Speaking with Elders

During Cultural Week, a few of the elders in the village came to talk to the kids.  It was very interesting to hear them speak about their past and history here in Alaska.  I thought I’d share some of their stories with you.

Old Koliganek

Koliganek has been moved twice.  There is what is known as “1st Old Koliganek” and “2nd Old Koliganek.”  1st Old Koliganek was located on the Nuyakuk River.  I’m not sure when they moved from 1st Old Koliganek to 2nd Old Koliganek, but in about 1964, they moved from 2nd Old Koliganek to New Koliganek (where we live now).  The village was moved due to flooding and an earthquake that happened on Good Friday that year.  During the flood, all the women and children (and eventually the men) were evacuated via helicopter to other villages (mainly New Stuyahok and Ekwok).  The first sno-go came to New Koliganek in the late 1960s (it “looked funny though”).  Electricity came to the village around 1968.  TV arrived came in the early 1970s.  The first phone was in the village council in the mid-1970s.  There was one phone for the whole village!  There was no airport.  Planes would land behind the village, and it was first come, first serve, just get in the plane!  No reservations!

Hunting

The drawing on the top is a spear and throwing board.
On the bottom in a kayak.

They used to use specially shaped boards, called throwing boards, to throw 3-pronged or 3-barbed arrows.  The boards would give them more leverage so they could throw the arrows harder and faster.  The barbs or arrows were usually made of walrus tusk because it is ivory and hard and would not break.  Sometimes, moose bone was used to make fish arrows.  They would hunt for fish after they turned red from spawning and were in the slews and no longer traveling upriver.  They also used these boards for spearing seals.

When it came to hunting to bears, they were very brave.  They would lay down in a bear’s known path with a handmade metal knife, attached to a long stick, and wait for the bear to cross the path.  They would stab the bear in the throat, because that’s the only area there are no bones. “They were so brave in those days.  Would you like to hunt a bear like that?”

Travel

There were not any sno-gos.  They used dog sleds instead.  They did everything with dog teams: hunting, gathering wood, traveling, etc.  Everyone had a dog team, even the women.  Dog teams were mostly huskies, no labs.  “It used to take forever to go to Dillingham!”

Measurement

They used their hands, arm lengths, and finger widths for measuring, not tape measures.  Everything was made for the individual, with their own body measurements.  Nothing was mass produced.

Making Kayaks

One of the elders, sketching a diagram of a kayak.

Moose ribs were used for the bottom of the kayak, and were slowly bent into the perfect shape so that the boat would not tip.  They were fitted into wooden frames usually.  Then, they were covered with stretched caribou hides that had the hair removed by keeping them wet until they almost turned sour, and then the hair is just removed.  The kayak is made waterproof by covering the hide with bear fat or sticky-head oil/fat.  The kayaks that were made with only one opening and mostly covered were used more for people by the ocean.  Those people would use seal-gut rain parkas.  The parka sits over the ring of the kayak when they sit in it, and seals around the ring.  This allows the person and the inside of the kayak to become completely waterproof, inside and out, if they tipped over.  When they made kayaks upriver, they wanted to make kayaks more open so they could use them for more storage (nets, fish, etc.).

Dishes

Dishes were made out of roots of trees.  Everyone had their own bowl and utensils.  No one ever did anyone else’s dishes.  You brought your own dishes when you went somewhere to eat.  (BRILLIANT!)  Before metal pans, they would heat rocks and put them in bowls of water to heat the water to boiling point.

Animals

The warmest furs are rabbit, otter, beaver, fox, squirrel, and muskrat.  They never ate fox or wolf.  Fox was used for bait or for dogs, but needed to be cooked very well.  They would use fox for coats or insoles.  Northern people would eat mink, otter, or wolverine.  Many parkas were made of squirrel and caribou

The elders also talked a lot about Yup’ik values.  Here are some of the important values they had to share:

Be Resourceful

When you go out in the wilderness without resources, you have to become resourceful.  Use whatever you have available to you.  If your shoes have a hole, sew it up right away.  Take care of things as soon as they happen.  Even now, you should have a survival kit every time you travel, even men.

Long ago, even men had a version of a sewing kit with a needle, thread, and tools that they would take out in the wilderness to fix things (such as mend furs and clothing) because they would be gone for a month or so at a time.

One of the students, using an ulu.

Do Not Be Wasteful

Do not waste food.  Do not be picky eaters.  Try food, even if you are not sure of it.  Do not be a fool being wasteful, just because it seem like it’s easy to get things.

Be Helpful to Your Neighbor

If you see someone that needs help, help them right away.  Do not expect to be paid; just help them.  It makes them happy.  It is a good feeling to help others.  If you see any elders, it brings you luck to help them.

Speaking Yup’ik

Listen closer, and you will learn.  Listening helps you learn.  The more you listen if your parents speak it, the more you learn.

Tool Usage

Young girls are not as good with ulus.  They should practice more.  They should also learn and practice sewing.