Charlie and the Blanket Toss. Tricia Brown

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      Charlie

      and the

      Blanket Toss

      Contents

       “Yay-hey-hey!!”

       POP!!!

       Nalukataq!

       Boom … Boom … Boom …

       “Aarigaa•! Whooaaaa! Ui, Ui, Ui•!•

       The Iñupiat Whaling Tradition

       Iñupiaq Eskimo Words

      “Yay-hey-hey!!”

      Charlie heard his father’s happy shout. He knew what it meant: a whale had given itself to the people!

      Today the whaling crew’s flag would fly over the captain’s house—our house! Charlie thought—as a sign to the whole village. Good news! Our crew was successful!

      Every family in the village would enjoy some fresh boiled whale meat and maktak^•, the skin and blubber.

      ^• MUCK-tuck

      Charlie hopped in place and clapped as Dad pulled Mom into the folds of his hunting parka. Then Charlie threw himself in to join the hug. Suddenly, he was shouting, too, as his father tossed him up-up-up!

      “Whoaaaaaaaa!”

      At the very top, where up meets down, Charlie shut his eyes and held his breath. His stomach did a flip. And then he was in his father’s arms again, laughing and squirming.

      “Just getting you ready for Nalukataq^•, son!” his father’s big voice boomed.

       ^• NULL-uh-kuh-tuq

      Nalukataq! The Summer Whaling Festival was Charlie’s favorite Iñupiaq^• holiday. Tradition said that those who caught a whale—his father’s crew!—decided when the outdoor celebration would be, usually in June.

      There would be an all-day feast, storytelling, drumming, singing, and dancing to honor the whalers who helped provide for the community. And best of all, Charlie thought, the blanket toss.

      After dinner, grandmother shared a story about Nalukataq, telling it as she had heard it from her grandfather, and his grandfather before him, keeping memory alive.

      “Iñupiat^• people, for thousands of years, we take care of each other,” his Aana^• said. “One boat catches a whale … nobody starves. Pretty good reason for Nalukataq, eh?”

       ^•eh-NU-pea-ak ^•eh-NU-pea-at ^•AH-nuh

      And did they always do the blanket toss, too?” Charlie asked. “That is what nalukataq means—it is our Iñupiaq word about the blanket toss. We have no trees, so whale spotters climb the high ice ridges to look for spouting whales. And the blanket toss, well….” Aana chuckled. “They say when my grandfather was a boy he could fly higher and see farther on the blanket than any of the men spotting from the pressure ridges. He wasn’t much older than you.”

      “Do you think he was ever afraid, Aana?” Charlie asked quietly.

      She waited a long moment before answering.

      “Maybe, Charlie,” she said. “But do not worry. When it is your turn, you will be ready.”