On
Saturday January 11, I got to be initiated into the Yup’ik culture by Shelia
one of the native teachers at my school. She cooked me and Garnet (one of the
other teachers at my school) dinner at her house in the village.
The native’s houses
are a little different than what I was used to, since everyone in the village
does not have running water. There were large cans of water in the living area
of the house to help with household chores such as washing dishes and even for drinking.
Another interesting fact about the houses in the village is that they may seem
small, but the typical family here is parents with three or more children.
There are not many small families here in Kong.
Initiation wasn’t
anything too difficult. The first part was just trying a normal dinner, which
we had halibut. Halibut was actually very delicious. But, I just didn’t get to
sit around and talk while Shelia made dinner. I got put to work. I had to make
Akutaq, which is Eskimo Ice Cream. It is not like any ice cream that I have had
before. Akutaq is made with Crisco, sugar, and lots of berries. The way it is
made is by mixing it with your hands, so it was a very messy project. Shelia
was at least nice to me to give me a glove to wear when making it.
The best way I can tell someone what Akutaq
looks like is that it reminded me of the icing my mother makes back home to
frost cakes with, but with lots and lots of berries in it. Even though I am a
picky eater, I actually liked it. I didn’t like the salmonberries in it as much
as I liked the blueberries and blackberries. I think this is possibly because
salmonberries are very bitter and I am used to more sweet tasting fruits like
blueberries and blackberries.
Once dinner was all
eaten, I got to experience part two of my initiation. Part two was a lot more
‘uncomfortable’ than the first part. Since no one in the village has running
water, that means they have no working showers or baths. The Eskimo people
bathe in a maqii, or a steam house. But, it isn’t like any steam house I have
ever been in. You go into a two room shed-like building. One room is for
changing and the other is for steaming and cleansing. Once you enter, you must
strip out of all your clothes before going in. So, you are with a group of women
all completely naked in this little shed looking building. I won’t lie, but the
first time was pretty awkward.
After everyone has
stripped down in the first part of the maqii, you move into the steaming room.
The steam room has a hard wooden floor that you can sit on with the aid of a
washcloth that you bring and a wood stove with a side that contains water. The
wood stove heats up the water so that it is very hot. Also, one top of the wood
stove is coals, so when you pour the water on the coals you will get steam. The
more water you put on the coals, then the hotter the room will become. And,
trust me, you will be sweating! If you stay in the maqii long enough with the
steam you can have red burn marks on your body, which means you had a really
good cleansing. Once I feel like I cannot breathe anymore, I would run back
into the changing room and cool off.
Once you have a few
rounds of running in and out of the steaming area, it is time to clean your
body. You might be wondering how is this possible. First you fill a basin of
water, which is in the changing room. However, the water in the changing room
is freezing cold, since that room does not have much heat. After you have your
basin, you take it into the steam room and pour some of the hot water from the
stove into the basin. Once the water is at a comfortable heat, you use that
water to wash your hair and body with soap and shampoo that you bring.
This way of bathing may seem weird;
however, I got the best sleep after going into the maqii. This experience may
seem awkward, but it is extremely relaxing for your entire body. I hope that I
will be able to go into the maqii again and try more of the Yup’ik traditions
of the Yup’ik people of Kong.
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