Barrow, Alaska

On the Top of the World

I've visited Barrow, Alaska a few times as part of my PhD studies.  Barrow (called the top of the world my Alaskans) sounds so exotic perched at the most northern point in the United States on the Arctic Ocean.  It was exotic, but in ways I did not expect.  It also opened my eyes to the struggle of Native Alaskans not just to be a part of the modern world while retaining their heritage, but also to just living a healthy happy life.

Riding the ATV of one of our bear guards on the beach of Barrow.

There's not a lot to Barrow.  Many of the homes are small and built up off the the cold shifting sand.  There's a small yet expensive grocery store, a nice looking high school, and the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory where we stayed and worked.  The flat and wet tundra led to muddy roads and gravel beaches.  The boat ramp consisted of slabs of plywood laid down in the sand which are constantly moved and adjusted.

Whale bones welcomed us to the Top of the World.

Before the US moved in, the Inupiaq people (more commonly known as Eskimos) lived substance lives hunting and gathering.  Much of their nutrition comes from the sea in the form of whales, fish, and sea lions.  Many of the locals still subsist in this manner with special allowances from the federal government to even hunt endangered species.  Once while out sampling on a small boat, we had to head back to land early, because we heard a gunshot amidst thick fog.  Someone was hunting, and might not see us.  We didn't want a stray bullet to catch us.

Those wishing to change their ways will find a difficult struggle.  Boxes of cereal at the grocery store top ten dollars a box, an expensive amount for a family in the lower forty-eight states, in a a town where no industry means severely limited jobs for locals the boxes of cereal might as well cost one hundred dollars.

Gas and other staples are exceedingly expensive in Barrow.

The remote areas of Alaska have sky high suicide and sexual assault rates, Barrow included.  Much of these crimes and deaths are alcohol influenced and therefore many of the towns are dry, including Barrow.  The locals I worked and talked with though were friendly and fun to talk to.  They seemed to enjoy shocking us with their stories of adventure and hunting.  One of our bear guards (employees hired to keep watch over us with shotguns should a polar bear show up) even let me test out his ATV.

We found these beluga whales caught in a net.  The day did not end well for them.

Speaking of polar bears which see anything as food, the homes of Barrow have accommodations to save lives of anyone unlucky enough to encounter one in town.  Each home has a double door entryway, and the outer door is always kept unlocked.  Should a bear take a gander through town people can run to the nearest door, open it, and take cover in the hallway inside, between the outer door and locked inner door.

Our tiny research boat gets ready to unload our samples.  A coastguard ship and iceberg float in the background.  I huddle down in my big orange jacket and blue beanie.

While we did not encounter a polar bear, we did see some beluga whales.  It was not the best of circumstances however.  The whales we caught in a research net meant for seals.  The whales struggled to stay afloat and free themselves.  We found the whales while sampling, and as soon as our boat captain radioed to the research station the issue members of the tribe who heard the radio communication sped out to the site on their boats to harvest the struggling animals.  We left before they got there.  We learned later the animals were so exhausted from fighting the net they probably would not have made it in the wild anyways.  Their bodies were butchered and distributed among the village; they would feed many people through the harsh winter.

Some icebergs float by as we sample on the beach.

We experienced some other natural wonders not often seen in the low latitudes while in Barrow.  The first night we were there the sun didn't set.  It just dipped really low in the sky.  Also, as we sampled from boats or on the beach an occasional ice berg would float by.  

Despite the lack of glamour at Barrow I feel like I experienced more Alaskan culture than I ever could have hoped to otherwise.  I learned how harsh and beautiful life if at the Top of the World.