To close this collection I will explain to you why this is such an important accomplishment for me. I was born December 13, 1969 in Salinas, California to my mother Myrna Lebek Punguk and my Eskimo father, Ronald James Punguk. My parents divorced when I was very little, so I grew up with very little of Eskimo culture. I had a pair of mukluks and an ivory carved seal that belonged to my father. Other than having these things, I had no concept of what it was like to be Eskimo. Since I am half Eskimo and I looked mostly white, growing up in California, I only learned about white culture. This all changed when I was 17.
I came to Alaska on a Scholarship program called Earthwatch. I took the opportunity to travel to Golovin where I met my Eskimo family, who I had never before known. I met my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I was overwhelmed by this new world I could become a part of. My young eyes were opened to a different way to live. A very big contrast existed between the world in which I was raised and the Eskimo world of living off the land, being close to the earth, and taking time and activities at a slower, more moderated pace.
I realized what I was missing in my life in California and I started the wheels turning in my head, trying to figure out how to get back to my roots. I recently read The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, and in her description of why she wanted to write about her culture she said about her trip to China. "The moment I stepped foot on china's soil, I became Chinese." I feel the same way, the moment I stepped foot on Alaska's soil, I knew I was home. My connection with the land and people here has grown stronger more powerful over the years. Returning to Golovin again and again, as I have done, has been a process of recovering myself after being away for so long. I am learning what it is like to be Eskimo.
I returned to Golovin after my first visit several times, but in 1992 I moved to Golovin at Christmas time and I stayed for four months, until May of 1993. I was welcomed into the community and when I left in May I was told by everyone that Golovin is now my home and I am always welcome. This was a powerful gesture and I was deeply affected. The four months I was there were winter months and so I resolved to spend time in Golovin in the summer.
That was the first germination (pun intended) of this plant project that I created. The main thrust for the project was for me to get as much information as possible about my people and the survival skills that have been perfected and allow the Eskimo to live in such a harsh environment as Alaska. The plants of the region have shaped Eskimo existence. Or in this case the lack of plants. I have about 40 traditionally used plants in this collection. This is a relatively low number in comparison to the number of plants cultivated or used by the native tribes of South America. Because the plant diversity and species number is lower in the regions inhabited by Eskimos, animals played a larger part of Eskimos diet than plants. Without the plants to balance out the diet, the Eskimos couldn't have existed in Alaska's Arctic region.
As this book is a mixture of cultural and scientific information, I want to state that the knowledge of these plants included here are scientifically known by the Eskimo, as well. The plants such as willows (chura) and the berries (chuba, achiet, aqpik) are high in vitamins and minerals that are essential to the survival here in Alaska. This knowledge is very well developed and this is why I really wanted to write this book. I want to see this knowledge available to the generation of Iñupiaq Eskimos that are sure to follow us. My children and their children will grow up with this knowledge so they can continue the Eskimo way.