[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 !!