Point Lay whaling brings together elders, youth

THE SOUNDER STAFF

May 02, 2008 at 10:12AM AKST

Preparations are well under way for Point Lay’s first whaling season.

"I’ve never seen so many youth so excited about whaling, and the adult’s whaling crew is willing to take time in teaching the children how it’s done," Marjorie Long said.

The youth crew has been hard at work fixing up the equipment and giving some of it a facelift.

Long said her son, Lloyd Pikok, a member of the youth crew, has been working hard helping his captain get ready for whaling.

"They have already made a cellar outside of Nukapigak’s house to store the whale that they will catch," she said.

Pikok has been working on the boats cleaning and fixing, all while keeping up with schoolwork.

"Watching my son I know something good is going to happen," Long said.

"His face tells me that he had a good day working with his peers and captain. I’m so joyous that the captain is taking time in teaching these youth about whaling," she said.