Back in June, whaler Quincy Adams soared above a seal blanket at Simmonds Field in Utqiagvik, with a bag of candy in his hands. He leaped even higher and tossed the kaleidoscope of sweets, as the children around him whooped with joy and caught treats.
Quincy and his wife Bernadette Adams are the captains of the Aaluk whaling crew. They were among those who landed a bowhead whale this spring and threw a feast for the community – especially for elders and widows who can't hunt for themselves.
"It's all for the community, not just for us or our crew," Quincy Adams said. "It's to make sure everybody gets a bite to eat, to make sure that nobody goes hungry."
Several coastal Arctic communities – including Utqiagvik, Point Hope, Wainwright, Nuiqsut and Kaktovik – hosted festivals throughout June to celebrate a successful whaling season. The event is often called Nalukataq, or blanket toss in Iñupiaq.
In Utqiagvik, the festival this year spanned four days and included feasts, prayers, dance and a traditional blanket toss. Each day, the whaling crews served several courses of subsistence dishes: caribou, duck and geese soup, doughnuts, boiled whale meat, muktuk, akutaq, and a delicacy – fermented whale meat and blubber, or mikigaq.
Everyone on the crew had a task, even teenagers and children who helped serve coffee and tea. Flossie Nageak celebrated her 70th birthday on one of the Nalukataq days and said that having children participate helps them learn Iñupiaq traditions.
"We work together, trying to teach them our tradition," she said. "We need to let them get into subsistence. They'll be next in the future."
When the feast was over, the whalers stretched a sealskin blanket, inviting everyone to jump on it. Then, the crowd moved indoors and continued with Iñupiaq dancing and drumming throughout the night.
This year's Nalukataq also had an emotional side for Adams. A young member of his crew died by suicide earlier this year, and the crew dedicated their whaling season to him. They also opened one of the days of Nalukataq with a prayer and a message of hope.
Adams said it is still hard for him to process the loss of the crew member who was hardworking and always eager to learn.
"He always liked to learn, always asking, 'What's next?'" Adams said. " He was a young man just starting his life out."
Adams said his sons were friends with the young man and are struggling too, so he is encouraging them to share their feelings.
Historically, suicide rates in the North Slope region have been high compared to more urban areas and Alaska as a whole, according to data from the borough. Adams said he is worried about young people who have a hard time seeking out help.
"It's just something we wanted to get out to the other people and to the young people and the teens, tell them that there is hope, there is family that loves them," Adams said. "If they need to talk to somebody, talk to somebody."
Whaling captain Herman Ahsoak said that dedicating Nalukataqs to those who passed is not new. He said the event is about the community coming together.
"We put on the blanket and jump," he said, "and let it all out on the blanket and just jump for joy."
If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline via call, text or chat.
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