During the summer of 1983, my uncle, mom, cousin, and I went by boat around the Askinuk Mountains to go egg and bird hunting.

When morning came we got our necessary equipment, warm clothes, and food ready for the trip. By the time we were all set to go the bright orange yellow sun was peeping up from the far end of the vast eastern tundra. Then we got in our big, sturdy gray boat with its small, white kicker, and we pushed off.

As we drove along the narrow river there was the scent of clean fresh air, but we could also smell the muddy aroma of rotting vegetation. The mountains were clad in green with scattered yellow and brown in-between. The bare tundra seemed to slide under the mountain with great silence. As we got closer to the bend of the long mountains, the splashing, black waves grew louder and louder. As they hit against the boat they made everyone jump up in the air.

By the time we reached a narrow river our rear ends were aching drastically from the hard seats of the old boat. As we edged into the narrow river we began to hear birds murmuring. Then we could see them rocking slowly in the nearby ponds. Along the shore line of the river goose grass swayed in the water and stretched their short necks high up in the air, reaching, it seemed, for the clear blue sky itself.

We got out of the dingy boat and brought our stuff with us. As we walked on the dry tundra it crunched with the excitement of the adventure ahead of us. By the end of the day we had found a lot of eggs and caught a lot of birds. It was our lucky day.

Before we headed our boat back out into the widely spreading ocean before us, we looked back once more at the still tundra, not suspecting what lay ahead.

As we were slowly turning the pointed tip of Cape Romanzoff our motor died on us. My uncle worked with the stubborn motor for about three hours but it took its time to get fixed. As we were waiting we watched the orange and gold sunrise above the quiet western horizon. The calm black ocean surrounded the slowly floating boat with great silence.

By the time we got home the sunrise had totally disappeared from the horizon. But it was still hot out and the pressure of the heat weakened our bodies as we entered our even hotter house. We were very glad to be home though and that everything was back to normal.

Navegillemtni

Kiak, irraalumi 1983-allrani angaaka, anaka, ilaaka-llu ayall-ruukut negermun, ingrit amaatit-nun kaiyaangussurluta nutegyar-luta-llu.

Unuakullrani taquaput, atura-put, neqkaput-llu upluki. Upcim-ainanirma akerta puglliniuq ung-aken nunam iquanek. Ekukut angerparnun angyamun mekellraimek-llu ellii-qerangqerlluni.

Ayallemta naryuumaukut uqvai-nek aneryararceluuni-llu. Taugam akauni maraiyamek naryuuminaqluni. Ingritlu cungaglingqerrlluteng nunaapigangqer-lluteng-llu akuatni. Ninaapik-llu acaini ingrim nepainani uitauralria. Ingrim iqua tekitellemteni emapim qairit qassturiinarluteng. Qairet angyam ciuqeraani migpautaqluteng qeckauvvkallruakut.

Tekitellemteni allaamun qaner-yaraamun nulluput akninarqellrut angyam currua teggngami. Itlemteni kuigamun eniicuumaluki yaqulget qan-ellrit cali tangerssumaluuki kiumall-ratni nanvvami. Nunam-llu cenaani qatellriit takellriit-llu canget kiumarluteng. Nunapik-llu. naunranek patengqerlluni qilaamun-llu tekiteng-naqluteng.

Yuuluta angyamek taquaput-llu taguulluki. Pektellemteni nunaapim qaingani qiagyirliuni. Anglanii-luta cakneq. Amllernek kaiyaangurnek yaqulegnek-llu pilluuta. Tangerlluku nepailnguq nunaapik tangerngairucamciu kinguanillu imarpigmun ceurluta. Ingriq uiveqatallemni elliiqeryaraaput tuquq.

Angam kitugtengnarqellqa akanek. Akaraurcan elliiqerraq ayagtuq. Utaq-ainanemteni akerta pugellrulliiniuq merem qaingani. Tungulria neq qairitqapiglluni. Qairiteliran nepai-tevvkaraa. Cukaiteliria pugtauralria-llu angyaq ayagtuq nepainani.

Tekitellemteni mavet maraiyar-miunun akerta qulemtenun ayallrullii-niuq. Merem agturngairulluuku. Itlemtengi kircetellriamun menun qai-put tekitellemtenek calii-liu carka-put ataam pingluki.

Wanda Kasayuli