Point Hope celebrates the gift of the whale

The light morning snow didn't put a damper on the bright spirits at this year's Qagruq in Point Hope.

Villagers came together for three days of celebration, feasting and giving thanks.

"(It's) to celebrate the gift of all the animals, the whale being the center of everything," said resident Steve Oomittuk in May. "Everything revolves around the whale in Point Hope."

Along with locals, visitors from across the state and North Slope attended.

"We have people coming in from all villages … Kotzebue, Noorvik, Noatak, Barrow, Point Lay, Wainwright, Anchorage, Fairbanks, and a lot of family members coming home to celebrate the gift of the whale and all animals," Oomittuk said.

The weather over the weekend ranged from rainy to snowy, but the clouds parted Monday evening to reveal sunny skies — perfect for the blanket toss.

"We got seven whales this spring, which is the most whales we've gotten in many years," he said. "The town is in a happy mood."

It was evident in the smiles that popped up in photos shared on social media. Family members who couldn't attend this year shared the pictures widely and thanked those posting them for sharing the spirit.

"Point Hope is known as one of the oldest continuous societies in North America. We've been here thousands of years hunting and gathering the same animals that make us who we are," Oomittuk explained. "We believe the animals give themselves to us. They're our identity as a people, our spirituality, our way of life, our food, our clothing, our shelter."

While the event recognizes all the animals that sustain residents, the whale takes center-stage, as evident by the abundant muktuk shared during the feasts and between neighbors, family members and friends.

"The whale has always been the center of everything for the people of Point Hope, the way of life, the culture, the tradition, the dancing, the songs, the stories," Oomittuk said.

The older revelers have seen countless Qagruq celebrations pass. For the younger ones, children especially, Qagruq is a time to learn more of their hometown history.

"It's our way of life and we want our younger generation to understand their way of life and their culture and their traditions," he said.

Part of that is negotiating the changes that have happened over time. There's more technology, more distractions, Oomittuk said, and different opinions on some subsistence ways.

"There were a lot of people in the past that were against whaling but when they come to the village they see how connected and how close we are with the animals and what we eat and how we eat," he said.

Crews from Savoonga brought in the first whales for the villages in March. Point Hope whalers brought in the first bowhead of the spring season on the North Slope.

"Without the animals we wouldn't be who we are."

This story first appeared in The Arctic Sounder and is republished here with permission.