Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

PANGNIRTUNG (Jul 20/98) - Amid the graves of whalers past and the tents of Pangnirtung residents, Capt. Jaco Evic is going to teach David Nakasuk how to hunt a bowhead whale.

"I really wanted to have a young person involved in the hunt and David was one of the outspoken young hunters at the public meeting," says Evic from his tent on Kekerten Island, the historic whaling site in Cumberland Sound where, for the first time in 50 years, Pangnirtung hunters are going after a bowhead whale.

"I feel very strongly that his involvement ensures that everything will be recorded as to how the hunt is done and also in trying to ensure that future generations have this experience," says Evic through interpreter Eric Joamie.

Nakasuk is approximately the same age Evic was when he first participated in a bowhead whale hunt in the 1940s and he will use those skills to lead Nakasuk and 23 other hunters through what, for many of the men, will be the biggest hunt of their lives.

"I know very well the reason I was selected was I had some experience because I had harvested the last bowhead," explains Evic, now 70 years old.

He adds that he was allowed to take part in that hunt after learning the skills from his grandfather Angmalik, a hunter and man who was revered and respected by all Kekerten whalers including Europeans, the Americans and the Inuit.

Through Evic, Angmalik's skills will be passed on to the hunters and Nakasuk says this is crucial for his community.

"The bowhead planners had this general meeting and I was saying there should be at least a few teenagers to go on that bowhead hunt. In the future, there might be another hunt here, so someone can know how to hunt a bowhead," says Nakasuk, 22.

"I'm not scared. I'm not nervous. I just want to be part of the hunt. It's been over 50 years and I'm proud that I can be one of them this young."

Located about 50 kilometres outside of Pangnirtung, the hunt crew arrived on Kekerten last Monday but have since been forced to stay off the water because of extremely high winds.

More than 200 residents of Pangnirtung are currently on the island but more are expected to arrive as soon as the weather calms down and once the whale has been harvested.

Games, visiting and feasts of fresh seal and char have kept the crowd occupied while they wait.