Eskimo Models @ 30 below zero !! (Bethel: buying, school, camper)

[stiffnecked]

No, quite frankly, Megensmon, you didn't read his reply correctly. He said there were 300 jobs open on the North Slope. When most people talk about the "North Slope" they mean the whole North Slope. That includes the villages of Kaktovik, Anaktuvuk Pass, Nuiqsit,
Barrow, Wainwright, Point Lay, Point Hope, and the whole Prudhoe Bay/Deadhorse oil field complex.

The majority of the jobs are first in Prudhoe Bay and then in Barrow. It would be kind of strange to have 300 job opening in a village of 800. Maybe you should pay more attention to what your reading.

[megensmom]

I paid attention,I just didn't understand it. That is why I asked why would there be 75% unemployeed IF there was that many jobs. It was a legit question because I didn't understand I thought North Slope was 1 place NOT a name given to a whole GROUP of places. That is why I asked.

[mal_flisk]

Must be sold by a native, and it must be carved ( even a small initial with a mask carving next to it qualifies). I have installed batteries and worked in the ASTAC CO in Point Hope.

Employment is at the Post Office, school, village offices. There isn't anything else for people to do. There are no stores. There is one power plant operator. The North Slope Borough hires about three people. No fast food restaurants. There are no roads connecting the village with Point Lay, Nuiqsuit, Wainwright or Barrow. Travel is by snow machine, 4-wheeler or plane. It is a difficult place to live without family and friends to support you. Dropping in to live in these places sounds like going back to a remote spot in the 1800's and living off the land. It is more difficult than that. I spent time in all of these places and found a very friendly group of people, but I was an outsider performing a service and leaving relatively quickly. I walked to and from the airstrip, and was always greeted warmly, if they weren't passing by on the snow machine or 4-wheeler. Even then, they waved. The kids are a delight, and I always bring in a case of chocolate milk (drink carton variety) and pass them to kids as they walk by when I am outside smoking.

I can only say that Nuiqsuit tends to be a little more indisposed towards white guys than the rest of them. I otherwise have nothing but good things to say about the people in the borough.

[Barkingowl]

Originally Posted by Majik_Imaje

I am realy stumped at what you mean by industry in such a tiny small place.

care to elaborate. ?

Sure... Industry like drilling for oil or mining minerals, gold, diamonds. Fishing, arts & crafts. BTW I read that your family carves fossilized ivory. How do you find the ivory under all of the ice & snow? Do you have guides that cater to tourists? From the photographs that I have seen I would think that there might be some independent travelers who would enjoy a photo safari in your part of the world.

[megensmom]

Mal_flisk thank you for the info. I guess you can say the stories are great but I am wondering if people that are coming here looking for info may read these and go man that is the place to be it sounds so great,so welcoming and life is so simple there and you can also get rich pretty easily.So they head up there and then find out there was way more to it. I guess you can say I was wondering if life there was really like the stories. Because I must say it sounds like a wonderful place to live and so exciting based on the stories that he tells. Not that telling a story is bad or anything and they do seem to be enjoyable. I was just trying to get my facts stright.

[Majik_Imaje]

Ivory,, White Ivory from the Walrus can only be purchased by an Inupiaq Native, I am sure natives from the south can purchase it also.

Hunting a walrus is only alllowed by the Inupiaq People.

Once that walrus has been taken; the tusks must be "tagged" by fish & game.

then it can only be sold, In its "raw" state to another native.

then I can be sold in some form of arts and or crafts such as bracelts or ear-rings. or carvings of animals or eagles or such.

BEACH WASHED IVORY: is "fair-game" to anyone who finds it and it can be purchased in places like Alaska Fur Exhancge in Anchorage, corner of Tudor & old seward. Mod Cut/Not nice


FOSSIL IVORY is fair game to anyone who finds it. it can also be purased by anyone in places such as listed above.

How do we find fossil ivory when it is buried under ice and snow.

SIMPLE: WE HAVE to wait, for the snow & ice to go away!!

anyone !!! May carve on Ivory !!! provided your using the correct type ivory .

Lets say you find a piece of Beach Washed Walrus ivory. it has been washing around in the ocean and it is finally spit up onto one of the many beaches throughout the state, once you have that "tagged" by fish and game.. you may do with it as you please. you can sell it "raw" that is not against the law.


now there are other types of ivory here also that I have not mentioned.

mastadon and mamoth ivory is fair game no tags are required and it is all over this place.

Clyde harris of Kotzebue was walkng to work one day along the beach, he came across somethng small sticking out of the mud. He kicked it and almost broke his toe. He bent down to grab it and the earth moved ten feet away.
He jumped up, ran home and grabbed his shovel and dug .

this is what Clyde pulled out of the mud that day In Kozebue in 2004.

He was immediately offered $15,000 for it just as it is.. Clyde said no!!

I know from experience that > that piece of Ivory can generate in excess of a couple of hundred K very easily staying at home learning how to make "ear-rings" that is the biggest most profitable use of Ivory there is.




IN Kotzebue (yes this is Kotz in the summer)

There is a Russian Eskimo that is married to an Inupiaq Native. She is extremly gifted and talented in ivory carving. This woman used to make mega bux with her work. Until her white boss got fired for selling white tagged ivory to white people. then it was found out about her vast sales or ivory A russian Eskimo is not allowed to possess WHITE tagged Ivory and they are not allowed to carve on it. Yes in Russia they can but she is not allowed to sell her work any longer.! Even though her husband is Inupiaq.??

I dunno what has happened since that ruling came about 2 years ago.

now when beach combing if you come across something like this.. it is considered fair game.. on any beach what you find is yours.




My sons found this on a beach 60 miles north of the village of Point Hope, a boat was needed to reach this rich spot of finding ivory.

black fossil ivory is extremly rare as it is the oldest form of fossil ivory.

they say it takes 10,000 years for Ivory to absorb all the elements of the sea being bashed around in the surf and in waves during storms. fossil ivory in Barrow is different.. because it sits in sand.

This was obviously a weapon of some sort.. we decided to cut it open many years ago. I am not advertising I am showing you what this stuff looks like when opened. everything I am showing you has long been sold and we have NOTHING FOR SALE.

We opened this ivory .. and this is what we saw.

those 20 sets of ear-rings were gone in a new york second. @ 50 each
a mere days work.



each piece is unique in that no duplicates are ever possible, every piece is different.


BEACH COMBING is big busness for some people. but it is much very hard work and a lot of walking and digging.

[Barkingowl]

Originally Posted by Majik_Imaje

We opened this ivory .. and this is what we saw.

those 20 sets of ear-rings were gone in a new york second. @ 50 each
a mere days work.



each piece is unique in that no duplicates are ever possible, every piece is different.


BEACH COMBING is big busness for some people. but it is much very hard work and a lot of walking and digging.

Those are very pretty earrings. Do pieces like that get sold directly to retail clients or does one have to purchase them from a store or gallery?
The tusk is impressive. It is quite a bit larger than the ones that I have seen from elephants. The black ivory piece could be mistaken for stone by someone unfamiliar with it. Do you have more pictures of your more "unique" pieces that you could share?

[Majik_Imaje]

I have lots of photos

Inupiaq - Eskimo Fine Art Gallery - Home

you will find Ivory at the bottom of that page

all you have to do to sell is go to local natives. or the hospital or other places up here to sell

In a place so tiny as in Point Hope we got rid of over 200 bracelets and that many ear-rings. every one in TOWN bought stuff form us.

I have no part in this I am stricly photography My sons.. that is there buisness.

I am the one who pulled all my sons out of high school and taught them how and what to carve..

the bottom line in any business or company is that bottom line !! nothing else matters !! that is the indicator that the world recognizes

[warptman]

Theres something fishy or phishy on your posts Magic. Do you have the permission of the local people so sell prints of them? It seems to me that you are only in city data to make some money off of your website in your profile and selling of the crafts you've purchased.

[stiffnecked]

Thanks for pointing that out. I didn't even know he had a website. I'm ordering some earrings for the wife. Neat stuff. Neat stories. Neat pictures. Keep them coming.