Whaling Blessing Service and a Polar Bear

Today was day 2 of testing. At the middle school, this meant that students spent most of the time taking the SBA writing test. Molly, Alyssa, and I got to be hall monitors, escorting kids to the bathroom, handing out food at the breaks, and basically trying to keep ourselves busy. I was able to Skype with my high school students from my last placement with Eric Koser at Mankato West High School. For 5-10 minutes, I sat and answered questions about my experience thus far for the 6^th and 7^th hour students.

Wednesdays also happen to be teacher work days, so students are released early. It’s not a “shortened schedule” but a “modified schedule,” I found out, so that Barrow can still get funding for the day, since teachers are still here and planning or going to meetings.

Steve picked us up this evening to go to the Barrow Whaling Blessing Service at the Presbyterian Church. On the way, we talked about how we hoped to see a polar bear and Steve told us how many people had started making their trails out to the lead (open water) and had seen bears. As he described the off-white color and shape, Travis saw one way off in the distance! We stopped the car to get out and take pictures, and we could definitely tell it was a polar bear, but it was pretty far away. Maybe next time! Good eyes, Travis!

When we got to the service ½ hour early, it was already filling up, and people continued to trickle in all through the service—it was packed! During this service, many leaders in the community spoke, including elders, the head of the whaling association (who is in charge of the whaling captains), community members or leaders, and pastors. All the churches in town got together and each group had some powerful messages, songs, and blessings for the whaling that will begin tomorrow. It was especially neat to hear them mention how important it was for the whaling captains’ wives to be at home cooking, cleaning, and running the household while the captain is out leading his men. Several times these whaling wives came up as a group and sang songs. Even the ladies who sew the seal skin boats (that whalers go out in) got to join in singing. Many songs for the congregation were sung first in English and then in Inupiak. During the speeches, too, they would alternate between English and Inupiak. This was a really neat experience to hear so many people speaking a language—and even get a chance to try singing a language—that was completely new to us! After 2 hours of this experience, we noticed that we were only ¾ of the way down the first page of the bulletin and decided to head out early. Steve told us at the car that the service will probably go on till the wee hours of the morning, since they like to have sing-a-long sessions afterwards.

On our way home, we saw a group of cars stopped by the side of the road near the ocean. We slowed down and realized that there were two men on “snow machines” with rifles around the area where we had seen the polar bear before. Steve found out that this Inupiak man’s grandfather said he wanted to eat polar bear, and as soon as this man’s other brother arrived, the three would go out to hunt and kill it. We watched and waited and even heard two shots as they killed the polar bear. Polar bears are protected, but native Inupiak people are allowed to hunt them here. We took some far-off pictures, but because they intended to butcher the bear out on the ice, we decided to head for home.

-Rachel