YOU are welcome .. to attend.. Whaling festival in Point Hope.. June 15 – 17th. 3 days of non – stop celebration.

Each clan was successfull this year in the Village of Point Hope.. Kamaktoaq & Uniqsiksiicauq ! Two festivals will be going on at the same time in Tikigaq. Join  the fun for 3 days you will never forget !! Open Invitation , FROM: The oldest people in all of North America !!  – Tikigaqmuit – The People of Point Hope Alaska

Barrow Nalakutaq dates are set for the last week of June : more details to follow 

Back to Point Hope. The image above is @ Uniksigsiicauq Festival site

Kamaktoaq Festival site is pictured below ..

 Do not believe the news reports about the weather and temp. It will be windy and very cold !! Be prepared !! You can always take clothes off. but if you do not have any. you can’t put them on. Be sure your ears are well protected and covered the wind in Point Hope is the strongest in the entire state. I purchased plans many years ago for a wind generator. Enclosed was a map of Alaska divided into wind zones for the entire state. 1 – 5 were the listings for different areas around the state. Barrow was a four Prudhoe bay was a 5. the entire rest of the state was 2 – 3 .  The number 5 was the highest you could find in the whole state, except for one place.. .. Point Hope was a 7 !!

2007 The Successful captain of 2 received whales Russell Lane – ‘JJ’ Dances the walk on the blanket. This is not like a tramoline, the surface is hard, Great skill is required to dance the walk on this blanket, We cannot throw people very high into the air. it is too dangerous. the wind will catch that person and cause him to land 30 feet away. Many times the people holding the blanket have to run like hell to catch that person. Now a days the strength to throw that person into the iar is held back considerably especially when it is very windy out as it was this fine day. But none the less. 20 – 30 feet into the air is more than high enough for people to enjoy this favorite part of the festival. Day 3  the fun lasts all day long and far into the night which is bright sun 24 / 7

The image below is 3 of JJ’s sisters in full festival parky’s for the occasion. Each one of these sisters made her own festival parky – hand made! Exquisite craftsmanship. From left to right > Anna Lane – Julia Lane Kilak & Emily Lane. three proud sisters for their brother the Captain who received his first two whales  this year. 2007 In 2008 Elijah Attanguanna & Rex Rock were the successfull whaling captains each receiving one whale. Great celebration for each clan will be held in Point Hope this year, come on up for 3 days of spectacular fun filled days and nights of 24 / 7 sunlight !!

 Blanket toss is a much anticipated event at Whaling Festival. Anyone may get on the blanket for a ride high into the sky, Strike a pose. Show your form, all types of fun are to be observed during this event. But any woman that has had a first born child will get on that blanket with ‘gifts’ to throw high into the air. It is a mad dash by the elders to get it all. Grown women in their 80’s compete by running, jumping, crashing head first into the gravel.   The agility that is present in these women is resurrected  with such speed and amazing balance, they are all grabbing and diving for that prize.!! Anything can happen during blanket toss.  Jacob Lane an experienced whaling captain fell the wrong way on the blanket in 2003, He spent many months in a cast and to this day his leg is not right !!  You have to be very careful of how you land on this hard surface. it has no give to it.  Some times, gravity takes over in a most unusual way and people go upside down.  This is no easy task, it requires practice. Don’t worry about falling over the blanket. Many skilled people are there to make sure no one falls off.  Click on  Festival on the left side of the page (PAGES)  and Whaling Festival on the right side of the page (CATEGORIES) for more indepth information !!  More to follow soon with lots more photographs.