Seal Hunters

The Seal Hunters live mostly on the island of Iyata and along Akwatuk's northern coasts, in large sod houses dug partly into the ground. They look much like the Kutchin but dress in the skins of what they trap and hunt: seal and walrus, and to a lesser degree mammoth and bear. They are expert with harpoon and spear and often poison their weapons for very large prey.

They are a peaceful people who love music, dance and art, painting cave walls with scenes of their hunts and other great deeds. Their festivals are said to be vivid affairs full of song, sealskin drums, walrus-tusk flutes and other unusual instruments. Their religion reveres both sea and earth, and their shamans often have seals, walruses or other sea mammals as power animals. The whole tribe attends ceremonies at the equinoxes, followed by a week of revelry during which they do nothing else.

Though limited to Stone Age tools, their culture is fairly advanced: councils of the oldest members run their villages in an orderly, efficient way. They trade with their northern neighbors, the Kulugmiut, using polished shells as money. Gold may lie in Akwatuk's northern hills, but they have no use for it, though they will brave the Sasquatch (Erian lemures), saber-tooth tigers and other dangers there when game runs short.