Life Below Zero - General Discussion

[Diane M]

I don't like Sue's new haircut and definitely not the red color.  I think she cut and dyed it herself.  And now she has her "buddy" Joan helping her.  I really don't know how she gets so much work done and so much heavy lifting.  I wonder how many more years she can keep it up.

[humbleopinion]

She took out some big loans to buy Kavik River Camp so thinking she will have to keep working until she is in the clear.

The basic cable money must help some but not to fulfill her loans.

[Beden]

15 hours ago, Diane M said:

I really don't know how she gets so much work done and so much heavy lifting.  I wonder how many more years she can keep it up.

It would seem that she wonders the same thing. I say good luck to her and keep on swinging.

[humbleopinion]

Good episode...

Andy repairs his fish wheel.

Jessie collects Chaga a medicinal fungus and fire starter sheets from birch trees.

Glenn hunts sheep.

Next week is the season finale.

[humbleopinion]

The 90 minute season ender was pretty much the same as the other episodes.

Catch it because there wan't be any fresh episodes if they renew the show....

[ProfCrash]

Last nights episode was ok. Lots of hunting and fishing, which is interesting to watch. But nothing too exciting.

[Calibabydolly]

Loved Chip, Agnes and their daughter with the fish net. They got some nice big fish and a beaver as a bonus! I also noticed Chip looks like he has gained weight since being in jail. He mentioned how he was craving home food in jail....not sure if he gained the weight in there or not but he looks bloated!? He's "eating good" now for sure.

[ajhowey]

Since Chip's conviction has been set aside, is he allowed to use modern firearms now?  I hope so.  The episode I saw, where he was trying to shoot ducks with that black-powder gun, was, well, I really felt sorry for him.  He was trying so hard, but he wasn't having very much success.  If he's now allowed to use modern firearms, he'll be better able to help Agnes when they're hunting off tribal lands.

To those who criticize the Hailstones, or any of the other LBZ cast members, for their hunting methods, why don't you try surviving up there?  Since you look down you noses at people like them (subsistence hunters), you probably wouldn't last a month in that environment.  Heaven forbid that you try to eat Rudolph (the Red-nosed Reindeer) or Sammy the Seal or Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck or ...  That's the trouble with modern society -- we've anthromorphized animals to the point where most people would be unable to supply their own needs in an unforgiving environment.  I'm not claiming that I would be able to live well in that environment, but I'm not squeamish about killing animals for food, and I would be quite willing to seek out advice and assistance from the local residents.

[iluvobx]

I learned something new today about the town Glenn calls home, Chandalar.  It seems that Chandalar has a general aviation airport.  From the way Glenn talks, he is so far away from anything modern.  He probably uses the airport too.  I would be ok without Glenn on the show.  It is always the same thing with him.   I also learned that Kavik is part of the Brooks Range.  Learn something new every day.

[Diane M]

I was wondering how Glenn got his big tools to his cabin when he's 60 miles from a road.  He acts like he always hikes in and out.  I wish Eric and Martha Mae would return.

[humbleopinion]

Andy has become more tolerable since we don't have to watch him yell at Kate as we did the first few season.

His bumper crop of veggies is more commendable than last year's with the new and improved greenhouse he built.

His garden must be the envy of his bend of the Yukon River.

The canning, dehydrating, the processing of all his bounty is as labor intensive as killing a moose.

He is one hard working dude and seems to be a better person ...alone.

As for Erik and Martha Mae someone emailed him directly at his guide email address and he replied that they are too busy to film.

E and MM run a couple of fish camps, a hunting guide business and is a partner in a funeral home, with Erik qualified as a funeral director.

They also have a son.

Jessie Holmes is a good addition...he hasn't been in Alaska as long and like Andy he is a hard worker trying to make a life for himself and his dogs that he races.

He is  humble, grateful and appreciates his life.

A pleasure to watch.

[Diane M]

Andy has so many vegetables, and although I know he cans them, it seems there are enough there for him and his neighbors.  I wonder if he trades them.

[humbleopinion]

He did say he likes to have multiple years supplies of canned and preserved foods so maybe he saves them for a rainy day...

Those cabbages were impressive...

[ProfCrash]

It makes sense for him to keep a good size stock of food, you don't know when you might have a bad season and food is scarce. The dogs might not like it but they can eat preserved veggies if there is an awful fish season.

22 hours ago, iluvobx said:

I learned something new today about the town Glenn calls home, Chandalar.  It seems that Chandalar has a general aviation airport.  From the way Glenn talks, he is so far away from anything modern.  He probably uses the airport too.  I would be ok without Glenn on the show.  It is always the same thing with him.   I also learned that Kavik is part of the Brooks Range.  Learn something new every day.

It is beyond obvious that he has had plenty of things delivered to his cabin. There is no way he hiked in with the barrels or the giant tarp used to make his shelter or a decent amount of the other equipment he has in his shelter. Without looking at the internet it is clear that he has extra cash to spend. He went to the lower 48 to learn how to use the glider system. That rig would not be cheap, travel to the lower 48 is not cheap and the lessons he would have taken would not have been cheap. I would not be surprised to find out that he has had a few helicopter drop that brought in some of his larger supplies.

And I don't care that he has done that. I don't care that he went to the lower 48 to learn the para gliding thing. Good for him. He just contradicts himself with his comments that he wants to live off the land and how he does things in a pure way, no chain saw or electronics, while he has a house that is built with specialized fabric and heated with a stove made from a steel barrel. Own up to being a bit of an eccentric who loves to live in the woods, isolated from the world and able to play with the toys that you want to play with.

I respect Andy. He has worked his ass off to live the life that he does. He has plenty of expensive equipment that he has gathered to live the way that he does. He enjoys the isolation and the work but he is not holier then thou about his life style. Same with Jessie. Jessie is just starting to build his compound and loves what he is doing. He doesn't pretend that he is not asking others for help or that he is using modern tools. He is still living hard, off the land.

So while the other participants clearly enjoy how they are living and have their quirks, they are honest about it. Glenn is swarmy and not nearly as transparent as the others. His shock that people don't want to live the way he does is silly given that he clearly does not live an Chandalar year round that he has had some type of help establishing his  camp and his lifestyle. I think I would find Glenn more palatable if he was simply more honest about what he is doing and why he is doing it. It is a hobby for him, a bit of an adventure, but not a life style like it is for the others on the show.

[captain1]

Did anybody else think that maybe Sue’s footage was from years ago?  I thought she looked younger - like maybe they had footage that she couldn’t stop them from airing.  In any case, I was glad to see her.

[humbleopinion]

The season's finale episode was last week, Sue sporting had short red hair.

The episodes you are seeing are old ones, repackaged and passed off as fresh.

[Diane M]

Liked seeing Erik and Martha Mae last week, even though they were old scenes I'd seen before.

[qtpye]

Quote

So while the other participants clearly enjoy how they are living and have their quirks, they are honest about it. Glenn is swarmy and not nearly as transparent as the others. His shock that people don't want to live the way he does is silly given that he clearly does not live an Chandalar year round that he has had some type of help establishing his  camp and his lifestyle. I think I would find Glenn more palatable if he was simply more honest about what he is doing and why he is doing it. It is a hobby for him, a bit of an adventure, but not a life style like it is for the others on the show.

Sometimes I feel like when the camera yells cuts Glen sits back in one of his chairs and a butler comes out to serve him pate and massage his feet.

[OoogleEyes]

One thing I don't understand is - if Andy's been there as long as he says he has been, I would think that the garden/greenhouse/compost pile would have been completed a long time ago 

[humbleopinion]

The episode is showing the construction of a new and improved greenhouse.

Past seasons he has shown the audience the bounty of his harvest from his older greenhouse but he is looking to make gardening easier on him as he ages...

The new greenhouse has better water reservoir and drip irrigation since he said spent too much time hauling water and hand watering in the past.

The new greenhouse is better constructed, better planned out.

We see him rototill and amended the soil, made his compost pile better.

Andy deserves to be proud of gardening and his canning production is equally impressive.

The man is a hard worker.

[qtpye]

On 3/9/2018 at 10:50 AM, humbleopinion said:

The episode is showing the construction of a new and improved greenhouse.

Past seasons he has shown the audience the bounty of his harvest from his older greenhouse but he is looking to make gardening easier on him as he ages...

The new greenhouse has better water reservoir and drip irrigation since he said spent too much time hauling water and hand watering in the past.

The new greenhouse is better constructed, better planned out.

We see him rototill and amended the soil, made his compost pile better.

Andy deserves to be proud of gardening and his canning production is equally impressive.

The man is a hard worker.

The man is also the Macgyver of off the grid living.  The way that puts things together...I still remember his amazing fish wheel.  I guess he is too ornery to be a part of society, but I can not help but think of all the amazing things he would of invented for the world if he lived a more conventional lifestyle.  However, he is happy and more power to him.  I like him now that he does not have a girlfriend to constantly scream at. He is also proof that we do not need to be less productive as we get older.

[jerseydeviljohn]

Her halfassed way of handling firearms bothers me quite a bit

[Uknead2know]

Keep in mind, the Hailstones are not a well-educated, middle class suburban family. Agnes is a locally-raised Alaskan subsistence native and Chip left the lower 48 to live that lifestyle. 

And, THAT’S the entertainment value. Agree or disagree with their lifestyle, manners and culture all you want. Who cares?!  

Appreciate them for who they are, how they live and what makes them content - or change the channel to some zombie show............

I, personally, find them and the other characters (Sue is a little “rough”) on the show both fascinating and entertaining - one of my favorite shows. 

Edited April 5, 2018 by Uknead2know

[SRTouch]

4 hours ago, Uknead2know said:

Appreciate them for who they are, how they live and what makes them content - or change the channel to some zombie show............ 

Or one of the multitude of "reality" shows... what popped into my mind was any of the several "flipper" shows where the  "flippers" appear to have little knowledge or experience in reno work - oh, like flip flop wearing dude and glam queen on Flip or Flop show (yes, I like watching the flipper shows.... almost like Alaskan Bush Idjits where I watch to laugh at their "reality.)"

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Subzeroers,

As always, snark the show, not each other.  People are free to like or dislike the Life Below Zero people and to express that here.  On PTV we snark on TV!

Thanks,

PPAL

[SunnyBeBe]

I often wonder how Kate is doing. I found this so thought others may have interest.  

 

 

[johoy]

It IS funny how everyone is so different in their perceptions about folks. Chip spooks me. I get the feeling he has a short fuse and is very controlling. This is just my observation but the kids don't seem to have any joy in them. They don't seem playful at all and they don't look him in the eyes... I just get the feeling they're intimidated by him. Agnes seems to have joy, though -- she says "Weeee!" or "Yippee!" I just love her. But obviously I don't know them so I could be missing something. And Glenn is my absolute favorite! He's so full of joy. He never seems to forget where he is and appreciate every aspect of it. He's like a little kid and I adore his enthusiasm for it all. Unlike so many of us, he pursues and lives what he loves. 

[Tighthead]

Okay, this forum isn’t overly active but I’ll take a shot. I’ve watched a bunch of episodes, in and out of order and have some thoughts and comments. 

First of all, I think the directors would do well to have the people talk less. The number of times we hear comments like “I can’t just walk to the grocery store” or “it’s not an easy life, but it’s the way it is. Alaska isn’t for everyone” gets tiring. It sort of takes us for morons as well. That’s why we are watching the show. I think most viewers appreciate the hard work and resilience of the subjects. 

As for the participants, I’ve seen Erik the least. He certainly seems behind well suited to the lifestyle - he works hard, and seems to be the least boastful to me. Maybe because he is young and full of energy. 

Hailstones - I don’t have a problem with Chip. He seems respectful of his wife’s culture, and seems like a decent enough guy. In one episode Agnes said they had 19 people under their roof. My god. If he is gravy training it, he may be earning it. I have found it a bit enlightening to see game being harvested as opposed to hunted for sport. 

Sue - when I first saw some episodes, I really liked her and going online was surprised to see opinions divided. With further viewing, I find her hard to take. She talks too much, and lays it on too thick. I’m dubious that the wolf was scouting her camp to plan an attack. Everything to her can result in death. “If I slip on these rocks and break my leg, I’m dead”. No, you have a cameraman. Stop making everything worst case scenario. “If I don’t clear these snow drifts, plane lands, everyone dies”. I respect her toughness to live the life she does, but she sells it too much. “I stay barely above dehydration all winter” yet she builds a sauna. 

I haven’t seen the bad side of Andy yet, but he is sort of like Erik in that the life suits him. He seems to roll with the punches fairly well, and his craftsmanship is remarkable. I think I could endure the social isolation of his life, but I am far too lazy to work that hard. He does seem to have some “luxuries”, like his beer and garden. 

Jesse seems completely dialed in, almost obsessive about his dogs but in a positive way.  I envy how he has so little in the way of wants, he is happy to just meet his needs.  It’s  great to see him have success with his racing - he isn’t a poser.  

Glenn annoys me. I know that this is as much play time as living for him, so I get why he lives a more spartan bush existence than Erik and Andy. He is kind of a hipster - I don’t use a chainsaw, I use an axe. He is also the most preachy - “why work in an office when you can work here?”.  “Not many people cook their meat using the fat of the same animal”. Jesus. Give it a rest. Again, I admire his resilience, but it’s boastful, and contrived. 

Anyway, I love the show for its core content, the presentation could be a little more subtle and a lot less repetitive. 

[Diane M]

Nice to see some comments on this show.  I'm hoping a new season will start soon.

Sue is tough as nails and can do more than most men to keep that camp afloat.  Not many women could live that lifestyle, totally alone for months on end.  But, I do find her a bit annoying and nasally in her speech.  Yes, we get it, Sue.....you're the bomb!

I see Glenn as the gee whiz, gosh golly guy.  At least, that's the way he sounds.  He's out there living in his tiny cabin and having a hell of a good time.

I admire Andy so much.  That guy can make anything out of the many parts in his workshop.  I wonder where he got the money to buy all of his expensive equipment.

I like Erik and Martha Mae.  They seem like a very compatible couple and are doing just fine with their hunting and fishing tours.  I don't think they're doing anything new, probably too busy with the tours.

[ProfCrash]

Sue's comments are directed more towards the 99% of the time that there is not a film crew with her and she has no guests at her camp. She is alone most of the year and does need to keep that in mind. She does lay it on a bit think. The others are in a pretty similar boat and we only hear the occasional worry about dying due to accident. Andy is much better off solo then when he was out there with his now ex-wife. He has been much more fun to watch since his marital status changed.

I love seeing how inventive most of these folks are. You don't see that as much with Erik now, but watching them set up their solar systems and their green houses and smokers and all the other things that they build in order to survive is fun. It is great seeing people who are willing to put in the hard work to live in that environment. Most of them are clearly more comfortable as pseudo hermits then as  apart of larger society. I respect their efforts even though I kind of think they are bat shit crazy.

I understand the Hailstones choices most easily. Chip married into the life style but for most of the family it is simply their traditional way of life. Erik and his wife live a more conventional life, they leading the hunting and fishing trips but they also run a funeral parlor.

The only one who annoys me is Glenn and that is mainly because I find him sanctimonious and I think it is more of a hobby for him then a life style. If it was a lifestyle, he would approach it the way Andy and Jesse have. Building more of the permanent structures needed to survive and thrive and not traveling to the lower 48 for lessons on Para Sailing. There is no way he is carrying his pack for survival and his para sailing kit so he can fly home a moose once he has killed it.

[humbleopinion]

If you are a long time viewer then you remember Sue took a hefty mortgage to own Kavik so having the show's money must take some of the pressure off to make ends meet.

Guessing the lawsuit was settled.

Sue tries to make good TV as does Glenn.

Yes, he is very full of himself but he is unapologetic in his self opinion that he is awesome.

His family must be willing to have him only part of the year because he needs his Brooks Range the other part.

In addition to the Salitans' Fish Camp, Hunting guide business, Funeral Home they are raising a son.

Erik and Martha Mae are hard workers and  didn't want the attention of the TV show anymore...too bad...they were photogenic and it was fun to peek into their private life.

Whatever you think of Andy, there is no denying that he is always looking to improve his life and homestead.

The amount of harvest from his garden he cans is awe inspiring.

Rigging up  irrigation for his new terrific greenhouse.

I like watching him tackle his projects and the money from the show must fund some of the more ambitious works in progress.

Edna is the engine that runs her family, that was more evident the year he was in the pokey.

She and Chip put their ever expanding family first.

Watching the girls grow up and having their families  marks the years they have opened their life to the cameras.

After the Last Alaskans, Life Below Zero is my favorite Alaskan show.

[Tighthead]

Do we know how Cody, the student made out? Did he settle in to bush life?

[qtpye]

I think Andy is one of those people who are happier by himself and is a lot more likable when he does not have a partner to vebally abuse.

[pasdetrois]

I caught the new episode that showcases the coming season. Excited to see where Sue ends up, Glenn's family, and a new Alaska native participant. The show had become stagnant and predictable, with huge amounts of recycled footage; glad they are introducing change.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Life Below Zero won the following award at last weekend's Creative Emmys:

Outstanding Cinematography For A Reality Program

[bosawks]

Sue calling herself a "foodie" made me happy with her ptarmigan Korean dumplings.

[ProfCrash]

I have watched the first new episode. I see that Sue is at least better about asking for help but it still seems to bother her to need to ask. I have always wondered why she did not have some type of a catchment system at her camp, something to catch the rain and use that for a water supply and the river as a back up. I know it would not work the best in the winter, although I suspect that there are systems that can keep the water warm enough that it doesn’t freeze, maybe some type of exterior insulation? 

The Hailstones are the Hailstones. The comment that not many families have nets out was interesting. Those families also had goods from the store. I wonder what jobs are available up there if you don’t want to be out harvesting food all day. 

I’ll watch the second episode tonight. After soccer and Cub Scouts and the Little Man is passed out in bed.

[humbleopinion]

Watched to upcoming season episode and like the freshness...Ricko, Glenn's family joining him, Jessie focusing on the Iditarod and Andy training a new lead dog.

Here is a spoiler so avoid if you are a purist: http://iditarod.com/race/2018/mushers/1052-Jessie-Holmes/

[iluvobx]

On 7/17/2018 at 2:41 PM, humbleopinion said:

If you are a long time viewer then you remember Sue took a hefty mortgage to own Kavik so having the show's money must take some of the pressure off to make ends meet.

Guessing the lawsuit was settled.

Sue tries to make good TV as does Glenn.

Yes, he is very full of himself but he is unapologetic in his self opinion that he is awesome.

His family must be willing to have him only part of the year because he needs his Brooks Range the other part.

In addition to the Salitans' Fish Camp, Hunting guide business, Funeral Home they are raising a son.

Erik and Martha Mae are hard workers and  didn't want the attention of the TV show anymore...too bad...they were photogenic and it was fun to peek into their private life.

Whatever you think of Andy, there is no denying that he is always looking to improve his life and homestead.

The amount of harvest from his garden he cans is awe inspiring.

Rigging up  irrigation for his new terrific greenhouse.

I like watching him tackle his projects and the money from the show must fund some of the more ambitious works in progress.

Edna is the engine that runs her family, that was more evident the year he was in the pokey.

She and Chip put their ever expanding family first.

Watching the girls grow up and having their families  marks the years they have opened their life to the cameras.

After the Last Alaskans, Life Below Zero is my favorite Alaskan show.

6

The lawsuit was dismissed by a judge last summer stating "for failure to make service" to the defendants.

[iluvobx]

Watched the extended episode last night.  Found several things interesting.

First, Glen and his bullshit talk.  Seems he doesn't spend as much time in the Brooks Range as he likes to tell us, nor does he stay there by himself.  Notice when the girlfriend got there, she said is was good to be back there.  Another thing that got me was how did he know when the plane was due in?  How did the pilot know the lake was safe to land on?  Glenn kept saying that they were late arriving.  Wonder where his other 3 children are and how he supports them.

I really like Jesse.   He seems to be very straightforward and none of the bullshit crap that some of the others sling.  Sue realizing that she needs help and she is looking down the road for her future and not being there.

The Hailstones are just the Hailstones.  I have always wondered how they got the money to buy all those boats and ski mobiles.  None of those things are cheap.

I like Andy.  Always have.  He works hard for everything and he has never been shy about the school he runs.  

[rcc]

22 minutes ago, iluvobx said:

The lawsuit was dismissed by a judge last summer stating "for failure to make service" to the defendants.

"Make service to the defendants"? Does that mean Sue did not do her part sufficiently in the show? I think she does a good job on this show.

[walnutqueen]

2 hours ago, rcc said:

"Make service to the defendants"? Does that mean Sue did not do her part sufficiently in the show? I think she does a good job on this show.

I think it has something to do with not serving the defendant legal documents in a proper manner or timeframe.

[ProfCrash]

14 hours ago, iluvobx said:

Watched the extended episode last night.  Found several things interesting.

First, Glen and his bullshit talk.  Seems he doesn't spend as much time in the Brooks Range as he likes to tell us, nor does he stay there by himself.  Notice when the girlfriend got there, she said is was good to be back there.  Another thing that got me was how did he know when the plane was due in?  How did the pilot know the lake was safe to land on?  Glenn kept saying that they were late arriving.  Wonder where his other 3 children are and how he supports them.

I really like Jesse.   He seems to be very straightforward and none of the bullshit crap that some of the others sling.  Sue realizing that she needs help and she is looking down the road for her future and not being there.

The Hailstones are just the Hailstones.  I have always wondered how they got the money to buy all those boats and ski mobiles.  None of those things are cheap.

I like Andy.  Always have.  He works hard for everything and he has never been shy about the school he runs.  

I have not seen last nights episode, I'll watch it today, but the second episode of this season showed Glenn measuring the depth of the ice, 11 inches, and the amount of powder that fell at night, 8 inches, and laying out spruce boughs on the lake to make it easier on the pilot who was bringing his family in.  Glenn has always been a poser but they did cover the ice thing pretty thoroughly. I have always assumed that Glenn has satellite radios and phones for communication. He has clearly brought in a good amount of gear by plane. We know that he has a good amount of money, I believe that he is a trust fund kid, that he has used to find his life style.

Glenn is my least favorite of the people that they show. He talks this huge game when there is every sign that it is BS. I fully understand that he loves his time up in the Range and that he enjoys the hunting, and the hiking, and the isolation and if he left it at that, a huge outdoors enthusiast who spends a few months out of the year living off the grid, I would like him better. Instead, he spent a bunch of seasons taking up this huge game that made it seem like he was living off the land most of the year and he wanted to do things the way the natives did and all that crap when it was clear that was never the case. They seem to have figured out that people know that the original Glenn storyline is BS and are moving more in the direction of outdoor enthusiast then Alaskan Bush Man living off the land. His storyline has most definitely changed the last few seasons.

Sue is authentic. She would love to stay in Kavic and run everything solo but knows that she can't. I can fully get that she is not excited about the day that she will have to leave Kavic. But the Kavic stuff is getting old only because it is the same every year.

I like Jesse. He seems like a good guy who found a life style that he likes. I can see him growing into being an Andy.

Andy is Andy. He is great when he is left alone with his dogs.

The Hailstones are who they are. They have clearly used the money they made from the show to upgrade their ski mobiles and boats. You can see the progression in equipment over the years. I suspect that they have stashed away a good amount of money in a bank account as well. I wish they would spend some of that money on Chip's teeth because they are seriously rough. I am hoping that they can sell off or recycle the spare parts that they were clearing up in their yard. That was a lot of stuff. They love being outdoors and hunting and gathering. I would bet that they make a decent living bartering with their neighbors who probably hunt but might be working regular jobs and so are not devoted to hunting and fishing. I wonder if any of their kids are going to follow in their footsteps or are just good sports about helping Mom and Dad so they can make a bit of cash on the TV show.

[Inukun]

There is no oil money in our region. Marry an Eskimo here and you will work to make money like the rest of us.

Chip was referring to there not being many nets because dog teams are nearly all gone. 1/2 a salmon a day and other meats keep Huskys warm and healthy at -40 and a dog eats as much as a person each day. When every house had a dog team, 12-24 dogs, the fishing never ended. Now its all for people food and , in truth, there are fewer nets out.

    Subsistence living is the replacement to ''work'' or employment for someone else. Make $ 'working' or get the food and heat yourself and skip the money. Funny, isnt it, how doing that makes a body feel like they have actually 'worked'...

 Wildlands firefighting, trail staking, firewood sales, commercial fishing, mining and oilfeld 2wwek on 2 week off are most of the seasonal work that come around, and in Kotzbue here are many jobs.

 Before the Hailstones were on tv they lived like they do and made museum displays and arts and crafts. Funny, anything an Eskimo makes is now ''Art" and Agnes , to her credit has Inupiaq clothing displayed in many prominent museums. She took the skins Chip caught and knowing the tradional cuts , filled out collections that had parts and items returned to tribes for repatriations in the 1990's. Agnes is a much respected skin sewing woman.

 There is an excellent 4 person display in the Maniilaq Elders wing Agnes made, a baby, a little girl and a man and woman in full regalia and life sized. It had to be in the hundreds of thousands.

When you look at stuff in the yard its the same as the neighbors, with 20 years of used/crashed/recycled snowmachines and outboard motors. Parts are hard to find and by every house in a village there is usually a small ''shop'' for repairing things out of the weather, welding or whatever. Parts piles for recycling are better than trash on the tundra. People like the hailstones always have a running snowmachine and outboard, and they get a new one, they buy the same models so they can use parts from the machine when it gets replaced after wearing out.

A new snow machine is about 7-8,000$, every 3-5 years, depending on what happens to it. No groomed trails here. An outboard engine is cheaper and last 5-10 years, also depending on what happens to it. Some people save their money, some take a bank loan and pay them off.

I think the Hailstone bank their money and at least one daughter is currently in collage.

 The hailstone girls instagrams show they were in camp fishing with their parents after a summer of commercial salmon fishing in Kotzebue Sound

Edited September 22, 2018 by Inukun

[Medicine Crow]

Very interesting background information @Inukun ... much appreciated.  When I was in my late teens I worked for Northern Affairs & took a job as a "Secretary at Large" working with the various Administrators that traveled "up North".  I worked in Fort Chimo, Sugluk, Povungnatuk & many other small towns for my job.  To this day, I have three soapstone carvings that were presented to me by the Elders in some communities where I worked a lot.  I had many experiences ... hunting, fishing, riding on a dog team, etc. that are still great memories.  Thanks for reminding me!!!

[pasdetrois]

I hope Chip gives up on his tiresome "we live so much better than everyone else" proclamations. On the most recent episode he stated that other people don't know their neighbors. While this can certainly be true in highly transient big cities, especially with younger adults, it's not true elsewhere.

I've lived all over the US, beginning in the Deep South, and I have always known my neighbors, be it an urban high-rise in DC or a little house in Cajun country. And military folks definitely form close life-long relationships. Everywhere I've lived there are neighborhood kids' play dates, BBQs, dinner parties, civic association meetings and committees...in my community we have community gardens and even a senior citizen age-in-place program, where volunteers help their elderly neighbors with chores and errands.

[Inukun]

Funny, I saw the same episode and iirc, Chip said ''most people dont know their neighbors' and it did not strike me as anything all inclusive, just his opinion.

 I have never heard him, even once, say "we live so much better than everyone else".  LOL!! I do understand that you seem to take his every word as a personal communication to you, but he is actually talking with the cameraman. If you really listen, Chip compares himself today to what he was like yesterday, and always looking to improve.

  And if you ever get up this way, you will see that the Hailstone are pretty well off for their circumstances and even more so after the show came along, because they work hard and have been for 30 years. If you go to Noorvik, noone there has a bad opinion of Chip, but then again, they know him very very well..

 Thats the same way Andy got all his stuff, working hard for a barge company piloting up and down the Yukon for 20 years. That got him a paycheck and a free cargo to his front door with the big stuff.

Edited September 23, 2018 by Inukun

[rcc]

@Inukun - I appreciate all the inside information about everyone. Thanks. 

[Medicine Crow]

1 hour ago, rcc said:

@Inukun - I appreciate all the inside information about everyone. Thanks. 

Me too!!

[walnutqueen]

Me three, but he does  denigrate those of us who live and work J.O.B.S. in the "lower 48" to support our families in a different way from his Oh, So Superior World View.  

Let me just say that he is not Universally Lauded in the Eskimo community.