Nalukatuk #2

Today was basically the same thing (as Monday’s Nalukatuk) but after the blanket toss and the candy we had Eskimo dancing. It was amazingly the same thing, the women would bob up and down by bending their knees and move their arms like they’re swimming, and the men would stomp their feet to the beat of the drums, and move their arms. The drums were made of seal skin for the surface wood formed in a circle for the seal skin to hold on to. And for the drum sticks they use a thin stick with duck tape on the top and bottom of the stick so it won’t split in two. They hit that and sing in Eskimo while the men and women go to a specific area and dance. The purpose of dancing is to show how brave you are. Grandma says the men love to do that.

Yesterday was the Nulukatuk

A Nalukatuk is the celebration of catching whales. You go to a specific place and you pray, then people sing. Then people serve duck soup, bread, and Eskimo donuts. Then the people throw candy for the little kids.

After that, it gets boring because you’re just supposed to sit there until they all run out of food. (I knew I should have brought my I-pod.) We sat on wood with a tarp that kept the wind from us, which made my white pants become brownish gray. We decided to come back for the blanket toss. We all came back at 7 but the blanket wasn’t up yet so all the little kids came in and out of the tarp. Then the blanket was up then down then up then down again. Then finally it was up, up to your eyes I would say. It was awesome.

Old people would get on it with bags filled with candy and rip a hole in it and send the candy flying. Me and everyone would scavenge to the ground for the candy. After about 5 times of that anyone was able to go on.

I was the 4th to go on. I went the highest. It was hard to go back down because the blanket was doing the worm and you were supposed to balance on it and go back up. I only did it 3 times. Then we went home. There’s another one tomorrow I’m gonna do Eskimo dancing too. Talk to ya then. Layni

What Do Mom's Know...Here's the REAL Story

You’ll never believe what I’m about to tell you so please write back immediately. Ok, ok yesterday I saw a real live polar bear! I’m tell in ya it was amazing I was walking with my friends when a guy drove up to us and said ‘There’s a POLAR BEAR on beach at the ice! Before I could think of what to do next my friends were running there. By then my grandma and grandpa were walking this way. I screamed ‘THERE’S A POLAR BEAR ON THE BEACH ICE, COME QUICK!’ With that all I heard was the pounding of my feet on the gravel and my heart. It was awesome me and my friends went down to the water to get a closer look. We skipped rocks and screamed so the bear would come our way. After that a guy in a truck cussed us out for trying to get the polar bears attention. Quote: ‘You CRAZY the polar bear is faster than you get off the beach before it comes after you!’ End quote. Grandma got a few pictures I hope the internet works so Grandma can send some pictures that’s all for now bye.

I Almost got Chased by a Polar Bear!

The big news this morning is that a polar bear was spotted on the beach eating leftovers from whale butchering. So, what did we do? Headed for the beach....however, before my friends and I could get there, we were screamed at by an angry man in a pick up truck. He told us NOT to go down there, that the polar bear could run WAY faster than we could. So...we never got to see the polar bear. And now I know, when looking for bears...... don't. They run FAST.

(posted by mom for Layni)

I Met Some Friends

Yesterday I met 10 friends; they all wanted to visit. Their names were Nelly; Desandra, James, Rosy, Eddie, Lee, Ronald, George, and David. Their ages were from 14-4. There were more boys than girls. It was fun, after everyone left our house, we all went to a 4 way street, and played tag. Then it turned into throwing rock tag. Soon someone spit on someone and it was spit tag, but someone told their mom and everyone ran. It ended up with me and Eddie jumping on Eddie’s Granma and Grandpa’s trampoline until 10pm your time it’s 1am. I want to stay out later but G-ma says no.

Compilation from Layni

It snowed and snowed last week.. Also after it snowed the streets were buzzing with snowmobiles. The road soon became nothing but mushy snow and a lot of mud. It is better now, with warm weather - up to 60 and 65.

Today me and grandma went walking in 40* [with wind YIKE’S].As we were walking we saw a Marten [it’s a squirrel looking thing, it has a hump towards the back. It’s a little squirrel compared to the ones in Texas. Editor’s note: Locals say this is not a marten, but a ground squirrel. We sent pictures already.

Here in Wainwright almost everyone has a dog, except they all have their dog chained up outside. If they were lucky they would have a dog house. There’s this one dog that looks like Beethoven. I don’t know his name so I call him Beethoven the 4th. And Roscoe is a female dog that we really like. We have petted her.

Grandma and I counted 14 trampolines, but we’re puzzled on how they get them up here? It cost a lot just to buy a trampoline; a whole other story is the cost of shipping it all the way up here.

I'm Bored

Well, it's cold and it snowed a few days ago and it was 4 inches. On my way here I counted 49 airplanes including the planes I flew in. In Wainwright, I counted 9 trampolines - we dont have one. I wish we did though. Sigh. My Grandma keeps me going. Sometimes she makes me go outside even though I dont want to. The best part is the cafe. I know Allisa,Sally, and Ramond. They all work there and I really like them.



Here's a picture of Sally.

Pictures from Layni

Here's the best we could do with SLOW dial up access from Wainwright. I think you'll get the gist though...


The long black pieces are baleen, taken from the latest baleen whale kill. Click here for another image.


The second picture has her wearing a traditional Inupiat parka.