Midnight: one image from today's (and yesterday's) caribou hunt

We headed out onto the tundra about noon yesterday and arrived back in Barrow at close to 6:00 AM this morning with eight caribou - better known as tuttut around here. I type these words at 7:48 AM and at noon I must be at the airport to catch a plane to Point Hope.

I took many pictures and I think I got some good ones, but it will not surprise you to learn that not only have I not had time to examine my take, but it is still downloading with the majority of it left to go.

So this too falls into the queue of backlogged material yet to be posted.

Who knows if I will ever post it? We will see.

The hunters above are Ernest Nageak, closest to the camera, and Kuunniaq. They are studying a large herd of caribou to see how many big bulls they can spot.

Ernest is the son of Roy Nageak, who headed up this hunt. Pamiuq, another of Roy's boys, also came, as did Frank, his 10 year-old grandson. I was most impressed with Frank and if I ever do blog this, I think you will be, too.

He dropped the first caribou of the day with a single bullet from a .223.

It was a long day, and tough in some ways, because, as you can see, the mosquitoes were thick and relentless, but Frank hung it without complaint.

The picture was taken shortly after midnight.

My face and head are sunburned even worse than they go in India, because even though India is hot, the sun comes up and then goes down again pretty quick - even in late spring, nearing the solstice, not much more than 12 hours.

Whereas this time of year, the Arctic sun does not set.

And there is shade in India. There is no shade on the Arctic Slope.

One image from today's ugruk (bearded seal) hunt

It was the second ugruk hunt that I have been on this trip and both were successful. That's Bennie Hopson of Barrow ready to shoot the rifle and throw the harpoon. His dad, Roy Ahmaogak, is behind me, driving the boat. I have not had a chance to even begin to look at my take, other than to grab this one.

But I will.

And I will share more and will tell the story.

Might be a few days. 

Point Lay Nalukatak: Motion dances and finale (part 10b of 10)

Willard Neakok motion dances.

Lloyd and Bertha Tazruk motion dancing, # 1.

Lloyd and Bertha Tazruk motion dancing, # 2.

Lloyd and Bertha Tazruk motion dancing, # 3.

Lloyd and Bertha Tazruk motion dancing, # 4.

At three years of age, little Elmo is already one of the most popular dancers on the Slope.

The young women perform.

Chester Upicksoun,

John Stalker, Willard Neakok and Elmo.

Drums are raised to signal the final dance. In just a few more beats, Point Lay's historic Nalukatak will be over.

Point Lay Nalukatak: Fun and lively dance brings the celebration to an end (part 10a of 10)

Not long before midnight, the blanket was brought into the high school gym for the dance. They had thought about doing it outside, but the wind was very cold and the dancers wanted the Elders to be comfortable and enjoy themselves.

Julius Rexford was the first to step onto the blanket and then the Atkaan crew followed. The dance had begun.

The Atkaan crew.

Then came Thomas and the Nukapigak crew.

The Nukapigak crew. The fun dancing would continue for awhile, and then there would be motion dancing - which will be the subject of my next post, which ought to be up within half-an-hour after this one.

The drummers.

During the dance, I was called up and given a high award - because it came from the heart of my good friends in Point Lay. Julius presented and as he did, Thomas grabbed my camera with the wide angle lens and photographed me.

I was not going to toot my own horn here, but Mary Sage of Barrow put a message on Facebook last night and told me I had better post this picture. So here it is. Mary received such an award herself, as did several others who had contributed to the success of Point Lay's first Nalukatak in 72 years.

Need to try to get a few hours sleep - hope to find time to post some Point Lay Nalukatak photos Sunday (part 4 of 10)

I just grabbed this photo without even trying to take a look at my take - a take that is, in fact, still downloading and has quite a ways to go. It is Nita, Uavauq, Kuoiqsik, who have just been served "mikigaq" from the Atkaan whale. Mikigaq is fermented whale meat and maktak. Maktak is skin with blubber still attached.

When I got today's first taste, I thought that I had gone to heaven. It was exquisite - so good. Perhaps because I haven't had any for awhile, but I have always loved mikigaq since I first tried it nearly three decades ago  but I don't ever remember it tasting better than it did today.

Remember when, just before noon, I headed toward the Nalukatak grounds and estimated that I would be working out there for the next 12 to 14 hours? Right now, it has been 13 hours and 53 minutes - and I just got back from the shoot.

I must catch a morning Frontier Flying Service flight which will take me almost directly over Wainwright and into Barrow. Once I get to Barrow, I must almost immediately get back on another Frontier flight so that I can fly back to Wainwright. When there was competition among air carriers here, it wasn't like that. You could get on a plane in Point Lay and get off in Wainwright - and that is the fare that you would pay, Wainwright to Point Lay.

Now they make you pay Point Lay to Barrow, then pay the full Barrow to Wainwright fare.

And those fares are much more than they used to be.

It is very aggravating.

I need to get my own airplane again.

That was the best yet.

My hope is that Sunday I can find some time to do pull out some representative images from the Nalukatak that I just covered and post them.

So please come back.