FAIRBANKS — With ulu blade in hand, Marjorie Tahbone, of Nome, made quick crescent patterned motions to cut and separate the seal blubber and skin from the carcass inside.
“I learned to butcher a seal at 16,” Tahbone told a large crowd through a lapel mic. “To do that, it’s quite an amazing feeling.”
Tahbone’s seal butchering demo Monday afternoon was one of the first workshops of the 2016 Elders and Youth Conference at the Carlson Center. The event, which is hosted by the First Alaskans Institute, will continue through Wednesday.
Every year, the Elders and Youth Conference aims to strengthen relationships between generations, prepare leaders for the future, and promote cultural continuity, according to the FAI website.
As Tahbone continued cutting, onlookers asked questions.
“What parts of the seal can you eat raw?” one asked.
“You can eat the meat raw, and the blubber raw,” Tahbone said.
Another person asked what the best way to eat seal was.
“When it’s fresh like this, I like the seal soup,” Tahbone said as she continued to cut. Volunteers from the crowd held the seal in place. “After that, I like it half-dried and cooked, soaked in seal oil.”
Once the blubber and the skin were separated from the meaty carcass, Tahbone began to separate the blubber from the skin.
Lyle James, of Hoonah, took the carcass to another spot on the tarp, and began to hack with a knife, cutting the meat and separating the bones.
James told the crowd that back home in Southeast Alaska, the elders would age the seal blubber, which would bring out antibodies that helped them fight sickness.
“One of the best things about our food is it brings people together,” James said has he continued to hack apart the meat. He reminisced on some of the great meals he has had too.
Leilani Kabbaz, 29, of Kodiak, volunteered, holding the carcass to help Tahbone separate the hide from carcass.
“I’ve never done that. It was amazing,” Kabbaz said. “It’s fascinating how the blubber is completely separate from the meat.”
Kabbaz said her grandma who also lives on Kodiak is gifted a seal from time-to-time, so she has tried it.
“I’ve tried seal oil. It’s interesting,” Kabbaz said.
Kabbaz said she was also surprised with how cold and heavy the seal is. She said her hands started to hurt from the cold after only a few minutes of holding the seal.
Kabbaz came to the Elders and Youth Conference to perform with the Kodiak Dancers (a performance that took place during the Chin’an cultural celebration).
After the Elders and Youth Conference adjourns, the Alaska Native Federation’s 50th Anniversary Convention will be begin Thursday and continue through Saturday.
