ANAKTUVUK PASS 25 



obtainable. In this summer, about 40 people from the Killik Valley 

 community of mountain Eskimos joined the people at Tuluak Lake 

 and the two communities have remained since that time at Anaktuvuk. 



My departure from Barrow in midsummer prevented the review of 

 our observations until January 20, 1950, when, with Kausch, I visited 

 Simon Paneak again in the Eskimo winter camp at Kalutak Creek 

 on the upper John River (lat. 68°6' N., long. 151°54' W.). There I 

 was able to see some of the winter birds resident in the Pass, to discuss 

 the observation of the last year, and to make plans for the extension 

 of our survey. We also met Helge Ingstad, who was spending the 

 winter with Simon Paneak's family while collecting material for 

 his book "Nmiamiut" (Ingstad, 1954). 



Traveling from Kalutak by air to Barrow I discussed Paneak's 

 records and views with Tom Brower. We could now see that we 

 needed more information on certain birds and particularly on the 

 arrival of the birds and their nesting. This I obtained in July and 

 August 1950, while at the Imaiginik Camp with Paneak and my older 

 son, William Irving, who was investigating the numerous and varied 

 archeological remains in the mountam valleys. For about 15 days in 

 early August the three of us were able to collect on the Killik River 

 (see map, fig. 6) between Odrivik Lake (lat. 68°30' N., long. 154°9' 

 W.), and the mountain line at Akmalik Creek (lat, 68°25' N., long. 

 154°12'W.). 



In February 1951, I was able to consult again with Brower while 

 carrying on physiological experimentation on sled dogs at Barrow, 

 and with the reindeer herd at Topagoruk, about 70 miles south. 

 Review of our data on the Anaktuvuk birds showed that it could be 

 best improved by further observations of dates of arrival and by 

 information about weight of arriving birds, nesting, and the develop- 

 ment of young birds. 



On May 11, 1951, my colleague John Krog landed at Contact Creek 

 and transported our supplies to the site on the east bank of the River, 

 opposite Imaiginik, where Simon Paneak, Elijah Kakena, and Frank 

 RuUand were camped with their families. Krog and Paneak care- 

 fully observed the arrivals and obtained weights of over 500 birds 

 during a spring season slightly earlier, drier, and more variable in 

 weather than usual. 



The weather of May ran the gamut of temperature variation from 

 about —20° C. to 15° C, but had less than usual precipitation. Con- 

 sequently, when I arrived in June with William Irving the tundra 

 was drier than I had ever seen it, mosquitoes were a smaller plague 

 than usual, and walking was a pleasure. After Krog left, I continued 

 my observations of birds through the nesting period. Because of 

 the easy walking on the dry tundra our radius extended for about 



