One year in early November while I was living in the wilds of the Last Frontier a fellow teacher approached me and asked if I was interested in co-sponsoring a potlatch around Thanksgiving. I reminded my friend that a potlatch was where the host gives nearly all his possessions away to the invitees and thus raises his status in the community and I was still attached to my television set. He ignored my protests and I consented, of course, knowing that one Gussick's potlatch is another one's potluck.
The kids made invitations to send to their parents and village elders. We held the feast the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and at the appointed hour the guests arrived promptly – Eskimo time not being an option where food was concerned.
A couple of teachers furnished turkeys and the type of food brought by the Eskimos did not surprise me. There was akgutq (Eskimo ice cream made from Crisco and tundra berries,) a huge vat of moose stew, dried salmon, corn dishes, plenty of breads, and the obligatory green bean casseroles. There was one item however that did cause me great consternation.
We all were about to go through the line a second time when some one yelled out "Mike is here!" Mike is declared by many to be an Eskimo's Eskimo. His grandfather was depicted once in a Disney Adventure film as being the best hunter in the village, and the skill has been in Mike's family ever since. I had heard about Mike but had never met him. It was a great honor that he showed up.
Mike entered the classroom dragging a dead seal by a rope. As I stood there sort of perplexed someone yelled, "Giviak.!" A great hurrah went up from the crowd. Giviak is like a stuffed turkey but the stuffed stuff are auks and the stuffee is a seal. Well sort of like a stuffed turkey I guess.
If you are interested in adding a traditional festive Eskimo item to your Thanksgiving meal this year it is to late, but if you think it appetizing for next year start now and just follow this simple recipe:
First kill a seal. Then use a long knife to cut around the tip of its nose and separate the meat from the blubber all the way down to its tail, being careful to keep the skin in tact, this is called flensing. Pull the meat from the seal in one quick motion.The meat pulled from the seal is used for a variety of things but is incidental to the preparation of the Giviak. If done properly you will have a seal skin lined only with blubber. Then stuff the seal with freshly dead auks.
A quick wrenching of the neck or pressing on the breast bone to crush the heart of the auk is the best way to kill the bird. If auks are not available you can use parakeets purchased at any pet store.
When the skin is full you sew up the carcass at the nose, and any other spot that the flensing might have punctured, with thread made from the seal's intestines. Dental floss will work also.
Find a secure spot to bury the carcass and cover the grave with stones to provide for heat conduction during the summer. The heat causes a chemical reaction and cooks the auks or parakeets. After one year dig the seal up and if not fully frozen – which will probably be the case in most of the lower 48 – put in the freezer.
Remove from the permafrost or freezer just prior to serving. Take to the gathering and with an ax or hatchet,chop into as many servings as needed to feed the gathering crowd.
The auks or parakeets are eaten first then the blubber. Consume the bird whole and since they still have their feathers, skeleton, and innards in tact be careful to spit same out before swallowing.
The seal skin is saved and given to the kids to chew on like bubble gum. Much better for their teeth.
The giviak went quickly. Being the good host I am, I retreated to the end of the serving line making sure my guests got their fair share first. The Giviak was all eaten before I arrived at the head of the line.
It was just my luck. Life can be so unfair.
Yuck.
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