top of page
Life & Subsistence
 This was the last ride of my 4-wheeler before winter. I was just learning about my camera. It looks awesome because you see that the ocean hasn’t frozen over yet. You can see the ice chunks, but there is still snow – the one path to nowhere. This is shoulder season on the island. |  I just hope this picture turns out. It’s kind of grainy; but what we’re doing here is basically just getting ice because we don’t have drinking water or running water in Shishmaref. In the summer time we collect rain. In the wintertime we go and get ice from a pond that is 7 miles away on the mainland; and bring it by snow machine and sled back to the island. |  This is just fishing - catching tom cods and smelts. You can eat tom cods frozen or boil them. Smelts you bake or deep fry. If you eat fish frozen it’s called quaq. You wait until they freeze and you eat them. Tom cods are good. Tom cod fishing is fun, especially when there is a lot of fish. The fish there are all smelts. |  It was a grey day that sign was popping. It’s nice that we’re in this rural community of Shishmaref – out of sight, out of the big cities. It also has its drawbacks. You can’t even go in and out of the village easily any more. It’s hard to get produce. There are a lot of things you can’t get now. I usually get out [of Shishmaref three to six times a year and I’m a year and a half in and I haven’t gone anywhere. Its’ good but it’s bad at the same time. We have a safety bubble; but you feel so exc |
|---|---|---|---|
 I took this picture during breakup of the ocean ice, when I was trying to find a trail for people to go out birding. They were going across the channel. With the drone I can see where all the rotten ice is and make and find a better trail for them. It’s the same thing for when they go out ugruk hunting, I can make the best trail for them, going out. |  Here we’re harvesting a washed up walrus. We were looking for a boat and found a walrus. Those things really stink – by the way. With the ivory that’s on them, you can use them for an ice checker. |  This shows what you use the racks for. This is the beginning of spring hunting, and my daughter is hanging ugruk meat from the racks to dry. |  That’s fishing. So when you set a net, this is the old school way to do it. When he sets his net, he’ll drag it all the way out there with his boat. The way he sinks it, at the end is a couple of sandbags – but you can see – that’s the salmon net portion of it. At the very bottom of the photo you can see a few corks from a white fish net. |
 Here, he’s checking his white fish net for breakfast the next day. Trying to put food on the table; trying to put fish away. |  That’s fishing. So when you set a net, this is the old school way to do it. When he sets his net, he’ll drag it all the way out there with his boat. The way he sinks it, at the end is a couple of sandbags – but you can see – that’s the salmon net portion of it. At the very bottom of the photo you can see a few corks from a white fish net. |  You can see the meat hanging on the racks in this picture. It was the perfect shot. I just love the lighting. The next day that tent went flat. You can see the meat here. When you’re working on your meat and you’re Qupsruking. on your meat -the tent is where you go to eat, maybe rest. |
 Our community thrives on being together. Whether it's coffee and beignets or dinner and conversation being together is what's important. Photo courtesy Chantel Comardelle. |  A sunset dinner run includes casting the nest for shrimp off the dock. A bountiful net yields dinner and reserve for later. Photo courtesy of Pete Muller |  This stack of crab cages provides food for our families and money for living. Photo courtesy Chantel Comardelle |  Enjoying the day's catch with family and friends. The remaining crabs are peeled and will be used for a stew. Photo courtesy of Nathan Jessee |
|---|---|---|---|
 Oyster and crab peelings are used to line the marsh banks replenishing and supporting the marsh. Photo courtesy Pete Muller. |
bottom of page