Ronald "Ron" Metzner

This is a continuation of the recording of Kenneth Toovak providing a verbal English summary translation of an interview he conducted in Iñupiaq with Otis Ahkivgak on December 8, 1979 in Barrow, Alaska. The interview was for UAF researchers Dr. Lewis Shapiro and Ron Metzner on the project Historical References to Ice Conditions Along the Beaufort Sea Coast of Alaska (Scientific Report, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1979). Kenneth summarizes each of the four original tapes made with Otis on separate new tapes. Ron Metzner is with Kenneth, asking clarifying questions. Unfortunately, the location of the original Iñupiaq tapes is unknown; the UAF Oral History Collection only has these English audio translations and their transcripts. In this second part of a four part interview recorded on January 6, 1980 Kenneth talks about Otis talking about ice, wind and current on the Beaufort Sea coast around Beechey Point, Cape Halkett, Milne Point and Cross Island, getting caught out on the moving ice, and whaling at Cross Island.

This is a continuation of the recording of Kenneth Toovak providing a verbal English summary translation of an interview he conducted in Iñupiaq with Otis Ahkivgak on December 8, 1979 in Barrow, Alaska. The interview was for UAF researchers Dr. Lewis Shapiro and Ron Metzner on the project Historical References to Ice Conditions Along the Beaufort Sea Coast of Alaska (Scientific Report, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1979). Kenneth summarizes each of the four original tapes made with Otis on separate new tapes. Ron Metzner is with Kenneth, asking clarifying questions. Unfortunately, the location of the original Iñupiaq tapes is unknown; the UAF Oral History Collection only has these English audio translations and their transcripts. In this fourth part of a four part interview recorded on June 3, 1981, Kenneth talks about Otis talking about learning about ice, wind and current and a big ice pileup in front of Barrow. Otis also told a story about a man who behaved badly and drifted out on the ice but returned home only to be crushed by ice piling up and collapsing on his sod house.

Harry Brower, Sr. was interviewed on November 7, 1979 by Ron Metzner in Barrow, Alaska for a project related to potential oil development of the Alaskan continental shelf. Interviews from this project appear in Historical References to Ice Conditions Along the Beaufort Sea Coast of Alaska (Scientific Report, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1979). However, Harry Brower's interview was not included in the publication. In this interview, Harry talks about sea ice movement at Cape Halkett and around Barrow, Alaska, and his own experience with being out on moving ice. He also discusses ice pile ups, changes in the sea ice, and the year the ice did not go out in Barrow (1975).

This is the continuation of an interview with Warren and Dorcas Neakok on January 5, 1980 by Ron Metzner for a project related to potential oil development of the Alaskan continental shelf. There is no location given for where the interview took place, but based on some of the comments made during the interview it sounds like it was not done at the Neakok's home in Point Lay, Alaska. Therefore, because the other interviews for this project were done in Barrow, Alaska, the assumption is that this one was also done there. Other interviews for this project appear in the Historical References to Ice Conditions Along the Beaufort Sea Coast of Alaska (Scientific Report, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1979), however the Neakok's interview was not included in the publication. In this second part of a two part interview, Warren is the main narrator and he talks about sea ice conditions around Point Lay, Cape Lisburne and Icy Cape, the effect of wind and current on the sea ice and the lagoon ice, ice pileups, and ice movement causing flooding. He also talks about getting caught on drifting sea ice when walrus hunting and seal hunting at open leads in the winter.

Samuel Kunaknana was interviewed in July 1978 by Kenneth Toovak and Ron Metzner in Barrow, Alaska for a project related to potential oil development of the Alaskan continental shelf. The original interview was in Inupiaq. The interview was translated into English in 1979 by Molly Pederson and appears in the Historical References to Ice Conditions Along the Beaufort Sea Coast of Alaska (Scientific Report, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1979). The original recording is missing, so only the original transcript without audio appears below. In this interview, Samuel talks about sea ice conditions on the northern Beaufort Sea coast, in particular around Cross Island and the mouth of the Colville River. He discusses how the wind influences the ice and how and where pressure ridges are formed, as well as talking about whaling around Cross Island.