The snow sparkled in the reflected light of the sun all the way out to the sleepy hills on the horizon. The wind was cold enough to freeze bare flesh in seconds. Tall ridges of broken ice were scattered across the vastness of the Arctic Sea. Here I set my dog, a wolf husky mix, loose to search the icefield. After sniffing about frantically it finally found an open hole used by seals to surface for air and rest on the ice. It would only be a matter of time before one will rise up here, I thought hopefully.

Grabbing my harpoon I spread my feet wide beside the seal hole and thought about the hunt. Thinking about the dark, dreamy waters beneath the Arctic ice, feeling senselessly empty of mind and body, knowing that sharp hunger has shaped my life over the years, I came here only to seek renewal. May my spirit swim like a fish in search of salvation in the dark depths of the frozen sea. I prayed for the presence of the seal to emerge from the waters like a revelation and give itself to me. I love the seal, but its meat means survival.

After waiting a while in the windy cold the water in the icy hole stirred and a small grey head began to rise. I quickly plunged the harpoon down embedding it deep into the body of the seal. Lifting it up and out of the sea I laid it on the snowy ground. It was large enough to feed my family for weeks, I felt. Cruel as it appears in nature only death can feed life. I said a quiet prayer for the seal that it will find its' blessing in the spirit world and guide my soul to peace and love.

Throwing a rope around the dead animal I tied it to the harness on my dog so it can be pulled home. My family will no longer fear hunger, at least for a while, I thought. Walking across the deep snow and slick ice I felt proud to be successful in another hunt. My love for nature bonds me to a spirit world where the souls of animals can serve to guide and strengthen us. I find my savior in the Arctic wilderness, out there beneath the endless ice.