High in the Arctic !! Eskimo....

[Majik Imaje]

I have to go back to the villlage, I have too much exposed film on me and I need to get rid of this and find all the items I have lost. Thirty Eighty pockets, all over me, in many many layers of clothing. I turn the corner and head for home, and I see a familiar sight. My sons, three of them. One is hidden inside his momma's parky, sleeping! it is 40 below zero (F). The "belt" she is using allws the baby, to sit, inside the parky. My oldest Isaiah, is at the end of the street, and Jesse is all bundled up having the time of his life. Michael Dirks stops to get his bike in the photograph.

CHILDREN PLAY OUT.. .. .. all day long, all night long.. in the village. 23 hour sunlight, and these children are up / plaing out.. .. for days at a time. Solar Powered is the only way I can explain this. You just DON'T get tired.

Ahhh.. warm ... nice! It's good to be home again, My son MarkAndrew, just dropped his "fireball candy" and his mommn picked it up, cleaned it off, but Mark wants it back. .. NOW!

Upon empting all of my pockets, I begin to find all of the "lost" items, that were stored in various parts of my clothing, Tiime to reorganize in a much more, sophisticated manner, (explanatoin later). I have another 50 rolls of fiilm, I don't need the cardboard, or the paper inserts so those are thrown into the trash, A magic marker to put a big X on the canister after fiim has been exposed, I can''t afford to mix anything up, and I am loaded to the max! EVERYTING I am carrying must ORGANIZED!... how ?

 

[Majik Imaje]

Whales are staring to migrate through the chukchi sea in the Bering Straight. In 1982 A Federal Census team was sent to Point Hope, to monitor and record the amount of whales. Over 15,000 were counted just in one month. But that did not include the whales that surfaced before out camps or after our camps. or the massive amount of whales much further out closer to Russia. The elders say 200,000 or more. We are allowed 3 strikes (1982 & 83).. each year, we caught one 27 foot whale.

Japan is now slaughtering 1000 whales for scientific purposes, THEY HAVE TO CHASE the whales because they are in very fast huge whaling vessels.

Now why would a whale come up to a captains skin boat and "wait"? Why would the "weather" instantly change? when that whale dies ?

I had a whale "spit" all over me, that whale knew exactly where I was.

Irma Oktollik was telling me .. We are one with the whale, and for thosands of years, They know us.. and we know them. We don't ever harm the whale, the whale will give itself to the CAPTAIN of its choice. You watch she said.. This is Joe's weather.. it is warm (ha 20 below.)

When ever the whale gives itself over to Joe, the same thing happens no mater which year it is. That whale dies instantly, right by joes umaiq and it always happens very very close to the ice, we don't have to hunt / look for it, it doens't hide, it sits there dead. BUT when that whale dies.. ..she said.. RUN! because the wind is going to come in at 100 mph and the temp is going to drop to 100 below. I thought to myself, This just can't be, so I moved everything, over to Joe's camp. I am up on the ice with my camera,, waiting, playing chess, with a friend from Boston, and we were not looking when we heard BOOM! I look up, there is Joe's umiaq 75 feet off the edge of the ice. A whale, still in the water, dead, and I am about to go over to shap the image .. .. walking over.. and THAT WIND.. came rushing in,, .. and we had to RUN! it got so incredibly cold, such as I have never ever experienced it in all my years in the Arctic.

HOW DID SHE KNOW?

Fresh Caribou soup! Duck soup, Seal soup, "Soup is good food" ! Caribou = Tuttu.

 

[Majik Imaje]

with Morton's of course! The "muktuk" is frozen, dipped or sprinkled with salt and chew it up. cut a slie with an Ulu knife.

That oil, on the wood, is extremely flammable! Yes, flammable food! flammable fat! It is just like trying to chew a "hockey puck"! so slice it thin! it will melt, then you can chew it! yummy!

 

[Majik Imaje]

.. an Ulu is an Eskmo knife. and it is extremly versitile. Very safe to use,and it is almost impossible to cut yourself with one. In every house on the kitchen counter sits a big flat stone / rock. for sharpening their ulu's.
they come in all sizes, from Giant down to tiny size for sewing. Often a porcelean or ceramic cup is turned upside down and that "rough" edge is used to sharpen ANY knife.

There's lots more to follow, Whaling Festival, Blanket Toss, Polar Bears, and more, out on.... the ocean ice !

 

[Majik Imaje]

Everyone is getting ready for whaling. They started today. to break trail.

This involves hundreds of people chopping and smoothing out the ocean ice for a three - four mile journey out to the lead opening which will open late march earlly April. We have much to do to get ready!

I will try and post images of this current hunt and merge them with Photos to complete and finish one of the most exciting Life-styles / culture in the world!

 

[Aquarium Dreams]

Wow. This is intense.

7

 

[Majik Imaje]

Are spaced out in 1/2 -3/4 mile incriments, all along the Ocean Ice. 18 Captains. spans a considerable distance.

Communication between the crews is now much easier, due to advances in technology. Now a hunter at the far end of the lead, can instantly know what is going oin at the front of the lead where the other crews have a different view. That whale can surface anyplace. That whale with just one flick of its tail, can crush this tiny skin boat! -=flick=- with the "flipper" and it is all over, that crew goes into the wter, it is all over. Straight to the bottom with all that clothing and fur. the weight would take you down in an instant. Yet no one, has EVER HAD THEIR UMIAQ damaged by a whale, in thousands of years ! NO.. NOT EVEN ONCE! think about that tiny boat right beside that MASSIVE animal. and that whale says .. I am yours!
TAKE ME!..now whales are just like "children" .. they do display childlike tendancies.. just as some adults do. There are some captains that have never ever caught a whale.. .. "because of their childlike tendencies" they won't share, they are mean in daily living etc. A whale will not give itself over to a personality such as that.

Nick Hank, a very successful whaling captain, .. .. Calls one of his relatives on the CB radio,, he is heard very clearly at the other end and at each whaling camp. Down at the lead opening, and back at the tents.. everyone out on the ocean ice, is fully aware of what is going on via reports, frm the captains to the tent area, but a familiar "sound" often is heard over the CB radio.. and everyone takes notice.. and smiles, when they hear the words.. "can you hear me.. .. NOW"?!

 

[Majik Imaje]

And the Captain.. .. pays for everthing.! Just imagine the cost of feeding 15 people or more, three-four or more times a day. the cost of FUEL is outrageous! more than $5.00 per gallon, Hundreds of 4 wheel ATV's & Snowmobiles. HE PAYS THE BILL.. ..for food, equipment. and what does he get for all of this..?? "A chance.. .. .. at obtaining food only" there is no profit from the whale itself, I take that back. yes there is, but in the form of Arts & Crafts, baleen baskets, the vertirbaes are used to make "masks" which are in huge demand the world over. But there is no profit in a whale, just food! .. So the "children.. can survuve! To grow and learn and experience, THEIR CULTURE... .. .. . ..

 

[Majik Imaje]

And this one needs explainng, This girl almost got herself thrown into the ocean.!

Just after this photo was taken some whaling captains came up to her and said. Put THAT CAMERA away! She Argued!.. "but he is taking pictures!

If you dont put that camera away we will take it and throw it into the ocean, if you argue .. we will throw YOU into the OCEAN!
She wisely obeyed. She was going to "take". .. The people of Point Hope Knew I was there to give!

They sternly told her..HE went before the tribal council, Before the elders, before the IRA, He asked peromisson, from ALL of those groups and more, BEFORE WE EVER LET him out here on this sacred hunt of OURS!

Please leavel the ice, and she obeyed.

The only way, you can come down to the lead opening, and particapte, is you BELONG to a crew. Jake Koonuk.. was my Captain,..

he is my friend. I am invited .. .. to be on his crew. I had the flu. and they took me to.. his camp! He requested me...& the rest is history!

The "stuffed" seal skin is "Avataqpaq" (Ah Vah Tuck Puck) it is used as a Bobber OR FLOAT in fishing! to locate a whale when he plays his personality with the Captain. Some whales will thrash and aplash.. but onlly for THAT CAPTAIN ONLY. .others will hide. but for THAT CAPTAIN only. Some whales will not play with some Captains, and they stay away.! The whale knows the heart of the Captain! I don't expect you to understand or believe this.

When I -=click=- the shutter. I got the "creeps all over me! I know this man! I have seen him before!... on T.V. ! Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show, and John Denver was on that show AND HE had video. of this man. that hat! and a polar bear.
Oh my goodness. NOW I KNOW why he requested me.. ! I don't believe this. I remember when I watched that show, A lot of very bad things were said about these people,I wasn't really paying any attention to that part, just the video but I distinclly remember him saying. they caught a whale and left it there to rot!

THERE IS NO WAY, anyone in this village would / could ever let something like that happen. This is too precous, it is "sacred" !
There once was a man, from Boston, named "sicpan"! He was here, every year, from New Bedford, but he was well loved by all the people, and he went whaling every year for over ten years, When they found out I was from Boston, they were hoping I had that same "personality" they were happy to find out. & I was accepted. John Denver did these people a very terrible injustice. He announced on T.V that the "teenagers" of the village slashed his tires and trashed his plane. Yes they did. .and with good cause! Mr. Denver's crew brought in TOO MUCH alcohol, & other UNMENTONABLES,.. Jo-Jo Omnick.. thought he was a "caribou" and spent three days out on the tundra thinking he actually was one.!

I doubt he will ever be the same again. Untold damage was done by THAT man & his T.V. crew, for the sole purpose of lying about the TRUTH.

I had to stop and say that. 1976 was the year of that video on Jonny Carson .. I would pay anthing for a copy of that tape.

I AM here to tell the truth. In 1983 I flew back to Boston (my father passed) with my album, 100 11 x 14 images of what your looking at.

On the Boston Commons was a Free concert, I was there, with my album John Denver was playing, I went to TRY and get backstage, after the performance. The Police stopped me. of course. ha ha. I asked? could you please have Mr. Denver autograph this album please? they went back stage, I hear talking and then I hear, crash, bang, LOTS OF NOISE.. I run in.. to see Mr. Denver .. runing out of the back of the tent !

Everytime.. in any house in any village, when a song of his comes on the radio, someone, will turn the radio off!

Back to the OCEAN ICE.!!


You.. are nice and warm.. and it is 4:00 a.m. TIME FOR A SMOKE BREAK.. (I removed the cigarette, form Jake's mouth.) using photoshop.
We have been working aournd the clock for two days straight, The lip of the whale has been removed to sxpose the "baleen", rows upon rows 300 slats of Baleen, with hair hanging off it. This is how a BowHead (riight whale) takes in food, Plankton. filtered through the very fine hairs, In days of old, long ago, the hair was removed and dried. and used for "tampons". or pads. is a better descripton or term.

I have been trying to upload this next image for over two hours now, the wind storm that has hit the village is ferocious, this is common occurance.

Sometimes, (monthly) or sooner or even constant, we will have what you call hurricanes, "house shaking" winds @ 100 mph or more. and often a hunter is stranded out in that type of weather, his machine (snow mobile or ATV 4 wheeler) has broken down, or he is LOST.

-=SEARCH & RESCUE=-​

Is a "group" of very skilled hunters, volunteers, who will go out into ANYTING, at any time of the day or night in any type of weather, INTO AN AREA,.. .. the size of several STATES ! (New Jersey, Rhode Island, Delaware, ) and it is white, frozen, and hurricane, and it is DARK, and it is a vicious white out and you can't see 6 inches in front of you.. THEY ALWAYS FIND THE PERSON.. in this type of weather!! HOW.??? can you possibly FIND & LOCATE ? someone,? under those conditons ?​

it is done many times every year. but STRANGER, MUCH STRANGER things than this.. go on.. out in that vast EMPTY ? region that has NO INHABITANTS. none! no body! BUT OH YES THERE ARE!​

 

[Majik Imaje]

.. .. .. are very real! they live underground and in caves. They are spotten often and have been seen in every village above the Arctic circle

"Ingauqalauraqs " little people used to live in point hope long long ago, they moved out when one of their young got eaten by a dog.

These people are tiny.(3-4)fool in height, dressed in all caribou skins, they still hunt with bow & arrow.

They are incredibly strong! and can run so fast .. ! It takes two grown hunters to mpve a caribou onto a sled. One of these little people can carry one and run with it over their head.

Luke Koonuk Jr. was out hunting 2 years ago, and his 4 wheel ATV honda was stuck in deep ruts of the tundra and he just could not get it free.

he was exhausted trying to get the machine freeed from the depths of the ruts.. he was bent over trying to catch hs breath and he see's out of the corner of his eye.. his 4 wheeler rise into the air a foot or so and dumped on the cear ground beside where he was stuck. He looked around ony to see a flash of a tiny person running away very quikly and disappear.

This happens a lot up here.. when someone is lost or can't get un-stuck!

now for you adventureous photographers.. GET ONE PICTURE of these people.. and you will be "RICH"! IT IS SAID... they can jump over 100 feet. More to come! ha ha. soon! "this is true" but I told you .. you won't believe what goes on up here!

 

[df3photo]

lol... I hope it is true... never heard of it... sure your not getting too much sunlight up there???

 

[Majik Imaje]

A huge whale washes up on the beach 50 miles from point hope. people see this . but the next time they go in that direction along the beach.. there is no sight of it.. cept drag marks in the tundra.. 3 miles inland it is found, all stipped of blubber and all food.! now who? hauled in land. certainly not the people of Point Hope.. it takes too many people to pull that whale. The residents of the nearest villlage Kivalina were not aware of this whale being beached. who?? brought into the middle of no where? The bones are still there !There are much stranger things than this that happen up here! Much of which defies a logical explanation!

 

[Majik Imaje]

There is much that defies logical explanation up here!

Too much.

 

[Majik Imaje]

Waiting.. watching, The sun is just so intense out here. 250 @ F 11 all day long, day in and day out!

Sadly, Irma passed on a few years ago, then her husband shortly there after. Cancer runs amuck up here because of what the government did back in the 50's. All the elders are gone, very few left at all. Hundreds gone, because of "Project Chariot" (google). The government buried all the nuclear waste right in the middle of their hunting grounds. Now we are being told we can't go hunting in this area because we cannot PROVE that we used this land for 3,000 years, doh! it is the only land.. outside our homes ? where else would we hunt ? So now we can't hunt.. where we have always hunted. The ways of the white man cannot be understood.

Hundreds of thousands of whales, and we can try for 5 of them. We obey, we have no choice.

Wait & watch.. .. 24 hours a day. for weeks, the animals will come.

 

[Majik Imaje]

A flag is planted, so that people can see from afar where the camp is located.

It is very easy to get lost out here. Miles out on the ocean ice. anything can happen. Wind shifts, Ice cracks, weather changes, we are prepared for any event and hoping it won't happen. Last year we had the best ice we have had in almost twenty years. and this year is no different, We have great ice again. This is good!