Karoo Ashevak was born near the present-day community of Taloyoak. He grew up following the traditional Inuit lifestyle and beliefs. In 1968, he and his wife Doris settled in Taloyoak. At the time, stone and other carving media were scarce. Whalebone, being lighter than stone, was imported for the artists by charter plane from nearby areas of the Arctic, thus explaining Karoo's extensive use of whalebone for his sculpture.