Festival For The Souls Of Dead Whales

What the day is

The Festival for the Souls of Dead Whales is listed on December 10 in many calendars of unusual holidays. It is usually described as an Inuit or Alaska Native observance, in which communities honor the spirits of whales and give thanks for the gift of food. It should be said at the outset that reporters and researchers who have looked for a single festival on this date have not been able to confirm one still in practice.

What is well documented is the importance of the whale to Arctic communities. Whaling is a central part of food, culture and identity for many Inuit and Iñupiat people, and it comes with deep traditions of respect for the animal.

Origin and background

Among the Iñupiat of Alaska's North Slope, the bowhead whale is hunted from spring camps on the sea ice, and the harvest is shared widely through the community. A successful catch is followed by celebrations that include giving thanks. The best known is Nalukataq, the spring whaling festival held in places such as Utqiaġvik, at which whale meat and muktuk are shared and blanket toss performances are held. In many Arctic traditions, the whale is understood to give itself to the community when it is treated with respect, and rituals such as offering fresh water to a harvested whale reflect that belief.

Subsistence whaling by Alaska Natives is permitted under international agreement and is regulated by quotas, and it is distinct from commercial whaling. Whether or not a December festival exists in the form that calendars describe, the underlying gratitude toward whales is real and ongoing. The better way to observe the day is to learn from the people who practice these traditions rather than invent a ceremony.

How to take part

• Read about Nalukataq and other Iñupiat traditions from sources written by Alaska Native communities and organizations.
• Learn about the bowhead whale, which can live for well over a century, longer than any other mammal.
• Support whale conservation, including research and protections for the species that are still at risk.
• Watch a documentary about Arctic whaling that includes the voices of the people who hunt.
• Take a moment to reflect on where your own food comes from and what it takes to produce it.