Whaling is a very important part of the native lifestyle. In many ways, it is a part of the Inupiat sacred beliefs. Everything that the Inupiat people are doing in a year is dealing with some form of whaling preparation, celebration, rites and rituals of whaling. The capture of a whale benefits each member of a community, as the animal is butchered and its meat and blubber allocated according to a traditional formula. Even city-dwelling relatives thousands of miles away are entitled to a share of each whale killed by the hunters of their ancestral village. Maktak, which is the skin and blubber of Bowhead and other whales, is rich in vitamins A and C and contributes to good health in a population with limited access to fruits and vegetables.
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