Guest speaker teaches Houston High students about Inupiat culture, life

Guest speaker Charlie Brower brought Alaska Native history and Inupiat culture to life for students in an Alaska History class at Houston High School Oct. 23.

Brower is the grandfather of Houston High student Stasha Brower. His presentation was part of students’ study of the state’s many Alaska Native cultures.

Brower was born and raised in Barrow. Throughout his retired life, he said he has shared many interviews and meetings with other schools and churches around Alaska.

Brower brought articles of traditional clothing for the students to view and touch along with a slideshow about the very heart of the culture, whaling. After sharing personal stories of his childhood and basic cultural background, Brower began talking about whaling.

On his PowerPoint he showed images of the newer harpoons used to spear the Bowhead whales and the Umiak (skin boat) that the hunters traveled in. He talked about the competitiveness among the groups of hunters, what each member’s role in their respective boat was, as well as where the harpooner was to strike the whale in order to kill it.

Students, such as senior Charlie Buzzby, said they were impressed by how the Inupiat people killed these creatures using such a simple invention and brought it in. “It was interesting…it shined some light on the subject” Buzzby said.

Using traditional methods, the dead whale was dragged ashore by hand via a pulley system that took hours of hard work. As adults these mammals average weight is 120,000 pounds.

A single whale can feed an entire village for about a few months. A few whales could provide for an entire winter. Once dragged ashore, the whale would be divided and cut into slabs and handed around to everyone participating based on age and status.

A ceremony of feasting and dancing ensued once the meat was distributed among the village. Once the whale was butchered, the leftovers were left for seagulls and polar bears to consume near the shore.

Brower caught the class’s attention by telling a recent story about a whale suggested to be 200 years old with an older villages harpoon scabbed in its skin. The previous harpoon was a traditional style maybe aged 80 years old. He went on to explain how the Inupiat did not “hunt” whales, but believed that the whales gave themselves willingly to the people for sustenance.

Senior Holly Brett said she was fascinated by the presentation. “It was a better way of learning the culture than a textbook.”

“Charlie Brower engrossed my Alaska History class with his wealth of knowledge…As an Inupiat Elder, he is knowledgeable and calm, which is effective for communicating to our youth in Alaska” agreed Houston High teacher Steven Hall.

Alaska may have experienced changes over the years, but the spirit and wonders of this land can still captivate audiences young and old alike.

Josie Plant and Stasha Brower are seniors at Houston High School. This is their first article for the Frontiersman’s School Page.