Yesterday Rod (Sheila's husband) returned from hunting in EEK and had 2 caribou and a reindeer (the caribou is on the left and the reindeer is on the right).
We wanted to help butcher next time someone got a caribou even though Michele turns white at the sight of a dead animal! We headed over at about 8:30 last night ready to work. When I walked in the door (I arrived later than the other girls because I went to a friends house for dinner) they told me to pick up the heart and get a picture. I wasn't afraid so I picked up this heart, nearly the size of my head, and smiled for a picture. Michele turned around and apparently worked hard to keep the vomit down. She was in for a long night.
Sheila had some akutaq (eskimo ice cream) waiting for me when I arrived :) After eating, the ulu knives were brought out and the skinning began. Luckily the animals were already gutted (that's the smelly part) and we needed to start cutting of the skin. Wasn't too hard- just had to make sure I didn't get any of the meat on the skin and waste it. Sheila kept the fur from the caribou neck because that is used for dance fans. While skinning the animals we also cut off the calves of all the legs. Dolores, a new friend and parent of a student here, told me I was now 'qualified' for a husband because I can cut up the animals. We will see about that ;)
Took maybe a couple of hours but we skinned BOTH animals and took a break. Next we had to take wet paper towels and began wiping the hairs (MANY of them) off of the bodies. We then cut off the legs and from there cut the meat off of the bones and into roast size pieces. After the pieces were cut we washed them again to get off as much hair as possible. While we did this Sheila worked on sawing the ribs so they weren't as huge. We bagged all of the rinsed meat so that people from the village could come by today, Sunday, and get meat. This work was exhausting. Rachel, Michele and I left at about 1:30 because we were so tired. Sheila and Rod were saving the rest of the work for the next day. We got a lot more finished than they had expected :) This is a picture of us at the end of the night-- wiped out...
Sheila sent some meat home with us and Rod drove us by 4 wheeler so we wouldn't have to make the walk. It was FREEZING out- unfortunately I don't know the temperature. On Thursday I walked to school without a hat or gloves and didn't feel too bad. Found out that afternoon it had been -20 not including the windchill. I MUST be getting used to this cold weather.
I also wanted to let you all see the MAMMOTH TOOTH! Gideon, the 2nd grade teacher, was out hunting at the beginning of the school year and found it. Apparently mammoth bones/tusks/teeth have been found in this area. It's pretty awesome is all I have to say.
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