Whale and Ulu; the Yupik Way Photo

Photographer’s Note

Valerie and Diane of Alakanuk, Alaska were kind enough to let me ask a lot of question and take pictures as they cut Muk-Tuk (whale skin and fat) for their family to eat. It was a welcome gift for the family to harvest a young gray whale when they were preparing to feed the entire family, (mother, father, grandparents, aunts, uncles, kids and cousins.... you name it)after a death in the family. It is tradition that the other members of the family cook all the meals for the sorrowing members during the grieving period.

The meat is being cut with an Ulu (oo-loo) the traditional Yupik cutting tool originally made from stone, now made from used saw blades.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulu

As for the taste of Muk-Tuk? Think chewy, like rubber, and think oily but good tasting oil, like olive oil. You chew... and chew... and chew... and chew... then swallow (by necessity). Good thing Muck-Tuck is cut into small pirces! Other parts of the fat are cut larger and boiled.

This is the real deal! Village life at it's base!

Also see my other photos for more of Alakanuk daily life.

marion44, limule, worldcitizen, eladen has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

limule (3879) 2008-03-30 5:30

hello Vanessa, A very interesting picture, right in the topic of TE and your note is very interesting. However, I guess you will not sample so many comments since the picture itself would desserve a bit of work in order to enhance what you want to show and also to be technically more easy to read for anybody. I did a little workshop in order to show you maybe, what could be done. However the subject is highly interesting and you should keep on going into that direction. Geraldine

[workshop] [compare] +

marion44 (4244) 2008-03-30 5:44

Hi Vanessa, I've just discovered your gallery, and I like the way you show the daily life in Alaska, which is rarely shown here. Thanks a lot for that.

I like this photo a lot for the contrast between the fashionable hands with nice modern jewels and the job with the pieces of fish.

I 've tried a workshop on your photo, to emphasize the hands and the job rather than the pieces of fish. The reason is that I think it's important to show the manual traditionnal job more than the pieces of whale, to let people understand the difference between industry and tradition on the polemic matter of whale hunting.

Thanks a lot for sharing !

edit : I see that Geraldine made a square frame and another view of your photo ! I like her work a lot too :)

[workshop] [compare]

eladen (239) 2008-06-05 7:53

Great close up shot, though I must agree with the other posters. Their workshops seem to enhance the photo/what you are trying to show. I love the subject though, and look forward to seeing more of your unique photos.