Field Note #1 Morning Fishing

Morning Catch

06/06/2019

Observation by Patrick Morgan

07:00 in the morning. Approximately half an hour after daybreak. The northernmost island, roughly called Peak Island. Along the shoreline.

Activity Sequence

One of the first impressions I had of the culture here when I came to the oktipa senja (islands) is that in almost all aspects, the surrounding sea plays a key role in an incredible number of ways. Something in particular I was curious about, and the one I spent this morning observing, is the way they go about fishing, as seafood is some of the main cuisine of the region. 

As is standard for the people here, the workday for the fishermen begins at sunrise. I, along with 4 others, woke up just before then, and ate a quaint meal. I was informed beforehand that during the morning routine, the fishermen weren’t going to interact with me, as their full attentiveness was key to the job. Knowing this, I sat always a comfortable distance, hoping to catch everything as naturally as possible.

Funnily enough, they didn't speak much during breakfast anyway, which I can’t tell if that’s just because they are quiet people, or if thats normal. After the brief food, a small prayer was said, and we walked through the fledgling morning light down to the shore. The one who seemed the youngest appeared to me to be an apprentice of some sort, and was relegated to carrying some of the more obtuse items. His name appeared to be “avong” but that could’ve been something else.

All of us sat on a singular boat, which was impressively sturdy. Primarily wooden, with spots of metal on the hull in places, the small boat was standard in the ways most small boats are. This one was moved by rowing however, which I was told is because the motorboats would stir the specific fish- called yutpiki - which they were seeking today.

Small chuckles were exchanged as they teased avong about dropping an oar on the beach. They seemed embarrassed, but through all the teasing, everyone was smiling. I got a real sense of camaraderie from the group. This made sense, as they all lived together anyway, as well as being coworkers. After assembling all the lines and oars and bait, we pushed off. I noticed as the boat began floating on its own, all inside stuck their fingertips on the water, letting them glide across the top lazily. This was a peaceful moment.

This was apparently a quiet morning, I was told later, as very few yutpiki were caught. A few larger fish, the umbrella term for which being pikifun, were caught, to the surprise and joy of the group. At one point however, a small yelp could be heard. We turned around to see the young apprentice avong holding tight to a bending line. “zingu! zingusa!” he yelled as all the fishermen ran over to help him pull. A fish this large would've been standard for the rest of them, but his younger arms has trouble. With a lot of heaving, a shining silver fish was hoisted onto the deck. While the crew got to restraining the flopping spectacle, avong could only stare and smile. After dealing with the fish, all his crew congratulated him for his first catch. This was a yutpiki, and it was very impressive. Apparently they don’t taste very noteworthy, but their scales secrete a unique oil that is used in many things like candles and adhesives; as well as having bones great for jewelry and crafts.

The last thing we did before returning to the land, as the sky was now a breathtaking orange, is the group joined hands and said something in unison. It appeared to be a thankful gesture, most likely towards the sea. Everything is from the ocean, I am told. And for that everyone should be thankful. After this nice moment to a unique morning, we rowed back and returned to the house, fish in hand.

Reflections

Obviously fishing is important to a culture surrounding by so much sea, and because of this I was expecting a far larger ordeal. However, the gravity or importance of the task didn’t seem to ever make the job feel any less human. Amidst a mostly unsuccessful day, the crew was able to instill lessons into their young apprentice, who seemed to be about as new as possible. 

The uses of the pikifun itself is also a reflection of the greatness of the sea. Like the Plains Native Americans and the buffalo, the fish are dismantled for every possible part for every possible use. Even the eyes get fed to pets sometimes. This is some of the strongest examples of environment influencing culture I’ve ever seen.