The Story of Toolik

Not so many years ago, a boy was born in the Kuzitrin River country. His parents were very poor. The only useful thing they had was an old boat. When the boy was born, they named him Toolik. This is the Eskimo word for the small black-breasted, black-crested tundra bird. Like the little bird, the boy was born with no things to help him, just his parents.

Soon the baby grew up to be a boy. His clothes were not ever new things. His parka had holes at the elbows and his pants had holes at the knees. Toolik’s father was not strong. His health was not so good. When Toolik was big enough to hunt, he asked his father to make a bow and some arrows for him.

Toolik’s father cut a water willow and shaped it into a bow. Then he made some small arrows to fit the bow. Toolik was so proud of his bow and arrows he took good care of them always.

One morning the boy awoke early. He went out to practice with his bow like the other boys. He went to where no one could see him. At first, he shot at a big target, then he aimed at smaller and smaller targets. He saw it was fun to shoot at the targets. Finally, he could hit every one he shot at.

One evening he asked his mother if he could use his father’s hunting bag. His mother said it was all right, he could use it the next day. Early the next morning, Toolik went out hunting. He saw ptarmigans on his way. He shot four out of the flock and put them in his father’s hunting bag. Soon he saw pintail ducks in the lake. He shot six of them and put them in the bag. He began to feel proud of himself. He thought how in his first hunting trip in his life he had shot ten birds with his bow and arrows.

He went home with a happy feeling in his heart. Even his steps were fast, although he was tired, because he knew he could make his mother happy with the birds they would have to eat. When Toolik reached home, he went into the caribou skin tent. He put his bag down and said, “I bring something to eat for supper.” His mother looked in the hunting bag. When she saw what was in the bag, she did not believe her eyes. She looked at her son and asked him, “Who gave you those birds in the bag?”

Toolik answered, “No one. I am the one who killed them with my bow and arrows father made.”

Now, there was a custom in those days that everyone followed. If a boy or a young man killed his first birds, a sea animal, or a caribou, his mother would cook it and invite elderly men and old ladies to come and eat together. These old wise people would share the meat of a boy’s first hunt. It did not matter what the first kill was — as small as birds or as big as a seal or oogruk — the first time a certain kind of animal was killed by a boy, his mother would cut up all the meat and let the people of the village share it.

This custom came to be because Eskimo people wanted a boy to become a good hunter and to provide for his people. This custom would help him in hunting, the people believed, because by sharing his first kill of any of the food animals, these animals would know and would not be afraid of him. That meant it would be easier for him to find the animals when he was hunting for food.

The years passed, and Toolik grew up to become a young man and a good hunter. He saw lots of the country around Kuzitrin River and met many people living along the rivers and lakes. He began to wonder, “Why is it lots of people live in this country. Why are they spread out in their camps from Tuksuk Channel clear up to Noxapaga River area?”

He talked to the elderly men. He asked them, “Why is it our people are so spread out this way? Why do they not live together? Can they build a village together?”

The old men told him, “They are used to living like this. No one ever asked them to build a village.”

Toolik thought much about this. One day he talked to one of the aungutguhks, a blind man who lived high on a hill above Tuksuk Channel. The man was called Teegook (holds something in his head). Toolik asked him, “Do you know who would be a good man to become a leader of the people who live in this country?”

The blind man said, “Let me talk to my spirits. After some time, I will tell you what they say. You come back to me. I will answer your question at this same time tomorrow night.”

Toolik went out from the home of the blind aungutguhk and looked at Totoruk (the Big Dipper). It was pointing toward the West. The next evening Toolik visited Teegook when Totoruk was in the same place, ready to hear the answer to his question.

Toolik went into Teegook’s house. The blind man was expecting him. He said, “I asked my spirits, and their answer was they could not find a better man than Toolik. You are the man. They have appointed you to lead all the people of the Kuzitrin region. From now on, the spirits say you must lead them in the best way you can think of. Your people will be everyone living from Tuksuk Channel all the way up the Noxapaga.”

The blind man stopped talking for a little while. Then he said, “Do not ever be afraid to ask me questions. I will help you whenever you need help.”

Toolik knew now that there was one man on his side.

Toolik thought about what the aungutguhk told him. Then he began to wonder what the weatherman would say about the spring season coming. He traveled to see an old man named Sooluk. He was the best weatherman in the country of the Kuzitrin and Noxapaga Rivers. Toolik asked him about the weather coming in the spring time.

Sooluk answered him. “We will have a long spring season. Ping ah suit too ah ut (the wise men stars) say so.”

Then Toolik told Sooluk what he had been thinking about. He told him he wanted to call the people together to come down to the beach for seal hunting. Then he would tell them to move to Point Spencer and everyone would meet with him there. There would be a big meeting of all the people of the region and Toolik would talk to them about making a village. Toolik told about his visit to blind Teegook and how he had been named to be a leading man by the spirits of the aungutguhk.

Toolik explained to Sooluk that he thought a good place for the people to settle together and make a village would be like Kauwerak. He would ask the people to build their village there. It would have everything the people needed all around the place. There was plenty of good fresh water, and it was easy to get to the lakes, rivers, and the sea for hunting. Toolik had thought of many places for people to settle together, but his mind pointed out that Kauwerak seemed to be the best.

He told Sooluk, “I chose this place because there is a protective sand bar there. It is the only place that has a sand bar in the lower end of Kuzitrin River. It is located between one and two miles from the mouth of the river where it drains into Imuruk (Salt Lake). The people can catch many kinds of fishes at that place. There are all different kinds of birds around there, and caribou and bears close by in the Kigluaik Mountains. All around Kauwerak there are lots of salmonberries, blackberries, blueberries, and cranberries. At Kauwerak the people will be able to catch fish under the ice with nets and hooks in the winter time. There is enough in that place to provide for many people living there.”

Sooluk told Toolik his idea was good. Now, Toolik had two men on his side.

When the full moon appeared during Sainotoavick (March), Toolik told the people living near him when they met in the kazghi (meetingplace), “I will send two messengers up along Kuzitrin River and also up the Noxapaga to call all the people together for a meeting.”

Then Toolik told the two messengers what to tell everyone they came to on their travels. They were to tell the people, “Toolik wants every family to move down to the sea harbor [Port Clarence] area to hunt oogruk, walrus, and seals during the springtime. They should do this to prepare for a long winter season. After the ice has gone from the harbor, Toolik wants all the families to come to the Point [Point Spencer] to have a meeting and hear what he has to tell them.”

All of the families arrived at the harbor in Nuwaitoivick (April). Many had skin boats to carry the many seals and oogruk that would be killed. Whoever did not have a boat helped with the work using small boats or sleds and dogs. Everyone worked together like a big family.

Soon all the ice had gone out on the Bering Sea and the hunting was over. By the end of Naisearseavick (June) all the families had arrived at the point. There they waited until Toolik arrived.

Early in Omeitoavick (July) Toolik arrived. He had many things to take care of. He was a good hunter, so he had become the husband to two wives. They came with him to help to prepare all the meat that had been harvested from the spring hunting.

Everyone was very happy. There was lots to eat and much meat drying for the coming winter time. Soon the leaves began to grow from the ground and on the willows. The people picked them and put them in sea animal oil in seal skin containers to save for winter food. They did not know about vitamins and minerals in foods, but they knew that they needed green things to eat in the winter. There were more greens at the Point than everybody would need. This was good. The womenfolk were busy during the long days picking leaves of many kinds. More and more seal pokes were filled up with dried seal meat, dried ogruk meat, and dried walrus meat — all packed in seal oil. When the ice was all gone in the bay, the people put their nets in the water and began to catch fish. Soon there were lots of racks full of drying fish. Some of this the womenfolk put half-dried in the seal skin containers and added seal oil. The rest of it they tied in great bundles after the fish were all dried, and hung them up for winter.

Finally, Toolik sent word to all the people. “Come together and we will talk about our future living. We will talk about changes we should make and how we can improve our way of doing things.”

Soon all the people were present before Toolik. This was a new thing to all the people. There had never been a meeting called for of all of them together in any of their lifetimes. This was the first meeting of the people, all together, since the Second Disaster.

Everyone sat around in front of Toolik. Toolik was sitting down between four elderly men. He stood up, and with a smiling face, he said, “Quiana, to every one of you.”

Toolik looked around, smiling at everyone. Then he began to talk.

“I have a surprising thing I want to talk about. I also have a surprising thing I want to ask you all. My question is, ‘Would you all like to become like one big family? Would you like to be all the time just like we are now? We are gathered here, living like a family, helping each other and at the same time we are getting ready for future days when winter time comes. I repeat, would you like to live all the time like we are doing now?’ If we live together, helping each other, everyone will live better. Rich or poor, a person will be better off when he has help from others and can help them in return. We should look to coming times and how we can all live better if we work together. Life will be easier. If we all agree, we can become a village of many people. Our work will be easier and we will have more time to enjoy ourselves and our families. When times are hard, one man cannot make it alone. He needs help to hunt and fish or when his family has sadness. When we are all together in a village, it is easy to help each other.

“I will leave this question of making a village up to all of you. Talk things over until you get an answer about what you want to do. I will be with you all again two days from now. Be ready with the answer.”

After two days everyone came together again at the same time. They came to answer Toolik’s question. No one had talked to him No one had said even one word to him in two days.

One man stood up. All the rest were sitting on the ground. The man standing up faced the people. He was Toolik’s uncle. Toolik was sitting between the four elderly men, like before. He stood up and stepped forward toward his uncle. Then he stopped before him and waited.

Toolik’s uncle was named Cenaeahauhk (also called Seelamieu). This means “walking on the edge of water.”

Cenaeahauhk looked at Toolik. He said, “Our people have chosen me to tell you their answer. They say we will do as you wish. Whatever you choose as our path we will follow it. We will be glad to do it. Whatever you lead us in doing, and the way you want us to do it, it will be easier living than it is now. That is the answer.”

Toolik was surprised they decided so fast. He thanked them all by saying, “Quiana, eleeloquahsee.”

He looked around at everyone, and with a smiling face, he told them about the things they would have to do.

“Now, I can see you all want to live together in a village. We all know it will not be easy to build so big a place. But, we are so many, we will work together, help each other, and we will succeed so we can live like one big family. Here are some things we should do first.

“We must move our families first. We must go inland somewhere before the salmon run. We will find a place where the salmon come and where there are salmonberries and ripe blackberries. After moving our families, I want all the menfolk to come back with all the boats. We will haul beachwood for making frames for the houses. We will work together to load the boats, and then we will all travel together.”

The spring weather was fine, just as Sooluk said it would be. The next morning after the people gave Toolik their answer it was warm and calm. Everyone went to work to load the boats. There was so much food the boats were very heavy when the people started toward Port Clarence. On the third day the boats came to the sand bar Toolik had described to Sooluk, the place called Kauwerak. Soon the families were settled down in caribou tents to rest for a while.

Toolik talked to the menfolk. “Look at that sand bar. It sure makes this a real good place for a village to be built. There are all kinds of fishes, ducks, birds, and caribou up those north side rivers. We all know there are caribou and bear in the mountains near here, and lots of small animals and greens and berries around this place. It is a very rich country winter and summer.”

The men looked around. They agreed it was a good place to build a village.

Every man that had a boat went back to the Point to get a load of beachwood from the coast. It was a long trip in their skin boats. They had to cross Imuruk (Salt Lake) nearly 35 miles long, then down swift Tuksuk Channel, across the harbor (Grantley Harbor) and up the coast to the point (Pt. Spencer). They loaded their boats full with the driftwood to make the frames for the houses and returned to Kauwerak. Four times they made the hazardous journey so they could build sturdy homes for every family.

Toolik made a plan for where the homes would be placed. He chose a place for the big kazghi (dance hall and meeting place). The houses would be built on each side of the kazghi and behind it. Toolik marked off the place for the kazghi.

Two sets of working parties started to build the houses. One group of men began working from the dance hall toward the Kigluiak Mountains. The other party began building from the kazghi in the other direction.

The houses were built one right after another. Soon the men finished the front row of the houses facing the channel next to the bank. Then the men started on a back row of houses. They worked just like they did on the front row. These houses faced the other way, back toward Tuksuk.

The men started to build the kazghi. The women and bigger children went a long way from the village. They found a good place to cut blocks of sod from the tundra. Some of the sod they put on skins so it could be carried by two or three people holding the corners. Some of it they put in smaller skins so it could be carried on someone’s back. For many, many days the women and children carried sod to Kauwerak and piled it around and over the houses. Soon the village began to look like a low hill sitting beside the water. Toolik told the people where to put the sod blocks. When everything was done, there was a path on the top of the mound so people could walk from one end of the village to the other without bothering anyone’s house. There were trails from the path running the length of the mound that led between every two houses so people could visit each other, even when there was a lot of snow, without walking around or over the buildings. There was a place to tie the dogs away from the back row of houses. There were also places to store the skin boats tipped up on their sides. When the boats were put up for the winter, they made a curved line all across the back of Kauwerak facing the back row of houses.

The men worked to make the kazghi (dance hall) big enough to hold all the people of Kauwerak and any visitors that might come. There were six big seal oil lamps inside. To enter the kazghi, there was a shed near the shore. After going through the shed there was a hole leading into the building up through the floor.

When the fall season was over, each family had a new home. The people looked around. They were very respectful to Toolik. Because of his plan and his leadership, they had built Kauwerak. This was a great accomplishment to them, and they honored Toolik for helping them and called him “Leader.” (omaelik)

Soon after Kauwerak was built, a great event took place. A great eagle came to the land. The ceremony of the Messenger Feast was brought to the Eskimo people through the spirit of this giant bird. The people of Kauwerak learned the Eagle-Wolf Dance from Toolik and taught it to other Eskimos all along the coast and on the islands nearby. For a long time the Kauwerak descendants have kept alive the memory of the ceremony to return the spirit of the giant eagle to his mother.

The people of Kauwerak lived peacefully and happily for many, many years after they built the first village. Then, trouble came. The Siberian warriors began to come to Kauwerak to steal women and furs. They fought fiercely with the people of the village. Year after year they came. Each time the Siberians had heavy losses and many men were killed and their skin boats ruined. The villagers, too, had many deaths and lost many boats.

The people of Kauwerak were frightened because of all the fighting. One day, in the kazghi, blind Teegook told the people who were meeting there, “When I look into our future, all I see of our village of Kauwerak is grass and weeds growing, and no one living there.”

Then the blind man said, “I am going to tell you one more thing about the future. This is the last time I will predict what is going to happen in the days to come. The Siberians are going to come once more. This will be the last time. After that they will never again come to Kauwerak with warriors. You will destroy them. Save only one man. Send him back to his home to tell his people what happened to the Siberian warriors. Send him alone in one boat.”

After this happened the people sent some men to the upper end of Tuksuk Channel (Salt Lake side), to a high hill called Keenietouguick (watching place) to watch for the Siberian warriors when they came along through the channel. As soon as the men saw them coming, they sent a runner to Kauwerak to report how many boats were on the way to attack the village.

There was a terrible battle that time. All the Siberians were killed but one man. He was sent back to warn the other Siberian warriors not to come to Kauwerak again.

Soon after the battle, Toolik died. About the same time, blind Teegook died, too.

Etorina (the author’s grandfather) was a small boy when Toolik died. He lived at Kauwerak and was in the kazghi with the other small children during the last battle. His are the last words most people remember about Kauwerak. Before he died, many years ago, he told his grandchildren, “The blind man spoke the truth. After the last fight with the Siberians, we piled their skulls in mounds near where we kept the skin boats in the wintertime. Soon after that, the Kauwerak people began to move away from the village. There was no one left after Toolik and Teegook died to tell them what to do next. They deserted the village of Kauwerak. Now there is nothing but grasses and weeds growing over the places where the people used to live.”