arctic circle air

i just learned today that kotzebue is 13 miles above the arctic cirle. people have asked me if its above the a.c., but i never knew for sure. now i know. the air out here is coooold.

i was listening to the radio this morning and heard the forecast for next few days. the highs for the next few days are in the teens, below zero. highs 10 to 15 below. friday, high in the lower teens. etc. crazy. gotta get used to it though. its going to be like this for next month or two.

today was a beautiful day. clear skies. blue skies with patches of pink along the horizon. the hills west of here lined the horizon. the color looked a little surreal, like it was pastel or something. togiak was beautiful too, but there's more snow here in kotzebue. can't wait for my sled to get here.

finally....

its official now! i got the job, signed the papers. planner/grant writer. i'm not sure when the first day of work is. hope its not the 1st. i'd rather start a day or two after the 1st.
i'm alllllmost done packing. i have one more piece to pack, then send the boxes. i got lucky and got on tonight's plane to ankritz.

my plans for the weekend:
tonight: hang with andrei and juju at aishlynn's Christmas party.
friday: pick up coltrane, give him a haircut, and get him a Christmas present from Sportsman's.
saturday: hang with my bro vernon.
sunday: finish packing and fly out to see oogie girl in kotzebue.

nukalpiaq gear

hunting gear--dress for success:

wear wool. its an outdoorsman's best fabric. wool is warm, lightweight, and it doesn't soak up water. i wear thick wool socks with my bunny boots in the spring, fall, and winter. i also wear a wool sweater as a second layer.

bunny boots are a must. they're warm AND waterproof. spring seal hunting, fall moose/caribou hunting, and winter travel. mine are black, which aren't as warm as the white ones. but, they're warm enough. just make sure you tighten the screws before you walk in the water.

dry-plus is a plus. i fully endorse cabela's dry-plus gear. its warm and waterproof. there's nothing better than keeping toasty and dry on a cold, wet day in the field.

slooooow. toooo slooooow.

maniilaq hr is slow. i don't know exactly what they're doing, but they sure are fuckin slow. its pathetic. i'm frustrated. there is something wrong with their hiring process--its not efficient. its not good for business. maniilaq hr can do better business.

yup'ik word of the day--tepsarquten

tepsarquten: [DEP-sarr-qoo'den]: (v): you stink

take a shower! brush your teeth! tepsarquten!

NOTES:
'tepsarquten' comes from the base word 'tepsarqe-,' which means 'to stink.'

some variations to the word 'tepsarquten:'
tepsarqua: [DEP-sarr-qoo'a]: i stink
tepsarquq: [DEP-sarr-qoo'q]: he/she/it stinks

though it may be rude to tell someone 'tepsarquten,' you are doing yourself and others, as well as the stinky person, a favor by telling them the truth. tepsarquten.

eskimo for kamehameha

the dude in the shades is a seal-blubber-eating eskimo from togiak, alaska. his name is kinin. kinin lives in honolulu. he met an island girl, fell in love, and now resides there. i'm surprised he hasn't melted yet, that kinengyaq! he's always trying to get me to visit and bring him a case of alaskan amber. one of these days.... sometimes when kinin calls, i'll ask him if he got his woman pregnant yet. every time he tells me no.



here kinin poses for the camera with his woman ruby. she's got a bottle of OFF!, one of the best inventions for summertime in alaska. this pic was taken on the togiak river. we went out that day to fish for silvers. togiak river silvers are believed to be the biggest in all of bristol bay. no doubt. if i remember correctly, ruby caught more than kinin that day. she a fisherwoman. it was a good day.

yup'ik word of the day--ataaneq

ataaneq: (utt-DAA-neq): (n): boss

at work, i've had great ataaneqs and i've had bad ones too. the best ataaneq is the one who is supportive.

NOTES:
in a traditional yup'ik household, the woman is generally the one who creates the bottom line. she's the ataaneq.

kotzebue, alaska 99752

i'm moving up north to kotzebue pretty soon. going from southwest ak to northwest ak, to the heart of inupiaq country. i'm excited. most definitely.

i started packing up my stuff yesterday. packing, cleaning, and most importantly, mentally prepping myself to pack. i haaaate packing. its so much easier to unpack. i don't have much stuff to put away though.

check out kotzebue: http://kotzpdweb.tripod.com/kotzmap.html

google earth is great. the thought of moving up north is even better.

yup'ik word of the day--sass'aq

sass'aq: (SUSS-uq): (n): wrist watch, clock

"hey paul, what does your sass'aq say?"
"how come?"
"i gotta pick up sindy at bingo! she got real mad when i was late last time!"

NOTES:
'sass'aq' is one of many words that come from russia.

a good sass'aq doesn't quit on you. it will keep ticking after a good licking. sass'aq.

"save dem pagans!"

the first moravian missionaries came to the yukon-kuskokwim delta to save the natives from paganism. they opened up a moravian post in bethel in 1884 and have been saving the natives ever since. saving the natives wasn't the only thing the moravians did. the missionaries began a movement that robbed the real people from the very thing they were forcing upon the natives-- spirituality.

before 1884, the natives connected to the spiritual realm and made peace with each other and peace within through eskimo dancing. they honored the spirits through song and dance and showed deeper respect wearing elaborate masks. dancing was also a form of entertainment. broken or damaged relationships were mended or fixed by poking fun at each other. laughter was central to eskimo dancing.

the early moravian missionaries saw eskimo dancing as a form of devil worship and told the natives to stop and do away with masks. sadly, the natives stopped dancing and burned the masks. the natives stopped making prayer to the seal, to the animals, and stopped mending or fixing broken or damaged relationships. the natives also stopped laughing and poking fun at each other through dance.

the moravian missionaries succeeded and have been saving the natives from paganism ever since.

yup'ik word of the day--qaqiitua

qaqiitua: (qa-QEE-doo'a): (v): i'm finished

mama? mama! qaqiitua! wipe me!

NOTES:
'qaqiitua' comes from the base word 'qaqiite-', which means 'to finish.'

some variations to 'qaqiitua.'
qaqiituten-qaa? (qa-QEE-do'den-qaa?)--are you finished?

qaqiituq (qa-QEE-dooq)--he/she is finished.

on dec. 21st i will be saying 'qaqiitua' here at togiak school. it'll be a good day. i'll miss it, but it'll be a good day.

happy birthday sini girl!

today is my homegirl sini's birthday. sini is steve's wife from denmark. she's a euro artsy lady who really knows how to take and make great pics. she's also a genius with design on the computer. i don't know how old she is so you'll have to ask her yourself.



here sini is pictured with steve at bernie's. they're one of the coolest couples i know. they got cool glasses too. happy birthday sini girl!

yup'ik word of the day--naam

naam: (n'aam, as in vietNAM): i don't know

PAUL: "did uppa pick up tang from the store?"
SINDY: "naam."
PAUL: "what do you mean you don't know?"
SINDY: "naam. all i know is he was drinking kool-aid."

NOTES:
some variations to the word 'naam:'
naami (NAA-me)
naamikiki (naa-me-GEE'GEE)

one syllable is easier to say than three, so use the word 'naam.' naam.

nukalpiaq skills

shooting tips:

when you have your game on-sight, before you actually pull the trigger, exhale. most people get excited and inhale. remember to exhale--that's the key. it will relax you and give you greater success.

get a trigger job. most rifles have a stiff trigger pull. if your rifle has a stiff trigger, get your trigger worked on. timney makes good triggers for ruger rifles. light, crisp triggers will ensure greater success.

if you're shooting from the boat (for seal or any mammals), you might want a gun with a heavy barrel. bull barrel/target barrel rifles are heavier than regular rifles. the added weight will keep your aim steadier in waves and movement. heavier barrels ensure greater success in the boat.

yup'ik word of the day--taisgu

taisgu: (DIZE-ggue): (v): (you) bring it here

hey sindy, where's the remote control? i'm missing 'da ali g show!' you're sitting on it. taisgu!

NOTES:
taisgu is a considered a command. if you want to be a nice, polite person, you would choose another word.

there are many commands in the yup'ik language. taisgu is one of them. it is a good word. taisgu.

ripppppper!

sold the beast (2000 rmk 800) and i just put a down payment on this new sled. well, its used, but its practically brand new. an 04 arctic cat firecat 700 sno pro (f7). i bought it off this guy out of ankritz. its got a bunch of aftermarket goodies on it already. deadly. its got 454 miles on it.



i can't wait to ride it! its carbeurated, not an EFI, so i don't have to worry about it bogging out. its got a shorter track than what i would like, but it should be kick ass anyway. 128" x 14" x 1.375". its got fox pro shocks on it, so it'll be able to soak up alot of jumps. i'll be sure to hold on tight. i'm sending the 'cat' up north to kotzebue. oh yes!

togiak, alaska 99678

i live in togiak. its in southwest alaska, in the bristol bay. a great little place. togiak is home to about 900 nates. its a fishing village. its also a dry village. 'dry' meaning that possession and consumption of 'alcolic' beverages is illegal.



last month, the city of togiak held a vote on the local option law. the majority of togiak voted 'no' to keep it dry. the vote made state headlines. many elders nodded their heads. there were probably alot of "mmmhmmmm"s too.

i've heard some stories since i've been here: people drinking vanilla extract, the control of the sale of yeast at one of the stores, people making homebrew, and a beer-maker from cabela's. a fifth of cheap booze costs $150. typical stories from bush alaska. one time in bethel i had this old, raggedy nate ask me to buy him two bottles of hairspray for his 'girlfriend.' i looked at this guy and knew he did not have a girlfriend. i didn't buy him the hairspray for his girlfriend. and the stories go on....

togiak is a special place. good people, great hunting. very sobering. i'm going to miss togiak when i leave.

tribal courts and elders

i had dinner with m-ii and her uncle a few weeks ago. it was good dinner. we had good table conversation too regarding elders and tribal courts. some interesting points were covered as well as food for thought (no pun intended).
_________________________

the judging panel: it should consist of both YOUNG people and the elderly. why? young people should be part of the decision-making process. elders possess great wisdom, but the views and direction given by young people is great too. having young people on the judging panel will empower youth to seek out leadership positions and give others hope. call it leadership development. there are too many great reasons to include young people in the decision-making process. too many to list.

the elders: generally possess great wisdom--but not all elders are wise. i found this out working with kinguliamta ciunerrkaat at AVCP. some are just old in age. elders are people too, you know. its okay to question their logic. its 2006, not 1906. but remember....respek yo elders.

more thoughts....

elders = advisors: if you want great counsel regarding any decision, ask an elder. they make great advisors. their words reflect years and years of experience, personal and professional. but, be wary of giving elders absolute power--times are a changing. and remember, respek yo elders.

"love you son!" "laloof."

this is my pride and joy boy, my fattest boy, my biggest boy, my most beautifulest boy, my future hunting partner, my fatta boy, my oh! oh! oh!, my goiger boy, my doider boy!

damn, i miss him so much. he's such a cool kid. i mean, all dads probably say that about their kid, but seriously, this boy is awesome. when he was younger, i'd crawl up to him on all fours, slowly, sort of like a cat ready to pounce on his prey. i'd slowly make my way over, then he'd hesitate, anticipating my next move, then i'd tackle him. anyways, his mom told me about a story of him in daycare, 'hunting' another kid in class! i guess he was slowly making his way over to another kid, creeping along with all eyes on his 'prey.' his teachers would call on him, saying his name, but he paid no attention to them. all his attention was on this other kid. i mean, what two-year-old 'hunts' his classmates? you gotta love this boy! other times he'd actually make little guns out of legos. in class! i guess that's a no-no now in class.



this is another pic of my fatta boy in his first official session of ' gun cleaning.' i never showed him how to do it--he saw me cleaning my hornet after an evening hunting for seal. i didn't even give him the cloth for it. he just picked it up and started cleaning himself. i gave him so much praise for doing it. it was so cute. the bruise on his forehead happened earlier that day while i was out i the bay. little boys run into things sometimes i guess.

i bought this little toy gun from togiak trading. it shot little rubber thingys that stick to windows. i taught him to load it up and shoot. at first, he shot the moment it was ready. after awhile, i taught him to wait, and then shoot--that was one of the more exciting moments i had with him regarding 'gun safety' or whatever you want to call it. we shot at the oven window where the bullet would stick. that was our first real target. he hit it a few times and that made me so proud. my son makes me so proud and so happy.

aside from his interest in guns, he's also into shoes--just like his dad. he's particular, just like his dad (unfortunately) and he's a riot (no comment). haha! my son has so much personality. he makes me laugh. he'd my number one, he da love of my life. my son's name is coltrane. how cool is that?

an otter afternoon

i spent a couple hours this saturday afternoon with teggin, a yup'ik elder and accomplished ivory carver from togiak. his ivory works are known throughout alaska. anyways, he was busy skinning a land otter in his old house, next to his carving station.



as he was skinning, teggin told me some interesting stories of his young days as a dog musher. one winter, he left to bethel by dog team to enter a race there. the 100-mile (approximate) trip took him four days. first stop goodnews bay, second was quinhagak, third stop was eek, and the last leg he made it to bethel. as the story goes, he hadn't anticipated a long trip and his dogs had only one day to recupe. his dogs were fatigued, but he finished the race and left back to tog. i guess he got lost on the way and asked for directions in napaskiak, a few miles downriver from bethel. a local there invited teggin in for tea, they ate, and the local drew teggin a map on a piece of paper. studying the map in front of him, he followed the river, landmarks, and found his way back to tog. on his way, he said he shot some ptarmigan and fed his dogs. teggin said the return trip took him only two days.

teggin also had stories of hunting moose by dog team even before snowmachines arrived to the region and of chasing down fox by dog team. damn, his dogs must've been fast! foxes run pretty quick, but he said his team ran them down. i also asked him if he saw my dad during the bethel race. teggin said he saw him there and he was one of the top mushers. teggin also said he saw my mom with a couple little kids at the race. must've been vern, larry, rick, or....shit, it could've been anyone of my family. i just thought how i wished that i could've been with my family at my dad's race. buuuut, it would be probably years and years until i was born.



this is teggin nailing the pelt onto a piece of wood that stretches the hide. there are no nails involved to stretch the legs of the otter. just a little peg, some slits in the hide, and lot of yup'ik ingenuity.

it was cool to spend time with teggin and hear his stories. i thought how i should've spent more time this fall with teggin in his old house to hear more stories and learn some new things.

one last thing. while teggin was skinning the otter, i pulled out my blade thinking it would be sharp as heck and he would approve. he took my knife, looked at it, and said 'tav'aqaa,' which can be loosely translated to 'as if...' or 'i don't think so.' teggin put my benchmade to the test and it wasn't sharp enough, damnit! i learn new things everyday.

finnish hunter

this is willie johnson from kotzebue, alaska. willie is a finnish guy who met and married an inupiaq woman, jennie, many moons ago (saima's parents). anyway, willie and i went out for moose the day before thanksgiving by snowmachine. he shot this big bull right outside of sisaulik with a .270 (my sources from kotzebue report that sisaulik is 8.5 miles from town).



i had the ungulate in my sights with jennie's .243, and i asked him, "can i shoot?" he barked back, "no! only after i shoot!" the great finnish hunter took the 60"+ moose with one shot to the neck.

believe it or not, this was the first moose i've ever butchered. they're huuuuge! it was alot of work, but it was great, enjoyable work. carving meat is like carving wood--its both therapeutic and relaxing. we cut up the meat with what i call 'willie finnish blades.' they're knives that willie makes by hand out of wood and antler. they're great knives--good steel. he gave me one this past summer when we first met. i think willie and i will be hunting partners for a long time.

spring time seal

this is a hunting partner and good friend jon jon, from togiak. we go out every spring for seal. this one is a spotted seal that's been gutted and cleaned, ready for butchering.



this pic was taken at asigyugpak, which is west of togiak. i love it out there! sun, seal, and more sun. we must've harvested 4 seal that day. it was a good day. we fed alot of people.

respek yo elders

elders are great. seriously. some are cute, some are scary, most are downright cool. even the word 'elder' evokes a positive response. reverence and respek are the two r's for my elders.

today's elders are the last real people. they've grown up in the qasgiq with seal oil lamps and been taught the real deal principles for positive living. there is no failing with what they know. they got skills.




here an inuit elder in iqaluit, nunavut shows us some string games. i forgot her name, but she was pretty funny. i won't forget her little tongue twister in inuktitut. it was cute.

yup'ik power: atlatl

i read an interesting article in alaska magazine this summer. it was about the use of the atlatl today in southwest alaska. the nates on the lower yukon still use the weapon to bring seal home. that is so fuckin' cool. it makes me proud to know that our people are still using it in a traditional manner. i mean, that particular method for taking game is thousands of years old, and its still being used today in places like kotlik, emmonak, and alakanuk!

eskimos for Jesus

last night i had a great reconnect with my spiritual side. i read proverbs 4 and psalm 121. lately i've been feeling a little lost, pointless and empty. seriously. i know this sounds so cliche and a bit corny, but its true. i've got so much on my mind these days and it just felt like i was running in circles. so, i took out my bible and read.

my sister sharon once told me to just read one chapter of proverbs a day. dec. 4, read proverbs 4. there's a chapter for every day of the month. i also read psalm 121. its a passage i found in my brother vern's room. good passage. i like it. when i die, that's what i want people to read. when evon peter came out to bethel for leadership development, one of his points of wisdom was about spirituality and its importance. we all need some sense of purpose in our lives. the bible helps me to show me my place in this world. eskimos for Jesus.

virgin

this is my first time with blogger.com. i'd like to put in more pictures, but that will have to wait. gotta get acquainted with this page first. i've been wanting to start one for some time. i'm a thinker, so there are alot of thoughts i'd like to share. i gotta get some of my homies to help me out with posting pics and all the little cool things available. be patient with me. i'll love you long time.