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Nathaniel "Nate" Olemaun, Jr.

Nathaniel “Nate” Olemaun, Jr. was born in Barrow, Alaska, but spent thirteen years living away from the community in the Lower 48. Nate returned to Barrow in 1970, and re-learned his native Inupiaq language and traditional hunting and whaling skills. He married Ida Oyagak and went whaling with her father, Roxy Oyagak from 1970 to 1991. He learned much of his sea ice and whaling knowledge from his father-in-law. Nate has served as the mayor of the City of Barrow off and on for many years, and has served on the board of directors of Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation (UIC).

Date of Birth:

Apr 4, 1943

Date of Death:

Sep 21, 2015

Nathaniel "Nate" Olemaun, Jr. appears in the following new Jukebox projects:

Sea Ice in Northern Alaska

Interview Title	Abstract	Archive #: Oral History	Project	Date of Interview
Nathaniel Olemaun, Jr.	Nathaniel "Nate" Olemaun, Jr. was interviewed on June 26, 2009 by Matthew Druckenmiller in Barrow, Alaska. This interview was part of Matthew's research for a Ph.D. in Snow, Ice and Permafrost Geophysics from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. For his project, he mapped the trails built by whalers to their camps at the edge of the sea ice and talked with local residents about ice conditions, whale camps, and trail building. Results of his research can be found in his dissertation Alaska Shorefast Ice: Interfacing Geophysics With Local Sea Ice Knowledge and Use (2011). In this interview, Nate talks about the ice conditions, trails, camp locations and whaling in Barrow during the 2009 spring season.	2013-25-18	Sea Ice in Northern Alaska	Jun 26, 2009