High in the Arctic !! Eskimo....!

[David J. Eves]

Contrary to popular belief and technology(s)

I was using Vericolor type S professional FILM 100 ISO

My house (for lack of a proper word) had no running water. I had snow as my only source of water !!

60 rolls of vps to develop

Besler 23c enlarger with dicrohic color head, durst semi auto processor

C-41 chemilcals for the film (Kodak)

EP-2 chemicals for the prints (3 1/2 gallon kits)

9 months time / effort to get the job finished

I did this as a courtesy to help the people of Point Hope!

John Denver went to visit Point Hope in 1976.

I was in Boston at the time, and I remember seeing him on the tonight show with Johnny Carson. Mr. Denver was showing some video clips out on the ocean ice of a polar bear.

and the words he used to describe these people, were nothing short of "slander & lies"!

"They caught a whale and left if there to rot!" THAT STATEMENT IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE

not in a million years would these people ever do something so ?? sacreligious! for the whale is there whole lifestyle / culture of worship! (emphasis mine).

The flippers are brought back into town and taken before all the elders in the village, the church bell is rung constantly and EVERYONE knows what that constantly ringing means.. MAKTAK!! (blubber) FOOD! flammable fat. delicious ! this makes all the hard work worthwhile, to be able to eat!! THAT IS ALL THESE PEOPLE WANT.. "just lets us eat" OUR FOOD!

This is all that is left, the skull bone, this get thrown back into the water, so that a new whale can grow, AND THE REJOICING was more intense then when they caught the whale. That skull was from a 27 foot whale in 1982. 1988 we had a 48 foot monster on our hands and the work was so incredible. I just can't imagine what it takes when they catch a 100 foot whale. In the old days, they used to catch 100 whales, that was enough to last the village! Now today 2007, they have 7 attempts, 7 strikes, if you miss, go home, you cannot eat! you must pay for your food in the store!

Wait & watch, day in, day out, week in, week out, for two months! 24/7

Night time is very cold once that sun goes below the horizon, always viglant, waiting & watching.

All this... .. just to eat!...........................no other payment involved! Just a full stomach, that wants MORE !

 

[David J. Eves]

Old traditions, thousands of years old

In this one spot of land! The village had to be moved due to flooding in the 70's. remnants of older cultures / peoples of long ago, and the traditions of the old ways are still visible.

The Successful whaling captain hands out the flippers to each "family name".
The tail of the whale gets buried in a siglauk (sig lock) (perma-frost root celler) when it is first caught in April / May. There it sits.
Fermenting until the entire village is covered in snow in Sept / Oct. then it is brought out and passed around. DANGER !! BEWARE!! YOU MUST NOT eat anything that has sugar in it that day. NO FRUIT, no sugar, NO SODA POP..!!

The consequences is / are "death".

This blubber or meat / that has been fermenting. gives off "gases" of a sort. When a person eats fermented whale it "bubbles" in the stomach and if any sugar has been ingested this coating on the top, will harden and the gas cannot escape and the person dies from botulisim! 1989 -=[ Henry Attanganna]=- passed awayy in this manner, HE FORGOT he had eaten, soemthing that contained sugar, The tail is a "downer" and after a meal, it will put you to sleep, sometimes permanently. NO THANKS is always my reply! M&M's suit me just fine!

Remains of Old familes homes can be seen, and more are still being exposed during the erosion process.

THOUSANDS OF YEARS, in this one tiny spot, TIGARA ( on old maps) Tikigaq / Point Hope. Freedom beyond comaparison, perhaps the harshest climate on the face of the a
earth!

 

[David J. Eves]

Miles out on the OCEAN ICE. .. .. ..

Kathy Rock Age 10 is sitting on a snowmachine. as I approached her and lifted my camera to capture an image of her, she started to smile and I brought the camera down and said NO! please don't do that, just look past me, you can't see me, I am not here, each time, I bought the camera up, her face would change, FINALLY, I got the look I was after, you can't see me.. .. .. just look right past me YES ! -=[CLICK]=- !
That is EXACTLY what I WANTED! WowoW !

 

[Asher Kelman]

So David,

What camera are you using? How old is this girl and does she already know you. In fact doesn't veryone already know you?

Asher

 

[David J. Eves]

Oh yes !

EVERYONE in town knows me, Kathy, knew me quite well, as I was a frequent visitor at her house, her father, Elijah Rock commissioner of Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission.
I had to obtain permission from a lot of people, to be able to go down to the ocean ice and take photographs of a "sacred whale hunt".
In a village of 450 people (1989) News spreads fast throughout the entire village.
Naulaugmi Bostonmuit " A white man from Boston".

When that image above was "created", I spent 1/2 hour talking to Kathy, and only exposed ONE FRAME OF FILM! -=[click]=- The rest of the story is history!

Over a span of 25 years up here I have used a Nikon F3 (that broke down on the most crucial photo) Pentax K1000, Cannon AE1 Mamiya RB 67 & Mamiya C330.

These photos were published in Alaska Magazine 1988, 1989 , 1990 and in a big white coffee table book by Grahix Art publising ouf of Portland Oregon, Alaska's Arctic

THE CAMERA OF MY CHOICE: any camera.. .. .. that doesn't require the use of batteries! I can't use, keep batteries charged and working out on the ocean ice, My camera(s) must stay outside, at all times, sometimes, even encased in ice, and they worked. for my conditions Pentax K1000 is King yes it requires a battery ..but only for the light meter, I quit uisng light meters in 1973, when I learned "HOW TO READ LIGHT". MAMIYA RB 67 is "Kong"!

Those two cameras are all that I need out on the ocean ice. plus about 100 rolls of film for each camera.

There is much preperation to feed so many people, all at once, this is very well co-ordinated. I am surprised at how much is going on at once and it is impossible to show everything in a view finder. -=[click]=-

The most honored Elders @ whaling Festival. the "middle" umiaq to block the wind! The wind never stops here in Point Hope,
constant, never ending, we have wind storms that are vicious, the whole house shakes, "screws" in sheetrock come out just a bit! Planes cannot come into the village. There are times, we have to wait weeks, for the wind, to shift

And there times we are stuck, we can't get out or we can't fly back home, we have to wait. That is the eskimo way, wait! Out on the ocean ice. sit, wait, watch, listen. 24/7 for weeks, THEN THE FOOD ARRIVES! HERE WE CELEBRATE.

and wait.

 

[David J. Eves]

COOKING.. .. the Eskimo way.. .. !

out in the middle of no where @ the festival! USING HOME MADE woodstoves & sicpan.
"seal oil'.

Three days.. .. Eat, Sing, Dance, blanket toss! Eskimo games of all types.

What a feast! food is delivered to where you are sitting! Non stop for hours!

 

[Asher Kelman]

So David,

Right now what camera are you using if any? Are you in fact still regularly taking pictures? Do you have a working scanner or what?

Now are there insects to visit all that open meat? I imagine the most common pests are lekely to be lice and other critters for close communities. BTW, what's the incidence of HIV and other like infections and what happens to the victims? Are they ostracised?

Oh yes, while we are at it, since we have chatted a lot, is it true about getting a wife for the night when outsiders visit?

Can I work on some of your images in photoshop?

Asher

 

[David J. Eves]

Current Status

I rarely go out and or take photographs. I have not the eyesight to focus a camera any longer.

The latest camera: Panasonic 10.10 megapixel 35mm-420mm zoom. quite impressive.

One thing I love about the Arctic.. .. .. no bugs! no insects!

Yes I have a working scanner an Epson 2450

I have many color printers 3 Epson & one high end HP

no one is ostracised to my knowledge, cept in cases of Jail time which is too common among the youth.

if you would like to edit my photos by all means have fun and give it a go! (ANYONE)!!

ANYPHOTO BY ANY MEMBER !

NO .. it is not true about a wife for the night. Maybe in parts of other societies but not in Alaska, I have never heard of that at all. not in 25 years.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Well, I'm sorry about the eyesight! That's why autofocus comes in handy!

The Panasonic 10.1 MP you have it or just remarking how good it might be?

All you'd have to do is point it!

Are you scanning fresh for us or do you already have lots of these images in your computer.

I can speak on behalf of a lot of other people here to let yopu know how we appreciate you continued diary with photogrphs.

Asher

 

[David J. Eves]

762 Tasiq (Tah sick) (lagoon) Street.

Well lets go down the list.

Yes I / we do own the Panasonic FZ 50 and it is a remarkable camera.

This tiny "toasty" shack.. $150 per month. LOL !! $50 per month to heat it. 300 per month electric. soon to rise when we get plumbing / electrical for washer & dryer.

but inside.. .. .. .. .. !! !! !! !! !! three.. .. "kids" high school dropouts, are enrolled in the YOUniversity of "DAD" !

I assign them 'homework" LOL .. and this is what they did today, inside this tiny house!

Two boys sit at these sanders, and using "fossilized" ivory, that we find on the beaches or purchase from other people that have found, and sell to us or others, etc.

Fossilized walrus Ivory thousands of years old !! Washes up on these
beaches annually. A lot of famiies depeond on this as part of their income
as to the ultra high un-employment rate. But life is simple here, quiet, and
the most glorious freedom when out from the village in areas as huge as
ALL OF the New England states and all EMPTY.. .. .. .. .. ! but it isn't

Hand made, here in this house, these gorgeous bracelets.

http://majikimaje.com/shophere/agora.cgi

One of a kind, no two bracelets are ever the same.

All of my whaling photos are FILM from 1982 1983 1988 1989 1990

and they have been on my computer since 1996.

My son Mark went on a whale hunt in 2003 and took some splendid photos

A polar bear was caught and my son was there, for that.

 

[David J. Eves]

-=[polar bears]=-

Are Extremlly dangerous & very UNPREDICTABLE.

Eskimo's do not hunt the polar bear, that is only asking for trouble !

But when they enter the village, we have to either get them out of town, or take them down, we have no other choice.

Even after that bear is dead, stone cold dead. That bear can still kill !
When that bear is opened up, GREAT CARE must be taken not to get any "juice" on your skin. It will kill you, _ "too much VITAMIN A" the liver must be destroyed and burnt. same with any clothing that gets that "juice" on it.
Barrow Alaska 1940's an Eskimo hunter had just finished working on a polar bear and was blowing on his hands, to warm them. He got the tinest bit of that juice on his lip.

His entire body, hair, all bleached pure white, he lived many many years, and is well known all throughout the entire north slope.

There are lot about polar bears that most people are not even aware of.

they are not cuddly animals, they are fierce predators. During whaling, women must leave the ice @ that time of month. Whales & bears have very powerful sense of smell.

ALL BEARS.. .. .. are left handed. They will always strike with the left paw.

Dec 1990 Charles Stalker Jr. III, My electrical apprentice in Point Lay (north of here) was killed & eaten by a polar bear that was after his pregnant girl-friend.
Charles distracted that bear away from his girl-friend, he was armed only with a knife. sob. He lost. 1950's Allan Rock was attacked out on the ocean ice by a polar bear, he was armed with only a knife. the bear lost!
1960's Billy Weber was out on the ocean Ice and was charged by a bear and Billy did what anyone would do.. he ran. Armed with only a 22. Billy pointed that rifle back as he was running and shot that bear in the one spot necessary to kill a polar bear.
In the ear. He only had one bullet!

A bear will sit over a hole in the ice, with his paws over his nose and eyes. When that seal surfaces, it is all over that quickly.. .. burp!

Scientits are puzzled at the recent amount of polar bears that they find drown in the water. They are mistaken in thinking it is from long swims, and they can't reach the other ice packs.
the real reason is that more and more polar bears are trying to ATTACK walrus'

when a walrus is streched out on its back, head back sleeping on the ocean ice, and a bear makes the mistake of lunging at that walrus neck, the walrus merely lowers the tusks over the bears head and rolls over into the water and drags the bear to the bottom and drowns him.

The most delicious meat I have ever tasted in my life, : Polar bear meat. Jet black, grainny like a piece of dark wood, so sweet, tender. It was the ONLY TIME I have ever asked for seconds. everyone said NO!

The hunter prepares the bear, and the women provide a "native tan" to the skin. Extremly hard difficult work to do with Ulu knife. It takes many many hours and many women to accomplish this task.

These ulu knives have to be very very sharp to scrape the skin. In every house in the kitchen there is a big flat rock for sharpening ulu knives. Every woman has an assorment of them in all sizes home made. They are just the best knife to work with. The design makes it so easy to cut quickly and safely!

 

[Mike Guthman]

David

Thank you for this wonderful thread... I wake up every morning hoping for a new post.

Mike

 

[David J. Eves]

Well thank you so much for your comments!!

and the post continues.. Polar Bears - "JJ" RUSSELL LANE. has entered the Iditarod race several times. He has placed high in the finish but not in the top three yet.

Russell proudly displays his first polar bear, 1989 a nine foot bear was taken down. This skin is worth $15,000 ! But they are not allowed to sell the entire skin. It must be cut up and used for Arts & Crafts & clothing.

during the 1970's it was LEGAL for the white man to hunt the polar bear, a permit was needed, the permit was good for one day only. The cost of the permit was 10,000.

They had to shut this down because too many great white hunters were "cheating" and shooting polar bears from the air, in chartered planes. This practice was discontinued, and the only people allowed to hunt this bear is / are Eskimo's only.

You can easily see how dirty the skin is and the yellowisih tinge to the overall fur. This is thrown into the ocean, tied very stronglly and securly with rope and the ocean will clean the skin to its original whiteness.

then we need the wind, to dry out the skin, this can take months! We depend on the wind for many "actions". One of which is to "break" the ice.

At this very moment the ice is thick and landlocked and stretches from point hope directly over to Russia, in olden days long ago they would walk across, to visit relatives!

in order for the lead to open, we wait on the wind, at this present moment, April 10, 07 we need a very STRONG north wind, to crack that ice so the lead will open.

From here in town. we know, when that ice has cracked and broken and started to open up, many miles out on that ice pack. "JUST BY LOOKING AT THE SKY "!!!

we need some clouds to determine when this has happened. clouds are white-ish
and they receive the reflections from the ice, so when that ice has cracked and started to open; the clouds will be very dark because there is no ice rerflecting up in that spot, and the sky / clouds will show the lead opening, as a wide dark line on the clouds, it is very easy to see. Once that shows up.. we are ready to move the entire community out to the ice to begin the hunt!! right now, everyone, is ready, standing by, waiting, for that WIND STORM we need, we have had three of them the past two weeks vicious wind, but not enough to crack that ice open. so we use the time tested eskimo method.. .. we wait! we watch, everything is packed, ready for the ice to become populated with 700 hungry people who want THEIR FOOD!

iT DOES NOT MATTER how cold out it is, children want / need to play out, even if it is 50 below zero, they will still play outside all day long!

The white cloth belt that woman is using, is to help the baby SIT inside her parky. there is a child, inside her parky that is 1 year old.

 

[Kathy Rappaport]

Your Ulu is bertter than my Ulu!

When you visit the tourist Alaska, there are shops on every corner selling Ulu knives with small chopping bowls to cut up herbs and things.

I was in Alaksa last year for the 2nd time and got to visit the interior, ride the sled of Iditerod Dogs from a winning team and cuddle some of the new puppies in Talkeetna. Our cruise ship had some engine problems and we missed our trip to the Northern parts of Denali and Barrow.

One day I will go back but not by cruise ship. I am loving the stories you tell and more so your images. We can only imagine what living up north of the Artic. What a magical place!

 

[David J. Eves]

Well Eskimo's' make their Ulu's out of an old.. ..

used, dull skill saw blade! add a nice ivory handle or bone handle for the authentic look. The Ulu's they sell in Anchorage and in all the tourist type shops are small tiny ones! It depends on what your cutting up as to which size you use. I have seen very tiniy ones used for cutting or sewing that are laughable mini - micro ulu's.. doll size! but they are just so effective.

The bravest man I have ever met.. .. Lost his nose, out on the ice.

http://majikimaje.com/wally.html

Yes the Arctic has some incredible tales to tell, this is a "different Planet" our world is so mellow and SLOW. That is the part I like s-l-o-w nobody is in a rush to do anything. We enjoy life to the absolute fullest, with unheard of freedom(s). Imagine an area, New York State & Massachusetts.. all empty.. that huge area, now go out into it.. alone... or with friends, the freedom of becoming one with the land all around you as your backyard for hunting or picnics, or fishing etc.

Imagine a huge family reunion, that lasts two months but instead of being in a Picinic park area or amusment area, we are out on the ocean ice, warm, happy, and excited as young children get Christmas Eve.

My four sons
-=[Great Grandparents -Aaka & Aapa -Lilly & Donald Oktollik ]=-

Donald was an Episcopal minister in Point Hope, He passed away in 1990 @ age 90

Lilly passed on in 2003 @ 98

Whaling Fesitval has much diversity in foods. "Mikiaq" is a special recipie that each family has its own custom blend. This is "fermented whale meat" DANGER! - BEWARE.

no sugar consumption previously that day.. .. or you will pay.. with your life as this will be your last day. this is not my idea of food!

I'll pass.

-=[Elizabeth Oviok]=- handing out "fermented whale meat" !! seconds anyone ?

Fermentation takes place in a "Siglauq" (sig lock) deep into the permafrost some 20 or 30 feet down or more. These are very dangerous, The siglauq is covered with several sheets of plywood and tarps. when it is opened, it must air out for many hours before a human can climb down in there on a ladder. A rope is usually tied around the person going down into that pit, the gases present can cause unconsciousness very rapidly.
and death.

In the long length of time I have been here, I have never heard of anyone getting hurt down in a siglauq, but it has happened in decades long ago, I am told.

-=Elizabeth Elizabeth]=-!! (to be continued) ! LOL,

 

[David J. Eves]

Eggs in the arctic are a real treat ! GORGEOUS EGGS like you have never seen

these eggs are the size of a PEAR and inside they LOOK & TASTE are identical to what you call an egg.
There is only one catch to getting these eggs. LOL you gotta climb a sixty story building while birds attack you and drop rocks on you!

Death defying brave people climb these clliffs every summer time, we have berries, many types, even cranberries, $200 for a five gallon bucket full is the going rate.

Gasoline is over $5.00 per gallon here. So it is expensive to take a ride to Cape Thompson, which is easily seen from the village.

Fish ia plentiful in all types, too many for me to name especially since I don't like phish.

I'll take a bag of M&M's PEANUTS..

SMOKED SALMON is all over the village by the TONS. Freezers are packed to the max. fish and caribou meat, and many other type animals. FOOD is very plentiful here but it is very expensive now to hunt long distances. and STRANGE THINGS happen out there and the stories are many and UN-believeable,

when a caribou is killed. it takes two grown men (HUNTERS) to move that animal.
it is IMPOSSIBLE for one man to carry one, over his head, and RUN.

Yet it happens all too much up here. "Ingaukalaurauqs" .. .. .. "The little people".

These "tiny little people" used to live in Point Hope many many years ago, but moved out of the village, due to one of their young getting eaten by a dog.

They live out there in the vast empty regions, between Noatak & Point Hope. They are known all throughout the arctic and these people possess incredible strength and speed.
they dress in 100% caribou skins & still use bow & arrow.

Joe Oktollik went hunting last fall for caribou, snow is everywhere, he shoots and kills a caribou from a far distance away near the begining of a frozen lake. He shot that caribou and saw it fall down. By the time he got down to the place where the caribou was,, it was gone. No tracks.. none to the left, none to the right & none straight ahead.... Joe said.. "the last place I looked... was UP !

gone, vanished, this happens a lot out here. these little people live underground and in caves, they will ALWAYS HELP someone who is stuck by magically appearing out of no-where and disappearing in a flash, in a streak or blur they are just so fast.

My son Isaiah spotted one in the village two years ago, lying down on the ground with a wolf skin over itself crawling towards a house, they often come into the village to get food. As my son slowly started walking toward that "?? dog"? it jumped up and ran away so fast in like a blink of an eye he told me.

Luke Koonuk Jr. was out hunting last year, and far out from the village his 4 wheel honda was stuck in a rut of mud and tundra which is very soft and spongy. He tried and tried and tried to move that honda but he didn't have the strength to get over those ruts. As he was bent over trying to catch his breath, out of the corner of his eye, he saw his honda rise up and move over and dropped on the solid ground, by the time he turned around, it was a blur going away gone in a split second.

Stories like this abound in the arctic. Pilots report seeing very strange things when flying.
Caribou.. horizontal moving on their sides as though something is under them running!!
horizontal caribou ? little people are often seen running with a caribou. in other words.. they are carrying it!! Piolts report seeing this, People in Kivalina (south of piont hope) have called the village here many times with reports of little people. Many people have been rescued and owe their lives to the help of these people.
they speak the same dialect of Inupaq as the people of the villages speak.

HOOFMAN or Tuttu man has been spotted in all villages above the Arctic circle, he is well known and feared. Half human with the legs of a caribou & hoofs. Again this individual has been spotted in all villages and in Point Hope in 1989 two young girls were playing at the snow fence at the end of town and .. .. .. well put it this way.. those two girls came running into that house in total hysteria! I mean in hysterical shock, it took days to calm them down even with sedatives from the clinic. They say the same words over and over and over.. "hoofman" ! in Barrow only he is reffered to as Tuttu man. Tuttu is Eskimo for Caribou.




-=CAPE THOMPSON]=- 40 MILES south of Point Hope.. this is where we get eggs.

Lets go up.. and take a look around.

Now this is what life is all about. ahhha! sit back, lets stay here for a week or so. We have plenty of food with us. Dried salmon, Dried caribou, and plenty of liquids. The sun won't set, lets stay here and sit and just enjoy for a few days.. no stress.

no one is around.. We can easily see point hope from here, and if anyone is approaching.
(chuckle) !!

no more traffic jams, no more noise, no more crowded places, just BEAUTY, MAGNIFICENT BEAUTY ALL AROUND US.

I wouldn't leave this place no matter what. there is no place on earth as beautiful as this vast wideopen land called the Arctic! -=[ALASKA'S ARCTIC]=-

SOON WE hope to offer some videos of what we do up here, but that is scheduled for next fall perhaps, we have much to do coming shortly with whaling then walrus hunting, and fishing and caribou hunting & getting ready for the long dark cold winter that is coming quickly next Sept.

 

[Georg R. Baumann]

Dear David,

I was invited to the forum 2 days ago, and I planed to have a quick preliminary look whether it is worth my time, needless to say, my plan for the day was screwed as I was glued to the screen for hours.

You had me laughing, you had me in tears in deed!

Respect is the key to the solutions of the future, respect for all creation, something that comes naturally to those people I assume, hence they live with a wide open heart and are perceived as loving and warm people in deed.

My travels to the maldives for example taught me similiar, while earmarked as one of the poorest nations in the world, I only saw happy people, people with a smile, a childlike shyness, a childlike curiosity, rich people in deed, very very rich people!

I was wondering, speaking about nutrition, how do they manage to maintain a somewhat healthy diet? No fruits, no veggies? Or is such avaliable?

I fear for those people and it triggers my anger to think that accountants and burocrats endanger their entire lifestyle by such quota systems.

I fear for those people thinking that our ignorance towards global warming may cause them to become refugees in deed, like the people on the maldives as well.

Thank you very much for sharing this with us!

It is important!

 

[David J. Eves]

Well I sure appreciate those kind words and I ..

.... .. have achieved my goal by, capturing your attention and interest & creating in you the laughter that I so eagerly attempt at all times with these people, and others.

Cape Thompson from the Point Hope view 25 miles south.

This place is freaky at times, a great place for an Alfred Hitchcock movie.

Climbing up for eggs, higher and higher, I hope they don't notice us, ha ha! I sure wish I could understand what they are saying, just looking at us like that gives me the creeps.
They say that if you get dizzy or nervous, to suck an egg (contents). I guess it is some type of Eskimo placebo.. .. .. perhaps.

these birds KNOW,, we want the eggs, some of them.. just a few, each egg is a GIANT size omlet and then some. HERE COMES the welcoming committee.. swopping down, to check us out.

Scientists are baffled also, how do these people survive on a diet of fat, and few if any fruits and no vegetablesl!

Berries grow all over the arctic region, August is usually the month for pickinig those. Cranberries go for $200 for a 5 gallon bucket. Not all people pick berries, and some make a living off this and bring them to Kotzebue to sell to people from other villages that pass through the area. Salmon berries are called that because they taste like fish.. yuk! I much prefer the multi-colored peanut M&M's.

The Point Hope Native Store has a full assorment of canned goods and "fresh" up here in the arctic is something to laugh about. I have invested in a phototron (dot com) to attempt to grow FRESH TOMATOES here in my house. I am going to attempt to become an "arctic farmer" and hope the results are 1/2 as good as the people at phototron claim their unit is.

Hard to believe, that even in this harsh land, where the land is frozen over for 10 months of the year, the beauty of the earth can bring forth such lovliness, even up here! WowoW !

 

[David J. Eves]

The Ice is where is all happens,

This is a place of supreme quiet, the only noise is from the sound of the wind, and the ice.
Adventure Land, cold, windy, frozen, quiet; and fascinating, this is truely a 'DIFFERENT WORLD'
I have heard things up here that just don't make sense, I have had things happen to me that just don't make any sense what so ever, SOMEONE has one heck of a sense of humor. And I got a lot of questions! lots of them. ... ...

Crusing for food, waiting for a whale to surface. Here is a true story, and I want to know WHO? .. .. how ?? "coincedence" NOPE.. I don't believe in that one bit. Here in are the specifics of that "precise" event as it took place. I am all alone, totally 100% alone on the ocean ice. Everyone is gone. no one is in sight, I feel like "King of the Ice" wow. this is pretty amazing, here I am, look at me, wow, and I walk over to the edge of the ice. right there, where it is calm, at the edge.

FLOYD Oktollik is looking back at me smiling, and I know what he is thinking, .. ha ha.. what is that dumb city boy going to do next.? LOL .. they depart. they head out of sight and I walk over to the edge, looking around me all over alone, I walk up to that edge and stick the tips of my bunny boots over the edge a couple of inches. I have a camera s trap around my neck, camera is mounted squarelly on my chest and I place my hands behind my back and stretch a little taller and smilel as if to say.. .. "look at me now".. ha ha. THERE WAS NO WARNING.. the water was complete "glass" still; Perfect! WowoW Oh is this so beautiful, and then, I am looking at a huge hole, in the blackness ?? and it rose, and WHOOOSSSHHH !!! That "hole" was the size of a large bowling ball, My leg could have easily fit down there.. WHOOOSSHH!! oH my ever loving sense of smell will never be the same.. what is that stink ??? and he is ALL OVER ME.. that damn whale spit all over me when he blew his blowhole.. direct shot.. perfect shot.. I am soaking wet.. I stink like I can't describe,, and I am running back to the camp.. I am soaked all over, head to toe.
By the time I reached the tent area .. and them women saw me coming, as I got closer, I could see the question marks coming out of their heads ! As I drew nearer and they saw all the ice, hanging off of me, they went into uncontrollable laughter, it was very easy for them to put 1+1 together! Get away from here.. NO! STAY OUT OF THE TENT.. and they all fell down laughing for so long. I had to wait outside while they melted snow and threw a hot rag at me to clean that STENCH off my face, hands, camera, all over me, yukky stuph. whew.. NOW .. i WANT TO KNOW.. whose idea whas that ??? that is question #1 and question number two.. WHO? laughed the loudest and the hardest.?
3. l hope, somenow, it is possible someday to see a "replay" of that whale sneaking up on me and spitting all over me, soaking stinking , whew, OMG you have an incredible sense of humor!

I never ever went near, the edge of the Ice ever again. To see that massive beast, magically appear right in front of me, with no noise, not even the slighest ripple of that water.. and he was lined up on me PERFECTLY.. that spray.. was massive.. !

but that is nothing, compared to what is coming, ALL TRUE. oh yes.! for sure for sure.
There is a reason I stay up here in this "paradise" of the frozen far north.

rUINS THAT DATE back many hundreds of years, This spot has been occupied for over 3,000 years!

THIS IS REAL, the stories are strange but true.
Two hunters were at the old town site, hunting ducks. Two ducks flew over and one hunter shot, and killed one of the ducks, The duck that survived, did an instant "dive" toward that hunters house, the hunter took careful aim as that duck dove towards his house. BOOM.. and the hunter, shot his own dog! as the duck flew up up and away!


Anything can happen up here, out there in the middle of no where, stories abound of lost hunters, in storms, and an old sharmin will appear, dressed in clothing of long long ago, and direct that person, how to get home, This seems bizarre, but they all say the same thing, that when that sharmin appears, not only does it "scare" the living daylights out of the hunter as he takes off as full throttle, the sharmin is always running as fast as the snowmachine telling the hunter, pointing which way to go, so many hunters tell of this experience when lost out there in the middle of a white out storm, no sense of direction.

I was told once, if you get lost, just look at the ground. HA ! what the heck am I going to tell by looking at the snow on the ground in the middle of a storm.??
It is always North Wind, that makes a lot of sense to them, but to me? what do I know. but if you look at the ground you will see "ruts" where the wind has blown, they point to.. Point Hope... I guess you follow the land until you hit the ocean and then turn right, or left ?? I am lost already. but I did go out .. once.. way far away. many tmes, but one time in particular is just too crazy to ever ask anyone to ever believe. because it is 100% impossible . & I have 5 witnesses that say.. .. .. yes this did happen! and I still have a very hard time dealing with this true event. I was there, and I still am totally speechles as to HOW ? I need to find a map to show and explain this IMPOSSIBLE event, with 5 witnesses. Ever see a big ulu knife.. ? yeah you see the small ones, I had one at my neck, when my mother in law; well.. sit down. and I will try my best to explain this simply and quckly and easily.. One map.. .. ONE PHOTO..

This is very difficult for me to explaiin only because this defies the law of gravity and the laws of physics.

The yellow line, ( start lower left) is my route. The end of the yellow line, far right is where I fell off my snowmachine. 80 miles, How did my machine, go the whole way back to Ada boat precisely, from 80 miles away. The strangest part is not that it made that IMPOSSIBLE journey, BUT THAT the machine survived a 600 foot plunge from up on the mountains down to the ocean ice, made three critical turns and CLIMBED up top of 30 - 40 foot high ICE PRESSURE RIDGES.. the tracks were clearly visible for 20 MILES!
In order for a snowmachine to ride the tops of those pressure ridges, the machine would have to be @ a 45 degree angle to the ocean ice, thus defying gravity. But the full explanation will be here soon. The last thing, my mother in law said to me, was you better be home before it gets dark, DON'T MAKE ME GET SEARCH AND RESCUE to go looking for you. I will be right back Momma I said. ha ha ha.. when I came in and told her what happend, (search and rescue was outside ready to go looking for me). she grabbed a huge ullu and had it up against my neck. saying .. don't you ever lie to mek like that, or i WILL CUT YOUR HEAD OFF, right here, and her daugher ran in and said no momma.. it happened.. she replied. BULL ets.!
She jumped up grabbed her parky put it on and ran out of the house. TWO HOURS later, she came home, laughing, dancing all over the house, with her arms up .. dancing,, it's true, it's true, its true.!!! they took my snowmachine away from me and wouldn't let me drive ever again.!!

 

[Georg R. Baumann]

Note to self: Do not eat pasta when reading David's reports, half chewed Pasta on my keyboard is a sticky mess.

There may be a rational explanation, but.....yes, strange things can happen once one is connected to the "sprit world" in deed. "Someone" is looking after you I guess.

David, by all means, did you ever consider to offer this and more to a publisher? I would not be astonished in the least if you can get a book published with your experiences, stories, pictures etc., Heck I am sure you would find a publisher!

Seriosuly!

Whale snot.... ROFLMAO Uuuuuuhahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pheww.... No food or drink anymore for me while reading your posts!

 

[Klaus Esser]

David!

I´m absolutely thrilled by your story and even more by your photographs. Some have the ability to become classics in my eyes. Beautyful.
My kids just saw the pictures and are impressed as i am.

all the best from a slightly ;-) warmer region of our globus, Klaus

 

[David J. Eves]

Thank You Very Much Klaus

I agree with what you say, that some of these images are "classics". I could see it and so could others, as many companies went to great lengths to steal a lot of my work in the past.

I have a very strong suspicion that many of my images are published in Japan or in China, But I make a handsome years pay from these images each and every year, and growing by leaps and bounds.

I reallly don't want / need this money and we want to give it all over to the children of this village. a youth center that meets the needs of the children is an absolute must for this village. times are changing rapidlly up here. the hunting that was so necessary in the past is dying out. A - YOUniversity is needed up here in the worst way. I can't go into specific details but this is our #1 need in this village. My sons are carving Ivory and that money also is destined to build this new YOUniversity for the children of Point Hope.

I have learned much about computers and how to draw in 2d, and in 3D. These children need to make an EDUCATIONAL LIFESTYLE / CULTURE game that will astound the world and rake in the bucks to support this village.

This summer an addition is being put on the back of our house to start up a computer lab to teach these children how to ADVANCE in the new technologies they must learn to survive in this new world that is upon us.

COMPUTER animation can be quicly & easily learned, it onlly took me ten years to learn this, reading and studying by myself. Now what took me ten hard frustrating years to learn can be easily taught to anyone in a matter of hours. These publishers of all these big reference books are only interested in filling volumes of impressive looking material.

the actual size of information that a student quicklly needs to learn is condensed into just a few pages. THEORY is not importatnt at this stage, results are. THEORY COMES LATER. when the entire concept is understood.

I have taught photography to many students. How to Print Color - 4th graders up to 80 years young! These complete rookies made splendid color enlarements without knowing the first thing about theory, The easily went on to master the color relationship concepts of primary & secondary color using subtractive color printing methods!

Two animations http://majikimaje.com/ld03.zip The Lone Drummer wa sitting and tinking about the good ol days, when people danced and sang, then he hears a sound, and wakes up, is he dreaming ?

TIGLUK goes hunting, He is about to go go hunting but he is not outside where he thought he was ! http://majikimaje.com/Hunting.zip


Tyrek is all built, had all the necessary bones and rigging with controllers and is all ready to be animated with lifelike movements, A new computer has to be built for the powert to accomplsh this tedious task of animating. My computer is maxed out with all the new techniques I have learned in 3D character animation.

From high in the Arctic.. .. Eskimo !!
There is lots more yet to come!

 

[Georg R. Baumann]

Dear David,

Spontaneous thought.... Yes, as Klaus said so rightly, I also want to thank you for sharing this wonderful thread with us here, it is truly amazing and I look it up daily hoping for some new postings from your amazing place!

I would love the idea to "use" this forum and the fine people around here to help you in your endeavours in any way possible. I wonder what others might have to say to this?

I want to make a first step here, and I offer you 20% of each sale from the very first portfolio that I am planing to produce and sell, to put towards this planed University. Now I know, and I am sorry to say this is a long shot, and it won't happen over night, but I am serious about it. If you like that idea let me know. I would need to have some information material that I can include to my portfolio which explains where the money goes, the purpose and so on, no rush just think about it. - I am convinced that the solutions of the future for our global problems is education! This is why I chose to offer you this little help. -

I am not too familiar with american law, but the thought crossed my mind as to whether it would make sense to have a non profit status quo and take advantage of the structure to be able to raise funds for your projects?

The combined power of the very fine people in this forum could make a huge difference and bring some much needed change and future perspective to this part of the world.

Think about it folks.... Thanks!

 

[David J. Eves]

Well gentlemen.. thank you so much.. .. !

Your offer is grand but not necessary. The federal government has grant programs that are our major source of obtaining necessary funding. My son MarkAndrew, has just been hired by the city of Point Hope, working closelly with the Mayor of the village. they are currently in Utah, attending some workshop in grant writing and preparation.

Once the snow & Ice are gone (Late June/ July) then the village is scattered all over the place up river searching for fossilized ivory. It is quite common to find a "black" baseball bat size of fossilied ivory, something like that will easily sell for 3,000. One familyy found 9 burlap fishing bags full of fossilied one summer, this is s major source of income for many people.

There is one place where every one knows about. At the end of August at midnight is when it floats up onto the beaches in Koataq area. Old Artifacts are often found on the beaches. This one for instance was passed all around, people were trying to figure out what it was used for

the tiny handle fits into the hand nicely and suggests it was used as somem type of "saw". but I came up with the perfect explanation. This instrument is held and put into a bowl so they could turn it around and around and pick up the spaghetti !

Oh well, everyone got a good chucklel out of that one.

Here is what appears to be an old Knife of sorts.

Jet black ivory, many thousands of years old. This is quite thick and quite heavy, I am sure this is not the ol butter knife from long ago either.

Karen Weber came to me, and said. t his wedding photo is ripped and torn, can you fix it ? I smiled and said sure, nothing to it. this is simple stuff to do, and to prove it, I handed this job over to an Eskimo woman (Elizabeth Oviok) Age 50, she had never worked in any type graphix program ever. she had no computer knowledge what so ever when I said .. here.. I want you to do this and I wll show you how simple it is to do.

This is the photo I was handed

Again, this woman, had no prior experience on a computer, ever. Adobe Photoshop is open on my computer (dual monitors 21") and photoshop is open on her computer that she is using. (dual 19" monitors).

Zoom in as far as you can, pick the SMALLEST SPOT, take a color sample using the eyedropper, brush, stipple, smudge, to blend it all in.. zoom out to check your work.

that is how simple this is to do.

She spent 5 hours the first night, and 3 hours the next day. Karen Weber was all smiles when she came to pay for the finished print(s). I gave the money to Elizabeth! she did an outstanding job for her very first attempt!

Just like the "barber" said.. .. .. .. .. .. NEXT !

 

[Georg R. Baumann]

I was obviously under a somewhat wrong impression then. Well, I guess it is the thought that counts. <smiles>

Impressive David!

 

[David J. Eves]

So sorry - with Explanation !!!

These images will all be back on the first of the month.

My bandwidth was exceeded due to 10,000 hits per day on my web site.

I am in the process of finding a new host with 10 times the allowed bandwidth.

Our Earth Station (wireless) went down in the village over two weeks ago, I have been lost without any way to post or view news or anything. NOW I feel totally cut off from the rest of the world, but to bring you up to date,

April 28th J J "Russell Lane" caught his very first whale! 36 foot, the village is going wild with people responding on the VHF radio in town. Cheering, singing, and praise!

The person or Captain to first catch a whale, it is his choice to set the 3 day date for whaling festival in June.

The Captain must give the entire whale, to the elders of the village, The Captain receives no share from his catch. Other crews take a portion of their shares and give back to the captain, so he has food also.

April 27th, Robert Kingik was taking a snow machine down to the lead opening with Erin on the sled in the back of the machine. It was extremly overcast which makes seeing extremlyl difficult, snow was new on the ocean ice and it was hard to see the old trails. The Ocean lead opening was all "slush" and Robert didn't notice it or see it and drove the snowmachine right off the edge of the ice into the ocean. As the passenger on the back of the ten foot sled, saw the machine go down, into the water, Erin quickly rolled off the sled onto the ice. Robert was in the water, struggling to keep his head above the water unsucesfully, He cried out, I know I am going to die today Erin, I will see you in Heaven or in hell and he went down, Erin shoved his arm down into the slush and grabbed Robert as he disappeared. That 11 year old boy, somehow got that 22 year adult out of the water back onto the ice. IMMEDIATELLY all clothing had to be cut off Robert until he was stark naked, then Erin took his jacket off and skipants and got them on Robert and he was quickly rushed to a warm tent to wait for new clothing to be brought to him so he could continue to hunt. The Captain of that crew, Luke Koonuk was furious when he found out that Robert lost his snowmachine into the ocean depths, Life is tough here and danger is always present in many ways !

Stay tuned for more images soon to come, from High in the Arctic ... ... Eskimo !!

 

[David J. Eves]

well it has been a fun week

Two power failures resulting in a fried power supply, and this week I was finally able to successfully obtain a new host with 3000 gig for bandwidth, and again I apologize for the images going down, they wont' disappear ever again. 25,000 hits in just two days pushed me right out of the picture so to speak and immediate action had to take place.

All is fixed. but George you have had me thinking lately and what or how to do what has to be done to help the children in these villages.

The current Grant program(s) and the methods they use.. JUST DON'T WORK.. for 30 years I have been watching how this is all done and it doesn't matter which village, the money is always misused and the children are left without anything to do.

Lets face it the old ways are gone. VCR's DVD'S wide screen tv. X-box, Wii Why and every other high tech toy known to man.

The old ways are disappearing quickly, the media hype concerning global warming is very confusing.

Ocean Ice has been getting closer and closer and closer to land. I have seen this for the last 27 years.
During the 90's we often had to camp on land when we went whaling, BUT: for the last four years in a row. The ice has been exceptional, the best we have seen in decades.

At this very moment we are camped out, 5 miles out on the Chukchi Sea in the Bering Strait of upper Alaska in the Arctic regions.
more to follow shortly . - !

 

[Georg R. Baumann]

David,

forget about the media hype, take it from the horses mouth:

http://www.ipcc.ch/

The relevant information is all there.

There is no denying that it will affect us all. The people on the Maldives, the people in Alaska, we all will feel its impact in one way or the other.

 

[David J. Eves]

Well today all I know is what I see

That is our tiny world, what we see, feel and observe in the weather and our surroundings. Our world is small, we notice any changes in our enviornment around us.

Even though Point Hope is but a speck, we see the changes in the lands we travel through when hunting,

The government through Federal Grants has given millions to construct an evacuation road out of here in case of flooding. BRILLIANT IDEA. this road which is named 7 mile by the townspeople . is 25 miles short of its objective. The road is already lower than the town ! Due to permafrost melting the vast open unprotected tundra.

Today I took my "eyes" out for a walk to see if could capture anything of intrest to post.

Christopher Nashookpuk next door neighbor across the street in front, extremly hard - core hunter, this is all he does, day in and day out.

Brown bear rugs ! and lots of meat for the freezer.

nothing imported from China here,, just the real thing! The dogs in this village are vicious, they will attack or eat anything or anyone if they get loose. Tobassco sauce has to be put on their chains, or they will in time, chew through them enough to weaken them to break loose. This is why the Ingaukaluariauks ( little people ) left point hope, long ago, a dog broke loose and ate one of their young.

although many people think this is just a legend or myth of the little people, too much proof exists to this day as to their existence, still out there, living the old ways, using bow and arrow. Dressed in only caribou skins (heavy skin) These people can do things that YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE, they are often spotted when hunters are lost or stuck or in any type of trouble.

They live underground and in caves in the region and have been spotted in all villages above the Arctic circle,

Powerful Shammins lived among the people of Point Hope long ago, and stories abound of
there old ways,

With a 3,000 year old HISTORY, there is much on the internet about Point Hope, diggings and archelogical diggings and such. Much is known about these ancient peoples who were all but wiped out, Over 10,000 people.. .. .. reduced to just 190, but they have survived and are growing and have over 1,200 now, many live in Anchorage or Fairbanks and in other cites of the lower 48 states.

Here's my buddy 'Pete" . ! Ever hear of the "oxymoron" Military Intelligence ??


Take an eskimo @ 50 below zero and stick him in the jungles of vietnam !

I have worked with Pete for many years, he is an electrical apprentice, just one of many of mine that I have trained in this village and a few others.

Pete isn't all there, but he is a great friend of mine. Pete lives in the Old Town site during the summer time. He wants to go BACK to the old ways. I sit for hours with him listening to his stories of how it used to be.. Pete just walks the beaches and old town site daily, every day, he can dig in his lot, he owns the land and the "house"

Would you believe.. .. that in this village.. .. there is a "Stratavarius Violin" ? ! !

and Old Coins up the Wahzoo !! Jabbertown We need to get a new high tech metal detector and head down there this summer. Jabber town was named so because of the difficulty in people understanding each other. It was a "party" type town. Old whalers from other countries thus the name, but thousands of eskiimos lived in Jabber town also,
Mass starvation and "wars" between the clans over food, and in one instance hundreds of people died over the death of one dog!

Late 1890's era a Tigara (Tikigaq) A native resident went to Barrow Alaska and entrusted the care of his dog to a certain man. The dog died and upon his arrival home he went on a rage and shot the man who had taken care of his dog. Much fuss erupted over this incident and many more were killed, then many people banded together and tried to force this man out of his iglu, many more were shot and killed. A stand off took place that lasted a very long time with lots more people being killed. Everytime they thought they had hit or killed the man and approached his iglu several more people were killed.

they finally solved this problem by freeezing the man to death by constantly throwing water into his iglu!

A photo taken just minutes ago of the famous Whale bone Graveyard in Point Hope

 

[MArk Le]

James Mason

Nice work.

There is another photog living in Kotzebue, AK, James Mason, who made a similar move. He used to post over at dpr as Zidar.

It must be some allure in that part of the world to have taken you to a very different way of life.

James is a talented (and experienced) photographer and reporter, but I believe that he recently lost his editorial position. Maybe he moved back to california. I'd like to know if he's ok.. any news about him?