about this ferocious beast. A mother can take her cubs into that water and swim for hundreds of miles. this is fact: Polar bears also know how to tread water. Do you actually think a mother would take her children on a suicide mission ?

These scientists cannot possibly cover this huge vast area up here. A hand full of scientits have to check out an area that is bigger than the us of a. We know how to deal with these animals. .. the white man doesn't. Just leave them alone. half the time they are running from the very people that are trying to study them. shooting them. performing their research. Just leave them alone. Only as an absolute last resort, do we have to take one down. single digits each year. We do not go out to hunt them. they are too dangerous.It has also been documented on the history channel with 'film' of a polargrizz. !!

Here are some facts and information, I bet you never knew.



Well lets pause here for a moment, (pun intended)



Danger warning: POLAR BEARS are not soft cuddly cute animals, they are ferocious beasts of prey that are extremly dangerous and very unpredictable.

There is much you do not know about these animals, this short segment will teach you much about this magnificent animal, that should never be underestimated.

ALL bears.. .. are left handed, they will always strike with the left PAW first!

Even after a polar bear has been killed, that bear can still kill that hunter if he is not careful when that bear is opened up.
The liver must be burnt and destroyed, anything that eats this will die!

Admiral Perry on his expedition to the North Pole lost 3 members of his crew due to attempting to eat a polar bears liver, It is saturated with millions of units of Vitamin A. This is extremly toxic and deadly.
when that bear has been opened up for gutting, skinning, etc.. A hunter must be extremly careful, not to get any of that "juice' on himself, gloves must be worn. Great care must be taken when cutting the liver out of the animal. the tubes must be tied to prevent leakage of this "JUICE" it contains tooo much, Vitamin A and just by getting some on your skin it will kill you!

When the hunter is finished with the procedure of gutting that animal, any clothing that has "juice" on it must be burned and destroyed !

Barrow Alaska 1940's Vincent Niigak was gutting a bear, and all was well and finished, His gloves were removed and burnt. His hands were cold and he brought up his hands to warm them by blowing on them close to his mouth. Unknown to him at the time of this event. The tiny-est speck of juice touched his lip.

He Lived to tell about it in a very unusual way. He lived for many decades but he stood out in a most peculiar way.

Eskimo's are darkskinned and with black hair. Vincent's appearance was white as snow. His skin, his hair. ALBINO. pure white skin, pure white hair. Everything was bleached white by that small miniscule amount of vitamin A on his skin.

Everyone in Barrow knows of this famous hunter, He died in the late 1980s I believe. I have never had the pleasure to meet this famous man, but many have told me the same story in each and every village. His claim to fame was well known all over the area.

A polar bear can run at speeds of over 40 miles per hour, they can attack without notice, out on the ocean ice. They are ferocious predators. Each month, certain women must get off the ice. go home. come back later in a week or so. get off the ice. you present too much of a danger out here for everyone.
That bear can smell blood for many miles, these bears are extremly clever and will stop at nothing to eat, anything.

Seals are their main food supply. A bear will sit over a breathing hole in the ice and cover his nose and eyes with its paws, and wait for a seal to surface to breathe. One quick look around by the seal, and it is all over,.. ... ... .. burp!

BILLLY WEBER WAS OUT ON THE OCEAN ICE; and a polar bear came around the corner and ran towards Billy at full speed.
Billy turned and ran. he had a .22 rifle with only one bullet left. he took off running, he had no choice but to run.. that bear was gaining on Billly as he ran for his life. Other hunters out on the ice saw this event unfold, but were too far away to offer any assistance. There is only one place to shoot a polar bear to kill it.
that one vital spot is in the ear. While running for his life, with that bear quckly gaining on Billy he merly pointed that rifle back as he ran and took the shot.. .. ..
.. .. Billy lived to tell about this and everyone up here knows of this famous event.

That bear was that close, because Billy waited, and waited until the last possible second to point it at the ear and take the shot while on the run. That bear went down.

A very close personal friend in Point Lay Alaska, My electrical apprentice, Charles Stalker Jr. III was not so lucky. A polar bear was going after his pregnent girl friend. Charles distracted that bear away from her, and armed with only a knife, and a very thin jacket, that bear literallly cut him in half with the swing from the left paw. The villagers came out and blasted that very skinny bear, but much of Charles had already been eaten. Dec. 1990 sob!

1950's Allan Rock was out on the ocean ice. Same predicament.. A polar bear was charging him, armed with only a large knife, Allan was successful and jumping on that bears back and taking him down the hard way.!!!!!

During the 1970's it was LEGAL for the white man to hunt the polar bear in Alaska.
A permit had to be obtained and it was good for only one day. The cost of the permit was 10,000 dollars, This practice had to be discontinued because too many of the great white hunters were shooting polar bears from the planes they chartered.

Polar beat meat is the most delicious meat I have ever tasted in my life.
It is jet black, grainy like old gnarled wood, but it is so sweet and tender, 10 times better than the best prime rib I have ever tasted. In fact it was the ONLY time I had ever asked for seconds at a meal, and all at once everyone responded NO!

Scientists are puzzled at all the recent drownings of polar bears. They say it is because of the huge distances between ice packs, that the bear cannot swim that far. That is not the real reason for bears drowning, no.
The real reason for their drownings is they have no fear, they will attack a sleeping walrus on the ocean ice. A walrus will sleep on its back with head back revealing the vital neck region. when that bear pounces on that walrus, the walrus merely lowers its tusks around the bears head and rolls over into the water bringing the bear down to huge depths !



Polar Bears were recently put on the endangered species list and then quickly taken off that list. We are only allowed to take them down as a last resort to protect innocent lives here in the village. Each year a few bears will enter the village. Bears stay on the ocean ice pack, sometimes they wander into town.
We do our very best to get them out of town, back onto the ocean ice. Sometimes
that is not possible and we have to take them down quick, due to the fact there are children outside in the village. This year three bears entered town, two of those bears had to be taken down quickly, as they were trying to gain access into homes.. A mother with three cubs entered town.. We were successfull in getting that mother and those cubs, out of town back onto the ocean ice.

The bear and the meat is the responsibility of the hunter, the skin is worked on by the women. It takes many women to perform a "Native Tan" on the skin using very sharp Ulu knives. This can take as much as ten hours or more.



These women work hard to scrape that skin clean, this is not an easy task to accomplish. Sally Killigvuk, the mother of the hunter with the polar bear. Elizabeth Oviok (postmaster) work hard with these other women. Six - Eight women will spend the entire day, working on this skin, when that skin is cleaned, then it is put into the ocean, tied up to soak for a week or two, then it is placed up on a rack in the strong north winds to dry, for many months.



Well we live a simple life in a very dangerous place, under the harshest conditions known to man on the entire face of the earth. We would not have it any other way.
Believe it or not, YOU are all invited to take part in whaling festival next June in Point Hope !! A three day non-stop event held every year (coming soon).
J.J. Russell Lane, displays the skin of his very first polar bear.
J.J. caught two whales this year! His first, and His second.



Khristopher Nashookpuk caught these two bears, in fact his girlfriend took down the big one.!!

Actually, they caught three brown bears in two days.



Grrr... Grrr.. you ain't so tough !! Grrr.. Grrr.

These dogs just have to show how tough they are, when a dead animal is hung or brought into the village.



Well I truely hope that you found this all "bear-y" interesting !

Lots more to come, lets go back to the ocean ice and see what happens when a whale is received !!

Beluga whales have been caught and divided and quickly brought back to the village for the elders as shares.
Beluga whale looks almost exactly like a dolphin. They are (maktauk) (muck tock) instead of Maktak. (muck tuck)

Fresh beluga is delicious when boiled and eaten with "mustard" ! It is grey in color and I enjoy beluga much more so than whale. Although I am from back east in Boston I still miss the food from back east.! Pizza !, fried clams and steamers and lobster.!

Alaska King Crab is a delicacy and is much sought after by visitors. It is one of the main foods that tourists crave. Salmon, King crab, are just two of the food items tourists search for when arriving in Anchorage.



1 A.M. in the morning and this crew is ready to head out. Something seems to be happening and more and more umiaqs are leaving the camps to head out south.

I am not aware of what is going on, I just notice that people are leaving.

and a lot of conversation is going on that I am not understanding


A world of ice, in all directions, except for the narrow lead opening which grows and opens wider and sometimes closes when that wind shifts.




Twenty-Four hours a day, sitting, watching, looking, waiting, days on end, NO SLEEP. The wind is constant, it is strong, it is cold, each "" day "" is the same. Whcih day of which week of which month is irrelevant, it doesn't matter, nothing matters except to accomplish the work, to obtain FOOD...

no pay... no unemployment.. .. no funds.. .. no sponsers.. .. .. it takes a whole year, just to get "ready" to begin!! This hunt is extremly hard work in the worst conditions imagineable. It was impossible to capture images in "bad" weather, nothing but a white horizontal snow wall moving past you. In white out conditions you cannot see but a foot or so in front of you.. if that .


NOW. with some modern technologies we can communicate along that vast ten mile or so "gaunlet" of whaling captains & crews that are "hidden" behind & in the ice.

Not only do the captains at the edge of the ice have C.B. radios & VHF radios, the tent areas and the homes back in the village can all stay in touch with each other over many different channels.. Ch68 for VHF and CH2 for C.B. and the static is always heard, and adjusted, and then the familiar voice comes over and is heard in every camp and home throughout the village.. .. .. Can You hear me now ?


When a whale has been caught, a FLAG IS put up so other crews can see where EVERYTHING and EVERYBODY must converge to the help organize the enormous work that lies ahead. NO SLEEP for days & days, !!!
the hunters are at the ready constanly, in any weather, the sun provides the power to keep going, on and on and on!!
Everything is white and blinding, constantly!


One by one, umiaqs and crews are taking off from the ocean ice. Something is going on, I guess this is serious, so I head, to see which crew I can come upon that is close to my area.



This is Ernie Frankson's crew, casting off, getting ready to wait for a whale, the time has come, after six long weeks of sitting and waiting, and watching in this frozen cold windy climate of ice and brilliant sun. a cloudy day is always a relief for me.


Each and every crew I reach is just leaving as I approach them. whew I am out of breath, walking carrying all of this camera and tripod. fully dressed I have over 38 pockets !!! ha ha.. !! Having a simple system for placing items in my pocket(s) was always a very disclipined procedure, because it is so easy to loose things that can't be found with that many pockets, just to discover at a much later time, oh, there it is!
Out here on the ice, I was a dumb as could be. simple obvious things such as drinking water was a complete mystery to me. Where is all this delicious fresh drinking water coming from ??? I just wasn't observent enough to notice in the begining.
Take any large piece of ice and stand it up. brush all the snow off the top and most of the sides. We gotta take the salt out of the ice, out here in the middle of frozen no where. We use the sun for that, and or sand! We wait.. ... .. and the sun beats down on that ice and the ice begins to become "clear" at the top. Wait and the ice will become clearer and clearer going down into the ice deeper and deeper. NOw walk over to that ice with your Kettle and chip the ice horizontally and fill your kettle with the most delicious drinking water you have ever tasted !!!




Floyd Oktollik is looking back at me, and I know exactly what he is thinking! "what is that dumb city boy from Boston going to do next"?
when they left I walked over to that calm spot to the right of the umiaq and stuck the tips of my bunny boots over the edge just about 2 inches and stood tall, My camera strap is abound my neck, I moved my hands and arms behind me and stodd just a little bit taller.. hey look at me.. this is so kewl. and I am here absolutly alone, everyone is gone, The women are all behind me 3/4 of a mile or closer. but for all practical purposes I am here alone. Six weeks out here, I am getting very used to it. I am somewhat cold but comfurtable. I gaze down at that water that is just like black glass. so calm like a mirror, not the slightest movement at all. I am starring at that one area, it is black glass.. so black, so calm, not even the slighest ripple of movement of water at all.. blink blink and ther is a huge hole in the water ? hmm?? I could have easily reaced over and stuck my foot right down into that huge hole. a big bowling ball would have fit in with room to "spare" !(pun intended).

There was absolutly no warning whatso ever. WHOOOOOSSSSSSHHHHHH!!!!
OMG. what a stink.. 5,000 gallons of "whale-aid' is raining down me.. oh what a stink..OMG. gag. running for my life to get the heck out of there and I am in the middle of a rainstorm of stink and yuk all over me!!! I am soaking wet all over, and I can't breathe because of this gosh awful smell of yuk.. I am running and I know what is about to happen.. Ice is forming all over me, I can hear it craking and falling and every place on me that is "dripable" if freezing and I approach the nearest camp all out of breath.. huffing and puffing and gaging and choking.

when them women looked up and saw me they instantly knew what had happend and they fall over into hysterical fits of uncontrollable laughter, NO STAY AWAY.. DON'T CME NEAR US. GEt back.. I tried to hand my camera over to one of the women to take a photo of me.. NO STAY BACK AND THEY ran into the tent.. STAY OUT.. GET BACK.. AND I could hear the high srhill of laughter as they threw out two towels for me to clean up! gosh that stink I will never forget. but I do want to know.. I want to ask two questions.. and some day I want the answer.
who? beside them women ... who laughed the hardest and the loudest.. that whale or the "persona" that sent it !!!!!!!
JONAH had his experience with a beast from the sea and it is written in a book called the bible.
I have had my true experience with a whale, and it is written on this web site and many others!!

BUT, ..I truely want to know.. whose idea was that ??.. that was tooo well precisesly and prefectloy executed with no knowledge of what was about to happen. Yes whales have a great sense of humor.! I only wish I had a photograph to show all the ice I was encase in !!! cracking all over my parky and everyting, I was a mess! cold and it stunk !!

Some of these same women still today, after all of those years.. just fall into fits of laughter when they see me about the village.!!!



IRMA OKTOLLIK explians to me the way of the whale. We are one with that whale.

It is impossible for us to "chase" a whale in that small umiaq, that whale can swim very fast, and deep, One flip of the tail or the flippers and the crew is gone, that does not happen. those whales know we are in the water, they are very smart.
Whales can see, they can hear.. .. and they can smell. whales are like little children, some are shy and timid, some like to play hide & seek, and some are pround and show off and boastfull, making a big show of their gift to us.

We wait... .. .. for that whale to give itself over to the captain of its choice.!!! This is something the world does not know. A whale will always match the personality of the captain that it gives itslef over to, no matter which year it is, and so does the weather. !! Each captain has his own personalilty & the whale will always match that captains personality no matter which year it is,,, t hat whale will always do the same thing, for that captain each and every year!

Some captains will never receive a whale because of their (bad) personality. Whales some how know this and respond accordingly.

WAIT & WATCH Irma said to me, laughing, she can see the look on my face, she knows I dont believe what she is saying, (we know better.. right??) Well . I don't know how to explian this. just to repeat what Irma said, using her exact words. I still don't understand all of this, but I am amazed beyond what words can ever express on how these people truely are one with nature and the animals.

Wait & watch Irma said to me. This year it is a very warm year ( it was 25 below) I dont consider that very warm at all, to me it is freezing indeed. Irma laughs. This is Joes weather. she added. laughing, watch, When Joe receives a whale it is all over very quickly she said. he will receive that whale near the edge of the ice.
but she added (laughing) when he harpoons that whale, It will die and give up quiclly, still & dead. The wind will come screaming in at over 100 miles an hour and the temperature will drop by 100 degrees as well. you better be prepared she said and laughed. Ididn't believe one word of it I have to admit, it all sounded preposterous to me.
So with much skeptisim I moved my camera and tripod over to Joes crew up high above him and behind him on the huge ice pressure ridges.
A very close personal friend of mine frmo Boston, Brad Parker came up to visit and view this intriguing experience. We were sitting up there, playing chess, looking at the board. we didnot notice or hear Joe's crew slip silently into the water, we were concentrating on the board and we hear BOOM (exploding harpoon). I look up to see a dead whale about 30 foot long beside Joes Umiaq, as I got up that wind came screaming in, the temperature was oh so cold and bitter and Joe was standing up .. into the wind, arms outstretched with a smile on his face.
HOw did that woman know, and explain everytihng so perfectly, two weeks before it ever happened I will never know or understand how she called it all so perfectlly!!


A whale giving itself over to the captain, and the actions of the whale will always be the same no matter which year it is.
I have been on 5 sacred whale hunts, each of the five years,
one whale
two whales
one whale
two whales
four whales

last year no whales, this year 3 whales

that is not much food for a community of this size and getting bigger each year.

There are many things that happen up there that just do not make sense to me!
If you have an explanation that makes any kind of sense please tell me, because I am totaly clueless how some of these skills are ever explained. One captain has a personality that is hidden.. his whale will always hide under the ice and he has to use his nose to find it.. !!! now how it is ever possible to smell through ice ten feet thick is way beyond my comprehension or understanding!!

kevin king moved to alaska...and changed his name.

and who .. .. pray tell.. is "Kevin King" ??? ???? ???and who .. .. pray tell.. is "Kevin King" ??? ???? ???

A very verbose friend.

Well I have no idea what; or how your cryptic reply applies to this thread, I am totally confused.