Hello out there

As I sit here and try to get over this traumatic knee replacement surgery that they didn’t tell me they would be putting a tourniquet on the part of the leg I was run over before and try not to take pills, pills I might need later on in life. Hard to do alright.
I have been using ice and heating pad (of which I wish I had more of.) Mostly when I hurt the most I pray to God and I thank him for the day, the people I get to interact with, and for my sight so I can see His beauty. I ask Him please dear God to help me through the pain, and to remember that my children and grandchildren are worth living for. Along with the beautiful berries that say come pick me…
You can’t even imagine the plants that are edible/drinkable/ medicinal. They are all around. I am so blessed… Although, I’m probably not picking this year.
On to other subjects of summer – pedal bikes. Like, I miss some of those darn things I bought for myself and my kids over all these years. That money stacks up, and some of us have a lot of kids. Shame on you people. If you’re going to steal/ruin/borrow a bike or something, then you’re supposed to replace it. Liars to you that say you will, and never do.
I had another good letter I had started, but in my messy house, good luck I guess. Get tired of the so-called mail we’re supposed to hold on to for 7 years.
Hi to all my buddies out there. Please stay safe. Although I never bother to worry about bears out there when I’m picking, there are some of you who naturally attract them, so be careful please.
Bugging – how they sometimes make me look a little like an idiot because I don’t indent, or they misspell some of my words, guess because they can’t read my writing.
I find it totally funny how they would like to have people who are on SNAP (food stamps and monetary help for children) to have to look for/find jobs, when they have either cut out jobs, or given them to immigrants because they’re willing to work for less. What ever happened to American-made products? So, are the people who suggested this, along with the Legislators who vote for it, going to supply the jobs?
Along with our so-called Legislators who say they need to pay themselves more, and take it out of us Alaska Natives PFDs, of which when put on paper said that they are not ever supposed to do that. Pretty sure it was written that way because the powers that be at the time knew that some legislature person would try to change it. Punishable by jail time. Yet, not only does Walker get away with it, they are also letting immigrants come in and get a big part of the PFDs too.
So they are trying to take away jobs, PFDs, subsistence foods, food stamps, 5 year family help with ATAP. I think they are trying to starve us to death and take our land.
Heck, for that matter – you could vote for me, and at least I ‘d cost way less and try to listen to what people have to say. Plus, I love to argue when I think they’re wrong.
Anyway, remember when you’re out subsisting. The Elders probably really miss that, so don’t forget to bring them some. Quyana.
Take care you all. Be careful. May God bless you all with His many riches He has given us. Love and miss you all.
Karen Nanouk
Unalakleet, AK

Alaskans should be free to join unions that can fix an unfair economy
On Wednesday (June 27, 2018), the United States Supreme Court decided on a narrow 5-4 margin to side with the billionaires, CEOs and corporate interests behind the Janus v. AFSCME Council 31 case to undermine the rights of workers across the country by making it harder for unions to organize.
Greedy special interests have rigged our economy and democracy against working people for little cost to their bottom line, they have groomed, funded and elected national and state legislators that support slashing government. In Alaska, public services has felt the impact of these attacks with health care costs increased, retirement programs eliminated and criminals set free and or no longer incarcerated.
We have all seen the consequences of this in rising crime rates and lowered state services. Additionally, state workers have not had a pay raise in three years and must take unpaid days off every month. Alaska workers, all too often, work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Alaska faces staggering public safety and health problems, and it needs excellent state workers.
Guess what? The Court majority and their rich benefactors are in for a surprise.
Far from destroying us, anticipating the Court’s decision has already made unions better advocates for Alaskan workers. The Alaska State Employees Association (ASEA/AFSCME Local 52) members, made up of almost 8,000 Alaska state and municipal public employees has been adapting, preparing and focusing on fighting for the rights, benefits and protections not only our members, but for all workers and their families, union and non-union. Our members are united, motivated, and ready to fight for the freedom to organize, the freedom to negotiate better wages and working conditions and the freedom to have the best advocates in the work place.
When nurses, firefighters, police officers, 911 dispatchers and probation and parole officers belong to unions, they fight for staffing levels, equipment and training that save lives and improves everyone’s public safety. Last year, after years of hard work, members and families of the Public Safety Employees Association, Local 803 (PSEA) succeed in getting legislation passed that provides medical benefits to families of public safety employees killed in the line of duty.
This year, ASEA Local 52 union members, community partners, and mental health advocates successfully lobbied together to get additional staffing at Alaska Psychiatric Institute, so patients are better treated and staff can be safer in the work place.
When Alaska’s union membership is high, our communities enjoy wages and benefits that represent a fair return on their work and greater social and economic mobility. Unions fight for these freedoms for everyone, and that’s why they are the target of greedy special interests and are more critical to Alaska and America’s success than ever. You don’t need to be a union member to know that freedom is not given, it is fought for—and it must be protected. Like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy of standing up for civil rights and labor rights, we’re going to fix this rigged system once and for all. Our elected officials should stand with us, and work to make the fight to protect our freedoms easier, not harder.
Jake Metcalfe, Executive Director
Alaskans Working For Alaska!
Anchorage, Alaska

Vote new board members in
It is time to replace the lifers or the old timers on the Board of Directors of the Calista Corporation. They are doing neither the Corporation nor the shareholders any good vis’-a-vis’ the Donlin Creek gold mine which will be a disaster for the entire Southwest Alaska area. It is important to get new replacement board members for the protection of the water, lakes, subsistence and the land. The land and subsistence resources will be entirely decimated and destroyed. Money is the only value that the current board members have been considering in the decision to proceed with Donlin Creek which is not right. Man cannot eat money when the subsistence resources are wiped out. Money at some point in the future may be totally worthless. No money to spend with no subsistence resources available then? The land and subsistence resources will be deformed and decimated forever with ripple effects to Canada, the upriver Athabascans and the Bering Sea.
Gilbert Keywehak
Mount Pleasant, MI

Love you all
We all have experienced loss of our loved ones through many ways, all about the same way, but in many different places. I guess we all know the end of time (world) is coming for everyone.
We also have people ending themselves. I hope today you will realize someone loves you and has prepared a place for you when time comes to be happy forever. He has suffered and went through even death but was risen again to life.
So will our problems end here on earth, sadness will go away. Peace, love, and joy will come through Him. Just as he did, so will we. His glories are wonderful. Wait patiently and live to the end. Because of him it will get better and because of him will come a greater way.
While we wait for him there are two roads on earth. Wide and narrow. I love you, please don’t kill yourself. I am a survivor myself. Life has changed to better with him, we need to learn to love ourselves as he did.
“I’m sorry, please forgive me.” We need to do the same to our loved ones, neighbors, especially to our Mom and Dad before they pass on as well as to our brothers and sisters. We need to say to them in words, forgive me and I forgive you. Make our Creator hear and when we pray he will do the same. If not, he won’t either.
I’m sorry, please forgive me to all of you. It is a hard thing to say to our neighbors and it makes us afraid to say, but because of him fear will go away and love will come next to tell and ask our loved ones for forgiveness.
Everyone suffers but because of him it will change. So we will too with understanding, we will suffer but love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Forgive those who asks for it.
Christopher George
Nightmute, AK