Elders past and the whale; children present and connected

One of the ironies I face in keeping a blog is the times when I am out and about shooting the

Click to read more ...

Winter light: the noon moon over the Chukchi; the seal oil lamp

The sun last rose above the horizon here in Barrow on November 18. It will rise next on

Click to read more ...

A hymn for Eli

Tonight, a singspiration was held at the Utqeagvik Presbyterian Church in Barrow for Eli Solomon, Sr., who was buried today. Vincent, Roy, James and Lloyd Nageak sing, "How Great Thou Art." It was a sad day, a cold day, but a special day, too, filled with warmth.

As for me, I went to bed this morning at 1:00 AM, slept little, got up at 3:30, drove to Anchorage, left the car to Margie and caught the 6:10 flight that stops in both Fairbanks and Deadhorse before continuing on to Barrow. The event that brought me here does not start until tomorrow and I could have taken the afternoon flight, but then I would have missed Eli's funeral.

I did not want to miss his funeral.

As I state, for all the cold and sadness it was a special and warm day, as Eli was a truly special, warm, man. I think I may have a few pictures that say something about just how special this day was, but right now I badly need to go to bed and get some sleep. Given the things I must do over the next few days and the fact that this laptop needs to be replaced and is too slow and makes serious photo work a tedious enterprise, I don't think I will get back to this until next week, after I return to Wasilla.

When I do, I hope to do some justice and pay true honor to the soldier, the fireman, the search and rescuer, the whaler, the husband, father and grandfather who was Eli Solomon.

I walk on bubbles and find myself living in a strange and bizarre world

On today's walk, I crossed the upper marsh from the far end to the

Click to read more ...

Bringing the fall whale home, part 4: The community gets fed

Inside the Patkotak workshop, where frames are made, skins stretched onto umiaks, sleds built and

Click to read more ...