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Steve Oomittuk

Steve Oomittuk

Steve Oomittuk was born in 1962 to Othneil and Georgianne Oomittuk in Point Hope (Tikiġaq), Alaska. He was partially raised by his grandparents during a time when they did not have running water or electricity, and grew up in both Point Hope and Utqiaġvik (formerly known as Barrow). Steve started going out onto the shorefast sea ice as a young boy when learning about seal hunting and whaling, and has continued to be a hunter and a whaler his entire life. Steve is a strong culture-bearer of Inupiaq traditions who has immersed himself in knowledge of traditional practices and stories of the elders, and is constantly working to pass on this knowledge to future generations. Steve is also an accomplished artist and carver.
Date of Birth:
May 8, 1962
Steve Oomittuk appears in the following new Jukebox projects:
Interview Title Abstract Archive #: Oral History Project Date of Interview
Steve Oomittuk, Part 1

Steve Oomittuk was interviewed on June 2, 2017 by Karen Brewster at the Tuzzy Consortium Library in Utqiaġvik, Alaska (formerly known as Barrow). Steve lives in Point Hope, but was in Utqiaġvik attending the 2017 North Slope Elders/Youth Conference and was able to take time away from sessions to participate in this interview. In this first part of a two part interview, Steve talks about being raised by his grandparents and learning to hunt on the shorefast sea ice, ice conditions around Point Hope, and how things have been changing in his lifetime. He discusses the effect of wind and current on ice conditions, getting caught on drifting ice, and changes in the timing of freeze-up and how that has effected their traditional celebration of the coming of slush ice (qinu). He also mentions the importance of listening to elders and of adhering to traditional taboos to ensure whaling success.

 2013-25-40_PT.1 Sea Ice in Northern Alaska Jun 2, 2017
Steve Oomittuk, Part 2

This is the continuation of an interview with Steve Ommittuk on June 2, 2017 by Karen Brewster at the Tuzzy Consortium Library in Utqiaġvik, Alaska (formerly known as Barrow). Steve lives in Point Hope, but was in Utqiaġvik attending the 2017 North Slope Elders/Youth Conference and was able to take time away from sessions to participate in this interview. In this second part of a two part interview, Steve talks about the effect of wind and current on sea ice conditions, the importance of checking the ice thickness and cracks in order to remain safe, and the ice conditions needed in order to pull up a whale and adaptation to changing conditions. He also talks about changes in the timing of break-up effecting bearded seal hunting, the whaling celebrations in Point Hope, ice conditions in the 2016 and 2017 whaling season, and the importance of listening to elders and paying attention to ice conditions.

 2013-25-40_PT.2 Sea Ice in Northern Alaska Jun 2, 2017