Ready to fly the crew flag, Bryan prepares to boat back to feed the community

Bryan Nukapigak ties the EMN crew flag to his boat, now filled with portions from the whale which he is about to take back to give the village of Nuiqsut their first feed of fresh bowhead this season. While the gale force winds of the last two days are dying down the open ocean still roils with waves and whitecaps, but by staying between the barrier islands and the mainland and following the right channels, he can make it ok. The better picture by far happened shortly after when Bryan drove a ways out, circled back and then, flag flying, sped past the handful of people waving from the beach. I briefly schemed to shoot a few frames with a telephoto lens, then instantly switch to this phone and knock off one shot but decided better. Good thing, too - given the fog and the water droplets coating my lens, my focus locked in on only one shot of five. One is all I need.

Flensing knife

Qipi with ulu-shaped flensing knife. Now I am putting my phone away for awhile - too distracting. I am going back to my "real cameras" exclusively for now, but I now have at least one post up for the day - enough to show you I am still alive, kicking and shooting here on Cross Island. This one post has taken 20 percent of my battery charge.

The mark of the late whaling captain remains and still helps his son in the hunt

Inupiat whaling captains always have a mark to designate who they are and what belongs to them and their crew. This crew was first started by Edward and Tommy's father Maniksaq Nukapigak in 1957 and he made his initials into his mark. Edward now uses his own initials, "EMN" - Edward Maniksaq Nukapigak - and marks his property accordingly. Even though his late father last whaled in the 1970's, the MN mark remains on the weapons and tools Edward inherited from him. Edward's nephew, Isaiah Nukapigak, holds a bomb point and fuse apparatus fired into the bowhead EMN landed two days ago and then retrieved during the cutting. These items would have come into Maniksaq Nukapigak's possession anytime between the late 50's through 70's and have been instrumental in the landing of a good number of whales.

The blessing is said, the aluutagaaq eaten

The aluutagaaq is blessed. Now it has been eaten. I was too busy eating to document the process.

Tommy makes aluutagaaq

Tommy, brother of Captain Edward Nukapigak, cuts tuttu (caribou) to make aluutagaaq, a very excellent soup made in a gravy broth. You will notice there is electric light in the cabin. We got "mobilized" today - a most interesting process that I photographed as best I could in the gale-force wind, driving rain and chill temperature, but I could take no iPhone pics as my phone was dead. The battery problem persists but at least I can recharge here in the cabin.