Tariek Oviuk

A Glimpse from Aapa Tariek Oviuk

The story begins in the small rural Alaskan Inupiaq Eskimo village of Point Hope, or Tikigaq. Kirk Oviok, otherwise known as Tigluk, along with his wife Rosemary- find themselves and their ancient village amidst rapid change and a relocation process of the town of 300 residents. Not long removed in its history when the population was threatened by an atomic blast near North America's oldest continually inhabited settlement, the locals had learned how to adapt as they always had been used to- the Oviok family were no different in that regard. In 1981, the elderly couple intervened their daughter Alice's plans involving her newly born son, Qalayuaq, when they orchestrated a plan which would accompany an eventual adoption of him. Brought forth during a period when it became rare to perform the ancient tradition and passing on of namesake's and Inupiaq prophecy involving newborns, those rituals were still holding on by threads- in particular, with a local elder- Aviq, who performed one such custom for the newborn baby boy. Qalayuaq, an Inupiaq name stemming from within the family throughout history, was the name which she passed on to the boy- he would immediately be saturated with everything consisting of the Tikigaq tribe and its traditions that had remained vibrant since time immemorial, much-needed ingredients to help nurture parts of that very prophecy. However, a life of its own still needed to be had. And, what seemed like living two worlds in one, his early stage years involved straying off of the path which both his grandparents (or Aapa and Aaka) as well as the community taught him throughout childhood- eventually spiraling to a childhood of ignorant disobedience, and finally a lack of any value system in his life altogether, in part because of his circumstances. This heartwarming story involves a tale of a good old American-Eskimo ?Old Yeller? classic! Follow the insights of the Eskimo life north into the Arctic Circle, where this first of a three-part series unfolds and brings to you a variety of roller-coaster rides of a young boy and a small community and it experience of laughs, loneliness, worries, curiosities, sadness, joys, and perseverance!