[Majik_Imaje]

Some of the sights that are in plain view around the village of Barrow. Food being prepared, Skins being cleaned, for the new covers for the skin boats (umiaq). Umiaq's are everywhere you look in this village, some new, some of them, decades old, filled with stories of past whale hunts.

And then, you come across a new umiaq underconstruction. This is a lot of work to build a sea worthy craft, this requires very skilled workmanship.

An umiaq requires the use of 5 or 6 (Oogruk) (Bearded Seal) skins to cover the boat in the correct manner.














Everyplace you walk in this village, you will see, old umiaq wooden frames from boats used long ago. Whaling equipment is visible everyplace you walk and look in Barrow.


Children are in constant training in their own special ways & methods. Whaling is deep ingrained into their spirit !



Living in a whaling village is very exciting, watching the people work, seeing all of the work involved, BEFORE whaling ever gets started. I have said many times in other forums, it takes a whole year.. .. just to get ready to go whaling. The expense(s) that each captain has to invest is just staggering !!

You have absolutely no idea on the incredible amount of work involved to move hundreds of people many miles, and live out on that ice pack for two months time. One whaling captains sled collection. Moving all that is needed to each camp, requires dozens of dangerous trips out to the camp sites. Anything can happen out there, with no warning at all.



Having personally attended & photographed 5 whale hunts, spending a total time of 10 months or more living on that ice pack is a completly different frozen world for sure. There is just no way to put that experience into words that will impart the difficulty of doing the most menial of tasks.

Food is prepared well in advance, Jerky, (Panaqtaq), dried fish, dried caribou, dried Oogruk ribs. This takes many weeks or months depending on how the individual likes it prepared. Some like it soft and some like it very hard. It also depends on the weather, If it is hot and sunny it will only take a few weeks.



Panataq is delicious, I do not like eating fish per say, but dried salmon is absolutely delicious !!!



Lots more to follow.. .. .. soon !!

[Pavel]

Your images and accompanying text are always very interesting and informative for those of us who will probably never have an opportunity to see what you see. Thank you. Pavel

[craig]

You have certainly shown me a different way of life, this absolutley tells a story, thanks for sharing.

[Majik_Imaje]

Thanks for the uplifting comments.

One of the very first things I came to appreciate about the Inupiaq way of life is the patient way in which we have to "wait" !



Food from the whale, from walrus and other 'sea' foods are stored in the underground 'siglauq'.



This is how huge pieces of blubber and meat are stored to ferment! This is the 'dangerous' food to eat.

When that cover is taken off, and the person climbs down 20 - 30 feet into this frozen permafrost cache, a rope must be tied to the person climbing down.. just in case.

when the cover is taken off. the fumes that are present can knock a person out quickly. That siglauq (Sig - lock) must be aired out to get those fumes out.

This isn't to be taken lightly, this food, flippers and the tail of the whale is very powerful. TO eat fermented 'stink' meat or flippers or the tail, is very dangerous. NO sugar can be present in your system. NO fruit, no sugar in coffee, tea, etc. No soda pop or candy can be eaten if you want to partake of this food. When this food is eaten it 'boils' in your stomach releasing toxic gases. If sugar is present in your system that boiling action, will harden with a crust of sorts and the gases cannot escape, the person ends up dying from Botulisim !!
IN addition to the dangers of eating this, it is also a 'downer'. Upon eating this, it makes you very sleepy I am told, by those that know.
Henry Attanggana of Point Hope died in 1989 because he forgot he had eaten fruit earlier in the day.

The tail of the whale is taken out of the siglauq when the first snow of the new winter covers the village. It is a day of celebration !!

[Majik_Imaje]

Fall Whaling in Barrow Alaska - Top of the world.

Last year fall whaling started on October 4th and this year it was the same.

Here are a few images of what happened during the first three days.


Fredrick Brower is the whaling captain for the crew we are on.




At first light we were ready to go.. gear is all packed and we head out to the beach to launch the boat.

Fall whaling is much different than spring whaling. In the spring time April - May we are living out on the ocean ice and using skin boats.

Fall whaling uses the big boats with massive horsepower to tow a whale, and you might remember that a bowhead whale weighs an amazing TON per foot !!

George Ahmoakaq has the largest boat in town with twin 350 horse outboard engines. He can easily tow two whales with his powerful craft.













The captain whose crew we are on, broke down, many miles out to sea, Search & Rescue had to be called, they came out to tow us back to the village where repairs were made and then back out to sea.

[Majik_Imaje]

HERE COMES THE SUN !!! (finally) !!

In Barrow Alaska, top of the world, the sun dipped below the horizon on November 18th, it rose today for the first time in 2009 !!




On the roof, of the Suvat Center, trying to capture images of the upcoming sunrise.





You would never think it is almost NOON here in Barrow, but that is the time of day !!




11:30 a.m. Barrow Alaska, we had to leave this site because they close @ noon !!





People busy about their business walking, driving, the temp is 40 below w/ 20 mph winds









Here comes the SUN .. .. (insert music here) !!




For the very first time in 2009 - we finally see the SUN !!!






Now there is enough light for a while, to dig out this old tent and begin to get ready for the spring hunt (soon) !!

4 cameras on 4 different crews this spring hunt will bring you right out on the ice, to enjoy the beauty and splendor of the frozen far north, gathering food !!
We will be creating movies, images and I am sure there will be a lot of stories that are all easily verifiable !!

Stay tuned to this ongoing thread of life in the Arctic ! I promise you spectacular images .. ..

[Majik_Imaje]

Longer days mean work !



Yes it is great to see the sun again, longer days, more time to be outside instead of sitting at this computer.

Lots to do to get ready for whaling in a couple of months, we are all looking forward to this next spring hunt, four of us are on four different crews to create images and make movies, (fingers crossed).




Ice must be cut and brought back to the village, from 100 miles round trip to the kupak river, wood needs to be gathered, along the coast on the north side of the village (Point Hope), food cleaned out from the siglauq, (sig -lock) and of course fuel, sicpan (seal blubber).

After the long dark winter, everything must be cleaned and that takes a lot of time, this is not something that is accomplished in a week or two, it takes major time and effort.



Again we go through the routine, of doing daily chores outside, for the task at hand, this is the most exciting time of year coming upon us, (whaling villages -9 )

Someone lost an Avatakpak, a seal skin filled with air, to be used to slow the whale down and to mark its location.



One of the Captains has his umiaq brought into the church to be blessed by the pastor.

[imghttp://majikimaje.com/images/inside.jpg[/img]

In 1961 ( a one time freak accident Pt. Hope), a whole crew died when a whale flipped the umiaq over.

This sad tragic incident is written in a book, I happened to just come across this story the other day, The name of the book is The Tigara Eskimos & Their Enviornment - page 27

Another book which will fascinate you about the 'ghosts' and little people and the 'spirits' that come around the bend is named PUIGUITKAAT

Each of these books and many others can be purchased from the North Slope Borough, much of what I explain is located in these books and from the hunters I have lived with for many decades !!

Although others may doubt the accuracy of these books, I have heard it stated that no western observer has witnessed any form of government before 1970 in Point Hope, that statement was obviously taken from a book that is no where near the truth. 1936 The Inupiaq people drafted their constitution with the help of the federal governement, In the Late 1800's Point Hope had a well organized goverment with tribal meetings and infrastructure.

[Majik_Imaje]

Well we don't have vampires here in Barrow, but something a bit different that I have tried to explain earlier ! Tuttuu Man ! and other assorted small things
Well, let me show you how it is now today here in Barrow (lightwise) !!
This was created @ 10:17 a.m. today (feb 5th) - our days are noticably much longer, Dec/Jan are the worst months. Practically the entire day is darkness - 22 1/2 hours of it ! (rough estimate). don't hold me to minutes and seconds. But that is a very good general idea of what we face.


Yesterday @ 2:00 in the Afternoon, opening my front door to get the stink out of our shop / house because of the smell of sanding and grinding / cutting of baleen.. PeeeeeUUUUUUUUUU. There must be a way to bottle this odor and sell it on e-bay (whale fart) OMG !!!
RIPE !!!



Temp is about 30 - 40 below depending on the wind, I go for walks and photo opportunities a few times a week, trying in a create manner to display the Inupiaq way of life that is 'visible' when merly walking about the village.



I do not touch anything or alter what I see, I merely create and record what I see that catches my attention.




Arigah (good) Barrow dialect - Adiga = good Point Hope dialect !
This scene cracked me up and took my breath away, seriously, I got stuck in knee deep snow attempting to get closer to this location of all the snow machines and sleds and umiaqs that are lined up in the back of the condemed Arctic Hotel, my house is just kitty corner to the left of that hotel, It is closed because it was seriously lacking safety code and is not fit to live in, I came to that conclusion very quickly when I lived in that hotel for two months in 1996 when working @ the Barrow Power plant installing the controls for two new huge generators. You can easily tell how windy it is out in this image by the wind sock !! It was @ least 45 below, not counting chill factor of the wind, I didn't make it too far this day, I had no protection for my face, and after an hour outside, it was time to head on home and warm up. sit down and post away !!




An all too familar Whaling Captains Crew Logo - Me and my sons will each be on different crews this spring, loaded to the max with cameras and memory cards.
I hope to add spectacular images/videos of this years hunt to this ongoing popular thread of "High in the Arctic .. Eskimo !!" Home sweet home @ 50 below zero.

[Majik_Imaje]

Whaling is about to begin - again - 2009, Everyone is busy getting ready, The trails have to be cleared and hand chopped by hundreds of people.

This thread is all about ONE function.

Obtaining FOOD !!

That is the one main point. Working very hard, to obtain food !!




and from time to time, I will attempt to sit down and wait for the food to come to me, !!!




Stay tuned, More photos are being created as we get ready for our 8th documented whale hunt in the Inupiaq Arctic of Alaska !!:thumb

[Majik_Imaje]

Spring Hunt - Whaling - Barrow Alaska - Top of the World - 2009

Now it is time, finally, to make the final preparations to begin whaling !!
Inupiaq whaling from the TOP OF THE WORLD - Barrow Alaska.



The days are cold, crisp, and refreshing. At the house of Whaling Captain - Johnathan Levitt - Sleds are dug out of the snow, cleaned off and make ready to head out to the ocean ice.. to ... .. BREAK TRAIL !!
This is it, hard back breaking work, for hours & days upon end, It is no easy task to break trail.
We received invites from The President of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling commission who is also a board member of the Internation Whaling Commission - Euguene Brower !
Day one was a 'test' to see and determine what type of workers the captain has on his crew.
My 3 sons returned home some 14 hours later, worn out, sore, tired, and sunburned on their faces !
Today, back out on the trail, they have a 15 foot high pressure ridge to go through, The Captain said, no sense going around it, lets just remove the whole thing and go right through it !




Photos and perhaps the video of this job will be available tonight when I process the images the boys create using my eyes, today ! I say (my eyes) becuase I have spent 20 years teaching them, how to see, how to compose, so in essense they create in the exact same manner in which I have created over the last 40 or more years.



Searching - to find the best path. The huge ice piles are many miles out on the frozen ocean ice pack.

[Majik_Imaje]

My second oldest son - Mark Andrew, sporting a brand new pair of bunny boots. All my sons purchased new boots this year. This is Mark's second whale hunt, Jesse's second, and Khristophers second as well. Isaiah is still back in Point Hope with his four Inupiaq children - 3 daughters and one son - Isaiah Jr. !



That parky he is wearing is one that was made for me by Rosemary Oviok in 1981 !!



The campsite(s) will be set up, many miles out there, where the lead forms. Where does that happen ? It is different each and every year. It depends on the thickness of the ice, the wind, and of course the temps




There is much about the ocean Ice that I do not understand. But after being on more than 5 whale hunts I have leanred a few basic things about the ocean ice. It is always moving, markers have to be placed way out there, and other markers to line up to see which way the ice is shifting after many days. Even though they cannot see 'open' water from here, it is easy to find, just by looking at the clouds in the sky. The darkness of the open water will create very dark looking clouds in the sky. The reflections from the ice make the clouds look much whiter on the bottom of their puffs than open water does. But for now, find a place to set up a camp site in the Captains favorite area(s), based on wind conditions, and distance to the place where the lead opens. For now, finding the right way to break this trail so as to get the job done

Day one was to test the crew, a lot of work had to get done on that first day, so there was little time to stop and use the camera. Work, hard work, chopping ice and moving ice and clearing a path, to transport materials. This pathway through the ice must be smooth, these machines have to make many trips back and forth, this creates excesive wear and tear on the equipment if it has to encounter 'rough' areas. A five mile ride will take hours at very slow speds of carefull navigation.

[Majik_Imaje]

My sons informed me they have a 15 foot high pressure ridge to break through and remove, before and after photos will be posted tonight, and hopefully a video showing the amazing amount of work involved in breakin trail.







When you work very hard, you sweat, no matter what the temperature is.

Take your hat off - to cool off, your hair will freeze and frost up instantly !!

[Don Schaeffer]

Absolutely fascinating

[jericho]

Incredible! I found your pictures and accompanying text to be fascinating!

[Majik_Imaje]

Well Jericho & Don - thanks for taking the time .. and thank you also for your comments

I have many more pages full of images and text to post here for your enjoyment !!

The work begins, right here !! 12 hour days of backbreaking incredibly hard work. This is the test. Lets see first hand, just how hard of a worker you really are. This is no place for bs. Hustle and get the job done !!



No pay, hard work for days on end, for miles on end ! It is 30 below zero ! Work for the next 12 hours and make a smooth path - have a great day !

Now in your world, you go into a super market and pick the food from the shelves for what you want.

90% of the Inupiaq food that Inupiaq peoples hunt and eat, is gathered from the ocean !!

[nia]

Hi Majik,

I have a dreams, one is Alaska and the other one is Himalaya. But unfurtunately because of my health issues I can't go and this will not be real for me. So, when I read your topic title, I am excited so much, and yes, your photos and your all explanations are great. I found a wonderful observation and experience from your eyes. Thank you for sharing with us. You carried me into there too... I loved most of them, but some of them are my favorite ones,









Blessing and Happiness,
with my love,
nia

[Majik_Imaje]

I have many more pages of text & photographs and.. .. VIDEO'S !!!

STAY TUNED !!

[nia]

I have many more pages of text & photographs and.. .. VIDEO'S !!!

STAY TUNED !!

It will be pleasure and enjoyable for me, thank you,

Have a nice day,
with my love,
nia

[Majik_Imaje]

This is the test.. .. for whaling captains to determine who is a worker, and who will hold back from getting this important job finished as quickly as possible.
Once you are out there, there is no place to go to warm up, Bathrooms are plentful, just duck behind any large piece of ice !!



Again I say, this is back-breaking work, non stop for long hours and the great part is.. there is no pay what-so-ever. Many miles of incredibly hard work, so the community can get their equipment out there - for one purpose - to gather and harvest - FOOD !!



Obtaining food, is dangerous here in the arctic. anything can happen at any time out on the ice pack with no warning at all. You must constantly be aware of your surroundings. Be aware of the wind and the direction, this is extremely important to understand.
How many miles ? We do not know yet, but a safe bet is that it will be between 5 miles - 20 miles, depending on the thickness of the ice. We have no idea where / when the ice will crack, that is determined by the wind and the flow of currents in the area.



We have only finished two days worth of work, there are miles and miles to go.
How smooth does the ice have to be, smooth enough to transport supplies and get them there without the machines breaking down. Yesterday two machines broke down out there.



We do not go around obstacles, we go right through them, no matter how much work has to be performed
stay tuned, I have videos to post of these same images, I am going to put you right out on that ice with sounds and events never before seen !!

[Majik_Imaje]

Video's !!
Now I can bring you out to the ocean ice.. .. and you can see first hand, the work involved.
Until I become better at creating these video's. This will have to do .. .. for now!
Out to the Ice

ENJOY !!

[Majik_Imaje]

work work work, all day, most every day, for weeks on end, with no pay what-so-ever, take the time.. .. spend more than 5 seconds thinking about this, THE ONLY COMPENSATION.. .. is you get to eat ! These people are so happy, all of the time !! I have never met people like this.. so happy ! Staggering amount of work.

These photos show and tell the story quite clearly indeed !!



One person, a white man, who actually lives here in Barrow, claims I am not telling the truth about whaling. (chuckle) this person writes photo essays about whaling, from inside of his truck on land !! No wonder he doesn't believe me about the incredible hard work, out here, cutting a trail, right through the ice.

Well the truth is.. (he thinks).. That I am making this all up !

The end of our progress so far, 5 miles out. cut right through all of this ice and keep going onward !! in these images you will often see people working with huge pieces of ice, why such a big piece ? to fill a very low area. it is much easier to throw a huge piece of ice into that void of lower ice, than to fill it with small pieces.




Long hard days, and some times, you just have to sit and take a break. These two gentlemen look quite comfortable, SITTING on the handle of the pick. you cannot see the shadow of the tool(s) in this image, but the most popular question, people always ask me, is where do you go to the bathroom out there? The answer is obvious !! Go behind any large piece of ICE !!!



Finally we reach open water, we are very close, now to pick a spot to set up the camp site / tent and other associated details for the camp itself, lots more work to do, using GPS, we have determined we are 5 miles out. The wind, and currents are very strong, Ice bergs can be seen floating by, cruising about 20 mph. Two huge sheets of ice broke off, @ the point and we will not have to go the expected long distance. At the edge of the ice, it is only two feet thick, and that is not good. We need much thicker ice. In order for that to happen, we need the temps to drop to 40 or 50 below zero !


Steam, is clearly visible, coming up from the warmth of the water, ice bergs are visible lway out there, cruising by, much quicker than one would imagine, but with all the fog from the steam, and the distance, Well you will see.. soon in the next upcoming posts !!

[Majik_Imaje]

I can show you now, from the eye in the sky via GPS technology, the ice trails here in Barrow !!







It is very cold out here today, actual temp 40 below, w/windchill we are below - 60 !
This is good, we need it to get very cold so as to make this ice much thicker,




We have reached open water ! Much of the work we had finished recently is gone, swept out to sea.

Seals are visible in the water, close by.







THIS IS COLD !! VERY COLD, but I have in truth seen and been out in much worse weather than this, it is extremely crisp, and very refreshing with that 'bite' on any exposed skin !!

[Majik_Imaje]

Stories, stories, that is the #1 request from most people on all of the forums. Well you are all in for a treat today, I have two new stories of events that actually happened up here, out on the ice. (chuckle)

Ya just never know, what is going to happen out here. Last night we went out on the ice pack to check the trail we have been working on. We spotted polar bear tracks, in the snow, coming from Barrow - and headed out to the ice.

Unfortunately, we did not see this bear, the ice is a vast place and it is easy for a bear to hide.




The two whaling captains I am with are Eugene & Charles Brower, as we were checking out the polar bear tracks, One of the captains told the story, .. .. " it was an evening just like this, we came out to check the trail and we were near the lead opening,



At the edge of the water, a polar bear was standing up, looking down into the water, the polar bear turned and walked a couple of steps and bent over to pick up a big large piece of ice, He picked it up, and then decided to put it back down and grabbed a much larger piece of ice, a huge piece, he walked over to the edge of the ice and waited and watched, he dropped the ice into the water, then he jumped in, these two captains were astonished to see the polar bear climb back on the ice and pull a 10 foot beluga whale out of the water !!

If you want verfication of this true story, just write, to Eugene Brower in Barrow Alaska, He is the President of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission, he is also a member of the board of the International Whaling Commission. And perhaps the most respected Whaling Captain in Barrow !

I hear these stories and I am amazed, just as you are, but one thing that amazed these two hunters when they saw this was the intelligent thinking, that took place by that animal, to obtain food !!



One of the great things about whaling, is the story telling. Bizarre events of all types are retold up here, with much laughter. These are such happy people, unlike any I have ever met any other place in my limited travels about the east coast, the west coast and all over Alaska.

The other humous story was told about a whaling captain in Point Hope, who was up here, whaling with Barrow Captains, he was wearing a jump suit from work, overalls, he had to go to the bathroom out on the ice not far from camp, Well these same two whaling captains, happend to come upon his private spot and saw him looking around, this way and that way, looking for something, they asked, what are you looking for, ??? He laughed and said. I was going to cover up, what I just did, but I can't find it or see it on the ground, they each broke into huge laughter, as they saw the 'steam' coming from the 'log' in his hood !!!

[Majik_Imaje]

It is the greatest life ! and this time of year in particular is the greatest time of year. Excitement and laughter all day long for the next two months.

Camped out, on a frozen ocean ice pack, in freezing sub zero temps, sleeping outside - five miles from land, a 'picnic' in a very strange bizzare world that very few know anything about.

The first thing you become aware of (beside the wind and the cold) is the brilliant blinding sunlight and reflections all around you. Thick-dark sunglasses are a must, if unprepared you are going to suffer, your eyes will hurt, it is just too bright.


some of the ice chunks out here, do not appear to be large, until you see something - familiar near one !! As the ice advances towards land, it becomes obvious as the piles heap huge chunks upon one another


This trail has to be constantly groomed, flat. Knock down the high spots and fill in the low spots. That is the next phase, as we backtrack and widen this trail we have been working on for 10 days now.





Today was cloudy which was a welcome relief from the blinding sunlight reflecting from the ice everywhere.




Open water, .. .. .. .. Yesterday, Eugene Brower, The President of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission in Barrow, received a phone call from Whaling Captain Rex Rock in Pt. Hope. Whales were spotted migrating through the lead, heading up to Wainwright / Barrow / Kaktovik !!

In about 4 days, we shall see these same whales pass by through the narrow lead opening.. .. .. FOOD is being delivered !! We wait, with much anticipated joy and excitement .

tisk tisk, tis a shame that you .. .. do not have this much fun when you go shopping for food !! (chuckle).

[Majik_Imaje]

Open water, at the lead opening, the warm water, the steam, creates quite a dramatic effect !!

We are 5 miles out, it is very cold here, the wind is too strong, icebergs are floating by - about 20 mph !! - they are moving & crusing, this is quite the place to be, .. ..

I will show you sights, very few are able to record and photograph. !!





For the last few days, it has been too cold, and much too windy,

So we wait, whales should be here any day,

A few days ago, Rex Rock - Whalilng Captain from Point Hope called the President of the Alaska Eskimo Whalilng Commission to inform him.. whales are migrating past the point in Point Hope !!

Images will be forthcoming, right from inside the umiaq !!