Many years before Nedercook was born the men of her village had made some copper bracelets and other small items. The copper was supposed to be from what they called the “Copper Cave.”
A hunter who had wandered for days many miles away became lost trying to find his way home. He was traveling late, and as the dusk of evening began a fog settled over the mountains he was trying to cross over. With the poor light he was trying to descend a slope and did not notice until he stepped into an incline and he began sliding and fell a few feet into a cave. It was too dark for him to see clearly, but he heard a ringing sound as he and his spear hit the bottom. In the dim light he could just make out the shape of large and small bones lying on the ground. He tried to climb out but he always fell back to the cave floor, so he decided to wait until morning light. He spent a fearful, sleepless night.
When the sun came up in the morning he could see the cave went back about fifty feet, and the whole interior had this strange coloured rock. Some pieces lay around so he put a few into his packsack, one fell from his hand and he heard a sort of ringing echo sound.
There was one way that he could climb out; it was hard because the sides of the entrance were steep.
When he returned to the village the men discovered that they could make bracelets and other small pieces out of the rock. A few years later two men went with him to gather more of this strange rock.
When men found where he had been, one almost fell into a small opening. The opening looked so dangerous that no one wanted to go down with all the loose rocks that looked ready to fall. The next year when they had returned, more of the mountain side had fallen. There was no sign of the hole, just a large pile of rock mingled with earth from the slide.
After many years the people of the village said that if one stood near Topkok looking out to sea, directly behind a person’s back, many miles away would be the mountain from which the copper came. It was said that if a women did not give away her copper bracelet by the time she had died it would be placed in the grave with her.
The ground was often frozen when death occurred and not having proper tools to dig graves on frozen or thawed areas, people placed the dead on the tundra or high beaches. A tepee –like structure was placed around the body to keep dogs and other animals away. There was enough space between the holes so that if one wanted to see inside they could by getting close to the openings. This also allowed loved ones to view the departed and any treasured items that were with them. In time only the skeletons and treasures could be seen.
As time passed more and more traders came along the coast with their little boats. Then came men who when they were finished trading with the village people, walked out to the little shelters at the graves. (Early traders did not do this.) After they left, the children walked out there too, mimicking the traders, and they noticed only skeletons were left-the treasures were missing.
Kiachook had a beautiful carving that was passed on to her. It was so old no one could remember where it originally had come from. It was old but very beautiful and highly treasured. One day three traders that had been in a boat entered Kiachook’s home. They were looking at the carving, passing it back and forth. Then one of the men walked around so that Kiachook had to turn her back on the other two as he asked her some unimportant questions. The he shook her hand and they had to leave. He hurriedly joined the two at the door, and they all quickly left in their boat. Kiachook wounded for a while where they had placed her carving. She looked for it, but it was nowhere in her home. She never saw it again. Before this she had always trusted the traders.
As Nedercook grew older there was more and more talk of strange ships with white people coming in much larger sea going vessels then their umiak. The white men call these “ships” and said some of these strange ships had something fastened above to watch the wind and the wind would help the ship to move. Some of the ships would carry men that hunted the big bowhead whale, killing it with something that made a big noise.
A hunter who had wandered for days many miles away became lost trying to find his way home. He was traveling late, and as the dusk of evening began a fog settled over the mountains he was trying to cross over. With the poor light he was trying to descend a slope and did not notice until he stepped into an incline and he began sliding and fell a few feet into a cave. It was too dark for him to see clearly, but he heard a ringing sound as he and his spear hit the bottom. In the dim light he could just make out the shape of large and small bones lying on the ground. He tried to climb out but he always fell back to the cave floor, so he decided to wait until morning light. He spent a fearful, sleepless night.
When the sun came up in the morning he could see the cave went back about fifty feet, and the whole interior had this strange coloured rock. Some pieces lay around so he put a few into his packsack, one fell from his hand and he heard a sort of ringing echo sound.
There was one way that he could climb out; it was hard because the sides of the entrance were steep.
When he returned to the village the men discovered that they could make bracelets and other small pieces out of the rock. A few years later two men went with him to gather more of this strange rock.
When men found where he had been, one almost fell into a small opening. The opening looked so dangerous that no one wanted to go down with all the loose rocks that looked ready to fall. The next year when they had returned, more of the mountain side had fallen. There was no sign of the hole, just a large pile of rock mingled with earth from the slide.
After many years the people of the village said that if one stood near Topkok looking out to sea, directly behind a person’s back, many miles away would be the mountain from which the copper came. It was said that if a women did not give away her copper bracelet by the time she had died it would be placed in the grave with her.
The ground was often frozen when death occurred and not having proper tools to dig graves on frozen or thawed areas, people placed the dead on the tundra or high beaches. A tepee –like structure was placed around the body to keep dogs and other animals away. There was enough space between the holes so that if one wanted to see inside they could by getting close to the openings. This also allowed loved ones to view the departed and any treasured items that were with them. In time only the skeletons and treasures could be seen.
As time passed more and more traders came along the coast with their little boats. Then came men who when they were finished trading with the village people, walked out to the little shelters at the graves. (Early traders did not do this.) After they left, the children walked out there too, mimicking the traders, and they noticed only skeletons were left-the treasures were missing.
Kiachook had a beautiful carving that was passed on to her. It was so old no one could remember where it originally had come from. It was old but very beautiful and highly treasured. One day three traders that had been in a boat entered Kiachook’s home. They were looking at the carving, passing it back and forth. Then one of the men walked around so that Kiachook had to turn her back on the other two as he asked her some unimportant questions. The he shook her hand and they had to leave. He hurriedly joined the two at the door, and they all quickly left in their boat. Kiachook wounded for a while where they had placed her carving. She looked for it, but it was nowhere in her home. She never saw it again. Before this she had always trusted the traders.
As Nedercook grew older there was more and more talk of strange ships with white people coming in much larger sea going vessels then their umiak. The white men call these “ships” and said some of these strange ships had something fastened above to watch the wind and the wind would help the ship to move. Some of the ships would carry men that hunted the big bowhead whale, killing it with something that made a big noise.