Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services
Arviat (Mar 07/01) - Zachariah Owingayak is living proof of that old saying: there's a first time for everything.
The 23-year-old Arviat resident recently shot his first polar bear, rode his first horse, and is expecting his first child.
"We were maybe about 70 miles from town. I was with my in-laws," said Owingayak, of the December trip that netted him his first bear.
"The first day there was a blizzard. The second day we started heading towards Churchill," he said. And then, he saw his bear. A few shots later, the trophy was his.
"It was a male, a seven-footer."
Owingayak said he hadn't expected his name to be drawn for a polar bear tag.
And he did not expect to be in the enviable position of being one of the few young men in Arviat to have killed a polar bear.
There are only about five other men his age in the Kivalliq community who have also killed their first polar bear.
"I feel like more of an Eskimo now," he said.
"I feel lighter inside. I'm the lucky guy."
Just one month later, Owingayak found himself atop a horse -- another place he never thought he'd be.
Vacationing in Nova Scotia, he said the idea of getting on an animal that big was a bit frightening at first. His fear subsided when he realized it might be his only chance to have such an experience.
"I didn't want to get on the horse, but I knew I wouldn't get another ride," he said.
"Now I know how to do it."
Keeping himself busy trapping fox and playing sports of all kinds, Owingayak said he recently hit his third milestone: impending fatherhood.
"I have a baby coming," said Owingayak.
"This is my first time. It's only the second week (since I found out). I'm keeping busy trying to learn to be like a father."
