Only in Alaska!

I ended up leaving Manokotak one day early because there were no other flights available in time to catch my flight from Anchorage to Seattle to Denver on Saturday morning. So I left on Thursday after school. Luckily, I made it in time to catch the last flight from Dillingham to Anchorage. On the flight I sat next to a woman who is affiliated with the Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC). We had some good, interesting conversation on the plane about Native life and bush-village living, subsistence, grants and the future of the villages.

Arriving in Anchorage with my two most unpredictable and stressful flights behind me, I'd hoped I could fly standby to Denver, CO, my first destination. As it turned out there were 38 other people on the list so I'd be stuck in Anchorage until my original flight leaves early Saturday morning. At the baggage claim, I told my seat mate the bad news. I had already called a hotel, but she insisted, more than a few times that I stay with her in her already paid for room, through the BBNC.

We arrived at the hotel, a suit, BUT when we walked in I realized there was only one bed. That's right, I'm sharing a king sized bed with a stranger. I'm still alive.

Only in Alaska.

Time Magazine, For Kids

McKenzie is an artist. A little girl after my own heart.

I know, I know. It's been so long since I've written that I'm almost embarassed to start up again. I have no good excuse except that even in our little village, where there is time to watch the bright, salmon colored sunset, I have let the moments slip away from me.

I've got some fun news though. News that I am very proud to share. For the last few years I have been on the Board of Teachers for Time magazines kids edition called, Time For Kids. Early in the school year I mentioned Manokoak as a meaningful culture and location to highlight in the magazine. A few weeks ago, they took the bait and interviewed a few students of different ages over the phone. They had planned on writing two cover stories, the first for grades 2-3 in November during American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month and the second, grades 4-6 for Alaska's 51st aniversary as a state in January.

I have used this magazine with my students a few years now. Personally, I like it better than Time for adults! I am often amazed by the interesting information that I learn from the weekly magazine. Now students all over the country get to learn about the wonderfully interesting place that exits in the gigantic, but often forgotten state of Alaska, in a tiny village a few hundred miles south of Anchorage, called Manokotak.

I am so proud to be able to live and teach here. I'm also really proud of my 4th grade student who is featured here in the article.

Anyway, read the article and materials below. It's cute and I think the author did a good job of capturing life and the village today.

Article:

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/ns/article/0,28391,1939353,00.html

Homework: (Scroll down to "McKenzie and Me")

http://aolsvc.timeforkids.kol.aol.com/TFK/class/pdfs/2009f/091120_ns_all.pdf

Juneau Math and Science Conference!

It’s official. I’ve got a thing for smart people. And smart people who work toward the success of all children…whew! My heart skips a beat just thinking about them. So naturally the Bridge to Understanding: Math and Science Conference in Juneau, Alaska, jam-packed with overeager educators and specialists in their distinct fields, nestled in a city with more than just a view, really did it for me.

In addition to all the teaching related information, I also got to go to the Yup’ik Science exhibit at the Juneau-Douglas City museum (and supplemental book) titled, Yuungnaqpiallerput or The Way We Genuinely Live. It was interesting to view the history and begin to understand how life in Alaska has been transformed and redefined with the changes that have come with time and exposure to new technologies. The exhibit recently moved to the Smithsonian Institute, so as you might imagine, it was both thrilling and emotional to see the display before it was shipped off. I also bought the book, it’s beautiful.

Finally, and probably most notably, a few of us also attended the conference-sponsored Saturday field trip sessions. On this day we were guided through the stages of the Juneau Fish Hatchery, followed by a tour of the famed Alaskan Brewery. We were invited to taste a variety of brews while we learned about the science and precision involved in the brewing process. As you might imagine, the field trip was interesting, entertaining and oh so much fun.

Alas, it was one of those trips that you’d rather not see end – With effective teaching strategies, beer artisans, great company and wildly smart and caring people...I was on overload. Too much of so many great things was really, really wonderful!

We also took some time on Saturday afternoon for some sight seeing. This is Mendenhall Glacier.
Minnesota still has a special place in my heart. Obviously. Lining the brewery were bottles from every state and every country.
Kyle (left, not center) is from my district too, he teaches in a neighboring village. It was a pleasant surprise to have company. The brewmaster is at center.
This photo was taken out of an airplane window as we flew over Yakutat, AK.

Taking Steam

The muk'ee or steam bath is my favorite Yup'ik custom. This traditional way of bathing was suitable for a population whose water was locked up in ice for most of the year. The purpose of the muk'ee is to wash but it's also a unique occasion that is both social and personal. It's an experience that I am always so grateful to be a part of.

The first time I was invited to steam was in the fall a year ago. I remember being so honored and excited to be included in this ancient tradition that I could hardly collect my thoughts. With haste, I gathered my toiletries, water, a few small towels and a change of clothing and smashed all of it into my backpack. A moment later I jumped onto a rickety old bike and raced down to the village. I had imagined the whole ordeal taking about an hour to steam, dry off and return home, but four hours later I was peddling back, wearing my newly exposed infant-like skin, smiling in the breeze and feeling like a new woman.

My friend Naney told me that years ago, the village had one steam house made of mud. On steam nights, women and men (who bathe separately) would each bring a piece of wood to the muk'ee, which would continue for as long as the wood lasted. Today, many people have small, wooden steam houses. Husbands and sons use chainsaws and snowmobiles to collect the wood to burn, both welcome efficiencies. The tradition has also expanded to include amenities like Suave Shampoo, Dr. Bronner's soaps and pink luffas. Luckily the native tongue and ancient remedies are still universal in the steam house. (More on that below).

The traditional steam house is a small rectangular hut that has two rooms. The first room is a little changing area with a tiny door leading to cozy space on floor the next to the stove. There is enough room on the floor for two or three people at a time. After undressing, we each carry a basin inside the steam room to fill with water for washing. In the photograph above, you'll notice a long stick with an old vegetable can attached. Those are the dipping sticks used to fill the washing basins. They are also used for "splashing". Notice the stove is actually made of an old oil drum, most are.

Here's how the muk'ee ritual transpires:

Round 1: "Warm Up" or I guess I should say, quickly acclimate to the 250+ temperature. I've been mentored to designate a steaming hat, which is dipped in water for keeping cool. After about ten minutes, everyone exits and continues to chat and laugh. (I have also found that my Yup'ik language and vocabulary improve most during a good steam.)

Round 2: "Splash" We get inside and as Naney's pouring the boiling water over the hot rocks she'll always ask with a smirk, "Do you want to splash?" As though she's giving me the option -- and as if I'd turn it down. In an instant, water is vaporized into the air of this tiny space. I usually have to cover my face with my wash cloth to breathe. Sometimes I feel like I'm actually cooking. Despite that harsh description, the steam and the splash are both marvelous.

Round 3: Depending on how social the night is to be, we might have one more splash or we might move on to washing. I should also mention that when Naney splashes, she often uses the time-honored, cure all, chaithluk or stinkweed, which is thought to have anit-viral properties. She soaks the chaithluk in boiling water, then she pours it over the hot rocks so we can slowely breathe it in. Many natives also drink it as tea for curing ailments.

Round 4: "Wash" We bring in all our soaps and shampoos and lather up. I've never before felt a 'clean' like this.

Round 5: "Rinse" The Last round is the rinse, then we squidgy the floor, sit, chat, dry off and get dressed.

After a good steam I always sleep like a baby and wake up with a headache, vowing to drink more water the next time. Headache or not, there is simply nothing that compares to the very special ritual of the muk'ee.

Flying

Last weekend I was invited to do some flying by a new pilot in the area. I've never flown this low before, or this crazy, but since we were the only ones in the area, we had free reign of the sky. My heart dropped from my chest only once, when for just a split second I felt zero gravity. I mean it, a book was floating in the air. Hope you're not getting tired of the views. I never will...

Zero gravity. Here's right about where my heart nearly fell out of my chest.

Flying low, though the tundra looks solid, it would be a messy place to land. We were so low, I cringed, as I intuitively braced for landing.

Great fall colors.


Glistening rivers

Togiak, Alaska

Since our bike trip this summer, my good friend Andy has been pressuring me to support the NRA and learn how to safely operate a gun. This past weekend when I visited Togiak, I had my chance. Andy gave me a good lesson in gun safety in addition exposing me to a variety of firearms, which naturally scared the hell out of me. To me, a gun is still a pretty intimidating responsibility.

Aside from manhandling firearms, my visit to Togiak, Alaska was as much fun as I could have ever anticipated - and believe me, the trip was highly anticipated. During my virtually sleepless visit, we camped, had fires, explored, picked berries, hunted, lifted weights, ran and played volleyball. The first night, as a group of us cruised along the beach on four-wheelers, I felt butterflies in my stomach because those calm, colorful views of the water and of Walrus Island were unlike anything I've ever seen before in my life. It was remarkable, which doesn't even begin to describe it.

The subsistence village of Togiak, AK has a population of approximately 1,000. It's situated in Togiak Bay just north of Walrus Island Game Sanctuary where plenty of National Geographic photographs take place. Like Manokotak, Togiak's people hunt and fish for subsistence. In this village though, they are lucky enough to have a grocery store.







The morning of our camping expedition Andy and Sam shot a mink (above). Sam suggested we bring the mink to one of the village elders who is a highly regarded historian of Yup'ik culture, not only in Togiak, but throughout the state of Alaska. Annie Blue speaks only Yup'ik but her words and stories have been translated into countless texts and curricula. This year she was even awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. I was so touched to have met her finally, and she was thrilled with the mink.

What a wonderful world...

Hank!

Hank! Full speed ahead post ptarmigan hunt.

I had no intention of keeping him. In fact, when I left this little puppy in the village last May, I only half expected him to be around when I returned. Here in the village dogs are left to their own devices. They aren't toted around in small handbags or fed special diets. They aren't trimmed, groomed or even brushed and they certainly aren't put in kennels. Alaska is their dog park and nobody is spayed or neutered. These are the reasons I didn't intend to keep Hank with me.

Well, he ended up on my porch about two weeks ago and despite my best effort to ignore him, he hasn't left. He greets me as I open the door every morning and follows me to school. He runs with me every evening and never looses sight of me, except when tormenting small game. He's a great little companion.

Like I said, I wasn't going to keep him, but with his unwavering loyalty, he's won me over. Again.

Yeah, I'm a sucker.

In other adorable news...Friday was dress-up day for the kids. This quintessential 4th grade boy put on his Sunday best: sweat pants, gym shoes, a clip-on tie and an incorrectly buttoned shirt. He hurried in, glowing with enthusiasm asking, "Did I win a prize?" He didn't but I think he won my heart.