“My nephew gave me some ugruk (bearded seal) meat. I cut it up into strips, hang it to make dried meat. Then we will put it into some oil and eat it with other fish, seal, or bird. A lot of times I just store it in bags and my kids will eat it right from there, better than beef jerky. I also just started my garden! My son made me a lean-to, the south wind beats me up, I can’t get my peas to ripen because of the south wind, so my son built me a lean-to. I have been gardening for the past 30 years. I also collect greens and use them for teas. I am learning a lot about plants, I took a botany class in Kotzebue. It was awesome! It made me realize there is so much more out there than we realize and we can utilize it in our diets.” — Shirley Ipalook is Inupiaq and lives in Point Hope, Alaska.
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