Today I ate Thanksgiving dinners numbers 3 & 4. Here is number 3: Niqipiaq

When I was still in Barrow, I received an invitation to come to the home of James Matumeak and Eileen Boskovsky here in Wasilla today for a Thanksgiving weekend Nikipiaq - a feast of Iñupiaq food - at 2:00 pm. As I had been gone on turkey day, my family also scheduled a late Thanksgiving dinner for me today at 4 PM. I did not want to miss either one. Please forgive me for not writing anything descriptive, but turkey dinners have always made me very sleepy. And Iñupiat dinners always make me sleepy. I am so sleepy right now I could fall through the floor. I'm so stuffed I'm probably heavy enough to fall through the floor.

Pictured in front is James and Eileen with James' Auntie Mabel Pederson and Kenneth Tagarook, whaling captain of Wainwright now living in Anchorage to be close to his grandchildren. In the background is Hattie Long of Nuiqsut, her husband Frank, Salomi Martin, Frieda, Leon Matumeak and son Nathaniel. A tape of Kivgiq '96 plays on the tv, filling the feast with the sound of Iñupiat drumming and singing. 

PS: I should note that there were many more people than this present, several in the dining room around the corner.