Inupiaq food: A Barrow family describes how whale is prepared

For seventeen-year-old Michelle Kaleak, spring whaling season is her favorite time of year in Barrow. Sometimes she joins her family’s crew out on the sea ice, where she says it’s peaceful to wait for the bowhead to come. Other times she helps inside the kitchen of Lillian Nageak, her grandmother. It was in that room, wielding a tiny ulu as a young girl, that she learned to prepare whale to eat. Back then, as now, several generations work to cut the skin and blubber, freezing some to make maktak and boiling some to make uunalik, and dividing it all into shares to distribute to the community.
This week, the Nageak crew is whaling, participating in the deeply important Inupiaq subsistence activity. Nageak says her sons are becoming captains, carrying on the legacy Marchie Nageak who died eight years ago. It’s a a part of the year both women look forward to, hoping for an announcement of a successful hunt on the VHF radio in the living room. “The whole town is always yelling when the whale is caught,” Nageak said. Kaleak said she often hears a whaling crew offer a prayer of thanks over the airwaves, and a lot of hooting and hollering too. “You can just hear all the happiness,” she said. In this video, visit the Nageak home and hear both generations describe the various ways they prepare bowhead whale to eat.

[leofluffstar]

The grandma is so cute. Lovely family !

[CharlesPanigeo]

This video makes me miss my Aaka. Her name was Mable Pamiilaq Nusunginya Panigeo. She was the matriarch of my family the Paniguitkuayaat. She was a revered elder in Utqiagvik and she will be missed.

[corridos]

Awww that grandma just puts so much love in my heart.

[robhill]

I love this culture of people, they are a proud and honest group.

[MartinRiosIII]

Aww lovely family - All grandmas are the same, no matter what part of the world they’re from , I love it.

[FearlessPassport]

I love the grandma :) Hope she is healthy and long lived.

[piledriverwaltzstansonly]

the grandma looks similar to my who never got to meet :( she is so precious teared up actually.

[launabanauna]

These are “salt of the earth” people. So heartwarming!❤

[nahhnee]

God I wanna try this so badly. I love the sustainability of indigenous culture. Much love.

[davidsoolook]

Awesome I miss Barrow and the real nice people we met there and I especially loved the comfort food, especially during EWC meeting feast, I am so glad our Creator blessed us with so great resources to live from, craving aged beluga now, thanks for sharing .

[TheMightsparrow]

The elderly are a fountain of knowledge & the bedrock of any culture.
They should be treasured

[excusemyawkwardness]

I love and respect indigenous elders!!!

[mikeb]

I see they have a lot of Ulu in the drawer. (Traditional knife, great for removing fish scales, cutting whale blubber, etc).

[atomicfusionvideo]

Flag on house to know which house is serving dinner tells a whole story of a real community is like a family

Lovely culture

[tuffgongrastafari]

The girl is gorgeous! I love her smile

[mama-shellsmith]

I love this video what a delightful family and the grandmother is such a doll

[amandabaldounis]

I had a friend and family from barrow... I loved going to my friends home..I would end up sleeping with my friend and with her grandma....when I was lil it was happy..ruth Staley

[NN_]

Coming from an Alaskan Native Yupik city I still love the foods no matter what

[thgentleman]

The only thing unhealthy in that house is then Western food..

[sharonosborne]

I will be in Barrow in July, is there a chance I could meet this beautiful Grandma and granddaughter?