Kutlee-seek-vick
(Where the bird skin was cooked)
BY LELA OMAN
“If the shadow falls on you,
be sui'e to look up to see what is
between you and the sun. Not
only the cloud can cast a shad
ow.” Eelaypuk (Orphan) was told
many times by his grandmother,
who had raised him.
He was in the age when his
agility and energy knew no
bounds. One could determine that
he was not yet a man, from his
smooth rosy cheeks and warm
brown eyes that reflected happi
ness.
The early morning .was bright
and warm, and the mosquitoes
were in clouds around him. He
wished that he could take his fur
parka off, that he wore with fur
next to his skin, but he knew that
he was better off with it on. He
felt that it was better to be too
warm than to be chewed up by
these tiny pests that sang and
try to crawl into his nose, eyes
and mouth.
He was paddling his birch-bark
canoe up along the Selawik River.
His grandmother had sent him on
an errand.
He was in the middle of the
river when a shadow fell on him.
Kc qi:ic' !v looked up towards the
su■ an • s w a big bird. It was
di\ y: clov, ;i to him! In despera
ti he r : v: ! and 'he
bi e ■ • .t
\ from him and poised itself for
circling. He had heard stories of
such large birds flying off with
humans. Pie knew that this was
going to be one of such cases.
Many year? may pass without
an occurrence of such a case.
Many lifetimes may pass and the
traces of its authenticity lost, but
was told . s pre a ution to the
young folks, by the older people.
II.- quickly turned his canoe
’ towards the shore, although he
w ? in the- middle of the wide
river He had to try and reach it.
The bird in its second attack
menacingly seemed to fill the air
as it came down upon him. He
raised his paddle to fend it off and
this time the bird almost capsized
his conoe as it came in contact
with his paddle. He heard and felt
. the bang that the bird’s feet made
* as the sharp talons clawed at the
paddle. The wind from its large
wings churned the water and
splashc-s came into Eelaypuk’s
canoe.
As the bird circlepl for another
attack he paddled hard for the
shore. Not daring to look up until
the shadow was on him again.
This time it skimmed above the
water. Eelaypuk knew that his
• paddle was not going to do any
^ r|e :
good this time. As his canoe
touched the shore, the bird came
frighteningly upon him. There
was nothing he could do but
crouch lower into his canoe with
his head bent down over his chest
and the bird grabbed him by the
shoulders.
Eelaypuk felt himself lifted into
the air with legs and arms help
| lessly dangling. Strangely, he did
not feel any pain as he had antici
pated. What was keeping him
' dangling was his parka. The
| eagle’s talons were clutching his
; parka, not his flesh! If he worked
himself loose he could make him
self drop to the ground. He looked
down to the ground, but they were
already far up in the air. There
seemed to be no hope for his sur
vival. But prolonging the end was
all he could do now.
He somehow had to work him
self out of his parka, while hang
ing on by clutching at it. His arms
felt like they were about to depart
from his body. The sockets at his
shoulders complained painfully.
Still, little by little, hand over
hand he climbed up towards the
bird. Soon he reached the big
claws that clung tightly to the
parka. He did not dare look down.
With body planted upwards the
bird was s‘ill climbing. If only he
could ge: to the wings.
When Eelavpvg ined the
bird's broad and slippery back he
clung to the feathers with his
head pressed against it. He was
cold with wind tearing at his
| shoulders. He could be thrown off
•:t any moment, as the bird snook
itself now and then. Eelaypuk
. could tell that the bird was aware
. of him being on its back.
He took his knife, that was- in
i!.s case at his belt, and tried to
cut a wing feather from the one
at the right. He did this easily
enough so he cut another one:
then he shifted the knife to his
: left band and cut two from the
’ left wing. Then back to the right
win..? again. It took some time to
cut each feather. He was clinging
desperately with his other hand,
1 and legs around the body of the
I bird.
The lower part of Selawik Eiv
j or is flat and swampy with many
| lakes and sloughs. Hemmed in by
the mountains. On the Kobuk side
are high Oxsick Mountains that
are one long line of mountains
and end abruptly with a magnifi
cent Oxsick as a period. In the
South there are the Buckland
Range, and to the East the Sela
wik Mountains signify their prom
inence by their height.
| “Which mountains did this
eagle come from?” Eelaypuk
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wondered. He knew that the birds
always took their captives to the
mountains. With big feathers
missing the bird was losing alti
tude. Noticing this Eelaypuk
talked to it.
“Please, set us down close to
my canoe, and land while you
can. I am going to cut every one
of your feathers.” The big bird
only shook its body more violent
ly than ever. But Eeelaypuk no
ticed also that they were going
around in a wide circle. He looked
down and he could not tell whore
his canoe was.
Now they were going down the
bird glided beautifully. The wings
would flutter then glide. As the
wing feathers became fewer and
fewer it seemed to lose its ferocity
and Eelaypuk was almost sorry
for it.
“Please set us down close to my
canoe.” He kept on begging while
clinging to its back.
They landed on a little hill and
Eelaypuk cut the bird’s throat.
He stayed with it until it was
dead.
Below this hill there was a large
camp where his grandmother
was. After he retrieved his canoe
he went to notify them of the
dead bird. Naked down to the
waist, mosquitoes were swarming
around him, but he did not care,
he was safe again.
The eagle’s death was made
known to many campers along the
Selawik River. There were many
hat gathered to the little knoll to
see the- bird that was big enough
to fly off with a boy. Its feathers*
were plucked and with utmost
care it was skinned. The skin was |
thick with its fat. The openings |
that they had pulled the meat
through were sowed so the oil
would not seep out or the water
seep in. This was laid into a clay
caldron that was half full of water
to be boiled. Many fires were built
and the meat barbecued. Red-hot
stones were dropped into the cal
dron to malm the water boil, then
forked out again to ge-t heated on
the fires that were briskly burn
ing.
When cooked, the bird skin be
er me round and golden-brown,
filled with its boiling oil. The ex
cess grease that floated around it
was skimmed and put into wood
en containers.
Many times Eelaypuk had to
tell just what had happened, as
the preparation for the big feast
was in progress.
Eelaypuk lived long, happy and
prosperous life. So many had
wished him this, when they par
took of his catch.
From this day on, when a boy
catches his first game it is dis
tributed among people to draw
good wishes. Words that are said
in gratitude always came true. So
to make a boy lucky at hunting
his first catch is given up to be
distributed. To this day this is
still practiced by many.
The bird skin cooked in this
manner is called “kutleen.” Kut
lee-seek-vick (where the bird skin
was cooked) is the name of the
little knoll where the great event
took place. To this day it bears
the name. Few miles above Sela
wik village. It is a landmark.
Beautiful when in bloom with
many flowers and wild rhubarb
in summer, and like a white bowl
turned upside down when covered
with snow in winter.
Accuemee
(The End)
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