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barrow elder ken toovak eats during the feAlfestivalival nalukataq more photos center section in barrow nalukataq means sharing whale meat tradition by barbara crane could be any better tundra times portlerreporterre barrows springtime whaling festival nalukataqnalukalaq had begun BARROW laughing with his this is good this is really friends and family ken toovak a something that should be toovak barrow elder sliced off another chunk said this fellowship ties us together of whale meat chewed it for a while and unites our people and said he couldnt imagine how life continued on page fourteen nalukataq is a celebration of whaling continued from page one to feed the whole community oranges successful spring season nalukataq isis sumedfumed at one time and apples were flown inin for the also a family reunion as people come most families brought plastic bags children together from allal I1 over the north slope or containers to take home extras to how much does all this cost the suc- other parts of and even out- be enjoyed later six of barrows 42 whaling captains cessful captain and his crewcrew9crewe side for the festival the guests provided their own plates took whales this spring with their 1 I dont want to even think about theres much visiting laughing and knives or ulus to cut through the success came the traditional respon- it laughed burton rexford whose storytelling and impromptu singing of tough whale skin alaska national sibilitysibi lity of hosting a feast for the en- crew took their whale on may 9 gospel songs guard recruiters who passed out tire community this year Rexrexfordfordss group and the children run around like plastic frisbeesFris bees were surprised to see for days the whaling crews had another crew lead by george children everywhere getting to know many of the frisbeesFris bees turned over and been busy bringing huge chunks of ahmaogak hunted together so the two their cousins from other villages and used as oversized dinner plates whale meat and miktukmuktuknutktuk skin and blub- captains and crews decided to share even the smallest ones are eager for after dinner it was the adults turn ber up from frozen ice cellars dug the feasts responsibilities on june 19 their turn at the blanket toss at the blanket toss the men and through the permafrost three captains whitlam adams when its time to eat crew women flew higher and higher as the they labored to cut truckloadstruck loads of oliver leavitt and herbert ahkivgak members carry huge pots of food over evening went on turning flips and frozen chunks into portions to be given provided another feast on june 22 to where the crowd is sitting soaring into the sky which remains away to everyone at nalukataq and and ben ittasattas crew ended the 1 I like to walk around making sure light all summer long mikigakirnikigak a mixture of fermented meat nalukataq festival on june 25 everybody has plenty to eat and finally the festival ended with a and was prepared while the main meal is served in the nobody is left out said lawrence traditional eskimo dance young and the women talked and visited as early evening theres plenty of food savik an ahmaogak crew member old men and women they danced to they worked in their kitchens to from the time people start gathering its hard to imagine how anybody celebrate a good whaling season and prepare enough soup stew bread just after noon could go hungry as the crews pass out the continuation of their traditional cake and akutuq eskimo ice cream besides being a celebration of the more food than could possibly be con way of life