The umiak is a type of boat used by the Eskimo people, both Yupik and Inuit. It was originally found in all coastal areas ranging from Siberia to Greenland. The word “umiak” means woman’s boat. The Inupiat umiaks are made with a wooden frame and covered with either walrus skin or bearded sealskin. This boat can carry a crew of 6 whalers and all their hunting gear. The whaling captain sits towards the back of the umiak on his whale seat and guides the hunt.
hey, happened onto your blog after I got curious about whale hunting. a friend of mine in Nome sent me a piece about the youngest kid to harvest a whale, a 9 year old. She married a St. Lawrence Islander and lived in Inupiaq communities for a while where she ate whale with her inlaws and whatnot, and was telling me about everything else up there to eat...keep blogging!
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