Last summer I spent time walking the beaches of the Chukchi Sea. I was interested in the Anqallyt, the sea people of the area. I saw a spurt of water from the sand and I dug with my hand-carved walking stick until I found a clam. That's when I heard this husky voice, "Leave some for me!" ? I quickly turned to see a giant walrus as big as a milk tanker with tusks almost two (2) feet (0.6184615 meters) long. I was so surprised to see this talking walrus that I blurted out, "What are you doing here?" ? When he laughed, I almost got blown over by his breath. He said, "Live here! What's your excuse?" ? I said, "I'm here to study the Anqallyt people, the sea mammal hunters. He laughed again. "Welcome to the Anqallyt Watchers Club. That's what I do most of the day." ? I said, "They hunt odobenus rosmarus you know. Yet you sit here watching them? He said, "I don't only watch them. I'm doing a scientific study just like you. Look, here comes one now! I can see it's a doctor." ? I said, "That is amazing! How did you know that particular Anqallyt strolling down the beach is a doctor?" ? He laughed again and said, "I can tell by his walk." ? "Amazing!" ? I said. "But I don't need to identify him by his walk," ? he continued. "The green operating room garb and the stethoscope would give him away." ? I looked through my binoculars and sure as heck the walrus was right! I said, "You have very good eyesight." ? "Not really," ? he said. "I can smell that it is a doctor." ? "Wow!" ? I said. "Doctors have a special odor to a walrus. I'll write that in my journal." ? The walrus said, "It's the scrub soap. I can smell it five miles away." ? Here are some References on the Anqallyt People: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chukchi_people 'Maritime Chukchi,' called Anqallyt ("the sea people"). Several Chukchi have university degrees and are poets and writers, or politicians, or teachers, or doctors. Also see: http://pandora.cii.wwu.edu/vajda/ea210/aleut.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chukchi_Sea To learn about the walrus go to: http://www.pbs.org/kratts/world/oceans/walrus/ Copyright John T. Jones, Ph.D. 2005 |
