Larry and Pamiuq; word of season's first bowhead reaches Wainwright

I now go back to the day I arrived here, before the wedding of Jason and Iqaluk Ahmaogak. In fact, I go back to the first two people I photographed after I arrived in Wainwright: Larry, one year old son of Jason and Iqaluk and his cousin Pamiuq, son of Jr and Lolo Rexford.

These are bright boys. Kivgiq and other Eskimo dance events pop up on the TV here every now and then. Little Larry watches for just a bit, listens and then pretty soon he is dancing, making motions just like he was on the dance floor. Just a little bit ago, he toddled up to me and said, "Ataata."

"Ataata" means "uncle."

When I first arrived, Pamiuq stared at me in disbelief - maybe it was my beard. Now, smiling, he follows me about the living room and kitchen in one of those little wheeled vehicles that help babies learn to walk. If I stop, he bumps it into my ankle and looks up with the brightest smile on his face.

In fact, he smiles brightly at me all the time. If I am eating banana raisin cream pie, he gives me no choice but to share the cream part with him. If I am eating eggs and he is about, I share them with him, too. I refuse to share my Metamucil cookies with him, though.

Larry and Pamiuq are both happy babies. They hardly fuss at all. 

Today, the North Slope Borough held its monthly assembly meeting not in Barrow, but here in Wainwright. Not long after it began the announcment everyone has been waiting to hear came in. The first bowhead whale of the season had been landed in Gambell, down on St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea.

Tomorrow, I leave Wainwright for Barrow.

I will be happy to be in Barrow, but I do not want to leave Wainwright. I want to stay. One week is not enough - especially when whales are coming. It looks like circumstance is going to force me to miss the whaling season altogether this spring. I will explain after I return to Wasilla this weekend.

Comments

[debby]

Pamiuq and the man applauding the whale have the same smile.