Alaska, North Slope Borough, Barrow
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Sharing Food, Sharing Life – Then and Now
Ukpiaġvik, which means ‘the place where we hunt snowy owls,’ was one of several ancient villages in the Barrow area. Our ancestors settled here primarily to hunt the great bowhead whales. But their diet – just like ours today – was supplemented by the harvest of Nature’s other gifts, including the highly valued snowy owl. Even with the conveniences of the 21st century, it is the gathering and sharing our Native foods that binds our families, friendships and spirits together.
Homebuilding 2,000 Years Ago
Our heritage comes from our culture’s ingenious use of the natural resources. The mounds before you are the 2,000 year-old remains of our ancestors’ semi-underground sod homes. The thick earthen walls held in the heat from the whale oil lamps while keeping out the bitter arctic winds. A sunken tunnel-like entrance was engineered to keep cold air from entering the warm interior living space, and the roof was supported with the long jawbones of the bowhead.
(Native Americans) Includes location, directions, 5 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
Sharing Food, Sharing Life – Then and Now
Ukpiaġvik, which means ‘the place where we hunt snowy owls,’ was one of several ancient villages in the Barrow area. Our ancestors settled here primarily to hunt the great bowhead whales. But their diet – just like ours today – was supplemented by the harvest of Nature’s other gifts, including the highly valued snowy owl. Even with the conveniences of the 21st century, it is the gathering and sharing our Native foods that binds our families, friendships and spirits together.
Homebuilding 2,000 Years Ago
Our heritage comes from our culture’s ingenious use of the natural resources. The mounds before you are the 2,000 year-old remains of our ancestors’ semi-underground sod homes. The thick earthen walls held in the heat from the whale oil lamps while keeping out the bitter arctic winds. A sunken tunnel-like entrance was engineered to keep cold air from entering the warm interior living space, and the roof was supported with the long jawbones of the bowhead.
(Native Americans) Includes location, directions, 5 photos, GPS coordinates, map.