Home Sweet Home @ 50 below zero Options

[Majik_Imaje]

I live in the land of ICE.. Point Hope Alaska, the oldest continually inhabited settlement or village in ALL of North America.

Life can accurately be traced back to over 2,600 years ago to this one spot of land.

800 Inupiaq Eskimo's live here! We are located 200 miles above the Arctic Circle in the Northwest portion of the state of ALASKA.

Point Hope used to have a population of over 10,000 Inupiaq. Then the whaling companies arrived here in the mid 1800's.. Our population was destroyed by greed, disease and mass starvation.

Only 190 people survived.

I was sent to this village in 1981, (population 420), as an electrican to wire two construction camps. A three week job. When the job finished, I quit the company and stayed.

That was 27 years ago, and I am still here!
We live from the food we gather in the ocean and on the ocean ice, 7 miles out on the Chukchi Sea in the Bering Strait of Upper Alaska.

Come along and view and learn the way of the Eskimo's from the warmth and comfort of your home/ office !

Lets head out. to the ocean ice! Learn the way of the Inupiaq people from :

High in the Arctic Eskimo



This seven mile journey out to the edge of the ice will take, 3- 4 hours to traverse, it is a very rough ride. Anything can happen out here on the ocean ice. This is a dangerous place. This is how we get our FOOD

The women, use the tents, this is their home for two months or longer depending on the ice conditions. This is where they prepare all the food to feed each crew which consisits of 8 hunters, one boyer and at least 3-5 women to do all the incredibly hard work.

The hunters sleep outside no tents. they sit, wait, watch, hunt at the edge of the ice for signs of animals migrating through the narrow open lead in the ocean ice.



Now take a minute to let this image absorb.. THIS IS HOME.. for the next 8 weeks 24/ 7 ! @ 30 - 50 below with winds @ 40 mph or much higher.. That ice on the other side of the lead opening is moving. from right to left in this image due to the strong North Wind(s). It is very easy to hallicinate out here watching that ice. I was constantlly falling over, if you stare at that moving ice for too long, at some point in time; that ice will STOP, and you will experience the sensation of moving in the opposite direction, again & again, I would fall over, much to the delight of the hunters sitting there watching this dumb city boy from Boston!

If that wind ever shifts, to south strong wind, we have to run like hell to get out of here a.s.a.p. that means everything, everybody, off the ice. it takes 8 hours to set up that whaling camp correctly, It takes just 20 minutes to "Killigvuk" EVACUATE,... RUN...One huge mass panic of over 600 people... run for your lives because it is that sudden. Ice is headed our way and it will run right over everything in its path. This advancing ice will pile up into gigantic piles.

When everyone is back safe on land, we wait, for that wind to shift again. NO sense going anywhere, just wait.
But after a mad dash like that, then people are thirsty, where is this and where is that? Cups have to be washed, and this is how that is done after we had to evacuate. But where do you think we get FRESH delicous drinking water way out here ? even though we are back on land, we still need fresh water, constantly to supply the needs of hundreds of people daily, hourly, for months.
INUPIAQ Technology: TIME TESTED for thousands of years.


Because of 24 hour sunlight, we easily become "solar powered" and it is easy to stay alert and awake for 3 days or longer.!

When you are tired, just lean back on that sled and close your eyes. and rest for a few hours.. Your good to go, for another 3 days or longer.

7 miles out on the ocean ice.. how do you suppose we get delicious fresh drinking water way out here? Yes we melt snow, to wash with, and clean with, but for delicious fresh drinking water.. where do you suppose that comes from ??

IN fact.. .. .. TRUE STORY: I processed sixty rolls fo color fim, .. .. .. using snow! My only source of water, when this hunt was all over! I had no running water, in fact, I had no water at all, just snow.. ..

come along and see with your own eyes.. OLD TECHNOLOGY.. as its best under the most incredibly harsh conditions imagineable.. ..27 years later these negatives are still in pristine condition. !! My camera(s) were constantly encased in ice. Very thin layer of ice on all controls. (Mamiya RB 67 was KING & Pentax K1000 was KONG!). NO batteries will last out here in this unforgiving enviorment. I haven't used a light meter since 1973, no NEED, once you know or understand how to READ, ..........................light. Photography is all about light, and what you can do with your IMAGINATION and that Light!



Inupiaq technology, thousands of years old, We have many "tricks" to stay warm(er) way out here.. but the temperature is always well below zero and extreme winds!

Imagine that. no tents.(for the hunters) for 8 weeks outside.! Winds and cold
such as you have never experienced and all this work.. .. .. .. just to eat!

Are you cold ??? grab that hacksaw and cut some thin slices of raw frozen caribou meat, or fish if available. Swallow those small thin strips and do not chew them. Just eat and fill your stomach FULL.

Your body has to work very hard to digest all that raw frozen meat, and you begin to generate body heat the likes of which you have never ever encountered in your life! This is a "hunters" breakfast, "quaq" (raw frozen meat or fish) When you eat in this manner, you can go all day, and not get thirsty! @ 30 below we are taking clothes off because we are just too hot. WARNING: don't ever attempt ths and try and stay inside, your going to burn up bad and suffer. IN damp enviorments this has the opposite effect(s), Our methods just do not work in places with high humidity such as east coast .


Water water, we need water.. !! Delicous FRESH drinking water! Lots and lots of it every hour !! The ice is all around us.. take any large piece of ice and stand it up.. brush all the snow off the sides and the top.. now wait! watch. learn the Eskimo way.. that sun will beat down on that ice and you can actually WATCH the salt settle in that piece of ice !!!!!!! It doesn't take long. then walk over to that ice with your kettle and chip that ice horizontally and fill your kettle. When melted it is the most delicious fresh water you have ever tasted !!!

This post has been edited by Majik_Imaje: Aug 5 2007, 07:18 PM

[Majik_Imaje]

Hundreds of people get out on that ice with axes, picks, and all sorts of home made fashonled tools to smooth out a trail, to move all the necessary equipment, skin boats, and supplies for the crews to set up camp to hunt!


18 whaling captains are spaced out 1/2 - 3/4 of a mile between them. The women set up their tents 1/2 - 3/4 of a mile BEHIND them, on much safer ice. Anything can happen out here.. and it usually does in many bizaarre incidents which you will no doubt find hard to beileve.

Midnight in mid May. Every whaling camp is set up identical in each and every way. These are time tested methods dating back hundreds or even thousands of years. Inupiaq technology!




not quite what you thought it would be like out here on the ocean ice.
How can these people sit here day after day with that cold weather. ? They are used to it is the biggest myth aruond. They get just as coldl as you or I would.
but there are many "tricks" to use to keep warm out here in the middle of frozen no where.



Learning how to dress (warm) out here is extremly important, but what you eat and how you eat it is just as important. Blubber will thicken your blood, fruit will thin your blood. Inupiaq Eskimo's survive by eating their favorite food, blubber! flammable fat, maktak (muck tuck) A = uh
For many thousands of years the Inupiaq people have lived in complete harmony with nature, the sea, the land, the animals, and birds of the air. We waste nothing, we have never depleated or endangered any of the resources, we only take that which we need to eat, nothing more.




This skin boat must be carefully taken down to the lead opening on a sled to avoid a sharp piece of ice from tearing or ripping the bottom of the skin. Six ugruk (bearded seal) skins are used to cover this umiaq ( oo me ack).

The skins are hand sewn using a zia/zag water tight stitch using "dental floss" because of its much needed strength!

This post has been edited by Majik_Imaje: Jul 17 2007, 12:43 PM

[EricM]

Wow!

The combination of your words and photos is very powerful. Thanks for sharing them.

[Majik_Imaje]

Well I am just falling over laughing !

Thank you for your "powerful" words. !

Your location is what made me laugh and fall over practically !

I am X- IBEW local 103 Boston !! I worked in Newton many times, especailly as an apprentice when the new additon was done to Newton elementary school in 1972.

I am happily retired (young) and enjoying every second of it here in the greatest paradise on earth. Cold, frozen, and winds which you refer to as hurricanes! The life up here is simple, hard, harsh and dangerous, but I would not have it any other way!

I fell in love with these people and this lifestyle immediatly during those first three weeks.. I just love the people and this place too much to ever leave!

I promise you spell binding facts, stories and photos that will amaze you and keep you spell bound during this photo essay of North America's oldest people!

Tikigaqmuit - The people of Point Hope Alaska.!

The children up here are so fascinating to me; how they constanly copy the actions of their parents. hunting out on the ocean ice.

The imagination of these young "whalers" is PRICELESSS!!.




This is a very small commuinty of people whose entire life revolves around the Bowhead whale. The International Whaling commission has a quota system imposed on the Inupiaq People.
Japan recently harvested 1000 whales in Antartica, just for scientific purposes.

The people of Point Hope are allowed 10..........attempts !

3 small whales were successfully received ! (this year) Last year we struck out, not even one to feed the people. Food was shipped in from other whaling villages to help ease the burden. We do not like this quota system but we obey!

[lightpause]

Unfortunately I'm not able to see the photos, I don't know if it is only my problem or if more people are experiencing the same, but would love to see those photos.

Cheers,

Rod

[Majik_Imaje]

Now that everything has been fixed we can move on..

These women down on the ocean ice work so hard, I have never seen women work this hard hour after hour after hour workinig cooking for 12 people @ minimum 3 - 4 times a day. then doing all the dishes!! WowoW!

Making fresh dounuts @ 50 below from scratch is not an easy task to accomplish. Every camp has fresh donuts, every day. That is just one of the many treats out here.. Fresh Caribou soup, yummy !!

How do you suppose this woman is going to get that dough to rise ?
it is very drafty inside this tent, so when the dough is all mixed, it is put into a clean plastic bag, she puts her big parky on and continues to work with the bag of dough on her back inside the parky, carrying it in the same manner as children are carried, the heat from her back will make that dough rise.."JUST RIGHT" !



That is Emily Lane making those doughnuts. this is one of her twin daughters @ age 16.
Lots of people die up here, only because they did not listen and obey to the very last words spoken to them. I have seen and witnessed a tragic amount of death up here and the common denomiator in each case was, that person did not listen & obey the very last words spoken to them.

It was in May of 1992 when Emily and her younger brother Frank and the twins went up river in search of fossilized ivory which washes up on the beaces or is dragged up by the ice. The ocean ice was gone, they were warned.. BE VERY CAREFUL up there.. THE ICE / SNOW is about to Katak (fall) from the cliffs. They went up there anyway. There were warned and told.. do not make any noise. be very careful.. They were rummaging about in the rocks on the coast and the snow/ice fell (Kah tuck). Emily was buried up to her waist when Frank pulled her out and they frantically looked around for the twins.. FRANTICALLY they dug, in the direction they thought they last remember seeing them together at... after and hour or longer digging with hands and adrellin pumping, sadly they had to go back to the village to get help... It was a very sad day ... Emilys twins were found crushed and dead holding hands..... 18 years young. born together. died together holding hands..



Aquaq is starting to make "caribou soup" this is great stuff. slurp. Hot soup delivered down to the lead opening.. but eating a HOTmeal when your outside, is delicious for sure, but one thing happens when you do that. Your body doesn't work, it relaxes, .. .. then.. .. you begin.. .. to get cold!!!
Hot food has its pleasures, but sometimes its' disadvantages are overwhelming.



Caribou meat doesn't have any fat! Virtualy none, grind up 3 pounds and fry it, when finished there is less than one tablespoon of fat. Caribou is "Tuttu" (2 -2) It is delicious and tastes much like beef, depending on how you cook it, we like it sliced very thin, sorta like a philly steak & cheese ! Some of these herds that migrate are several HUNDREDS of thousands in number !!

IT IS WELL BELOW ZERO but it doesn't look that cold does it? The arctic is extremly dry, The cold just "gets on you" it doesn't penetrate into your bones as the case is on the east coast of the U.S. Vaseline on your skin doesn't work outside up here, the petrolatum (main ingredient) dissapates and leaves a wax like residue which flakes off like candle wax.



As I was walking past a huge wall of ice, I could hear children "giggling' on the other side. when I came into view, the girl on the far left said.. "wanna see me eat snow".?
Snow is yuk when melted and used as a source of drinking water.. ! we need delicous fresh drinking water!

This post has been edited by Majik_Imaje: Aug 5 2007, 07:38 PM

[Ireland]

Brilliant Majik ...please put more photo's up and tell more of this great story.

[Majik_Imaje]

Out on the ocean ice: children are taught how to do simple chores, firearms are everywhere, thousands of them of every description, Not once in 27 years have I ever seen or heard of any accidents involving firearms that resulted in any type of accidental shooting incident.


This year however, (chuckle) there was an incident involving a young boy, Gus Kowanna, He was warned, Gus, don't buy that rifle, it is too powerful for you, and NO! don't put a scope on it. Gus didn't listen. He purchased a brand new "Weatherbee 303" with a scope mounted on it.

Gus went from the lead opening up to the tent area. when he came out of that tent, there was a polar bear eating some "sicpan", right beside the tent. Gus ran and got his new rifle, The bear looked up at Gus as he took aim and fired a shot. That scope smacked him in the eye. The bear turned and started to come after Gus, He loaded another round, he could not think of the pain he was in. he had to take this bear down. He fired again, holding the weapon as tight as he could, BLAM he got smacked in the eye again, and he was hurting bad, crying, and this bear is advancing toward him running. He had no time, crying, he loaded his next round.. held on for dear life and took the final shot, the bear went down, Gus got rid of that rifle! We tried to reach Gus when we heard of this to capture an image of his face, but by the time we got to him (days later) the swelling of his face had gone down considerably. I'll just stick to using my .22 was his reply!



Sicpan is outside of this tent, blubber is very flammable, Sicpan (sick pun) is seal blubber, it is used as food, and as fuel, if we have wood that is very wet it will not burn, place a small piece of sicpan inside of that home made wood stove and it will melt and coat the wood with flammable oil, which allows the wood to burn. once the moisture is dried out, then the wood is consumed. Put too much sicpan into that wood stove and YOU WILL burn down that tent!



I have never seen a "boyer" burn down a tent, but I have seen grown hunters put a little to much in, and that tent goes up in flames! This is a dangerous place and anything can happen, and usually does, in many bizzare ways.



At night when the women go to sleep, after an exhausting day of non-stop work. A boyer is used, to keep the tent area heated and warm. He has many responsibilities.

His job is to stay up all night long by himself alone. Keep that woodstove going, by chopping wood using an axe, using very sharp knives cut small pieces of sicpan if needed. Melt snow to wash dishes and clean out the thermoses, Make fresh drinking water for making hot coffee, tea and hot chocolate. Bring the new filled thermoses down to the hunters and grab the empties and fill them up with new hot beverages. He must keep a constant look out for new cracks in the ice around the tent area, and watch that wind, in case it ever shifts to a strong south wind, he is armed with many rifles in case of a polar bear attack. His duties are many and he is very busy all night long alone. So lie down and go to sleep, your in good hands, hand your matches & lighter over to this boyer, he has to go to work.. !
your in good hands with this 3 year old child!


Yes 3 years old with that much responsiblity ! The very first boyer I met was Howard Stone Jr. I was shocked when this 3 year old asked me for my lighter! I said no. and everyone laughed at me, I can't give a lighter to someone so young. I did not know how well trained these children are! Imagine that ! 3 years old !!!

i HAVE MET several boyers that young over the years and it simply amazes me to no end. How those skills can be achieved so quickly by someone so young!



Whaling is from April to June, in April when that sun goes below the horizon it gets mighty cold out. I put the lens cap over the lens every night, and in the morning I would have to chip the ice out of the viewfinder so I could see. Ice was all over those cameras, mounted on tripods out in that wind, turning the focus ring or aperture ring or shutter controls, the ice would crack and I was always amazed that these cameras continued to function. The controls were very sluggish and require a bit more to move them, but they did function extremly well.

This post has been edited by Majik_Imaje: Aug 5 2007, 07:59 PM

[EricM]

Majik,

Keep them coming! They are great. Have you considered doing a book about the Inupiaq of Point Hope? I'll buy a copy.

What little I know about the Inupiaq I've learned from Alaskan mystery writers Dana Stabenow and Sue Henry, but they don't have your nice photos.

Life in Point Hope is sure different from Newton!.

Eric

[Majik_Imaje]

Believe it or not: NO ONE has the photos or the COLOR collection that I have created over 25 years ago! You cannot just walk into a village and go out to the ocean ice. you must be part of a whaling crew.

-=[JAKE KOONUK]=- "Umailiq" Whaling Captain

That seal skin is filled with air, that is "avatakpak" (ah vah tuck puck) it is used in the exact same manner as a float or bobber in fishing, except there is 200 feet of rops attached to it. the job of the person behind the captain on the right side is to make sure that rope doesn't yank someone in the boat out when that whale decides to run, when it is struck with a harpoon. .



Jake made these images possible, the truth must be told Jake said to me.
He was the one who made this all possible. I was sick in bed with the flu, when some people entered my house and said.. Jake wants YOU down on the ocean ice NOW! I laughed and said.. I am too sick with the flu, I am not going anywhere, and I rolled over. Next thing I know, they have me up and are putting skipants on me and dragging me out to the sled. I was delerous with high fever and very sick when I took that first ride on the snowmachine down to the lead opening. I did manage somehow to capture this image of us heading into the sun, a 7 mile journey that felt like I had just played a game of tackle football with no equipment on when I finally got off that sled. I was hurting in places. that I didn't know had places !!

Many people have been out on that ice with camera(s). Many people have taken lots and lots of photographs. BUT NO ONE has ever put their heart and soul into the work that I had to do to process these images using SNOW!! That first whale hunt (82) I had a mission, a purpose, and that was to get these images up to Barrow Alaska for a CLOSED MEETING OF whaling captains only & International whaling commission members and Alaska Eskimo whaling commission.

THIS MEETING IS CLOSED: I had to try to do something. These people have to work so hard, just to obtain food! NO AGENCY no commission, no ONE has the right or power to tell these people: you cannot have your food!

1982 A federal census team of biologists was sent to the village to conduct a census of the bowhead whale population, They lasted out on that ice for one month. They only recorded the whales they could see, the whales that their equipment tried to record also. Well over 15,000 whales were counted during that one month period. It did not take into account how many whales migrated before they arrived and how many whales migrated after they left.!
The elders scoffed at that low figure, 200,000 or more is more the true number, but greenpiece, and other agencies will lie and cover up the truth and deny us and petition against us to stop us from obtaining our food. Why are so many people trying so hard to bring us to the brink of extinction. We have suffereed so much at the hands of people that outright lie and twist the truth. John Denver did these people the gravest injustice ever when he came to point hope.. He destroyed these people! He did he best ! He failed but the harm he caused; still we have to fight against on a daily basis.

After him, the BBC of London was here, they tried to cover up their true mission, and were not allowed out on the ocean ice. Jacques Cousteau tried to gain access to the village with film.. he was denied also.. many others have tried and failed;

I worked feverisy around the clock trying to develop this film. tons of snow were melted to obtain the necessary water to process film mix chemicals and print the images. It was only due to my extensive experience developing color film since 1969 that I dared try this. I could not trust this film to anyone or any lab. too much was at stake.




YOu are about to see some amazing images of people, struggling, hurting and working, just to eat, that is the only reward, no pay, no benefits or perks,, frost-bite, long hours, d ays, weeks just waiting. Inupiaq is Patience personified. sit wait, watch, 24 / 7 for six weeks.. the gaunlet is set.. now we wait and wait and wait
The sun is blinding. incredibly bright reflections from everywhere, every angle,

One side of your face is sweating, the other side is being frost bit. This is extremly hard to deal with, changing film was an excercise in pure torture. taking off your gloves @ 60 below (this day) that wind was too much, of course my back is to the wind constantly, that is the way you "warm up" ha ha ha.! no matter how I tried, I just could not do a simple task such as change a simple roll of film without succumbing into angony and intense pain,



That wind was vicious this day. That crew in the umiaq is headed straight into that wind, it was 60 below and with the wind we are talking over 100 below zero with chill factor. 24 / 7 out here in this was pain for me, intense pain. undescribable pain for my hands and fingers. I have liners for my gloves and huge heavy mittens, I cannot keep my hands warm enough to even function half the time.
ONLY BECAUSE.. .. I would not listen. I was too stubborn. Yuk was my reply !

THIS IS WHY : your nose runs so much in the cold.. .. .. "use it" ? yuk ! was my reply.. .. .. so I suffered.. .. until one day I just could not take it any longer. .. "take your gloves OFF" ? blow your nose into your hands and rub it all over your fingers and hands QUICK and put your gloves back on... !
Instantly, your hands and finers are warm, functional, working and there is absolutly no pain as they warm up. and.. they can't get cold, for the rest of the day. This doesn't work in Boston, nope.. too much moisture in the air. it has the opposite effect. I have been back and forth a few times, but this is my home forever, last time I entered that world bach there was 89 and it was just for two months. I am here in the Arctic to stay. forever. Point Hope.. I prrefer to call it ..
.. Point HoME. Our backyard is larger than most states and even some countries !



That is is.. Tikigaq. Point Hope Alaska ! that tiny piece of land that sticks out 40 miles into the Chukchi Sea, it is like living on the deck of an aircraft carrier.. we are surrrounded by water on 3 sides.. and erosion is a constant problem.



and the world famous whale bone graveyard. it is the only one in the entire world.
I can't begin to explain what it feels like to walk into this graveyard. There is no way to put it into words, when you walk into this place and you see and know the names of everyone in there. over 150 people I was very very close to. Gone, died young, from cancer and other mishaps and accidents. Death is no stranger here in this tiny village. I have noticed that so many people have died and ended up in here, only because, they didnt listen, to the very last words spoken to them.

Just in the last four years, way too many deaths for such a very small place, Too many people, and you know the names of them all, like family, This is a difficult place to walk into, those memories of all those people i was so close and involved with on a daily basis. .. .. sob.!



You can fit a great many states into this vast empty region, no cities or people in all of that land, oh... !!! but there are things that go on out there, that you will never believe stay tuned, lots more photographs and other stories that will surely amaze you and keep you spell bound.

You just never know, what is going to happen here, or when, but it will happen, it just takes time, so be careful and keep close lookout of all your surroundings.

This post has been edited by Majik_Imaje: Jul 18 2007, 01:43 AM

[Majik_Imaje]

Tikigaq = Point Hope

Tigara on old maps.

TIKIGAQMUIT = People of Point Hope.

Aaka & Aapa = Grandmother & Grandfather

Lilly & Donald Oktollik, Lilly made each of these parky's the fancy trim at the bottom of each parky is called Kupak's (koo puck) the kupak's on Donalds parky are made using beads !!! Lilly's Kupaks are made with calf skin.
Donald was a successfull whaling captain and an Episcopal minister in his day.

These two; are my four sons.. .. great grandparents !



Two teenage inupiaq girl-friends pose for me in traditional native dress @ 50 below zero. Do they look cold ? No! Inupiaq clothing is very warm, and light.



Staying warm in the Arctic depends on how you dress correctly. Everyone dresses basically the same. Many many layers of very loose clothing is the trick to keeping warm out on the ocean ice. or in the village or when you go out very far distances from the village to go hunting.

To begin, to dress correctly basic undergarments are worn then. a couple of T-shirts, loose fitting, then a couple of good flannel shirts, then a sweater and a hooded sweat shirt, then a spring jacket and the final layer is the eskimo home made parky.

For the bottom portion, basic undergarments then the most important piece of clothing to keep you warm when your sitting.. gym shorts ! Long johns ?? no! they are tooo tight! many layers of very loose clothing, after the gym shorts comes sweat pants, then jeans, then ski pants and your dressed for any weather known to happen here. oh,, the feet. mukluks are light and warm, but NOTHING can beat the warmth of BUNNY BOOTS. Your feet just cannot ever get cold wearing bunny boots. The company (beta) no longer makes these fine boots but they are still available in many places al over the state. MY FEET, never once ever got cold standing on ocean ice for two - three months. even with no socks your feet cannot get cold using bunny boots. ($200.00) is well worth the price to have toasty warm feet.

This is my favorite all time photograph of all the images I have created in the village. Daisly Della Fay Age 3. It was one of the very first images, captured at the airport runway. I was getting on the plane and she was just getting off the plane, there is a 3 wheel honda on her left side and a person's arm with huge mitten on her right side. The horizon line and the other distracting details were taken out of the image to create this striking image. In 1983 United Bank of Alaska offered me 100K for the complete rights to this image. Under the advisement of close friend very high in the Art World back east. I turned down that offer. I am so glad I took their advice.!

Miles out on the ocean ice, I came across this 10 year old girl sitting on the seat of a snowmobile / snowmachine. The temp is 40 below zero. As I approached here and raised my camera to create a striking image she began to smile, I brought the camera down and said.. .. Kathy .. NO! Please do not do that, I am not here, I want you to ook right past me as though I am not here. Again I brought the camera up, and her face changed, I said no!.. Look right through me as though I am not even here. I spent 1/2 hour talking to this child, and only exposed one frame of film. I knew excaty what I wanted before I ever raised that camera, now how to make that happen? .. I needed additional help.! yes.. YES.. YES
-=[CLICK]=-

[shootergirl]

This is absolutely wonderful! Please post more pictures and information. It's fascinating...

Donna

[Majik_Imaje]

Thank you ShooterGirl - Donna, you will not be disapointed in the many pages yet to follow of photographs and amazing stories that are easily proven!

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.

[Majik_Imaje]

The Inupiaq people need THEIR FOOD.

We are on the verge of extinction, if we do not do something to change this quota system ! We need our food !
Most all villages in Alaska were founded and established by the people of Point Hope. Greenland was founded by Tikigaqmuit also !!
during the 1950's the federal government was going to detonate a nuclear device to create a deep water port. They had no intention of ever telling us about this event. they were just going to wipe us out, off the face of the map.
that is, until ONE PERSON... that is all it usually takes.. just one. Howard Rock put a stop to this barbaric, unheard of selfish attempt. to wipe out North America's oldest people. Google this: Project Chariot

Although this project was stopped and dismantled, the government had a special gift and surprise for the people of Point Hope.

Radio Active waste was buried all over the middle of our hunting grounds! All of the elders are gone! died very young due to cancer from the infected caribou. The goverment says it is because we use tobacco products!

Cape Thompson as seen from Point Hope. is the only land outside our windows. Now the government is saying we cannot hunt in these lands because we cannot PROVE that we have used THIS land for the past 3,000 years !

doh ! what other land is there ? where else would we hunt ???



I will never understand why people are trying to get rid of these people, Now the Oil companies want our permission to set up drilling rigs for oil off shore, Despite our pleas and objections, A drilling rig is already in place 60 miles off shore, Oil has more importance than animals or people. Harnessing the engery of the ocean and the sun will never bring technology to our way of life because there is no money in it for the big greedy corporations that want us off this land.

This post has been edited by Majik_Imaje: Jul 19 2007, 12:09 AM

[Majik_Imaje]

Back to paradise, the ocean ice. This is truely a wonderful place, My first whale hunt I could not understand why everyone was so happy, especially when I was suffering so much out here in this cold frozen "twilight" zone I was thrust into. It wasnt long before I was asking my self.. how the heck did I ever end up out here?

Is this real, am I in some sort of dream? Freezing my ISO/ASA off was very hard for me to cope with on a daily basis, Especially when that dreaded moment sets in.. oh oh.. time to go to the bathroom..OH NO!!!.. WHERE DO YOU GO ?

BEHIND any large piece of ice that affords you the privacy you need! For the women it is a bit more difficult because men have binoculars and men are men, no matter which part of the world your in. Women have to be extra careful. although they are far behind the men by as much as 3/4 of a mile. Careful inspection of the spot that is chosen, for glints of sunlight from binoculars far away is always a concern for these women.



This guy missed the boat literally, by the time he got back from making a deposit, his crew was gone.. Hey ! wait for me ! Another crew came along and offered him a ride down south to catch up with his crew.



There he is.. Billy Weber, Umiliaq Whaling Captain of this young crew, Billy teachinig young whalers all about whaling, and how to do what needs to be done. When paddling in that umiaq, it is a known fact that if you CONTINUE to splash water on the person behind you, by not paddling correctly, you have the option to throw that person out of the umiaq rather than freeze to death. All whalers are well practiced in the art of paddling, and once you start you cannot ever miss a stroke no matter how numb your arms are, I came darn close to being thrown into the water, no matter how I tried not to pick up water and splash the person behind me I was constanly getting yelled at and my arms could not take this pain and numbness at all. I dont know how they do it..sometimes for days, searching for that elusive whale.
Billy is gone now.. died from cancer at a young age. He is very famous up here, for the story that is told about his good fortune one day out on that ocean ice. You will read about this story soon in the section upcoming about polar bears! A polar bear charged Billy out on that ice one day, Billly lived to tell about this impossible event that was truly a miracle.



Late at night, the sun is down near the horizon and it is just past midnight near the end of May. The sun shows very distinctly how thin the ugruk skin's are in certain places, translucent / transparent in many areas, that is how thin the skins are in various places.



IT DOESN'T matter: which whaling camp your at, everything is identical and in the same spot, in each and every camp.



This is Irma Oktollik at the far end, Umailiq - Whaling Captains wife. She is umailiq also. The captain is in charge of his crew, that umiaq and the ocean, that is his domain. He is boss over his domain, Irma is umailiq and her domain is the ICE. she is boss over all.. she tells that captain where to set that umiaq !

Irma will tell you much about the whale coming later, and I guarantee you, you will never believe this at all.. I know I did not believe it when she explained it all to me. My initial response was; NO WAY.! We know better than that.. ha ha.. or do we.?? We do not chase a whale Irma said.. we wait for that whale to give itself over to the captain of its choice."!! ??

Thick dark glasses are a must out here. That sun is so blinding, in days of old a slit was put into a piece of wood. to cut down on the glare. Eskimo sunglasses made out of wood or baleen. just a thin slit for each eye to look through.

I have seen things out here, and heard things out here that totally defy any rational explanation."



I will let you form your own unbiased opinion, but I would like an explanation if you do come up with something that makes sense.. How is it possible to smell a whale, when it is under 10 feet of ice, someplace miles away, how is that possible ? How is it possible to even smell anything at that temp ? never mind smelling through 10 feet of ice ??? THAT JUST DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME WHAT SO EVER ! (soon to be continued).

This post has been edited by Majik_Imaje: Jul 20 2007, 01:45 PM

[Ireland]

Is there no more Majik???

[lightpause]

Wonderful story and fantastic pictures! In a time where the global warming issue threatens these magnificent areas of the country you have a fantastic registry of life in the artic circle. I love these extreme conditions and this is definitely a place I would love to visit, maybe even move over for a while.
I would just love that the people in charge of governments in this world of ours realised the amazing beauty of these places and made some decent efforts to preserve them.
Thank you very much for sharing your amazing story and photographs with us!

All the best for you and your fellow eskimo's, maybe we will meet some day, I surelly hope so!

Regards,

Rodrigo Cunha

[Majik_Imaje]

Ireland: "when you see the "whale" then you will know.. .. we are 1/2 way through this thread!" Lots more to come my friend.!!

ENJOY !!!

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.!!






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 !!

[mtomalty]

Am I alone in not being able to view the images in this thread?

All i see is a series of blue '?' where images are supposed to be

Mark

[Kenneth Sky]

Up till yesterday I saw the images but today that's all I'm getting as well.