For the Inupiat people of the North Slope of Alaska, and particularly those who have lived near Point Barrow, the bowhead whale has for thousands of years been the mainstay of life itself. Today that is still true. The images that follow show parts of that way of life. As time goes on I'll add more pictures as the opportunity to photograph different parts of the process arise.

For now, there are only two sections. One is about the umiaq skin boats used in the spring hunt. The second section is a set of very graphic images detailing the butchering of whales caught in October 2000. It is not a section that everyone will want to view... please use your own discretion.