The Inuit families who settled in the Beaufort Sea and Mackenzie Delta region shared the maritime hunting traditions of Alaska’s Bering Sea culture. The umialik, who was responsible for building the boat and training the crew to hunt beluga and bowhead whales, wears a raven’s crest hat, a symbol of spiritual power. Through this sculpture Ruben celebrates the whale-hunting culture of his ancestors, the Inuvialuit.The figure of Sedna, the sea goddess who provides her bounty to deserving hunters, is portrayed beneath the boat, supporting and guiding the umiak and its crew.
