One day, my Inupiaq Eskimo language teacher asked me if I had a parka. I said I didn’t. She said she’d make me one. When she gave it to me, I was stunned. It was beautiful. Purple is my favourite colour, so she used purple velveteen for the outer layer, with a trim that went well with the deep colour. There was a layer in the middle and a lavender fleece fabric layer inside. It had a hood with a ruff made of wolf fur and it could be tied in such a way that there was just enough space for me to see out of, with the rest of my face protected from the extreme cold. The sleeves were tight at the wrists and lined with wolverine fur, to keep out the cold. The bottom edge tapered in for the same reason. She’d asked me if I wanted a ruffle at the bottom or not and I chose to not have one—either way was common for Inupiaq-style parkas.
One day we were visiting her. I wore the parka, of course. She commented that she should have made it warmer, but I assured her that it was perfect just as it was. The truth was, if she’d made it warmer, I would not have been able to wear it. If it was -30 or -35 (F), I could wear it unzipped, otherwise I would overheat. If it was colder than that, I could wear it as it was meant to be worn, as in the photo. On that day, it was very cold (-45 or below)--perfect for the start of the Yukon Quest sled dog race, which is what we were in town to watch.
The Yukon Quest is a sled dog race run between Fairbanks and Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory. They alternate directions each year—so it starts in Fairbanks on the frozen Chena River every other year. That year, I was glad to have my parka, my handmade mukluks, and my heavy mittens—and the latte I got from the coffee shop!
Bill on his way to the start of the race after parking the truck
spectators lining up on the bridge over the Chena River to watch the start of the Yukon Quest 1000 mile race. It ends in Whitehouse, Yukon Territory.
The statue is Malcolm Alexander's “Unknown First Family,” which in his words is “Portraying the family of all mankind, the family of Fairbanks, and the nuclear family, let this statue symbolize, for families present and future, the pride and dignity of this great land.”
