Bowhead whale not fully harvested, no community feast planned for Iqaluit

Not all of the meat was harvested from the bowhead whale killed near Iqaluit last week. TheAmarok Hunters and Trappers Association (HTA) said there was some spoilage a small portion on the head of the whale.

This was only the second bowheadwhale to be caught in more than 100 years in the area. It was harpoonedon Aug. 14, sparking a major celebration in Iqaluit.A successful bowheadharvest can feed hundreds of people.

"The harvest was ultimately successful," said Pitseolak Alainga, chairperson for the AmarokHTA, in Inuktitut. "The hard-working youth who participated did their best without complaining."

Butchering the animal exhausted the hunters, and efforts to get more volunteersfailed.

"We called for more help from the residents, but not too many came," said Jeetaloo Kakee, one of the hunt elders, in Inuktitut.

Then the weather became too mild, according to Alainga. When the sun came out, the rest of the whale wasspoiled.

"We didn't get a lot of help at times, but we did manage to remove a majorportion," said Alainga.

He said there is still muktuk available from the HTAoffice, but there won't be a community feast.

The jawbones and ribs will become a showpiece in front of the hunters and trappers associationoffice.

With files from Michael Salomonie