The Bowhead and the Inupiat: A Partnership When springtime comes to the Arctic coast of Alaska and the ocean ice splits open, bowhead whales swim northward. Inupiat whalers set their white tents on the edge of the ice waiting, as they have done for centuries, for the return of the whales. The Inupiat have long shared a special bond with the bowheads. Legend tells of an Inupiaq shaman who visited the whales and learned a message of sharing and cooperation. The Inupiat believe that whales choose to give themselves to worthy whaling crews that have emulated the spirit-of-the-whale by avoiding conflict and practicing generosity. This spirituality, passed down through generations, is the same tradition followed in Whale Snow . But the bond between the Inupiat and the whale is more than spiritual. Less than 100 years ago, the whale provided the Inupiat with homes, heat, food, and light.

Living on the treeless tundra, the Inupiat used the huge whalebones, along with driftwood, as the framework for their sod homes. Whale oil provided heat and light, while meat and blubber provided a major source of food. Even bowhead baleen found use in the creation of baskets, nets, cups, and sled runners. This relationship was threatened in 1977 when the International Whaling Commission (IWC) called for a ban in Inupiat whaling. Formed by the commercial whaling nations of the world, IWC did not understand the special relationship the Inupiat have always shared with the whale. Bowheads have given the Inupiat physical and spiritual sustenance. In response to the IWC ban, Inupiat whaling captains formed the Alaskan Eskimo Whaling Commission (AEWC), which today regulates Inupiat whaling by agreement with the federal government. Through AEWC, the Inupiat have sponsored scientific studies of bowheads.

Using underwater microphones, called hydrophones, scientists can follow whale movements and listen to individual whale voices. Today the Inupiat live in modern homes, but hold fast to the special culture surrounding the whale. Preparation for whaling is a year-round process and as in the old days, when magical amulets and songs were used to call the whales, spirituality is still an important part of the hunt.