Whales, They Give Themselves: Conversations with Harry Brower, Sr. (Oral Biography Series)

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Description

The Whales, They Give Themselves is an intimate life history of Harry Brower, Sr. (1924-1992), an Inupiaq whaling captain, artisan, and community leader from Barrow, Alaska. In a life that spanned the profound cultural and economic changes of the twentieth century, Brower’s vast knowledge of the flora and fauna made him an very important contributor to the Native and scientific communities of the North. His desire to share his insights with future generations resulted in a series of conversations with friend and oral historian Karen Brewster, who weaves Harry’s stories with cultural and historical background into this innovative and collaborative oral biography.

Brower used to be deeply committed to Native culture, and his life history is a moving expression of the Inupiaq way of living. He used to be also influential in traditionally non-Native arenas in which Native and non-Native values from time to time collided. Acting as a mediator between Inupiaq whalers and non-Native scientists, Brower communicated a vast understanding of bowhead whales and whaling that became the basis for a scientific research program and helped offer protection to Inupiaq subsistence whaling. He used to be a central architect of the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation boundaries, and served for over twenty years as a consultant to scientists at the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory. Brower’s role in this collaborative research serves as one of the vital earliest and best examples of how scientists and Native experts can work together to advance knowledge. Such approaches are now promoted by researchers around the globe.

The Whales, They Give Themselves not only conveys Brower’s life story, but also is a cross-cultural journey of wisdom and friendship. Whereas academic oral historians once strove to erase the presence of the interviewer in the name of objectivity, Brewster recognizes the influence her specific relationship with Brower had at the way he narrated his life. This volume is a major contribution to our understanding of northern peoples, and a testament to the immense value of collaborative oral history.

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