Remembering Raymond Neakok, among the first of Barrow ever to invite me into his home and the last I visited on my most recent trip

One of the first people ever to invite me into his house in Barrow was Raymond Neakok, seen here in May of 1982, showing me his kamiks and some blubber. He was pretty angry. "All they've left me is this little bit of blubber and my Eskimo boots," he told me.

That spring, thanks to a very low strike quota imposed by the International Whaling Commission without good science to back it up and with the support of the US government, Barrow landed no bowheads. Raymond knew the bowhead population was strong, healthy and growing and did not believe that any law should override Iñupiat law in the Arctic and he was a leader in tribal government. He was fighting back.

He did his part to prove to the world that the Iñupiats were responsible people capable of managing their own hunt through the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission and it was an Iñupiat right.

On my final night in Barrow earlier this month, Pat Hugo and I stopped in to visit him. Raymond knew his cancer would soon end his life. He had lost much weight and was suffering considerable pain and discomfort, yet he was friendly and even through his suffering showed his pleasure with a happy smile when Pat and I sat down to eat Iñupiaq food with him - including fresh boiled uunaalik from a bowhead whale.

Thank you, Raymond for always sharing what you had. My condolences to wife Marie, daughter Sarah, grandchildren and all of your large group of extended family and friends.