Arctic Survival
The Giant Whale Caused Eskimo Helmsman to Steer Umiak in the Air
( By Howard Rock
i' Times Editor
“If it hadn’t been for the fact
that we were being taken under by 1
the whale, I would have laughed out
loud.’’ said my father laughing and
recalling the incident that happen
ed many years ago that involved my
Uncle Nayukuk.
i Somewhat Lazy
As 1 have told in an earlier article’
my Uncle Nayukuk was a reticent
man. He attempted to make life as
easy as possible for himself. Being
somewhat lazy helped him along,
dubious as that may seem, although
his wife, my Aunt Maumangeena,
gave him little peace. She wanted
him to be like other hunters who
went out every day, weather and
hunting conditions permitting.
Uncle Nayukuk seemed to have
built a shell around himself. He took
nagging and malicious kidding in a
casual manner and never allowed
such things to anger him, that is, if
he was at all capable of getting an
gry.
When his wife became vehement
on his lack of initiative. Uncle
Nayukuk would hunt. When he
brought results, there would be
peace in the little household. It is
not entirely impossible to assume
that if he brought home game it
would make it tolerable for him to
languish a few days and enjoy the
luxury of inactivity.
Unsuspected Ability
Uncle Nayukuk was like a dif
ferent man when whaling season ap
proached. It was hard to tell, of
course, the reason for this, but I like
to think he relished the hunt with
some measure of danger in it. As he
proved conclusively, Uncle Nayukuk
was a fearless man under dangerous
situations. ,
Perhaps wrongly, I always
thought Uncle Nayukuk was not too
bright. I was puzzled why my fa
ther picked him to be the helms
man of his whaling crew, since be
ing one was a decided position of
repsonsibility as to the safety of
the entire crew. My estimation of
uncle's intelligence was totally dis
credited by my father who had ex
plicit trust in Nayukuk's ability by
insisting that he was to be the
helmsman.
Precision
The approach of the whale for the
strike had to be an operation of
precision, and the man responsible
for the proper execution of it was
the helmsman. The angle of the
umiak in relation to the position of
the whale was of prime importance.
To err meant dire danger to the
whaling crew.
At the same time the helmsman
had to place the bow of the umiak
at a most advantageous position
for the harpooner to strike the
whale. The helmsman had to have
thorough knowledge of the whale’s
; behavior under attack and conduct
the maneuver accordingly.
Sighted Whale
One morning around 4:30 the
watchman of my father’s crew
quickly awakened the men who
were sleeping in their winter
clothes so they could go into action
at once. I had been sleeping in the
cook tent and was blissfully un
aware of what was going on.
The watchman had sighted a
whale, a huge one. that had sur
faced about a quarter of a mile
away. The crew ran to the umiak.
My father took his accustomed po
I sition as the harpconer at the bow.
The rest of the six men took their
assigned positions in the boat with
Uncle Nayukuk at the stern as the
helmsman.
Fine Judgement
The chase was on and the men
paddled powerfully with Uncle
Nayukuk heading the prow of the
umiak where he estimated they
would finally take a position di
rectly on the wake and behind the
submerged whale.
As usual, Nayukuk’s estimate
was almost accurate. The whale sur
faced within easy overtaking dis
tance. (Whales surface 3 or 4 times
Barrow News
Barrow Mushers Win Wainwright Flag;
Trooper Needed; Writer Gets Polar Bear
By Guy Okakok
We residents of -Barrow were
: keeping our ears open after the Bar
row mushers left Barrow town last
Tuesday to Wainwright dog races. '
And early Saturday morning. :
23rd, announcer from Wainwright
announce that two Eskimos from ;
Barrow win the big dog races.
Names as follows: Thomas Napa
geak. 1st prize. Joe Tuklee. 2nd. and
Freddie Ahmagoak. son of Rev. Roy
•Ahmagoak. k
The flag 'Wainwright people were
holding can't be there's any more
because they lost to the Barrow
-mushers.
The mushers hasn't come in yet as
they are still down at Wainwright.
They only begin and they will
have it continue every year.
Good for the Barrow mushers!
Trooper Wanted
Our village is increasing each
year and we need to have a trooper
here in Barrow village. Several
people here in Barrow have urged
me to put this down so the Tundra
Times readers could read it and
know what the Barrow village
reeds.
I really are with the people who
really want to have trooper.
Look at our children who are
growing up each year, children who
supposed to be home each evening
after the curfew'. Yet W'e find sev
eral kids stays out after curfew.
We people want to see our chil
dren obey the village rules;
Let's all work together, and I
fknow w'e could do it.
Fine Meeting
In Chamber of Commerce meeting
last Thursday. 21st, our president,
Mr. Osbourne has asked the mem
bers if we village could go ahead
and build a road to dump. The an
swer from one of the members is
very doubtful. Meaning, who will
support the vehicles that we could
use to work with.
The meeting in A Herd Hopson’s
Cafe W'as a wonderful one. Two
long tables w'ere placed, and the
room was full too. Meals were
served to the members and every
one was happy.
After dinner slides of Arlis II
.. » •
were showed to the people. We
thank Mr. Max Brewer of Arctic
Research Laboratory who has been
with the Barrow natives for so long.
I would say around eleven years
now.
Guests from Fairbanks were. Mr.
Leslie Rogers and Miss Beatrice
Towne. social worker. We were glad
to have them with us that night.
Warm Temperatures
This February month used to be
the coldest, month in any month, and
somehow it is different this winter.
Coldest we have this month Febru
ary is 32 below zero.
In 1924 temperature was 56 below.
39 years ago from today. And in
1927 highest recorded was 79 above
in July.
Temperature never goes up above
50 and our climate is always keep
that way. I don't know how our
temperature going to run this com
ing summer.
Sun comes up 9 a m. and sets 5:20
p.m.
Way Down Low
Believe it or not, there is a man
here in Barrow village, an Eskimo
who really could go way low. Chord
in organ is what I could call, low.
But this man could beat that even.
The ministers. 9 years ago, have
test him on his voice. After that
they believed him.
He sure could used his low voice.
He is a resident of Barrow. His
name is Willie Sielak.
Hard Chase
I took Donald Leavitt with me
yesterday. The ocean ice was bro
ken to pieces while we were out.
We came to the little open water,
stop, thinking we will see, or would
see seals.
The temperature was very low
too when we stop. After an hour
stop, Donald came to me and told
me that he was very cold. I said to
him if he wanted to go back home.
“No," he said, “I think I will feel
better after we drink hot coffee
or tea.”
“Now how you feel? Any better?"
1 ask him. He answered and said,
“I'm fine now.”
We were both shivering while we
watching for seals. After eight
hours I said to him, "I think we
better go back or else it will get
dark soon.”
We left riding along on our sled
with dogteam on the smooth ice
not knowing we'd see bear. The
ocean ice was still moving, coming
toward the village. Donald said.
"What is that over yonder? Is that
a man?”
“Why no.” I answered him.
"That’s a bear.”
We anchored our sled and dogs
on the ice. We started to run. I said
to myself while we were running,
“I wish I was still younger so I
could run like I use to.”
We were behind all the time and
seemed we got closer to the bear.
When we could no longer see him
we climb up to the ice ridge. There
he is still walking ahead.
I said to Donald, “Take your
time. He won’t get away.”
Donald wanted to start shooting
from where we were standing. But
I told him we can get more closer
to him. I lead the way running and
he behind me all the time. Another
couple hundred yards we stopped.
When I looked back I saw another
man behind us. He was also run
ning. I had to wait for this person,
whoever he is. When he got to us
I said to the boys. “Take your aim.
We can start shooting from here."
As soon as I said “fire” three guns
fires at the same minute. The bear
began galloping through the very
thin ice. then disappears behind the
ice. He died right there.
After we put the bear in the
sled Donald took it home.
The people up ashore were won
dering at us while they are watch
ing us running and they could
neither see the bear that we chased.
They knew then after we start
shooting.
We skinned the bear outside of
our house. Pictures were taking at
us while we skinned it. The skin
was good one and prime. Exactly
six-foot.
Eight polar bears were caught
so far this winter.
in a series to breathe and then
sound and swim submerged for a
mile or more before surfacing
again.)
Fine Maneuver
This was the moment the crew'
commenced to bear down on their
paddles in unison paced by the har
pooner in a powerful effort to over
take the whale. Extreme care was
taken by the men not to touch the
gunwhale. or any part of the umiak
with their paddles, because that
would make a drumming noise
easily heard by the keen-eared
mammal and frighten him away.
Nayukuk expertly manevuered
the umiak to the right side of the
whale. My father preferred that
side which he considered advan
tageous, when he struck at his fa
vorite target, the spot just behind
the eye, or the temple, where the
bone w'as thin.
A moment before the strike Uncle
Nayukuk placed the craft to that
precise area. The position of the
umiak was at around a 45 degree
angle in relation to the nose and
flukes position of the whale.
Monstrous Whale
As was mentioned earlier, this
particular whale was of monstrous
size. My father struck and hit the
mark, as they discovered later, but
the fuse bomb turned out to be a
dud. The point penetrated the bone
but that was all.
(The fuse bomb is fired into the
target with a powder charge. The
Eskimos acquired the weapons,
darting gun and shoulder gun. from
professional whalers back in the
1880's. Before that time, they used
whale harpoons and the targets
were usually the kidneys or wher
ever internal bleeding resulted.
They shied away from the heart be
cause that target made the animal
react with great violence.)
The Strike
At the moment of the strike the
great whale humped its monstrous
back and the mountain of black
protruded from the water as the
whale sounded in a swirling mass
of foam. It then whipped out its
massive flukes in a great kick to
dive into the sea.
At the impact of the strike the
crew backed off a distance as the
heavy hemp harpoon line at the
bow began to uncoil and whip
around with dizzying speed as the
whale sounded.
Unexpected Snag
Then it happened! the whipping
line caught at the bowsprit and the
umiak suddenly darted forward
under the unplanned tow of the
submerging whale. The tension and
the speed increased as the whale
sounded deeper and deeper.
All of this happened in seconds,
but to the men in the umiak it
seemed an eternity. At once my
father started to tug to free it but
the snag wedged so tightly it was
impossible. As he frantically work
ed the rushing water started to
stream into the umiak. The fury
and power of the diving whale was
taking the boat under with it!
Unforgetable Picture
My father whipped his hand
around to his right hip to pull out
his knife so he could cut the rope
and as he did so he took a mo
mentary glance back at the stern.
What he saw was an unforgetable
picture. Father took particular re
lish of telling of the incident years
afterwards and it never failed to
make him and his listeners laugh.
He related: “When I glanced back,
the stern of the umiak was clear
off the water, quite high, and as we
were speeding forward by our bow
and yawing, there was Nayukuk
frantically trying to reach the water
with his paddle!
“In spite of the gravity of the
situation the spectacle I saw was
one of the most comical I have ever
known. I would have laughed out
loud then, but at that moment we 1
were being taken under by the
whale."
Freed ITnceremoniosuly
Just as father was about to cut
the rope with his knife a loud snap
sounded followed by a deafening
explosion an instant later.
The bowsprit had broken, free
ing the snagged rope and the sec
ond report was caused b yan ex
ploding inflated seal skin float that
was whipped against the water with
such force that it burst.
At the moment the bowsprit
broke, the stern of the umiak fell
back down on the water with a
resounding slap of the flat bottom
of the umiak and the man that was
shaken up badly was Uncle Nayu
kuk who took the shock on his rear
section being the farthest man back.
A minute or so later, after my
father and his men collected their
wits about them, they set out in
pursuit of the wounded whale. By
that time other whaling crews had
seen the action of my father’s crew
and came on to help.
Whale Taken
The great animal was subdued
finally. As it turned turtle, a great
shout arose form the combined
voices of five whaling crews that
assembled at the capture.
Many seal skin floats were at
tached to the dead whale to keep
it afloat and the slow job of tow
ing began. The men sang and shout
ed as they paddled hard toward
the anchored shore ice. Ahead of
them lay two or more days and
nights of hard work required to
cut up a giant whale.
Ancient Custom
According to custom handed
down through the ages, the whale
was awarded to the captain of the
crew that first struck it whether
that crew was present at the kill
or not. In this case my father struck
the animal and he and his crew
were actively participating at the
end.
During the cutting, my father's
fuse bomb was found and he had
planted it right on the target, on
the thin bone on the temple. Had
the bomb exploded it would have
stopped the huge whale instantly.
One Of Largest
When the baleen, or whalebone,
was measured the longest of them
was found to be twelve and half
feet in length, one of the largest
whales ever taken in the history
of the village.
Other whales were taken that
season and the population rejoiced
upon their good fortune and im
patiently waited for the “kahqruq."
the whaling celebration, an ancient
custom performed when the season
is over.
Feat Told, Retold
From the time the whaling season
was over that year, the harrowing
experience of my father and his
crew became one of the most talk
ed about events of the ancient vil
lage. It want on like that for years
afterwards.
It was told and retold by the
members of the crew. and. of
course, my father although he and
his men had no intention of be
littling Uncle Nayukuk. They and
many other men in the village had
respect of his ability as a helms
man.
Butt Of Joke
It was the ordinary, the general
run of people of the village, un
justly I thought, that made him the
butt of the joke as the “man who
steered the umiak in the air.”
If Uncle Nayukuk thought that
he had been wronged he never
made any attempt to right it. He
kept right on living his own way of
life seemingly unaware of the
slighting remarks.
Perhaps, somehow, he knew that
he would someday vindicate him
self by doing a most prodigious per
formance that was ever done by
any man in his village. -5