#TheYearofBelief | #TYBHunt
Hunting as Science—Timing, Silence, and the Sacred on the Ice
🌿 From the Land: Quiet Knowledge, Sacred Practice
Ugruk hunting isn’t just physical—it’s intellectual, emotional, and deeply relational.
When you’re out on the water, navigating broken floes and glassy leads, everything depends on what you know.
And how quietly you know it.
Qaluraq (Corina’s husband Lance) has been hunting since he was a kid. He teaches his sons, nephews, and one day his grandson how to be ready—not just with gear, but with knowledge passed through time.
Qaluraq looks for seals with his son Adam. (Note: they wear the white coverings over their coats and lifevests so they blend in more with the ice.)
This last week, he taught Cana’s son Wells what to watch for:
- The movement of the ice.
- The sharpness of the wind.
- The way the ugruk lays on the ice—do you see its nostrils or breath?
- When to wait.
- When not to shoot.
- When to let the seal go.
Cana’s son Wells out on the ice. Little did he know his mom Cana would use his experience (and photos) to think about respectful Arctic research. ((Taikuu, son son gooda gooda boy boy iġniiiiiiŋ! ❤️))
Because respectful harvesting isn’t just about taking an animal—it’s about reading the signs and knowing when not to take.
Qaluraq’s nephew Willard aims his rifle on a seal from the bow of the boat
Sometimes that means holding your fire.
Sometimes it means gutting the ugruk right there on the ice, saving the precious intestines.
Sometimes it means staying quiet for hours, sitting with people you trust, breathing salt air and sharing no words at all.
Out here, the hunt is a kind of science.
Not lab science.
Real-time science.
Science that’s lived, practiced, revised, and handed down.
“You just know,” Qaluraq says.
“And if you don’t know, you wait.”
Qaluraq drives his boat through the icy waters outside of Kotzebue, Alaska
And for many of us, respectful Arctic research is learning how to wait again.
To observe.
To listen.
To ask: who’s teaching? What are we watching for? And are we prepared to respond in the right moment?
🏛️ From the Institutions: Hunting as Intercultural Research
Last week we shared how Riley-Mukavetz (2014) reminds us that all research that navigates multiple belief systems is intercultural research. That includes Arctic research.
Out on the ice, hunters communicate with silence, glances, breath, and gut instinct.
That’s a kind of knowledge-making.
That’s a form of cultural science.
Researchers may arrive with training in GIS and environmental modeling.
But the kind of field readiness Qaluraq teaches—how to “just know”—is equally valuable.
Last week we introduced you to Dancing with Systems, where Donella Meadows (2001) reminds us (again):
We can’t impose our will upon a system. We can listen to what the system tells us, and discover how its properties and our values can work together to bring forth something much better than could ever be produced by our will alone.
In other words, you don’t control the system.
You don’t control the seal.
You don’t control the community.
You listen.
You wait.
You act when the time is right.
Willard expertly guts the ugruk on the ice
And that’s the science of respectful Arctic research.
🧭 TYB Framework: This Week’s Practice
This week, we focus on:
Know Who You Are
What kind of “knowing” do you rely on most?
What would it mean to honor another form of expertise—like intuition, silence, or rhythm?
Hope Reinforced by Grit
Are you willing to wait, even when others are moving fast?
Can you stay still and observe—not because you’re uncertain, but because you’re learning?
Invest in a Community of Support
Who teaches you when to act? (Learn more about how to incorporate this into your research through the lessons and live mentorship available in our Effective Community Engagement course.)
Who reminds you that science includes stories, feelings, and sacred practices?
✅ This Week’s Challenge: Listen With Synergy
Think about your next research plan, project, or conversation.
Before you move:
- What signs are already present?
- Who has already observed this terrain?
- What might you miss if you rush?
Adam and Willard’s partner Madison in the boat along with the gutted ugruk
Then take one small action:
- Ask a quiet expert to share what they know.
- Visit an Elder or community member just to listen.
- Pause your plan for a day and see what changes.
If it feels right, share using:
#TheYearofBelief | #TYBHunt
“Here’s what I’m learning to observe—and who’s teaching me.”
Post your ideas for first steps in comments, on our EAR Facebook Group, ARCUS’s Connect the Arctic portal, or simply reach out to someone who helps you listen better.
🌬 Remembering Forward
Sometimes research asks us to speak clearly, move quickly, and “know our stuff.”
Willard holds Adams hand in the front of the boat.
But sometimes—especially in Arctic communities—it asks us to go quiet.
To wait.
To study the ice, the wind, the face of the ugruk.
To study ourselves.
Corina’s son Adam wears a bright red coat out on the ice so he remains visible to the older hunters. They also wear their lifevests out on the ice for safety.
That’s not passive.
That’s the practice.
And that’s how we prepare—not just to hunt, but to do respectful research together.
