ARCTIC SURVIVAL WHALING REQUIRED EXTENSIVE PREPARATIONS, GREAT PRECISION frame. dogs and to be dried by the wind By Howard Rock always been the first law of the gile but it was not. It was a re- full length of the umiak men the lac- and sun. When thoroughly dried, Times Editor hunt. The position of the umiak has markably sturdy craft. One reason i The two coordinated on an almost cream- was that it had the on sides and the the skin took The great tradition of whaling on a great bearing on the safety of for this give ing opposite pulled sur- line as taut as as white shade. the Arctic coast of Alaska remained, the crew and is the product of time which made it absorb shocks possible they well. worked toward the stern. When this Ice Trail from the past to the present, as a of experience of the ancient whal- prisingly was the After the whale time of expectancy and keen excite- ers. What was gained through ex- Six Oogruk Skins completed newly draped hunting equip- skin was as as a drum. ment has been the men ment. It has been looked upon with perience and proven to be valuable It took six oogruk skins to cover tight prepared/ turn their to a a sense of reverence because it has was carefully handed down for the a whaling umiak about 24-feet long. Ancient Custom thoughts preparing trail to the leads, or water that open afforded to whaling communities a benefit of the younger generations. The whaling captain’s wife us- During this operation there fol- with the currents and the north key to survival. A bountiful season The manner of paddling the ually took charge of the sewing of lowed one of the ancient customs. between the main ice off means food for a year. It also af- umiak without making bubbling the skins. She called in about six When the sewn skins were brought wind, and the line of the fords a great challenge and a dang- sounds with the paddle is one of the women, usually her close friends out of the house by the men, it was shore cleavage ice. erous one. important things the men have to or those women who were excep- a signal for the children of the vil- moving Between the line and The very size of the animal de- do. The whale has keen hearing tionally good at sewing. lage to flock to the skin covering cleavage manded the shore there are usually stretches respect and the great whale ability while submerged. The pad- The skins used were cured until operation. ice that are had to be hunted with dle must never touch of rough hummocked precision. the gunwliale the hair peeled off. They trimmed This was the time for the whaling men Little room was left for mistakes. of umiak. impossible to skirt unless the the the edges and commenced to sew captain's wife to bring out tidbits travel great distances to do so. The Mistakes meant real danger to life The vital spots on which to the skins together. that had been previously prepared must do is to a and limb. strike the whale also were of great thing they chop This operation was usually a to pass around to the children in The type of whale the coastal Es- Precision, coolness, and trail so the umiaks on low sleds, importance. affair where the honor of the occasion. In the old light-hearted of or the kimos hunt is the bowhead. This presence of mind were emphasized pulled by teams dogs men, women stopped occasionally for days these consisted of pieces of monstrous marine animal has been before, during, and after the whale could be transported to hunting lo- snacks, bantered, gossiped and muktuk, frozen whale meat, akutuq taken up to 65 to 70 tons, perhaps had been struck. The nature and cations on the edge of the lead. laughed. (Eskimo icecream), or pieces of even baleen on larger. The the pattern of the thrashing flukes were cooked caribou. At the junction of the trail from They used waterproof stitches on large ones caught has measured up discussed so that the hunters would the and the water each In the this custom village open 15 and 21 the outside, or water side of the present day to feet jawbones up to best be able to avoid the deadly crew launches its umiak, loads it, an has a great deal. The chil- It is little wonder ex- skin, leaving overlap of about changed feet. that sweeps. and paddles southward or north- an inch and half on the inside. This dren have been educated to goodies treme care has to be taken in hunt- Vtniak, The Skin Boat ward and picks out its camping lo- was like koolaid, and cook- these of the sea. To err overlap sewn using the same candy bars, ing titans The most vital need of the whal- cation, a site the captain thinks as stitch for insurance leak- ies, so that is what the means disaster. ers was the against captains’ umiak. This craft was a likely place. age. After completing the sewing, wives are now giving the children. Preparation made especially for whaling but it These whaling camps might be March is the month of the the women made small slits all The reason for this custom prob- year was also used extensively for other from quarter of a mile to half a around the cover so it could be from the ancient Es- When whaling preparations usually purposes, such as a means of ma- ably sprang mile apart and stretch for several laced to the umiak frame with raw- kimo's to the moods began. Equipment is looked over rine transportation or for traveling attempt allay miles along the lead. and repaired. New gear is made and hide thong. of their whaling god. Some villages up rivers. Strangely Exciting made carefully so it can be used to Men’s Turn apparently had different gods. The Its vital importance was for whal- The preparation for whaling has the fullest possible effectiveness. When the women completed then- Point Hopers had one whom they | ing purposes, of course. Its design been made and now it is time for Women skin seals taking the entire work, it was the men’s turn to fin- called Allingnuk, the whaling god | was made for easy paddling, the the strangely exciting, exhilerating flesh and bone out of it using only ish covering the umiak. who dwelled on the moon. only means of propulsion the an- moments of nervous tension, hopes the neck opening to operate through Goodness Meant Children cient whalers had. (Present day The sewn skins were rolled from for and above for and the last safety, all, hopes leaving only knuckle stern The of the Eskimos whalers still use paddles. It is the the end to the bow and taken philosophy a bountiful season. bones in the flippers. best out of leaned toward kindness and way to apporach whales sil- the house to where the frame strongly vil- These are made into seal skin Thus the mood of the whole them of the umiak had been goodness to children. While they ently, wit.hout alerting by suspended hunt was on. The floats, a great necessity., because a lage changed. The noises.1 upside down on racks about two didn't coddle them to an extensive whale when killed sinks to the people who must stay home in the (there are of The lines of the umiak were made and a half feet off the ground. degree exceptions, bottom. It has to be village, women children, old kept afloat there was a so that six or seven men could Laced course), strong family with the use of the inflated pad- women, old men, nursed tensions, seal bond. A child is looked on dle the craft to overtake the men spoiled skins. easily The placed the rolled skin on no less than their men who were whale. with disfavor by the people. Old Whalers Consulted top of the bow, fitted the skin on it, actually on the hunt. and then unrolled it to In the eyes of the ancient Eski- During the preparations old whal- Every few years whaling umiaks fit the stern. They hoped for their men’s safety. After the skin had been mos. children were good and in ers, usually retired had to be re-covered with oogruk draped in This would come from the men’s whaling' cap- in manner that manner on the treating them a klindly tains who were too old to hunt skins because, in time, the sinew boat frame, it skill, courage, and their presence of any in the of their to wear out and was time to lace it on. eyes whaling god, longer, were consulted for advice. threading began mind under dangerous situations. was to instill kind feelings so that More often than not they volun- the stitches began to open up. Also, Two men got under the bow and They expected of their men all after used for rivers he might reward them with a boun- teered their eservices to younger being going up fastened the ends of two long oog- these qualities and fortunately they tiful season. whalers. Their knowledge of whal- the skin on the bottom of the boat ruk rawhide lines and commenced possessed them. scratches from When the newly covered skin was ing procedures was invaluable. They got deep striking to lace on the skin by putting the Preparations for the great whale against rocks.