Humility is a good quality to have,
especially for the Iñupiat. It helps them recognize their place in
the world.
In the past, humility played an important role in the Iñupiaq
culture. People
who put themselves above others were not working for the good of all.
Long
ago, people lived in small cabins, sod houses or temporary shelters.
It was important that people got along and did not brag or were too proud.
Humility
is important in today’s Iñupiat culture because the environment hasn’t
changed much over the decade. It is still important that our Iñupiat people
recognize and respect their place in this world. Eric Gooden
Kiana
9th grade |
Siikauraq Martha Whiting
Kotzebue
Humility means being humble.
I am put on this earth for a short time.
The earth, sky and water will outlive each of us and are greater than us.
I am only a segment of time, like a single piece of a puzzle
with all areas of life to complete the mysterious and beautiful puzzle.
I am placed on earth with Iñupiaq blood in this time of life for a purpose.
I am not here by accident.
Our creator is greater than all.
Nigraubruk Blair
Kotzebue
When we were young, being humble was taught to all the young.
We were taught never to boast about anything. But in this day and
age, you hear people
boasting about themselves.
Somewhere along the line, we lost our Iñupiaq
value about being humble. The chain was broken, so to speak. The person
who isn’t humble doesn’t
have any friends.
Our Elders were a good example for us. No matter
how old they are they never say, I’m too tired,” or “I’m
too old.” It
seems the Elders appreciate everything around them where the
younger generation
does not.
We need to start showing the children about humility
again. Atchiksauqta. . .let’s be humble.
Photo courtesy of Hannah Loon/NANA
Elder Rachel Craig
Kotzebue
Humility is a quality few people talk about but all recognize
as necessary in a person in the Iñupiaq society.
The old
Iñupiat taught the younger generation all they needed to know to make
a living, to live peaceably among their neighbors,
to exercise
caution
when in a dangerous environment, and how to survive in
an emergency (among other things.) That being the case, a person who has
paid attention
to his teachers
acquires
a lot
of information.
Some of this information he uses every day; the rest
of the information is used on call as the situation demands
it—but the well-educated
person does not boast about his knowledge. He uses that
knowledge as necessary without
talking about it.
Some of the favorite stories my uncle
Fletcher Gregg told me were about the times in the spring
when his father
taught
him
to hunt
bearded seals.
They
would go out on the ice with a sled and quyaq or boat
for transportation, taking their rifles and hunting gear.
His
father taught him how to get within shooting distance of the seals on the
flat ice by using the three-pronged
ice scratchers
and white camouflage
clothing. Then he would either shoot the seals with
a rifle or use a bow and arrow, whatever hunting implement
he was
teaching his son
to
use at
the
moment.
This one time he was teaching his son how to
get a seal with a bow and arrow. He inches his way close
to the
seal, shot
it with
an arrow,
ran
over and
hit it with a harpoon, all within split seconds.
In the meantime, the bearded seal was hopping away toward
the
open lead to
escape certain
death.
Grandfather hung on for dear life on the rope
attached to the harpoon while at the same time biting on the
bearded seal’s flipper for
a firmer grip. He dug his heels into the ice for
firmer resistance and frantically
called for assistance to his son through clenched
teeth.
Fletcher took a rifle and ran from his observation
point at the sled and qayaq to assist his father
as fast as
he could.
He came
to an
open lead
which was about ten or twelve feet wide and wondered
how in the world his dad got to the other side.
He
backed up several feet and ran with all his might to give himself momentum
as he flew over
the open
water and landed
on the other
side where his dad
and the wounded seal were. Quickly, he shot the
seal with the rifle at close range and then both
father
and son relaxed.
They secured
the rawhide
rope
on the bearded seal and pulled it to the open
lead for easier transport.
Grandfather asked Fletcher how he got across
the open lead. Fletcher replied, “I
figured if you could jump across that expanse
of open lead, then maybe I could, too; so I ran
and jumped across it.”
“
. . . people didn’t talk about their own accomplishments. I think that’s
one of the reasons why our people have a hard
time expressing themselves in job interviews.”
Elder Rachel Craig
His father then cautioned him
that that kind of feat was something a person didn’t
talk about to other people. You just quietly appreciate
your abilities
but not talk about them. You
never know what
some jealous person might do to cripple such
a talented person. Better to keep quiet about it
but know within the
family what your own capabilities
are in an emergency.
Besides personal capabilities,
people didn’t talk about their
own accomplishments. I think that’s one
of the reasons why our people have a hard time
expressing themselves in job interviews. They
are not used
to “selling” themselves. Usually
another person will talk about a person’s
accomplishments and wonderful capabilities. An
Iñupiaq didn’t do this for himself. But,
if someone who knows of his capabilities asks
him to do something, the person
must show respect
to the requester and
comply, giving his best efforts. This is also
probably why few people will volunteer their
services but will comply
with appointments.
Another area where the Iñupiat
were strict about expressing humility was in
regard to the animals
and birds. No
one boasted that he
would get X
number of animals or birds when he went hunting.
Because the animals had spirits,
they could “hear” the person’s
boastful pride and perceive his negative feelings
toward others
and stay away from his
hunting environment.
Hunters must approach their
hunting with the best of feelings toward each
other and the wildlife
they are
hunting. There
must be harmony
of feelings.
Some years ago, when the International
Whaling Commission decided to ban bowhead whale hunting
in Alaska, there
was a lot of
hard talking and discussion
about the whales. A small quota was eventually
established to give the
Natives an opportunity to harvest some whales.
But the hunters felt the number was insufficient
and
so they
made a lot of
to-do about
it. The
next season,
not a single whale was caught.
The women then
reminded the hunters that we are not supposed to fight over
animals because they
can hear
us.
Personally, I think that until the hunters
can get together and plan a strategy of hunting together
in harmony, there
will be
no beluga
to be
had.
That’s the way it’s been from time
immemorial and it has not changed. Animals
are still the same. You can’t fight
over them if you want to enjoy them.
The old
Inupiat teach us that sooner or later a boastful
person gets an opportunity to fulfill
his boasting.
Most of the time
he gets
to eat a lot of humble pie. The old Inupiat
teach us it is better to keep
quiet about our super capabilities because
sooner or later people will find out about
them without
our saying
so. Then
they can
tell the whole
world
how wonderful we are!
Iñupiat
Ilitqusiat