Arctic Survival
ESKIMO DANCE UPLIFTS SOUL IN HARSH FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL
By Howard Rock
Times Editor
The first heavy beat of the drums
boomed and the aged dancer be
came suddenly alert. A pause and
then the beat of the drums went
into the rhythmic but varied tem
po.
At the first beat, strength and
vigor seemed to take possession of
the dancer's body. His right foot
stamped hard on the floor in time
with the drums and his arms ges
tured vigorously but with precise,
quick motions. His 79 years did not
seem to be a hindrance as his ener
getic dance continued.
Drama of the Dance
As his head moved from side to I
side, up and then down with each i
dance motion, there was an expres
sion on his face that seemed to pro
ject, not to the present, but to the
past. There was pleasure, pathos,
strength, and above all, triumph.
This was the expression brought
on by the intense concentration of
the rendition of his performance. It
ended abruptly with a dramatic
movement of the arms and the up
ward motion of the bcdy as the
drums echoed the last vibrant beat.
Thus. Christopher Tingook of
Point Hope, danced the way his
ancestors had danced — the dance
that expressed intricate aestheti
cism. the dance that expressed the
spirit of his people, the Eskimos.
His rendition was the way the Eski
mo dance was meant to be per
formed — the Derformance that at
once, gave his audience the feeling
of pleasure, pathos, strength, and
uplifting of the spirit. It was a
triumphal dance of survival.
Unseen Tenseness
In the days when this writer was
a small boy, there were times when
hunting conditions became almost
intolerable. Hunters came home
empty-handed. Food supplies be
came low in the village and the
people and their dogs began to feel
the pangs of hunger.
Such a situation should have been
a sufficient reason for dread and '
gloom but it was not visibly ap
parent among the people of the
village. People met, visited, smil
ed. Whatever tension there was
among the villagers, it was hidden
in their hearts. To allay this build
up. something would have to be
done.
Calls Dance
An elderly man, sage and respect
ed and one of the finest dancers in
the village told three boys one
early evining, "Go around the vil
lage and tell the people that there
will be a dance at Kukoruk's house
this evening.”
The boys scattered on the run.
Each clambered up the tunnel hall
ways up to the skylight of the sod
igloos and hollered down. “There
is going to be a dance at Kukoruk's
house tonight.”
The people in the house looked
up to the skylight and answered,
“Ee. naquumaruq. Taiqungakneak
tuqut unaakun!” (Yes. that is good.
We will go there this evening!")
After eating their meager meals,
the people began to converge on
Kukoruk's igloo. It hai been pick
ed because it was the roomiest house
in the village. In a short time the
house was crowded until the people
were tightly bunched together.
About a 9-foot wide floor space was
left for the dancers in front of the
room.
Drums
Presently, six men sat down side
by side along the 9-foot floor space
in front of the audience. A man
brought out a large bag filled with
drums.
The drums were made out of a
specially hard driftwood, looped
into a 2-foot diameter circle. The
loop was an inch wide and about
3/8 inch thick with a groove on the
outside. The hand grip was made
j out of walrus ivory carved with
indentations to fit the drummer’s
fingers.
The drumhead was from the bow
head whale liver skin considered
the finest drum material by the
Eskimos. It had more vibrancy and
AN ESKIMO TALE:
Hunter, Surrounded by Enemies,
Outruns Them, Gets Home Safely
By Paul Green
Nome, Alaska
Aknacheolook from Tigara was a
small man. One summer, he went in*
land hunting caribou all by him
self. He was husky and a healthy
man. He was always watchful
wherever he went.
When he made camp in the eve
Ding he made it in thick willows
where no one could find him. In
the morning after he ate his break
fast he started out and kept moving.
During the morning he saw a bunch
of caribou. He went toward them to
: sneak up on him at any time. In the
close to them.
He caught two caribou and start
ed to akin them right away. He was
watchful and alert at the same time
. because he thought an enemy might
sneak up on his at any time. In the
early days the hunters watched all
the time when they were hunting.
They didn’t want to take a chance
on someone who might kill them.
Finally, Aknacheolook skinned the
first caribou and started to skin the
second one. He looked around and
was startled to see bunch of men
starting to circle around him. The
circle was not yet formed so he put I
his knife in his side case, picked up
his bow and arrow and started off
** toward the open end of the half
circle.
The Chast
One man started after him and he
was running about the same speed
es Aknacheolook. He knew he could
out run his pursuer but he did not
try. He looked back and noticed that '
the man running after him was way
ahead of the rest. Aknacheolook
gradually increased his speed.
He looked back again and the man
was gaining on him a little. Since
the two runners had left the rest
way behind, Aknacheolook allowed
his pursuer to gain on him. After
some time they were out of sight
of the rest of the pursuers.
“Go ahead and run all you want
to. You won’t get away from me!”
shouted his pursuer.
Aknacheolook knew a river with
a high bank and he ran to it. He
was not very far ahead of his en
emy. When he got to the bank he
jumped down and stopped right
there and waited.
The pursuer, who had closely fol
lowed his quary’s trail, suddenly
showed up over the bank. Aknach
eolook shot him with his bow and
arrow and killed him. He could not
miss because his enemy was very
i close.
Safely Home
He began to run again for quite
a distance and hid and watcbed for
his other enemies. After a long
while they showed up at the bank
where their companion was killed.
They crowded around their dead
friend. Aknacheolook was surprised
to see that there was so many of
his enemies.
He began to run again on the
beach out of sight of his enemies.
He ran on and on. He made it safe
ly home to Tigara.
Aknacheolook never .did Had out
vhere his pursuers came from. ■>
prolonged drum tone than any other
material. It was mounted on the
drum with a long corded reindeer
or caribou sinew.
The drummers picked out their
drums. A basin of water was pass
ed around to each drumer and he
moistened the whale liver skin on
each side. The moisture gave it
more resonance and vibrancy.
Each drummer picked up his
drum stick and tested his drum. He
gripped one end of the stick with
his right hand and struck the bot
tom of the drum sharply, taking
care so the other end of the stick
hits the bottom of the drum with
about an inch and a half of the
stick to spare. The sharp strike
caused the stick to bend in the
middle and the sharp impact slap
ped against the drumhead causing
it to vibrate with a loud drum tone.
The Warmup
With the preparation done and
the drums in proper working order,
the drummers were now ready to
commence the dance. One of the
two center men started a chant and
the rest of the drummers joined in
and finally the audience.
The chant was of general char
acter used usually as a warmup
song. The drummers slapped their
sticks lightly against their drums
in time with the chant until the
whole song was completed. On the
second round of the chant, the
drummers suddenly struck a boom
ing roll all at the same time, a
pause, and then a steady, loud
boom of the drums until the song
was over.
Leader
The next chant was a special
song of the elderly man who had
called the dance. At the start of
the chant, he rose from the crowd
and made his way to the dance
area. Once on it. he started to keep
time with the light drumming and
the chant with his feet as he don
ned his gloves. He then commenc
ed to gesticulate casually the basic
motions to his special song. The
chant was about a caribou hunt in
the hills east of Point Hope.
The Story
The chant started with the hunter
walking up a gentle hill, looking
around as he went. He got up on a
Knoll and looked around shading
his eyes from the sun. He saw
caribou and quickly ducked behind
the knoll. He began to sneak up on
the animals and was soon within
range of his bow and arrow.
He took aim and his arrow flew.
It hit the mark and the caribou
fell to the ground. He quartered
the carcass, loaded his pack bag
with meat and started for home
happy with the game he had caught.
When the first stanza of the
chant ended, the drummers hit the
first booming roll. Precisely at the
same moment, the dancer became
suddenly alive. A pause, at which
the dancer stood up to his full
height, his legs set wide. His arms
rose over his head in a dramatic
gesture.
In the next instant the heavy
drum beat resumed. The drumming
had steady succession of beijts,
pauses, and off beats according to
what the hunter dancer was doing.
Interpretation
His interpretation of the hunting
story was done with amazingly pre
cise timing with the beat of the
drums. Although presented in semi
abstract manner, perceptive audi
ence took in the entire story in
terpreted by the skill and art of
the dancer told in two minutes.
The dancer had captured the ima
gination and spirit of his audience.
The dance was on in earnest.
After the elderly man finished
his series of dances, other men in
pairs, and threes, continued the mo
tions dances. They were beautifully
coordinated., thrilling and contagi
ous. There were momenta of laugh
ter when some dancers made a mis
take.
General Dance
After the special dances were
completed, the general dance be
gan. This was the dance in which
anyone could participate, men. wo
men, and children. Women bobbed
with the bend of their knees in
time with the chant and the drum
beat, their arms gesturing in their
own feminine way of dancing. Men
gesticulated vigorously, occasional
ly issuing loud, triumphal sounds
out of their mouths, their right feet
thumping hard on the floor.
With the succession of dances, the
floor became crowded with happy
dancers. Children who were learn
ing the dance, learned more.
Around midnight, the dance fin
ally came to an end. An elder of
the church stood up and said, "We
will now pray.” The crowd stood
up, bowed their heads and said
the Lord's prayer.
The people dispersed and each
family wended its way to its igloo
relaxed and happy. Whatever ten
sion that had built up during the
lean times was gone and in place
of it was hope for a better tomor
row.
Spectacle, But Much More
The Eskimo dance is a fine spec
tacle to behold but to the people
of the north it is more than just a
dance. It is a deep expression of a
way of life of a people. Its rendi
tion is performed with emphasis
on the light-hearted side of life. It
is at once intricate and vigorous.
It is a dance that has been estab
lished with subtleties of psychology
woven into it and these subtleties
are interpreted through the art
and skill of the performer, not un
like the art and skill of a great
ballet dancer.
A great dancer such as Christo
pher Tingook, interprets the spirit
of his people. As he performs, the
dance becomes an encouragement
and a steadying force — a dance
that had been established to ease
the ever present pressure created
by the great rigors of the north
country.
Dance Discouraged
In being the way it is, the dance
has been an intricately woven facet
of culture in the life of the Eski.
mos. It is deeply woven into their
lives. For this reason the dance of
the Eskimos should never be dis
couraged and yet it is today.
Some religious denominations
have discouraged the Eskimo dance
calling it the work of the devil.
Some of these denominations have
successfully banned it. What hap
pens when this comes to pass? It
leaves a void in the lives of the
Eskimos — a void that is not easily
replaced.
The taking of this culture face!
has led to some demoralization of
the people. This is a great price to
pay by the Eskimos who have lived
intimately with the dance frowned
upon by people who do not under
stand it; who do not fathom its deep
meaning to the Eskimos who had
embraced it as one of the most ne
cessary outlets to the uplifting of
the soul in their fight for survival
down through the ages.
I believe in the sacredness of a
promise, that a man’s word should
be as good as his bond; that char
acter—not wealth or power or posi
tion—is of supreme worth.
John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
Gov. Approves Rural Project
To Build Up Bank at Pt. Hope
POINT HOPE NEWS, September
26—Gov. Egan recently wrote Dan
Lisbourne that he has approved the
request for a Rural Development
project at Pt. Hope. This is a pro
ject to build up the bank on the
northwest beach by the village.
At an appropriate time, empty
oil drums will probably be filled
with gravel after being bolted to
gether to strengthen the sea wall.
The village was heavily flooded
on August 30, 1962, when the sea
water was blown into the village by
strong northwest winds. It has been
flooded in the past, too. It is hoped
that this project will give enough
strength to prevent this from hap
pening again.
A cultural exchange is taking
place this year between the Pt. Hope
school tGrades 1-8) and the North
Shore Country Day School of Win
netka, Illinois. Grades 1-5 of that
school are participating.
Personal correspondence takes
place between teachers and pupils.
School work is exchanged. Items of
the different cultures are exchanged.
Interest is high both in Winnetka
and Pt. Hope. Parents are interested
too.
Andrew Tooyak, cook at Point
Hope School, reports that the Toklat
Kennels in Aspen, Colorado, would
like to have an Eskimo dog-team
driver. Andrew had that job until
a few months ago when he returned
to Pt. Hope to live.
Andrew said he was disappointed
that he never got the opportunity
to give one of the Kennedys a dog
team ride.
Parents were told to help chil
dren remember to brush their teeth
after eating. The October record
chart will be distributed next week.
A clean cloth can be used if the
child- has no brush. Soda or salt can1
take the place of toothpaste. .
It is also important the children
do not chew gum or eat candy other
than at meal time. The dentist will
be here in November.
Wristwatches will be given by the
council to any school child with no
new cavities since the dentist was
here last year.
September 30—This village has
heard that the Russians are now
whaling off the Aleutian Islands of
Alaska.
Mr. R. D. Hollingsworth. Area
Field Representative for the Nome
BIA District, has sent the following
letter to the Point Hope Village
Council. Dan Lisbourne feels the
whole village deserves credit for
any programs made and publishes
the letter for the Village to read:
Dear Daniel and Council mem
bers:
This letter is to congratulate you
and the council for the fine job you
are doing in administering the af*
fairs of your village.
The voluntary work projects, your
interest in preserving the old time
interesting items, your concern in
the various health programs and
the sanitation and appearance of
your village and many more items 1
could mention all point to a vigor
ous, alert and intelligent council.
With your efforts and attitudes,
your village carinot Help but be
one of the outstanding ones of the
area.
Again congratulations and keep
up the good work.
With best wishes for the future.
Sincerely,
R. D. Hollingsworth
Area Field Representative
Encouragement in such a manner
as this fine letter from Hollings
worth is greatly appreciated. It is
easy to become-discouraged at doing
voluntary work projects when- faced
with- problems of finance, weather,
isolation, and the daily hard work
of making a living in the Arctic.