This arch, made from the ribs of a bowhead whale, is the signature spot in Barrow. It is a symbolic gateway to the Arctic Ocean as much as the Gateway Arch on the Mississippi River in St. Louis is an entrance to the American West.
I was excited to have my picture made here, even in the fog, because I had seen the arch on virtually every article and brochure I had read about Barrow in preparation of my trip. There is nothing particularly remarkable about the arch except that it symbolizes the dependence upon the whale for the very existence and survival of the Inupiat Eskimos who have survived and thrived in this harsh environment for five thousand years.
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