My first caribou hunting trip!!!

It was quite the adventure going caribou hunting this weekend! The weather cooperated: really warm (maybe 20-30) and no wind. The trail was pretty bumpy from Unalakleet to Shaktoolik (40 mile drive) especially Foothills. Man I dreaded going back over them on the way home. But after Shaktoolik it was pretty smooth sailing. 

The only problem I had was my sled came loose from my snow machine twice. The drive from Unalakleet to Iglutalik was about 4 hours. My shackle came loose twice. The first time I was on the trail between trees and I kind of freaked out because I didn’t want to block the trail for other hunters. Luckily, I was able to back up 200 yards or so to my sled and found both pieces of my shackle and reconnected and got out of the trees. The second time I was out in the open and one of my hunting partners was driving behind me. I lost both pieces of my shackle, but luckily he had an extra one. I was extremely lucky to go up with two very prepared hunters. 

From then on, it was smooth sailing. The drive was peaceful and I didn’t get cold. We got to caribou country and started scouting out the land to find herds. My hunting partner, Wade, spotted a good-sized herd of about 50 so we started out for them. Because I have never gone out hunting before, my heart started racing and so did my mind. I couldn’t believe I was actually there and seeing caribou for the first time. It was amazing. 

We got to the herd and Jeff started chasing them. He drove so hard that he must have hit a bump and his snow machine tipped over and so did his sled. I was going to stop by him to help him, but he waved me to go after the herd so I did. He was able to get his rig back up pretty fast. The herd got away that time. You have to see how skiddish they are. They are so fast and split up in like 4 directions. 

So, we pulled back together and started driving after one group of the herd. Wade must have caught a few because he stopped and Jeff went after a big group of about 15 or 20. I saw 3 caribou running off towards the hills and some willows. They looked a little easier to go after and I figured the willows might slow them down, so I chased them. I was about 100 yards behind them so I stopped and shot and reloaded and shot again and they kept running, but one started to slow down and I watched it slowly fall to the ground. 

I couldn’t believe it. I actually killed a caribou! So, I got brave and started chasing the other two. I got like 50 yards behind them and stopped and shot again. They kept running but one of them slowed down to a walk and eventually went down. I pulled up beside it and shot it in the head to make sure it was dead. I wanted to go after the 3rd caribou, but was scared to catch too much because I did not know how to butcher and didn’t know how many caribou Wade and Jeff got. I stood beside my second caribou, unsure what to do. I took a few pictures of course for memories, then I drove to one of my partners. 

Jeff had caught five. I was impressed. I asked to watch him butcher, but it ended up being us butchering 3 caribou together. Wade came over to us with his sled tied down. He had caught three caribou and had them all butchered so he butchered the last of Jeff’s caribou and helped me with my last caribou. 

I was so intimidated about butchering, but really it wasn't as bad as I thought. Wade showed me how to get the tongue if the caribou had lock jaw. Jeff showed me what was what inside the caribou's cavity. My gram wanted me to bring heart, liver and tongue back. Wade is a speedy butcherer. One day I might butcher half as fast as him. :)

We ended up seeing another herd of caribou after we finished butchering and Wade teased saying I should go after them. LOL! It was already after 4 pm and we still had to drive home. Now, I kind of wish I did. Would be nice to have extra meat to send out to be made into hot dogs and sausage.

All-in-all, it was an amazing experience. I loved it so much, that I would like to to go hunting again this weekend, if the weather permits. 

I am Eskimo!!!

The other day I was criticized for my blog name “West Coast Eskimo”. The guy just assumed that I was not part of an Eskimo tribe and told me to go to hell, that I was racist and the term “Eskimo” was a cultural appropriation. So, I went and looked up the term “Eskimo” in the English dictionary. It turns out that “Eskimo” means “eater of raw meat”. The Oxford Dictionary defines Eskimo as “a member of an indigenous people inhabiting northern Canada, Alaska, Greenland, and eastern Siberia, and traditionally living by hunting seals and other Arctic animals and birds and by fishing.” 

In all honesty, my family and entire tribe DO eat raw meat. I am not offended by the term at all. My husband and daughter love dried black meat (oogruk aka bearded seal). We also love dried fish. My daughter goes crazy over muktuk (whale blubber, even when it is raw). Raw meat is good in some forms. Nothing wrong with it.

Eskimos are providers. Eskimos are leaders. We subsist for our families. Some of us are cut off from the rest of the world in our little communities in rural Alaska. Eskimos share with one another. They look out for their family, friends, neighbors, and all of the village kids. Eskimos survive harsh winters, but they are smart about it. They utilize what they have in their area to stay warm. They make parkas, mukluks, malaqis, mittens, and other clothing articles with furs of locally hunted animals. Eskimos feed their families local food (seal, seal oil, salmon, caribou, moose, crab, herring eggs, muktuk, etc) to offset the high costs of food from the store. 

I do not understand people who get offended for being called Eskimo. If someone called me an Inupiaq, I would feel just the same. I do not differentiate the two. The Canadian Eskimos prefer to be called Inuit. The Northern and Northwest Alaskan Eskimos are called Inupiat. Others are called Yupik. Really? We are all Eskimos. We are all related in one way or another. Get over it!

I will keep my blog name as West Coast Eskimo because I am proud to be Eskimo. I may only be half Eskimo, but I am Eskimo nonetheless. I will always be an Eskimo as long as I shall live. And my children will know that they are Eskimo as well and their children and their children’s children. So, for those that find offense to the term, Eskimo, so be it. Eskimo defines who I am: who my ancestors were. My ancestors did not find offense to it. Why should I? 

The cutest little Eskimo in the boat! :)

Iron Dog 2018

It’s that time of the year again! Iron Dog racers pulled into Unalakleet yesterday. Reuben’s friend, Casey Perkins, is running Trail Class and is staying at our house. He pulled into town just after 5 pm. Last night after 4 am, two Pro Class teams came to stay at our house as well. We were expecting Scott Faeo and his teammate, Chad Gueco, but we ended up housing another team as well: Jordan Starr and Joshua Plumb. I feel bad that they are sleeping on the couch, but it is better than sitting at the garage. All of the guys were very friendly and helpful. Casey grilled chicken for dinner and even did the dishes! Sure made my day! :)

Casey Perkins of Team 21 at the Unalakleet checkpoint. Joseph Etageak is checking him in.

It’s always fun to listen to their stories about the trail. Casey was telling us about how one Pro Class team has flown up rigs to several checkpoints just to use for parts. Now that is determination! The racers’ gear was soaked from the overflow so our dryer was pretty busy. Casey asked us where our winter went. Haha! He said there was lots of snow up until Kaltag, then BAM it was nothing but wet trails. I can’t imagine the trail between Unalakleet and Nome. With all the high water and wind, it has to be pretty bad.

The Iron Dog officials put all of the racers on mandatory hold due to severe weather around the sound. All racers will be stuck in Unalakleet until tomorrow morning. I am not complaining because I like the company.

When I went to pick up Casey at UNC Garage yesterday, three other Trail Class racers pulled in. Their rigs were beautiful colors. I went to compliment one of them about his purple rig and he explained to me that it was for Pancreatic cancer awareness. His teammates drove light green and light blue rigs covered in “Be Alive”. The racer driving the green rig just recovered from Lymphoma. The racer driving the blue rig was running for his mother who had passed away from colon cancer. They call their team “Be Alive”. I respect that.

Jerrod Vaughn racing for Team "Be Alive".

Since I have to work, I made breakfast early and left it for the racers. I didn’t want to wake them since they had been up past 4 last night. Every time the Iron Dog and Iditarod teams pass through, they are all I can think of. The whole town comes together to greet the teams as they pull in, even at odd hours of the night.

Water Conservation in Winter

The whole community has been on water conservation mode for a couple of weeks now. Currently, the city tank is at about 2 feet of water (which is CRAZY! I don’t remember if we have ever been that low before). The city has a handful of workers working to find the leak in our 50+ year-old pipes. I, as well as the whole town, wonder why the pipes have not been changed yet when this is not the first time we have had a leak in them.

It doesn’t help that it has been so cold out. The other day, Wunderground listed our temperature as -20 degrees Fahrenheit. With the wind chill, it was down to -33 degrees Fahrenheit. BRRRR!!!! I have been hibernating like a bear. I am surprised our vehicles start in this chilly weather.

Setting sun in -33 degrees

With the whole town on water conservation we have been piling our laundry and only showering when we stink. No, just kidding. My household has been cheating. We have another house on the hillside with a well that is not connected to city water, so we have been running up to shower. Other people have been coming up to get drinking water. We were thinking to rent out our house, but I’m glad we didn’t especially with this water problem going on.

As of now, the city has planned to pump water from the slough, which is NOT drinkable to keep the pipes from freezing. I don’t know how long we will be advised to conserve water. So far, the City of Unalakleet thinks they have found a big leak and are planning to dig by the school. It would seem that the school would be shut down while there is limited water, but nope!

I don’t know how they did it back in the day. My gram said they used to go upriver and get big ole chunks of ice and haul them back in a sled. They used this as drinking water. I wonder what they did to bathe. That would be a lot of work. Maybe I am just spoiled. I can’t imagine how our community would live without running water for months. I know I would move back up to the house on the hill. Let's hope they fix the leak or leaks in the next couple days. Crossing my fingers! 

I Am a Published Author!!!

I never would believe it, if I didn't have a copy of the book in my hand! I have always dreamed of publishing a children's book. In fact, it was part of my bucket list. I started writing my book as a short story for a creative writing class I was taking at UAA a few years back. Once my story started to come together, I started thinking "Man this would be a good book idea!"

Once it got into my head, that Irigak would be a published piece, I began editing and changing the story and adding bits and pieces here and there. I emailed local publishing companies. Only one got back to me with suggestions about my story. I waited another year and got restless. I wanted my book published. I also wanted illustrations so I started asking around, but potential artists had other projects they were working on or were too busy. So, my book is without illustrations, but still a great read!

Getting published has proved to be quite the task. I got busy with life and raising kids. I gave birth to Cassidy two years ago, so taking care of a new baby became my top priority. It also took a lot of my time and energy to work full-time, take classes, and take care of a baby. With everything going on in my life and no word from publishing companies, I gave up hope in my dream. Because I didn't hear back from publishers, I forgot about my story.

Then one day, my computer started acting up, so I started to clean up old files and came across Irigak. I decided it was time to do something with it. I began searching for self-publishing websites and tweaked my story again until I was satisfied with it. Irigak was definitely not something I came up with overnight. It was work, but there is a sense of accomplishment that will always stay with me. I, Amber Cunningham, a small-town girl from Unalakleet, Alaska published an Alaskan children's book. Now, that is something to be proud of.

My advice to you readers is to never give up on your dreams. Life is too short to live without fully giving your all in everything you do. If you want to publish a book, make it happen. If you want to travel the world, do it! Don't worry about the expense. You will not regret your decisions.

The Sea Stole You From Us

Four months have passed since the day that you two were found at Golsovia. I remember the day all too clearly. I was helping my mother-in-law plant her garden when I got a phone call saying that several search-and-rescue crews were heading down the coast to look for you. Even surrounding villages gathered crews to help out.

We kept telling ourselves that you parked your boat next to land to wait out the storm. We even thought you two were trying to walk back to town… that maybe the motor broke down. There was nothing that could stop our worrying. We knew that if anyone was a master of the sea, it was you. How could the sea take you away from us? We thought it was impossible, but I guess it could happen to anyone.

When search-and-rescue brought your body home, I felt like we had been punched in the stomach. I couldn’t believe it. We all cried for weeks on end. I am sorry I don’t visit your grave. It just hurts too much. I will make my way over there before snow falls.

It has been four months, but the tears still flow like a waterfall. Memories seep from the back of my mind. I keep going to gram’s house with hopes that you will be sitting in your same spot at the far end of the couch. You would jump right up and come and grab Cassidy from my arms and offer her a lollipop or some other treat. Now, she is starting to forget you, and it makes me sad. I show her a picture of you and tell her, “There’s Uncle Peter” with hopes to keep you in her memories.

Gram is so strong. She still mentions you a lot. When Cassidy and I visit her she tells me, “Peter would have washed her face,” because she always has a dirty face. My mom started cooking breakfast. I remember it was always you making breakfast. Guess somebody has to take over that duty.  

No matter how long it has been, the pain still lingers. I keep kicking myself in the butt for not spending time with you. I keep asking myself, “Why didn’t you just stay and watch that video he wanted to show you?” “Why didn’t you stake him at bingo?” “Why didn’t you share more cinnamon rolls with Uncle Peter?” “Why didn’t you buy a steak when he offered to cook it?”

Why did God have to take you? Why didn’t we get the chance to say goodbye? You were still so young and your grandchildren hardly got to know you. I am sure Rachel and Tami will teach them what you taught them, but it will not be the same. They needed you. I need you.

I have not been out the ocean since it took you from us. For weeks it was hard to even look at it. Reuben wanted to go down to Golsovia to moose hunt since we were not having luck here, but I just could not do it. Hopefully by next spring, I will forgive the ocean. One day I will make peace with it and will visit Golsovia. Living by the ocean is tough because it never fails to remind me how we lost you. 

My throat hurts as I type this. It is a different type of pain: a heartbreak that I have never felt before. I am tired of crying for you. I pray that one day we will meet again. I pray that you are watching over your kids and grandkids daily. Save us all a spot in Heaven and give our family hugs for us.

P.S. I never got the chance to tell you that I loved you. I do love you and always will. Thank you for being a part of my life. 

Behind the Lipsense

Behind this Lipsense-covered smile is a girl suffering from low self-esteem and depression.

Behind the makeup-laden eyes is a girl who cries every night wondering why she is not good enough.

Behind closed doors is a girl who is dying inside: a girl who needs the appreciation and love of her husband. A girl who needs to be told she is beautiful and no other girl compares to her.

In the bedroom, she sits alone. She closes out the world. She wishes she could turn back time and reverse the wrinkles, stretch marks, and white hairs.

She wishes she could be carefree once more. She wishes she could be someone that somebody could look up to. She wishes that she could be a better parent.

She has big dreams, but doesn’t have the drive to make them happen.

All she sees is her imperfections. No matter how hard she works or pretties herself up, she is never good enough.

College degrees don’t mean a thing. A pound lost is nothing to her. A new dress, even if it compliments her complexion also cannot change her thoughts.

I am the girl that always doubts herself. The girl that always compares herself to other girls.

To feel lonely when you are alone is one thing, but to feel lonely when you are married is another. It’s on another level. It is a feeling that you just cannot overcome. You feel like you are unworthy of being loved.

You may not see all of this by looking at me, but this is what I feel on a daily basis. I look in the mirror and see nothing but imperfections. I am imperfect. I struggle with my self-image and feelings. One day I hope to rise above all of this self-hate. One day, I hope to forget that I ever felt this way about myself. One day will happen… I hope sooner than later.

A Summer to Remember

This summer was filled with plenty of outdoor activities as well as happy and sad events. On June 13^th, my uncle Peter and cousin, Justin, were found deceased at Golsovia. They were heading towards St. Michael for the king salmon opener. When they did not return after a couple days, a search and rescue team formed in St. Michael as well as Unalakleet. Needless to say, we have been grieving since. Our hearts ache because it was such a tragic event and we never got to say goodbye. I have been listening to the same song that Peter showed me just weeks before his sudden death. I have even learned the words in memory of him. Every so often I think of a memory of him and break down in tears, then I ask God to please take him up to Heaven so my family can see him again. 

Peter was quite the hunter/provider. He was always setting whale nets, salmon nets, trout nets, going out bird hunting and sharing his catches with elders and other neighboring communities. Every time I went to my gram's house, he had to stop me and show me some funny video or meme on Facebook. My gram's house always smelled like breakfast in the mornings. He sure liked his pancakes, bacon, and fried eggs. I sure will miss him. Rest in peace uncle.

Peter and his beluga catch

On a brighter note, this summer has provided us with a full freezer. We have many gallons of salmonberries and blueberries, filleted silver salmon, salmon strips, dried fish, and canned fish. This was my first year doing canned salmon without guidance of a professional canner. My mom and I canned some silver strips and they turned out really good.

Sleepy berrypicker

I also learned how to make homemade jelly. My grandma liked it so much that she wanted another batch. I didn’t realize how easy it was. I will definitely be making more sometime in the near future.

We did a whole lot of fishing this summer.

But you said it was a "pink salmon"! :P

Cassie learned to reel in her rod

One of the highlights of this summer was when my family and I were up at Sauyak fishing. My daughter, Cassidy (2 years-old) was fishing and she lost her fishing rod and I miraculously caught her line 45-minutes later. We thought for sure her rod was long gone. I felt a tug at my line so I thought I had a fish on. I began reeling and saw my hook, but there was no fish, only a line so I reeled in and began pulling the line. It was Cassidy’s rod!!!! We were so shocked and excited that we didn’t need to order a new Ugly Stick from Amazon. Once I pulled in the rod, I began reeling and felt a tug. Sure enough there was a silver salmon on her line. No wonder she lost her rod! It is one of those stories that you don’t believe if you weren’t there. So, Cassidy, at 2-years of age caught her very first silver salmon! She is a village girl for sure. Mom and Dad were so proud and will share her story with her when she is older.

Cassidy's very first silver salmon!!!

We enjoyed most of our summer. It was a hot one. In June, we went bridge jumping, canoeing, and fishing. I got the tannest I have ever been. Even my uncle, Arley, was amazed. He asked me how I got tanner than him. I told him I just went berry picking and fishing. ;P

Also, Keane got braces earlier this month. At first he wasn’t excited at all. He kept asking why he had to get them. Then it came time to put them on and he got to choose a color. He asked the orthodontist if he looked cool. He DOES look pretty cool! He was a good patient so they finished putting the braces on an hour sooner than they expected. 

 

Suffice to say, it was a summer to remember.  💗💗💗💗