WHY ESKIMOS OPPOSED AEC'S PROJECT CHARIOT
By HOWARD ROCK
limes Editor
(The tint of a two-vart aeries.)
In 1957 Atomic Energy Commis
sion came up with an idea that a
deep-sea harbor was needed on the
northwest coast of Alaska. It is not
yet clear why this area was chosen,
but one can surmise that someone
speculated the northwest coast was
rich in minerals and that an outlet
to ship these minerals was neces
sary.
No one came to this area to see
whether a harbor would be feasible.
No one came to check on heavy
storms and the tremendous ice
movements. Nevertheless a harbor
was planned and it was to be exca
vated by nuclear explosions.
AEC, then, consulted a govern
ment agency and a Minneapolis com
pany to help it find a suitable loca
tion. The agency and the company
did not come up from lower states
to check rn the site they chose and
recommended. They went to a li
brary and researched and concluded
that the only place suitable for a
harbor was Cape Thompson.
It is apparent from the start
they thought little or nothing of
the safety and welfare of the inhab
itants of the Cape Thompson area.
They did not even make a tiny ef
fort to consult the natives whf> lived
close by and who have always used
(Cape Thompson as a hunting and
egging area.
Three Villages Close
There are three villages that stood
to be affected if the explosion had
taken place: to the east of Cape
Thompson 50 miles away, Noatak;
to the southeast, Kivalina, 40 miles
way; to the northwest, and closest
of the three, Point Hope, 30 miles
away. The combined population of
the three villages is about 750 to
800 people. The economy of these
villages is mainly hunting from land
and sea.
To dig the harbor the AEC, in
1958, planned a nuclear blast that
would have been equivalent to 2,
400,000 tons of TNT. Some reason
able and informed people objected
to the size of the blast and ques
tioned the feasibility of a harbor,
knowing of hurricane force winds,
especially from the west, and the
great grinding force of the moving
icefields. They also knew that the
harbor would be open to traffic for
only to 3 months out of the year.
When these objections persisted,
the AEC reduced the proposed ex
plosive charge to the equivalence
of 460.000 tons of TNT, one fifth of
the initial planned explosion.
Along with the reduction, the AEC
announced that they would conduct
pre-explosion research on biological
and environmental characteristics
of the Cape Thompson area. The
findings of the scientists must have
been eye-openers in those fields,
sufficient enough to cause them to
deem the project inadvisable. In
any case the size of the proposed
shot was further reduced.
Up to the deferment date it stood
at the equivalence of 280,000 tons
of TNT, which still would have
been a tremendous explosion. It
was a series of bombs consisting of
four 20,000 and one 200,000 equiva
lent tons of TNT ,to be detonated
simultaneously.
Greatly Worried
The three closest villages to the
proposed detonation area had the
greatest reason to worry, namely,
their food sources would have been
endangered, their very existence
threatened.
Point Hope, being the closest of
the three was greatly concerned.
She is situated on a finger of
land that is most ideal for hunting
area.
It seemed as if nature had planned
carefully at Point Hope and worked
out a system of spacing the succes
sion of animals hunted. Being
blessed with this bounty, Point Hope
is a successful and prosperous vil
lage.
With the introduction of some
good things of civilization, such as
flour, sugar, tea, coffee, beds, and
fuel, the people of the Arctic have
worked out a system of economy
that is a blend of their culture and
that of civilization.
Two Cultures
The combination of the two cul
tures is compatible, and with a
little boost of learned help it could
be made more successful with a
good economy. The people of Point
Hope, as well as those of other vil
lages, will not readily give up cer
tain good and proven parts of their
way of life. These include the dance,
hunting, dogteams, language, and
one of great importance, the an
nual event of whale hunting.
Hunting of the great bowhead
whale apparently started during the
time since 2000 or 2500 years ago.
Archaeologists have found that
there was no trace of whaling prior
to that time.
During this long period it had be
come a deep-seated tradition and is
observed with ceremonies and feasts
before and after each successful
season.
Nnlukatuk, or blanket tossing,
has always been a special event per
formed only at the end of a success
ful whaling season. It is not, as some
writers would have you believe,
done to sight a lead or open water
on the icefields, but an expression
I of great rejoicing and a tribute to
[ the successful whale hunters.
The taking of whales at Point
Hope is of great importance to the
village. It is also important to na
tives in villages and towns from
Nome to Point Barrow.
These villages anxiously await
the whaling takes at Point Hope.
They relish the meat and muktuk of
the whale.
This past season of April and May.
Point Hope got 6 bowheads. The
known poundage of muktuk. sold
at 95c a pound, was 5.500. Nome
ordered 4.000 pounds and Barrow
1 1.500 pounds. Nome asked an addi
| tional 1.200 pounds but was refused
! because Point Hope people wanted
the rest for food during the coming
winter.
Noatak, Kivalina. and Kotzebue
probably obtained large amounts of
muktuk but the estimate is not
available.
(To be continued!
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