The devastation of an epidemic
7-27-10
by Nick Tucker
An open letter to Mr. John Moller, Rural Affairs Advisor, Office of the Governor of the State of Alaska.
As I write to you, I have with me a suicide note from my 16-year old daughter. My wife woke me up suddenly around 5:00am this morning and said our daughter had hung herself. We all rushed into her room – she wasn’t breathing. We lifted her up and cut off the wire cord of a hairdryer. We loosened the cord around her neck as fast we possibly could. Her brothers held her, with head back, and kept talking to her. We caught her just in time – few seconds more, we would have lost her.
In our 200+ villages, there are people letting minors drink and encouraging drugs. John and Honorable Governor Parnell, we’ve talked enough about prevention and this is no time for me to casually approach your troopers. In the villages, they take forever.
And, this is not the time for me to beg. Get your judges, troopers and investigators - starting here in Emmonak and do professional investigation. I wouldn’t accept that you do not have the money and resources. Get them – borrow 200 troopers from other states. We have an epidemic, a Hurricane Katrina and a Gulf Oil Spill but in a magnitude much more devastating because it is humanitarian.
Find out who is giving minors alcohol and drugs. Let’s not worry about politics – we honor you at this time in life that you were appointed by God to be our governor and we have a situation in all our villages. Start with Emmonak. Not only do the investigation, but get the legislators together on an emergency session and get penalties and sentences taken care of. Don’t allow your legislators play politics. We in Emmonak and the other 200+ villages are one, unique, precious part of this state. Now, I am calling upon you.
In the meantime, detain the drug dealers and those who found giving minors alcohol. We are left with no choice. Deal with their court dates later. Deal with them. They don’t care about our children and grandchildren. My wife and I have 12 children, over 20 grandchildren, and we certainly know what we are talking about – nine of them are adults, but we lost our second oldest daughter back in May of 2007.
I don’t not want to hear you’ll do your best – I’ve heard that for 65 years. Your best is now, needed now, not a second later.
Thank you for being bold and everyone else and to include our legislators.
Nick Tucker, Sr. is a resident of Emmonak, AK.
Yupiit Nation and Council of Elders to hold Annual Meeting
7-21-10
We would like to announce the annual meeting of the Yupiit Nation Board of Trustees and the Council of Elders to be held at Nunapitchuk, Alaska on July 23rd and 24th starting at 9:00am on both days.
We will start by honoring the past Yupiit Nation Council of Elders and Trustees on Friday morning. The Elders’ concern for our hunting, fishing, and gathering rights, the need for keeping our traditional lands by our Tribes have been the utmost goal for our work.
The past late Elders include Mr. Joshua Phillip, Joe Friday, Kenneth Peter, William Lomack, Isaac Paul, Adolph Foster, Isaac Mute, Felix Flynn, Michael Albert, Paul Ivan, Owen Ivan, and Joe Chief to name a few. From listening to their concerns, the future of our children is at risk by losing our hunting, fishing, and gathering rights, land rights, and shares in our for-profit native corporations, since they were born after December 18, 1971. They have already lost it.
We will be reviewing the Status of Alaska Natives, reports from the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation, Association of Village Council Presidents, and our legislative reports from Representative Bob Herron, Senator Lyman Hoffman, and Tiffany Zulkosky, Special Assistant to Senator Mark Begich. The candidates for Governor are also invited to attend and listen to the concerns of our Elders and Tribal Leaders.
Dalee Sambo-Dorough, UN Human Rights Council member has been invited to deliver the keynote address as she has been very involved in the final passage of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The United Nations is in the process of reviewing the treatment of the Indigenous Peoples in the United States and the Department of State has been soliciting statements from the Tribes of this nation. She will give us a full update on this very important matter.
Yupiit Nation Chief Mike Williams of Akiak has been serving since the beginning of the establishment of the Nation. He is a former longtime YKHC Board of Director, former Chairman of AVCP, former Chairman of the Alaska Inter-Tribal Council, former Area Vice President of the National Congress of American Indians, current Vice President of RuralCAP, Board Member of the National Tribal Environmental Council, and Board Member for the Institute for Tribal Governments, Portland State University, and Board Member for the Kuskokwim College, University of Alaska Bethel Campus.
Redistricting Board Seeks Applicants
6-16-10
by Senator Lyman Hoffman
The 2010 U.S. Census continues their population counts across the nation. As their work draws to a close, thus will begin the work of states Redistricting Boards, whose job it is to reapportion the house of representatives and the senate immediately following the official reporting of each decennial census of the United States.
The Alaska Redistricting Board consists of 5 members. To be eligible to serve on the Board, you have to be a resident of the state for at least one year and cannot be a public employee or official at the time of or during the tenure of appointment. A person who was a member of the redistricting board at any time during the process leading to final adoption of a redistricting plan may not be a candidate for the legislature in the general election following the adoption of the final redistricting plan. Members serve for 1 year.
In state statute, the board selection is as follows: Governor Parnell selects 2 members, the Senate President, Gary Stevens appoints 1 member; the Speaker of the House, Mike Chenault appoints 1 member; and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court appoints 1 member. The appointments are made in this exact order listed in this paragraph. At least one board member shall be a resident of each judicial district that existed on January 1, 1999, Alaska has 4 judicial districts.
The current list of applicants does not include anyone from Rural/Bush Alaska. It is our understanding that Governor Parnell intends to make his selection this month, which initiates the appointment process. If you or anyone you know is interested – please submit your letter of interest to all of the following:
Governor Sean Parnell, Re: Redistricting Board, PO Box 110001, Juneau, AK 99811-0001; Mike Chenault, Speaker of the House, Re: Redistricting Board, 145 Main Street Loop, Room 223, Kenai, AK 99611; Gary Stevens, Senate President, Re: Redistricting Board, 305 Center Ave., Suite 1, Kodiak, AK 99615; Chief Justice Walter Carpeneti, Re: Redistricting Board, PO Box 114100, Juneau, AK 99811-4100.
A Declaration from the community of Chefornak
6-11-10
Submitted by Apanguluk Kairaiuak
A declaration of the Nutmlak members of the indigenous community of Chfarnak, aka Chefornak, Alaska, on the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, law enforcement division’s decision to force our inherent traditional subsistence migratory bird hunters and egg gatherers to purchase and use a State of Alaska sport hunting license and a federal sport Duck Stamp in their 2010 migratory bird hunting and egg gathering season.
We, the Nutmlak Members of the Indigenous Members of Chfarnak, Caninrmiut Tribe of the Iupik Nation of southwest part of Alaska, having resided in our Inherent traditional lands since our Ancestors established our communities in these lands, do hereby declare the following to be true:
The vast majority of our community members and all of our Indigenous tribal members still have and practice our Inherent, traditional, fundamental, inalienable Subsistence Way of Life since our Ancestral memory, which predates the colonization and creation of the lower 48 states of America and the state of Alaska without our knowledge, participation and consent and which, since then, have been forced upon us to accept and live with; and
The Inherent, traditional hunt of the migratory birds still is imperative for our health, welfare and continued survival of our People; and
Historically, our tribal members of our community have never been required to purchase and use sport hunting licenses and federal sport duck stamps for subsistence hunting migratory birds and gathering of their eggs due to the recognition and acknowledgement of the United States of America of our fundamental, inalienable rights to hunt, fish and gather our subsistence resources without interferences and interruptions and violations of Said rights; and
The United States of America pursued, advocated for and sponsored various international laws which recognized and provided for the protections of human rights; and
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska is adamant about forcing the Alaska Indigenous Peoples to buy and use State of Alaska sport hunting licenses and federal sport duck stamps during the 2010 spring, summer and fall subsistence waterfowl hunting and egg gathering; and
The forced use of State of Alaska sport hunting licenses and federal sport duck stamps is an act to erode and eliminate our fundamental, inalienable subsistence hunting and gathering practices with sport hunting management and regulations and thus erase an integral part our Alaska Indigenous Way of Life as they have in other parts of the U.S.; and
As in the past, whenever any Alaska Indigenous Peoples are caught without the sport hunting licenses their harvested birds and eggs and their guns will be confiscated which most cannot afford to replace due to the extremely high poverty in our communities; and
All of the persons are those individuals who have never previously broken any traditional Indigenous, federal or state laws except in providing for their families they face major conflicts with spot hunting and fishing regulations which are not compatible with Alaska Indigenous Subsistence Hunting and Fishing and, based on our Inherent, traditional Indigenous subsistence hunting and fishing laws, legal;
So therefore, we, the Nutmlak Members of Chfarnak, Alaska do declare that we have never given up, surrendered, traded, sold or lost our Nutmlak Iupiak Rights; we have never given up, surrendered, traded, sold or lost any our Nutmlak Iupiak lands, resources, waters and jurisdictions; we have never given up, surrendered, traded, sold or lost our Nutmlak Iupiak management and regulations of any of our lands, resources and waters, and
We further declare that we are Nutmlak Iupiak subsistence hunters, fishermen and gatherers and have never given up, surrendered, traded, sold or lost our Nutmlak subsistence hunting, fishing and gathering of our resources, including the hunting of migratory birds and harvesting of their eggs, and
We further declare that we are not federal/ state sport hunters and fishermen and we will not subsistence hunt the migratory birds and gather their eggs using state sport hunting licenses and federal sport duck stamps, and
We further declare that we will continue to hunt the migratory birds and gather their eggs within our Nutmlak Iupiak lands and jurisdictions utilizing only our Nutmlak Iupiak subsistence hunting and fishing licenses and laws of our nutmlak Iupiak provincial government and our Nutmlak Iupiak national government,
We finally declare that we stand by and fully support all the inherent traditional Alaska indigenous subsistence hunters and gatherers who are refusing to give up their inherent, traditional, fundamental, inalienable indigenous subsistence rights and call upon all of the Alaska Indigenous Peoples and their inherent traditional governments to unite do whatever is necessary to protect their inherent, traditional, fundamental, inalienable indigenous subsistence rights
We, the Nutmlak Members of Chfarnak, DO HEREBY DIRECT our Nutmlak Provincial and Iupiak National Government to do what ever it takes to protect our Nutmlak Iupiak Subsistence Hunting and Fishing Rights and all of our Membership and Seal this Declaration and Directive with our Signature.
The large majority Membership of the Chfarnrmiut Nutmlak Hunters, Fisherman and Gathers of Chefornak, Alaska have signed the above Declaration and the Chfarnrmiut Traditional Elders Council is prepared to defend all of the Nutmlak Iupiak Rights of it’s Membership.
To Hunt Sport or Subsistence
6-3-10
by Apanguluk Kairaiuak
I got introduced to the migratory bird hunting issue in the early 1970s when I was working as Deputy Director of Nunam Klutsisti (Protectors of the Lands), the Yukon-Kuskokwim Iupik Conservation Organization. I was working with NK Board of Directors Honorable Elder Isaac Hawk of Eek, Honorable Elder Axel Johnson of Alakanak, Honorable Elder Owen Ivan of Akiak, Honorable Elder Jack Williams of Mekoryuk, Honorable Elder James Lot of Tuluksak, Harold Sparck, NK Executive Director and David Friday of Chevak.
At that time the Alaska Sportsmen Association, State of Alaska Fish and Game, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the major U.S. conservation groups were blaming the “eskimos” for all of the decline of the migratory birds. They were soliciting U.S. Congress to create and pass a law that would forever ban all of the Alaskan “eskimos” from hunting any migratory birds. The Alaska Sportsmen Association was soliciting support from all of the lower 48 states sportmen’s groups to pressure their Congressional Representatives to support and pass that law.
The NK Board of Directors directed the NK staff to immediately go out to the Y-K villages and inform them of the effort to ban all “eskimos” from hunting migratory birds in Alaska, record their comments and get their directives and resolutions on how NK should deal with the above issue.
Our Y-K Elders told us that the assault of our Way of Subsistence Lifestyle has been going on for a long time. They said that it began when the foreign colonists came to our lands. They said that the U.S. territorial marshals would come into our communities and terrorize our people, break into our food caches and lay waste our subsistence foods. They would tear up our traditional clothes made from fur bearing animals, fish and migratory birds.
The Elders said that the State officials were no different than the territorial marshals. Some were even more ruthless and genocidal.
The Y-K Elders told us that before the foreign colonists came there were millions of birds. They said that in the spring time the sky would fill up with birds. They would see birds flying north from dawn to dusk. During the summer time they would see nesting bird as far as the eye could see.
Our Y-K Elders said that during the fall time there would be even more birds. When the birds were gathering to head south there was so many birds that when they took off they would darken the sky. Sometimes their calls would become so loud that people would cover their ears. They liken it to seeing mosquitoes during the calm, hot summertime when the bloodsuckers would swarm together in huge numbers.
Our people noticed the beginning of the decline of the birds after the foreign colonists came. They said that they would see huge numbers head south but fewer birds were returning every year. Now our people only see scattered flocks returning and we no longer see the sky full of birds.
The Iupik Elders said that based on the historical evidence that our people have never ever seen the birds decline in such great numbers. Nor have our people have ever harvested the birds in large enough numbers that would cause their drastic decline. All of our Elders stated that the cause of the birds drastic decline in numbers was where they spent their winters. They directed us to find out the real causes of the birds populating crashes and work to stop the ban of their hunting of the birds and gathering of their eggs.
We met with Alaska Fish and Game, U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the conservation groups. We traveled south to the areas where the birds wintered. We found out the main causes of the migratory birds’ declines.
They were caused by the vast industrial, commercial and people pollutions of the lands and waters. Many of the birds died from the pollutants toxins on the land and in the waters. Some rivers were so polluted that you could smell them miles before you get to the river. Dead fish floated from poisons and the oxygen deprivation. Even tires would float on top of the pollutants without sinking that were going down the river. There are even signs along rivers where they prohibited cigarettes from being thrown in the river because the river were so toxic that they would catch on fire.
They were draining and filling in huge tracts of wetlands for homes, businesses and farmlands. They were even draining and filling in wetlands for recreational purposes, like golf courses. Since the birds that were migrating in large numbers from their northern breeding and nesting grounds could no longer find resting and feeding areas in their historical areas many of these birds were dying in large numbers from starvation.
There were millions of sport hunters (over 2.2 million just in the Pacific flyway (Washington, Oregon, California), many of who hunted these birds just for sport and not because they need for their sustenance and survival. These same hunters would go down to Mexico and hunt these birds because they had an extravagant quota a day (100 per day) for the U.S. hunters that came to hunt on their lands.
As these facts became clear to everyone all the conservation groups, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and even Alaska Fish and Game pulled out from the efforts to ban all of the Alaskan “eskimos” from hunting migratory birds and gather their eggs. The Alaska Sportsmen groups refused to stop their efforts for forever banning the “eskimos” from hunting birds even after all the above facts became well documented.
Nunam Klutsisti formed a cooperative effort with all the concerned parties above to continue the documentation of the above data, develop a plan of action on how to utilize the data for the better management and protection of the migratory birds, including toughening up of legislation on land use laws in the wetlands.
We also worked to develop co-operative information on the management and regulatory efforts and systems of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the State Fish and Game and Nunam Klutsisti. We were able to accomplish several major changes in the Alaska management and regulatory systems of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the Alaska Fish and Game.
We found out that the Alaska Fish and Game Board consisted only of sports hunters and fishermen from the urban areas. None of these representatives provided information to subsistence hunters and fishermen, sought comments, needs or data from rural areas. We solicited and got legislation passed that changed the representation so that every regional part of Alaska selected their own representative from their own area.
We were able to change the way the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s and the State Fish and Game’s did their monitoring of the eggs in the bird nesting areas. For years our Elders had been telling U.S. Fish and Wildlife and Alaska Fish and Game not to touch the bird eggs because they said that as soon as they touched them they were killing the birds inside the eggs. They finally got their scientist to examine what actually happens when they handle the birds’ eggs in the nest. They found out that the egg shells were porous and when they touched them with their bare hands the body oil from their hands was going into the eggs and killing the embryos of the eggs, therefore killing the birds. Now they require all their field workers to wear rubber gloves when they are handling the bird eggs.
Even with all the above changes the State of Alaska still refuses to recognize the fundamental, inalienable subsistence hunting and fishing rights of the Alaska Indigenous Peoples. They are still trying to place subsistence hunting and fishing under sport and commercial hunting and fishing. Now they are trying to force the Alaska Indigenous Peoples to use the Alaska sport hunting licenses and the federal sport duck stamps to hunt the migratory birds and gather their eggs like they forced them to accept the creation of the State of Alaska after they banned them from participating on the decision of Alaska statehood. They have used this conspiratory process in the lower 48 states to take away and erase the fundamental, inalienable subsistence hunting and fishing rights of the Indians there. Once they accomplish this they will be able to prioritize the bird hunting totally unhindered for the sport hunters.
The Alaska Indigenous Peoples will always have their fundamental, inalienable hunting and fishing rights as long as they choose to keep them. This is where they need to focus their efforts on if they are to have any chance of saving their Way of Life. Without this right many of our community members will struggle to survive the year as the Yukon village members have since the federal/state took over management and regulation of the salmon. Under this foreign colonial management and regulatory system the migratory birds are disappearing like the Yukon salmon and other species that are subject to foreigner profits and politicians.
A former CIA and Secret Service Agent who spent over 30 years in service who spent many years traveling to many “developing countries” told me never to give up our fundamental, inalienable rights to anyone else. He said that the people and their governments who are trying to take them away do not have any God given rights to do so. They only have powers and laws that they have fabricated for themselves.
Apanguluk Kairaiuak is the President of the Kasgit Council of Elders and works for the Inherent Traditional Iupiak Elders Councils.
Dancing Birds
Lesser Sandhill Crane – Qucillgaq
5-20-10
by Frank Keim
You’re wondering about the title, aren’t you? Birds don’t dance, you say. Well, guess again. The Lesser sandhill crane could compete with the best of you waltzers or Eskimo dancers out there.
I had my first introduction to these dancing birds many years ago when my wife and I lived in the Yup’ik Eskimo village of Hooper Bay. One spring we slogged several miles across the wet tundra over to Kokechik Bay where we set up our tent in the middle of their nesting grounds. We were rewarded for our efforts with a weekend full of the most spirited bird dancing we had ever seen.
Later, when I lived in both Scammon Bay and Emmonak, I was sometimes lucky enough during a walk to surprise a pair of cranes as they gracefully spread their long rusty gray-brown wings, bowed to one another, then bounced like rubber balls sometimes six feet in the air, all the while joyously uttering loud trumpetlike counterpoint calls that resounded for miles in every direction.
It is this characteristic call that gives the bird its Yup’ik name, “qut’raaq,” along the Yukon river, and “qucillgaq,” in the Hooper Bay-Nunivak Island area.
“Lesser sandhill crane” is only the bird’s common English name. It also has a name that ornithologists and birders like myself from all over the world use when we get together at international conferences and festivals to discuss and celebrate the enigmatic habits of this amazing creature of the northern tundra. We refer to it as, Grus canadensis, which in Latin translates simply as “Canadian crane.” The word “grus” originally derived from its call.
In spite of the “Canadian” in its name, the sandhill crane is very much an American. Even those that nest on the Canadian tundra migrate south to spend the long winter months in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Some even go south of the American border and probably return with a Mexican accent.
Whatever its nationality or language idiosyncrasies, the sandhill crane is a fascinating animal. It is one of 15 similar species worldwide of the bird family Gruidae, and one of two native species in North America. The other is the whooping crane, which is among the most endangered species on our planet.
Besides their dramatic and graceful courtship dances, there are other things about sandhills that make them unique among birds.
For one, their family, Gruidae, has a very long lineage, dating back to the Eocene Period, 40-60 million years ago. They are among the tallest birds in the world, and when they migrate they sometimes fly at an elevation of more than 10,000 feet. They are also among the longest living animals, one having lived to the ripe old age of 61 in the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. With their long spindly legs, they walk great distances when feeding, and have an immensely varied diet, which includes roots, tubers, seeds, grains, berries, mice, lemmings, small birds, snakes, lizards, frogs, crayfish, earthworms, crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, ad nauseum.
In between dancing and eating, both the female sandhill crane and her loyal consort build a moundlike nest out of marsh plants, grasses and other organic materials (no plastic, thanks). This perch may end up to be 4-5 feet across, and soon has 1-3 large olive colored eggs spotted with lavender and brown. Both mom and pop incubate the eggs, in turns, which is certainly unique among birds. The eggs hatch in 28-30 days, and the young first fly about 90 days after hatching. That’s why you see them wandering around the tundra for so long with their parents. Size has its disadvantages, especially when there are hunters lurking nearby.
It’s curious that even after the cranes return in the spring, the young continue to hang around their parents’ nesting ground. I often saw gangly teenagers strutting awkwardly back and forth, probably wondering what their next move should be. Very quickly the parents decide for them as they unceremoniously chase their progeny off so they can get down to the business of setting up house for yet another season.
While living in the lower Yukon River village of Marshall, I didn’t see the cranes dance like I did down on the coast because few of them actually nested in the immediate area. In the fall, however, I saw a lot of other interesting crane behavior, since more than a hundred of them converged on the tundra near the village to graze and gorge themselves on the many blueberries and blackberries there. The cranes grew so accustomed to me picking with them, I became privy to some very intimate scenes.
A number of years ago, I watched an Eskimo dance I will never forget. Leota Hill from Hooper Bay performed her crane dance for us at the Marshall School. She did it so well that, in my mind’s eye, I could visualize those cranes dancing down there next to Kokechik Bay. First, spreading their wings, then bowing to each other, suddenly bouncing like rubber balls high into the air, and landing light as a feather next to each other – beginning once again another cycle of Mother Nature’s ever renewing miracle.
Fraudulent letter
circulated in Delta
5-20-10
by Gene Peltola, Jr.
Dear Residents of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta:
It has come to our attention that a letter claiming to be from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is being sent to villages throughout the Delta stating false information and creating unnecessary concern with regards to spring waterfowl enforcement efforts. The letter falsely identifies priorities for waterfowl enforcement and takes advantage of recent hunting license and duck stamp concerns. We would like to take this opportunity to clarify this matter and identify our true priorities.
Hunting licenses and duck stamps are requirements to participate in spring waterfowl hunting activities. However, the Refuges law enforcement priorities remain the same as in previous years with the prohibition of lead shot and closed season take. The Refuge works closely with the Association of Village Council Presidents and its Waterfowl Conservation Committee to cooperatively address waterfowl conservation issues. Based on our mutual conservation concerns the Refuge has identified the following three priorities for spring waterfowl enforcement efforts: 1) the ban on lead shot for migratory bird hunting, 2) closure of emperor geese, and 3) closure of spectacled and Steller’s eiders. These three priorities address the greatest waterfowl conservation concerns on the Delta.
It is unfortunate that false information is being sent throughout the Delta. If there are any questions or concerns regarding false information or our enforcement priorities, feel free to contact the office in Bethel at (907)543-3151 or 1-800-621-5804. The goal of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Refuge is to conserve our wildlife resources and subsistence practices for current and future generations.
Gene Peltola Jr. is the Refuge Manager.
To people of the Y-K Delta
5-13-10
by Gregory Moses
As you all know that the vote to return Bethel to a dry community didn’t pass. It is very disturbing because when I was a boy growing up in the 60-70’s, you would see or hear of people (native & non-native) in Bethel getting very drunk, getting beat up, getting raped and of course dying from drowning or hyperthermia.
Not too many remember how bad it used to be, but the people who are going to be impacted by this law is our children. Children being neglected because their parents were drinking all night, growing up in fear, effecting their school work, planting negative seeds in their young lives of parents drinking, seeing their mom getting beat up or getting beat up themselves emotionally and physically.
This vote just shows how drinking has become so important in people lives and how selfish we have become to celebrate the freedom to drink and not caring for children who have been effected by alcohol, who are being effected by alcohol and future people who will be touched by it in a very negative way. All because there were some people here who wanted to celebrate their personal right to drink.
When we pass a law it should support and strengthen people rights, dignity and protect everyone’s future, not tear it down. When we pass laws it should also help everyone to make good choices in their lives, family and community, but unfortunately this law doesn’t do any of this.
We used to care for the rights of others, now the only thing I see is people caring for their own personal rights. As a result we are going backwards because of this law and here I and many people thought we were going to see a positive change. Unfortunately many people’s attitudes and values in Bethel have changed.
We used to protect the right of children, families and our community and surrounding Y-K Delta villages. Now I see many people protect the right of self. I feel sorry for our children and families who are going to suffer because of this law.
Maybe people who saw that this law stayed as is, ae going to drink and enjoy their precious freedom to drink. Our Native people need to start speaking up - this is your people who will be impacted by this law. We cannot be silent no longer, our children need parents to protect them. Thank you.
Challenging economy can present opportunity to start new business
by Lisa Wimmer
If the current economic downturn has inspired you to start a business of your own, you’re not alone.
Research shows that recessions can spur entrepreneurial activity. In 2003, as the United States recovered from a recession, an average of 300 of every 100,000 Americans set up new companies each month, according to the Kauffman Foundation. Firms less than five years old accounted for all net job growth in the U.S. What’s more, over half of 2009 Fortune 500 companies were launched during recessions and bear markets.
For those considering the opportunity to start a business in today’s economic climate, it’s time to do your homework. As a banker who has worked with many small businesses in my career, I have a few tips for aspiring business owners.
Start by researching and writing your business plan. It’s a valuable road map for your journey to business ownership. This document should describe the essential components of your company, provide a clear framework to help you stay on track, and help you tell your story to potential lenders and investors. A typical plan includes a description of your business and your plans for marketing, financing and management
In your plan you’ll need to answer: How much will it cost to start my business and how will I pay for it? Not surprisingly, the answer depends on the business. Yet no matter the business, your start-up costs will fall in two categories: one-time and ongoing expenses.
Begin with a list of one-time costs – equipment, initial inventory, software, signage, fees (for professional services, such as an attorney and Web site design), licenses and permits. Then detail ongoing costs, such as rent, utilities, bookkeeping, payroll, advertising, insurance, inventory, shipping and packaging.
As you think about obtaining financing for your business, keep in mind that a responsible lender first will consider financial risk and your company’s ability to repay loans. Before you apply for a loan or line of credit, you should understand what financial services providers are looking for. The “five C’s of credit” describe the areas that every lender will analyze, so be sure to provide all the details:
Capacity – How do you intend to repay the loan? Capital – How much of your own capital have you invested in the business? Collateral – What forms of repayment security can you provide the lender and what secondary sources and assets are available to ensure payment? Conditions – How will the money be used – in other words, will it be used for working capital, additional equipment or inventory? Character – What is your personal credit history and financial reputation?
It’s important to talk with your financial services provider about your options. The number one reason new businesses fail is under-capitalization. It can take more than two years for a new firm to turn a profit, so it’s vital to build and keep reserve financing. If you have the ability, you may want to start your business while you’re still employed. This can ease the financial strain as you determine the potential demand for your products and services.
At the same time, a new business owner should consider beginning to build a credit history for the business. Having a credit history for the company becomes increasingly important as your operation grows and builds its customer base.
The financial services industry has developed innovative, flexible funding alternatives for business owners. Many banks support government and non-profit agencies that help start-ups and small companies.
With the right idea, careful planning and financial support and advice, you can start building a business today that will ride the wave of the economic recovery ahead.
Lisa Wimmer is Southwest Alaska Community Banking president for Wells Fargo. She can be reached at (907) 842-5284 or lisa.m.wimmer@wellsfargo.com.
Spring Waterfowl Enforcement
5-5-10
by Robert Sundown
Spring waterfowl season is here and the enforcement priorities for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife remain the same from years past. Our priorities remain the enforcement of a lead shot ban and closed season take, specifically Emperor geese, Spectacled and Stellar’s Eider.
Despite all the news you may hear about our enforcement efforts, they focus on one aspect of subsistence life in the YK Delta, to make sure we have waterfowl for generations to follow. Despite the demonstration of the toxicity of lead by the medical community and biologists, there are numerous people in the YK Delta who still insist on using lead shot despite years of effort in our education campaign to show the toxicity of lead to waterfowl and people alike.
There are also an unhealthy number of individuals who feel it is their right to shoot the last Emperor goose, Spectacled and Stellar’s Eider in the name of subsistence rights or tribal rights. Rights should always be balanced with responsibilities, and it is our collective responsibility as subsistence hunters to nurse these populations back to health.
Our job is to ensure the general subsistence public will have the ability to harvest waterfowl with their children for years to come. There may be a sense of heavy handedness reported, but this is an easy claim to make by a group of people that will stop at nothing to ignore laws that are designed to protect our subsistence resources.
Finally hunting licenses and a state and federal duck stamp provision will be fair game for enforcement this spring, this is however not a priority. We counsel and encourage all spring waterfowl hunters to purchase the same hunting license you will use for moose hunting this fall, several months earlier and purchase a state and federal duck stamp. State stamps should be available from your license vendor and federal stamps from your local post office.
Duck stamps you purchase as a subsistence hunter, go toward the purchase of land in the lower 48 states needed where waterfowl that you hunt winter. The total cost of the stamps is equivalent to 3.5 gallons ($20) of gas in most villages, a minor expense considering the good it does to the purchase of waterfowl wintering grounds, which you as a subsistence hunter have a stake in.
Crime explodes, nightmare for villages
by Hugh Dyment
Life has been a nightmare for countless numbers of people in Bethel and in dozens of surrounding villages since Bethel went wet November 1st. It was on that date the importation of unlimited amounts of hard liquor was legalized. This was like throwing gasoline on a fire that had been smoldering, and there’s been the expected explosion of alcohol related crime and tragedy in Bethel and in our neighboring villages ever since. And it’s getting worse.
The often unspoken truth is that Alaska in general and rural Alaska in particular has one of the highest rates of alcoholism as anywhere else on the planet. Local option won’t change this, but the importation limits and felony charges for bootlegging that come with local option do two really important things – they reduce the availability of cheap, easily transportable hard liquor which in turn reduces how often alcoholics are drinking.
By doing this, we reduce number of innocent people who are being terrorized by someone else’s violent binges.
We keep forgetting, that all this crime and senseless death is victimizing innocent family members and neighbors who don’t drink and aren’t drunk. I can understand having only a certain amount of sympathy for an alcoholic. The fact is, though rare, it is within his means to quit drinking.
However, what this community did last fall is tell the future victims of increased alcohol related crime and tragedy, “We don’t care; we want what we want. Five and a half cases of beer, and twelve bottles of wine and fourteen bottles of liquor per person aren’t enough. Labeling requirements are an inconvenience. I don’t care enough about you or your children to make any small sacrifice at all. No limit or requirements going to get in the way of what I want.”
There’s a “Vote Yes” sign down at Swanson’s that mentions five alcohol related deaths in Bethel since November. Someone scribbled on it “That’s fine, weed them out.” Does the guy who wrote this know that nearly 500,000 of his countrymen died fighting fascist governments that thought like that? In a way I pity whoever wrote this, and hope that someday when he’s sick or old or alcoholic or a burden to his children someone doesn’t say “who cares, weed him out.”
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about the people of this country, and the people who have lived in Western Alaska for far longer than America has even been on a map, is that we are better than this. We are able to work for the common good. We do make sacrifices and do the right thing by others less fortunate. That’s why I’m willing to Vote Yes next Tuesday, and I hope you’ll take the time and vote this way as well.
Hugh Dyment is a twenty year teacher and former mayor of Bethel.
Let’s Stay Unrestricted
4-15-10
by Rick Robb
On October 6, 2009 the people of Bethel voted out of local option. The majority of voters disagreed with state imposed restrictions that come with being under local option. Proponents hailed it as a victory for freedom. Opponents were worried that we would have legal sales and a flood of alcohol coming into the region, with dire negative consequences.
Almost immediately after the new law went into affect a group of concerned citizens started a petition drive to reverse the vote of the people and go back under local option. They gathered enough signatures, and the city was mandated to implement and fund a special election on May 4. Many people expressed concerned about having another election so soon after the first one. I believe the petition sponsors have good intentions, but I disagree with their actions.
The city council did sponsor a special advisory vote on January 19, 2010. By a large margin the voters rejected all types of liquor licenses. The city council has honored that vote. Since that election the council unanimously protested every liquor license application in Bethel. Many individuals, organizations, and tribes also objected to liquor licenses. On February 26 the Alcohol Beverage Control board rejected all the license applications based upon the protest of the Bethel city council. There are no liquor licenses in Bethel.
The worst fears of the opponents of opting out have not happened. We do not have liquor stores or bars in Bethel. Our community has not seen a massive increase in crime or other alcohol related negative events. In contrast, the number of people placed in protective custody for being inebriated has steadily decreased since the new law went into effect. Our community and our region still have alcohol problems and alcohol related tragedies, but they are no worse than before. Any tragedy is still a tragedy. But the problems may be getting better, not worse.
What happens if we go back under local option? Anyone who legally orders liquor would be placed back on the state database. Their personal information would be kept by the state and the liquor stores. Our local law enforcement does not have access to this information. I believe the database has been ineffective in preventing bootlegging. Many people think it is a violation of their privacy.
Any one who ships alcohol would have to apply the special markings to their shipment. We would all be subject to limits set, not by us, but by the state. These limits can be modified by the legislature, and can even be further restricted by our city council. Although these limits may seem reasonable to some, they restrict the ability to order a keg of beer for a large social gathering like a wedding or graduation. Anyone who exceeds these limits is subject to felony prosecution for presumption of bootlegging. If you have one can of beer or one bottle of wine over the limit you could be sent to prison. If this law passes, we would not be able to have another vote on a less restrictive option for two more years. Many law-abiding citizens will feel they are being treated like criminals.
Right now many people have expressed satisfaction with our unrestricted alcohol status. We have no liquor licenses, bars, or stores. We are not subject to state restrictions like the database, special markings, limits, presumptive prosecution, and unfair election laws. We have a balance that most people are satisfied with. We have true “local option”. Let us not again become second-class citizens. Let us vote NO on May 4.
Rick Robb is a resident of Bethel, AK.
Chinook salmon bycatch
4-9-10
by Myron Naneng
AVCP and Lower Yukon villages are leary of what YRDFA and ADF&G may be planning and advocating at the upcoming YRDFA meeting on April 8th in Anchorage. We do not plan to attend, as Yukon River Panel meetings are held in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Whitehorse and there never has been a meeting that I know of that has held in one of our Lower Yukon River villages. We have heard that Lower Yukon River perspective will be missing, however, even when we have attended in the past, we feel that Lower Yukon River perspective has never been considered.
For some time, the efforts of ADF&G, FWS and those involved with Yukon Fisheries have constantly been to further restrict or eliminate subsistence and commercial fisheries opportunities. What plans does ADF&G have to prevent what occurred last summer and summers before?
A nonfunctional and unreliable sonar operated by ADF&G during the closure, and lack of communication with local fishermen seems to be the standard operating procedure. On top of it, ADF&G’s Support for more by-catch for the trawl fleet in Bering Sea that allows “legally” throw away chinook salmon and citations of and criminalization of our people on Lower Yukon River when they harvest salmon for food?
Instead of constantly questioning the harvest for food or any tribal ruling that allows villages to maintain their local governments, why has not the State of Alaska questioned it’s own actions, such as supporting wanton waste of salmon by the trawl fleet? Non-functional and unreliable sonar operation, and constant excuses that they come up with of their mismanagement at the expense of Lower Yukon River residents? And sure, they’ll say that they don’t have control over the what happens in the Bering Sea, yet it’s representative (Commissioner of ADF&G) makes motions at NPFMC (April, 2009, NPFMC meeting) to allow for a high bycatch of chinook salmon, when our people are restricted and prevented to harvest when they fish for food and are considered to be criminals. What is wrong with the picture?
So, if YRDFA and ADF&G want to do something on their own, we will encourage our villages to make their own choices, even having to be criminals to gather food, or maybe the State of Alaska will provide more food stamps for food that is not worth eating. But, ultimately, our villages will not be a party to further restrictions when ADF&G has failed them and when the system has deprived them of food sources that we have relied on for centuries.
Myron Naneng is President of the Association of Village Council Presidents.
Don’t sweat the small stuff
4-1-10
by Phyllis Phillips
When you come across something that will make you down, don’t get all caught up in it. It maybe something small or something that you think is a big deal. But it’s not, just don’t get into it. Just think about all the good times you can have by not thinking about it. Don’t let the small things bring you down. Trust me I should know.
I used to get overworked about the small things. But now I follow a saying some of my friends told me. “Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff.” I tell myself that everyday and night. Because if I’m in a tight situation, I just say those words and take slow deep breaths and I’ll feel a whole lot better.
We all get worked up over little things, even when we don’t know it. Some people say that things may seem big but are actually small. When I see things that seem to be big or too much for me to handle, I just get mad and give up. But then a friend of mine told me that I can do it and not to get all worked up about it. Sure it can be hard in the beginning, but in the end you’ll get something good out of it. So I believed him and I tell myself that everyday and now I’ve changed the way I look at things.
They may seem too big for me to handle, so I just talk to some of my friends - that’s the way I can control my anger and not get too worked up. I try to tell my friends and family that but they really don’t understand what it means. So, I just try to tell or explain to them what it means. Sometimes the small things can get to me and sometimes they can’t.
Sure the world may be tough but you have to live to learn what life’s all about. The world is full of surprises; one day you can be walking down the street not knowing what’s going to happen next. You may wake up hating life, while the next day you can be lying on your deathbed. Or you can be slowly, painfully dying of something that you didn’t know? Just try to appreciate life while you can.
We all have to learn to live and in order to live we have to learn. Me, I had to make mistakes to learn who I really was. Who I really am. It takes a while to find out that you are an important person to some people. All you have to do is be patient - that’s all you have to do. I have had to wait till I got a little older to learn who I was. I quit doing all the bad things I used to do and started doing all the right things.
Another day is going by and things may seem to be getting worse and worse by a minute or second, but in order to control your anger just remember “ DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF!!!!” Tell yourself that every single day. It’ll make you feel better and make you a better person.
Life’s what you make it. Don’t waste it on things that don’t involve your personality. Love life while you still have a chance to live it. Because it can come short and then hit you right in the face and just like that, you’ll be gone. But, try to ignore all the wrong things and focus on all the right and good things. Love and Live your life while you still can...
Phyllis Phillips is a senior at Crow Village Sam School in Chuathbaluk, AK.
FY11 Operating Budget
3-25-10
by Senator Lyman Hoffman
Good Afternoon-
Budgets, budgets, and more budgets; it is that time of year. This week the Senate Finance Committee completed an overview of Governor Parnell’s proposed Capital Budget, SB 230; and on Thursday night, held public testimony. In addition, all of the Senate Finance Subcommittees held their agency close-outs for the FY11 Operating Budget, HB 300. The full report is scheduled to be given to the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday. We have scheduled public testimony on the FY 11 Operating Budget for next Wednesday, March 24th – see schedule below.
Furthermore, we have a Supplemental budget request from the Governor that also needs to be addressed. This budget has some items of interest, such as the deposit into the Education Fund and the last payment owed to the Constitutional Budget Reserve (CBR) fund.
The checkbook has been opened – here we go! -Lyman
PILT Resolutions Distributed
On March 5, DCRA staff mailed sample FY11 Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding resolutions to each of the 96 cities located in the unorganized borough. In order to qualify for funding in July 2010, each city must submit to DCRA an adopted resolution, a copy of its FY11 city budget, and an FY09 audit or certified financial statement. For further information, contact Bill Rolfzen, Local Gov Specialist at (907) 465-4733.
HB 300: FY11 Operating Budget
Next week the Senate Finance Committee will be taking public testimony on the state’s operating and mental health budgets. As usual each community is given a specific time to testify. The schedule for our district is detailed below. If you want to testify and you live in Bethel or Dillingham you should go to the local legislative information office (LIO) and sign up to testify. If you live in a community without an LIO, then you should testify during the offnet time slot which this year is at the same time as the district time slot. If you are in the offnet category you can call from your home. The offnet number is 1-877-763-5073. The schedule is as follows: Testimony is limited to two to three minutes a person.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
**Public Testimony**
9:00 – 9:45 a.m. Juneau
10:00 – 10:45 a.m. Kenai, Valdez, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Seward, Mat-Su, Glennallen, Tok
1:30 – 2:45 p.m. Fairbanks
2:30 – 3:15 p.m. Anchorage
3:30 – 4:15 p.m. Sitka, Wrangell, Petersburg, Homer, Dillingham, Cordova
4:15 – 5:00 p.m. Bethel, Kotzebue, Barrow, Nome, Delta Junction, Offnets
Please remember that the budget is a work in progress and your input may make a difference in the final decisions made by the legislature.
Bethel – Perspective of a New Person
3-17-10
by Phillip Zappone
The word delta implies a region paralleling a river where floodwater saturates the ground creating fertile sediment with ideal growing conditions. The YK Delta name creates an interesting correlation given the harsh growing environment of the tundra. Having now lived in Bethel for just over 100 days I find it in fact to be a fitting description for an area abundant in life and culture.
Flying from Anchorage, the Taylor, Kuskokwim and Kilbuck Mountains create a fortress-like series of gnarled jagged walls that appear black and impassable by land. Having never explored Alaska the backdrop creates one of warning. My fiancée and I landed at the Bethel airport in the early dark amidst a blustery wind, exhausted from our flight from Colorado. Weary yet excited about adventures ahead, my first thought was how inadequate my “heavy” winter coat was. My second was how pleasantly unexpected it was to be met in the airport by two of our coworkers welcoming us to Bethel. I anticipated the long, dark winters to create a sense of foreboding gloom and negativity. What I found throughout Bethel and its inhabitants is a challenging physical environment where people thrive by living in commune with the environment and each other.
Through my job I have been exposed to members of nearly every village in the YK Delta. My limited experience with the Yup’ik people has shown me a proud, strong people focused on family. The second pillar in this region is the environment; the rivers, sea and land. The symbiotic relationship of the people and the environment appear seamless. This relationship and subsistence living is an entirely new concept for me. Hunting, in other communities I have lived, has been a hobby at best, and rarely a necessity. I have been fascinated by the stories of I have heard; walrus hunting on the Bering Sea, gathering tundra berries in the summer and fishing specifically as a core component of life. I had never seen qaspeq shirts before and the fur-lined piluguuk on the children are a craft seen only in museums as far as I had known.
Despite being in Bush Alaska, Bethel could be considered a city. It is a hub of commerce for outlying villages, it provides services that cannot be obtained elsewhere and it is culturally diverse. I have been amazed at the countries represented in our region; Albania, Jamaica, Nepal, South Korea, Iran, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Cameroon, Mexico and Russia to name a few, as well as roughly 25-30 different American states. We have a museum, an artistic community with local crafts, theater, photography, writing and film events, as well as a world class sporting event with the K300. Coupled with the Yup’ik culture, the Bethel community is flourishing and busy. It is contingent of subcultures and social problems is akin to any metropolitan area. I’m always amused that the backdrop of those waiting for the bus and taxis could be a scene from any mass transit system.
Bethel and the evolving Yup’ik culture is a microcosm of the human experience. The introduction of technology for better or worse, coupled with a deep heritage and way of life create either unison or a dichotomy, depending on the point of view. It is my experience that change is the constant, and culture, mine personally as a second generation American, and assumingly that of the Yup’ik people is more of an ebbing tide than a snapshot, and that change means growth. I personally am very excited about exploring this region; the people and their way of life, the food, the culture and the activities like fishing and hunting. I am excited about learning and the growth it means for me.
Yupiugua!
3-2-10
by Elizabeth Lozano
My name is Elizabeth Lozano and I am half Yup’ik and half Hispanic. I grew up in the village of Kongiganak with wonderful memories of my culture. I am currently going to school at University of Alaska Anchorage and seeking a Bachelors degree in Human Services and I have a year and a half left to graduate. I have four children, which are all under the age of ten.
I have a concern of our language dying. There are more and more children who speak English only! Do not lose your language. If you lose your language your culture is gone. The Maori Native people in New Zealand speak their language fluently and they have their own University and it’s all in their language. Today there are 500 Maori people who have a PhD. What about us? That would be nice if we had a Yup’ik University with all subjects in Yup’ik. I speak, write, translate, and read fluently in Yup’ik. I am proud to be Yup’ik and I am teaching my children to speak Yup’ik, I do it for my ancestors and I am doing it for my grandparents. I was told by elders, “Never forget where you come from, Yuguuten, kassaurngaituten elitnaungerpet.” People might make fun of who you are, where you’re from, or make fun of your accent. I went through all that but I do speak up for myself and for my people. When I was in Mount Edgecumbe there was this Native boy who was not Yup’ik and he made fun of my accent. I responded back to him, “At least I speak my language!” He never said another word to me again.
I love my culture and I am proud to be Yup’ik! English might be dominant but that doesn’t mean we have to lose our language, Yup’ik. If our language dies we lose our sense of who we are. This goes out to the parents, it is up to you to keep our culture alive. Our children look up to you and teach them our culture. Quyanarquten una naaqluku, Yuguunga, kia tamana teglegngaitaa!
At what cost to us
2-24-10
by Oscar Kawagley
Waqaa to the shareholders of Calista, residents and visitors:
I am writing this note to give food for thought to our people and newcomers as we move into the new year. I wish to address two issues that keep troubling my mind. One, is that a few of our own people (especially our Calista Board and management) are engaged in activities that have the effect of colonizing their own shareholders and people. We don’t need this as we are troubled enough. Secondly, we are being manipulated into pursuing the Donlin mining project for short term gains without regard for the long term consequences.
The Calista board and management have too little regard for their shareholders. Oh yes, they will voice their concerns for subsistence at the AFN meetings, but too often that is only lip service. Their actions nullify this. Let me try and explain.
In the not-too-distant past, Calista leadership had the onus of divesting itself of money losing projects and carrying the burden of losses which they had inherited. The present board and management have been blessed by having access to the 8a set asides – a gift from Congress to Native and minority businesses in which you write a proposal and you are almost guaranteed a contract!
This has led to millions in income to pay off the debts of the corporation, which we do not question nor regret, but are thankful. But the board has lost sight of its Yupiaq values, beliefs, and traditions, and rather than re-invest its bounty on behalf of the shareholders, it has given exorbitant gifts to the president, including $400,000 a year in bonuses over the past three years. I have not heard of other Native corporations giving such bonuses to their executives from their “set aside” incomes, even in instances where the income was larger than Calista’s.
How then are we different from AIG, investment banks and multi-national corporations that have given inflated bonuses to their executives from their “bail-out” millions? Perhaps these entities should have been closed down instead of being bailed out. These are entities whose leaders are stuck in the 20th century mindset of greed, deception, and corruption. How is that different with regard to our own Calista leadership?
In our tradition, a leader is to work for the good of the community/region and its people. When the leader(s) lose sight of this vision and goal, a form of colonization takes place. Leadership should be for the good and welfare of the people and not for the gain of the leader(s) in wealth and stature.
I received a $300 dividend check last December. Quyana, it almost filled my heating oil tank. I guess we received a nano-bit from the crumbs off the tables of the board and management. The pseudo-spokespersons of the board are good at parroting the latest business buzzwords, such as transparency, accountability. Their newsletter leaves a lot to be desired because it is uninformative of the activities of the board and management. Please, give us an idea of what issues, problems and plans are being addressed during the meetings, instead of a lot of pictures. Pictures are great, but I can’t read a lot into them except they may be happy at being there.
I, as a shareholder, would have no objections to electing new board members and new management who are not caught in this time-warp. In any event, I urge you not to vote for board-sponsored candidates, as that will only continue the status quo.
I know that there will be shareholders complaining why this letter is being used for this purpose, but what other forum do we have? The board and management will not listen, hear or respond to the concerns of the shareholders. There is no such thing as a fail-safe mining or industrial project. There will always be unintended accidents, wear ’n tear of machinery, and failure of man-made structures which will contaminate the environment. Just by the mere fact that the thin topsoil and bedrock have been disturbed and broken asunder will disrupt the ecosystem. The mining process will expose chemicals and minerals to weatherization which begins the processes of chemical reactions, some of which will produce toxic substances. This has been shown by the many mines around Fairbanks and now it is happening around the Red Dog mine. All this, so that a few can gain employment and income for a short period of time.
The effects of the ecological disjoint will be experienced for many centuries. It will affect the plants and animals whose complex ecological systems and diversity have been changed or destroyed. Diversity of the system is what gives it the strength to resist invasive plants and animals and gives regenerative capability after being upset. With this in mind, why not use some of the money to find ways to work with Nature to enhance its creative ability.
For example, we should clean out, reclaim and regenerate polluted swamps and marshes, which is where life begins. We should ascertain the status of plants and animals endangered by contaminants, such as invasive plants, chemicals, and seek ways to keep them alive. We should seek ways in which to replant and regenerate edible plants and berries in damaged areas. We should clean out debris from spawning streams, remove barriers such as beaver dams, fallen trees, rocks from slides, and so forth. We can take action against these disturbances with help from botanists, wild-lifers and others whose expertise may help.
We must be proactive in helping Nature maintain its diversity. To be merely defensive is to invite defeat. There is much we can do for ourselves, including reusing and recycling things as much as possible. Our dumps and human waste are sources of disease and contaminants. Our human population makes this awfully difficult, but it must still be addressed to reduce toxic effects.
It is good to note that the Bristol Bay Native Corporation has made its position of opposition to the Pebble mine known to the public. I laud them for that! Now, I really hope I have given some of you food for thought. Although I have been away from Mamterilleq, it is still my place, my home with many fond memories of growing up with its beauty and goodness, when it was still relatively untouched and I still could get to the yuilquq for peace and quiet. Piurci! Respectfully, -Oscar Kawagley.
Governor Parnell’s visit to Kwigillingok School
2-11-10
by Michael Wier
Ms. Mason, other staff of Governor Parnell, and local Newspapers,
My name is Michael Wier, and I am the social studies teacher at Kwigillingok School, in Kwigillingok, Alaska. Governor Parnell was originally scheduled to visit our school on Thursday or Friday of next week (February 11th or 12th), as we are in the top three for sites to receive a new school. We are a school of approximately 120 students in grades K-12. The newest parts of our school were built in the 1987-88 school year, the rest prior to that. Presently, we have a slightly less than half-size gym, and are using all of our classrooms, and even have some classes meeting in places such as our attic, the library, a storage room, and a former teacher housing unit. We were also ranked as the most improved high school in the state of Alaska by US News and World Report for the school year 2007-2008.
I was informed today by my site administrator, Walt Betz, that Governor Parnell will be unable to visit us. I am not writing this letter with any authority or backing from the school or the school district, but simply as a concerned citizen of Alaska, who cares deeply about the education of our coming generations.
I was told that the reason for Governor Parnell being unable to visit is that his plane, a Beechcraft King Aire, is unable to land on our runway. While I cannot speak as to where the Governor is getting his information, and it was also not specified if this was a King Aire or a Super King Aire, I can tell you that we have accommodated landings from de Haviland Twin Otters, Shorts SkyVans, and other similarly-sized aircraft.
If the Governor and his crew are worried about the debris that may be kicked up by landing a “wing under” style plane at our airport, the village of Kongiganak, which is approximately 12 miles to our northeast, has a much wider, longer, and better-groomed runway than our own. During the winter, you can easily snowmobile (or even drive light trucks) between the two villages. If the Governor likes, I would pick him up in Kong and drive him personally to our school on my own snowmobile.
Also, there are many different bush carriers who offer charters and daily flights into our village, from Bethel for the daily flights, or from the village of your choosing for charters, some of which can be obtained for within the $1000 range, which is probably comparable to the amount it costs to fly the King Aire (including things like fuel and paying crew). I can’t say for sure, but I am willing to bet that some of the regional carriers may even fly the Governor for a discounted rate, if it means the possibility of getting a new school in our area.
Additionally, as Governor, Mr. Parnell has the power to use a National Guard helicopter. These land in our village frequently, for things such as Medevac.
As our schools and teachers are charged with training the next generation of Alaskans, who will someday be running our state, and as building new schools in these regions of Alaska is a very costly project, I am appalled that the Governor would not make every effort to come and visit our site, as both a citizen and a teacher. While I know that Governor Parnell’s roots are from California and Anchorage, I urge him not to forget the unique situation in which his constituents from the Bush live. Even if we are not chosen to receive a new school, our students would benefit greatly from meeting the man who leads our Great State.
Thank you for your time,
Michael Wier is a teacher in Kwigillingok, AK.
Yukon Fisheries Disaster Declaration
from the Association of Village Council Presidents
An open letter to the Secretary of Commerce, the Honorable Gary Locke:
The Association of Village Council Presidents, the regional Native non-profit service organization in southwest Alaska, representing the 56 Yup’ik, Cup’ik and Athabascan federally recognized Tribes of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, thanks you for your recent formal disaster declaration for the Yukon River fisheries.
It was April 1 of last year when we requested your assistance in declaring such a disaster. Many of our villages followed suit with the same request. It was with a great feeling of appreciation that we recently received notice of your decision and your letter to Governor Sean Parnell. We applaud your designation and the recognition given to assist the many people affected by the salmon fishery failures but, we think there is much more to be done. There are changes that need to be made to resolve one of the chief reasons our fisheries are in failure – changes that we do have direct control over.
As you are aware, the Bering Sea Aleutian Islands (BSAI) high seas Pollock fishery is allowed by law to fish the waters of the Bering Sea with no restraints, no limitations and no worries, when it comes to the bycatch of Chinook and chum salmon – they are basically fishing a free for all and can catch as many Chinook and chum salmon as they want with no repercussions. These salmon are swimming the same waters, living out this very crucial part of their life cycle, preparing to return to their natal streams that year or within the next couple.
These salmon are the food that our people so heavily depend upon – food prepared directly for the table or through other subsistence activities supplemented by the small income provided by commercial fishing. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) did take action in April 2009 but it was not effective action and the timeline for implementation leaves another year open to unknown and uncontrolled salmon bycatch.
There is another issue at hand, in conjunction with the bycatch problems in the federal groundfish fisheries. The State of Alaska is also allowing their fisheries to run rampant and catch salmon “incidentally,” which are in fact headed to many other river systems in Western Alaska.
In 2009 the Alaska Peninsula “Area M” fisheries harvested almost 1.8 million chum salmon (includes all the state fisheries in the Peninsula). The June Fishery, which is notorious for catching summer chum (the first runs in the Yukon and in most other Western Alaska systems) harvested almost 700,000 chum salmon (ref. ADF&G, Division of Commercial Fisheries Memorandum, dated November 16, 2009, Subject: 2009 Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands Area Season Summary).
The other big fishery there is the Post –June Fishery, which is known for harvesting fall chum salmon destined for the Yukon and a few other smaller systems and they took over 900,000 chum salmon. We are currently working with many other groups to petition the State of Alaska to work on cleaning up their own fisheries, specifically these Alaska Peninsula fisheries (has been a decades old “fight” to get those fisheries in check).
Secretary Locke, it is once again that we implore you help fix the fishery you have authority over – we respectfully ask that you direct the NPFMC and the National Marine Fisheries Service to execute emergency regulations now, to protect our salmon as they begin their “A” season for Pollock and to further restrict the BSAI Pollock fishery (e.g. a much lower and effective hard cap on salmon bycatch). Our salmon and our fishing families depend on this vital but basic protection.
Thank you for your time and we await your most positive response. Quyana.
ASSOCIATION OF VILLAGE COUNCIL PRESIDENTS
Raymond J. Watson, Chairman; Myron P. Naneng, Sr., President
Support for Haiti earthquake victims
by Daniel Picazo
Dear fellow Delta citizens:
My wife and I are in constant contact with a lot of our old friends in Haiti including the earthquake devastated area of Port-au-Prince. Although friendly governments and international military agencies are rushing to the scene, it will be the unsung heroes already living and working in Haiti who will end up doing most of the person to person relief work, and I urge you to contact and support them if you possibly can.
Having worked closely for many years with a number of the disaster relief agencies in Haiti being mentioned in the news, we would urge our fellow Delta citizens to give generously to these organizations. We would also encourage you to give effectively: your dollar will go the furthest by helping established agencies that already are on the ground with reputable infrastructure and social networks for getting the most help to the most people: Here are some of the agencies my wife and I have worked with or worked for in Haiti down through the years that we would recommend as reputable and trustworthy:
FAITH BASED AIR LIFTS: Missionary Flights International, based in Florida has a fleet of piston and turbine DC-3 cargo aircraft dedicated solely to charitable airlifts, and they have been flying into all parts of Haiti since the 1960s. Most of their pilots have tens of thousands of hours in DC3s. They began airlifting supplies to Port-au-Prince within hours of the last aftershocks. Samaritan’s Purse, another well known charitable airlift outfit with aircraft based right here in Alaska is using MFI to ferry their emergency aid as well. www.missionaryflights.org
FAITH BASED RELIEF AGENCIES: World Vision, Compassion International, Samaritan’s Purse, the Salvation Army, the Mennonite Central Committee have effective agencies on the ground in Haiti, already involved with relief efforts. We have worked with all of the above and know them to be reputable and effective. Or, give through your own church to a known affiliate in Haiti, as almost every major denomination has work in that country. If you are Catholic, give to established charities on the ground that have the seal of approval from the Vatican or a major religious order. There are hundreds of missionary organizations with hospitals, schools and other independent work in Haiti; most of them have very capable and effective relief workers, but you do best to give to people whose outreach and integrity is well documented.
NON-SECTARIAN RELIEF AGENCIES: In past years my wife (currently a PAC with YKHC) and I have worked side by side in Haiti with Doctors without Borders (Docteurs Sans Frontiers), the Red Cross, CARE, the UN Development Fund, the PanAmerican Development Fund and other agencies who have the personnel and infrastructure in place in Haiti to do large scale relief work. The Doctors without Borders are an amazing organization whose services are in critical demand right now, but they were hard hit with the loss of their headquarters and with many staff still missing. The UN-based groups are also hard hit because many of them were headquartered in the same high-rise building when it collapsed.
IF YOU PLAN TO TRAVEL TO HAITI YOURSELF, God bless and keep you, especially if you are going with medical skills! I would urge you to take the widest possible medical precautions, with every possible immunization; otherwise the odds are very high you will become a victim and burden yourself, instead of a helpful resource. I would urge you to work only within the guidelines and recommendations of the US Embassy in Haiti, or if you cannot, you should be under the umbrella of an established agency the Embassy approves of in principle and practice. If you are not a fluent Haitian Creole speaker yourself you must consider it an absolute necessity to be in the company of good translators from the moment of your arrival. You should work only with people who have serious security protocols for their staff. Have a plan A, a plan B, and a Plan C for each and every aspect of your trip, for almost nothing about your visit is likely to be predictable or entirely under your control. Godspeed!
I first went to Haiti with my parents in 1952. I married my wife Celia in Haiti in 1974 and we have lived in Port-au-Prince several times; our son Simon (former Bethel city truck driver) was born there in 1976 and I also went to High School there after growing up in Haiti in the 1950s-60s.
We are still missing some friends who have not been found and the prospects are grim:
Consider this: what if the entire population of Anchorage and Fairbanks put together - all perished on the same day? That is the approximate scale of the destruction, per the latest projections.
Haiti has a long history of earthquakes, and buildings are built to pretty good standards for such a poor nation; however a 7.0 quake centered within 10 miles of any modern city would have similar destructive impact. The critical difference in Haiti is the incredible poverty and population density of this city of 3- million people, and the almost total lack of emergency or rescue services, and the lack of any other basic services such as water, food and sanitation.
Daniel and Celia Picazo
Bethel, AK
We cannot afford policy making that can change like the wind
1-6-09
by Jerry Domnick
The Bethel City Council voted on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2009, not to protest Osaka Restaurant’s liquor license. This is only the first of ten liquor applications it might decide to protest.
I was stunned to watch as a series of votes allowed, in each case, one person to block action - make decisions - on a very important subject for the whole community and region. The decision was changed at a special meeting the following week by being introduced again and then tabled for even more discussion.
I know that the Council is trying to work its way through a difficult situation, but I have to wonder if this is a peek at the future of «local» control over alcohol in Bethel. This current Council is generally rational but long-term residents know very well that Bethel has not always been so lucky. In future years any weak, divided and combative Council (unfortunately all too common in Bethel), could by one vote, allow a liquor license to go unchallenged.
Once one license is approved, it would be difficult to protest later ones without looking «arbitrary and capricious». On a subject that often so evenly divides the community, we cannot afford policy making that can change like the wind: The impact on innocent victims and the living conditions in Bethel and the surrounding area is too great.
While ordinances provide a bit more stability, in a similar way they too can easily be overturned, and amended at any time by any future council.
At least one of the liquor license applicants has hired one of Bethel's most successful lawyers to help them get their license. You can be sure that this attorney is taking note every time the city council might fail to follow its own rules and procedures, or passes legally questionable ordinances and resolutions. Every time the current or a future city council «fails to dot every i and cross every t» liquor license applicants and their attorneys have stronger arguments to make in front of the Alcohol Beverage Control Board.
All of this reinforces the truth of Asst. Attorney General John Novak's statement to the Bethel community that, «The only sure, 100% way to not have sales (of alcohol) is to go back to local option.»
The Council can set ordinances and establish different zoning codes, but ultimately they are not the entity that grants or denies the liquor licenses. The ABC Board grants and controls the liquor licenses, so, again, the only sure way to prevent alcohol sales and slow the flow of illegal hard alcohol into the region through Bethel, is to return to local option. Only then will we have stable and true local control.
Jerry Domnick is a resident of Bethel, AK.
Damp petition drive starts this week
by Hugh Dyment and Allen Joseph, petition sponsors
Beginning Monday December 7th petition sponsors seeking a special election to return Bethel to local option or “damp” status will begin to collect the required number of signatures to put the question on the ballot.
Only those who are registered to vote in Bethel will be eligible to sign the petition. It’s our intent that the 27 or so petition sponsors will gather a minimum of twenty signatures each. This number of signatures will be far more than the 404 required to get the petition on the ballot and may be more than actually voted to opt out of local option last October.
The sponsors hope to have all signatures collected by Dec. 16, 2009, after which they will be presented to the Bethel city clerk. The process will then be handed over to the Bethel City Council, who will determine the date of the special election.
If the special election is held, voters will be asked to vote yes or no on whether the City of Bethel should return to local option.
The only way to guarantee that there are no alcohol sales in Bethel is to return to local option. Since Bethel is wet now, like Anchorage, it’s the Alcohol Beverage Control Board (ABC) that has ultimate say over who is granted liquor sales licenses. When we were local option, the community had the authority to ban liquor sales, but now we don’t.
The sponsors also suggested that the City Council, pending the outcome of the damp status petition, may want to postpone the advisory vote scheduled for January 19, 2010, in which the voters in Bethel will recommend to the city council what kind of “wet” Bethel should become.
We need to change Bethel’s unregulated or wet status and kill the idea of alcohol sales in Bethel – we know what free-flowing alcohol will do Bethel and the surrounding villages. We already suffer from high rates of alcohol-induced crimes. Alcohol sales will be like adding gasoline to this crime bonfire.
None of the businesses applying for alcohol sales know, and may not care, what Bethel was like when it was wet. The petitioners do not want to see alcohol sales of any kind in Bethel at all.
The group is different from the “opt-out” group in Bethel that advocated for the wet status, but is now trying to recommend to the ABC Board a “no-alcohol-sales” position since a rash of applications to sell alcohol from Bethel businesses began appearing before the ABC Board. Yet the ABC Board has been clear that they cannot arbitrarily deny liquor licenses to Bethel businesses.
Our message is simple, we want to return to local option and prohibit the sale of alcohol in Bethel.
Bethel residents that want to support and sign the petition can see one of the following persons: Ana Hoffman, Mary Nelson, Gene Peltola, Jr., Mary Pete, Myron Naneng, Fr. Chuck Peterson, Will Updegrove, Meghan Crow, Karen Sidell, Ray Watson, Barbara Liu, Jerry Domnick, Jill Hoffman, Christine Christiansen, Darlene Mojin, Hugh Dyment, Bonnie Bradbury, Regina Lieb, Jody Sleppy, Donna Bach, Susan Murphy, Juanita Asicksik, Shari Neth, Celia Picazo, Michelle DeWitt, Renee Crow, and Allen Joseph.
About My Great Grandma
12-3-09
by Amanda Black
An important elder to me is my grandma, who I call Mom. She wears glasses and has long black and white hair; she uses a kaapaq (hair net) over her hair. Wearing a hair net was an old style back when she was a younger and she’s still using that style. Of average height, she likes to wear different colors of sweatpants, flowery blouses, t-shirts, and sweaters along with her shirts. My grandma loves to grow flowers that would brighten up her dull house. Normally, grandma’s scent is like the first day of spring in April, but sometimes she uses an old fashioned, stinky perfume when she is going out to play bingo.
She doesn’t speak or understand English very well. She has a hard time understanding when I talk to her in English, and she sometimes understands English incorrectly. I like to hear her talk while she speaks on the phone with her half-brother, Donald Kilbuk, who now lives in Anchorage in southcentral Alaska. She asks him questions that don’t make any sense in kass’aq (English). My grandma says, “How you are doing?” instead of “How are you doing?” She really doesn’t know how to speak that well in kass’aq. For an example, when my sister and I were little girls, we’d always be hyper after we had candy or pop. She would say to us that we were “piper” meaning that we were hyper.
Enjoyable to be around, she tells funny stores about her past, and what happened to her when she was a young lady. She talked about some guy wanting to marry her even though he was kind of old. She thought about marrying him because he said that he was going to pay for her way to the place where he lived. But she changed her mind, and did not want to marry that guy; she said that he sounded scary. My great-grandma gets angry and grumpy when we don’t listen to her right away and gets irritated.
My grandma likes to dance, listen to the radio, give advice, and play cards. Every Saturday morning, she turns on the radio to listen to country music, turning the volume up so my sister and I can hear it. She wants us to wake up, but she waits for my sister and me to get up by ourselves. Then she turns down the music. My grandma’s special to me in many ways. She loves to laugh, talk and give me advice about life. She even sometimes acts more like a friend instead of a grandma. She likes to play cards in her bedroom. Sometimes she likes to joke around.
My grandma taught me that if I am stuck on something, just pray to God. He is always there when you want Him. That thought always helps me and has been the most important thing that she told me because my grandma believes in our religion, which is Moravian. Moreover, she would say if you want respect from other people, you have to treat then like you want to be treated in return.
She may be old, but she thinks that she is still young. The best grandma in the world and whom I love a whole lot, and her name is Mary Petluska Willie.
Amanda Black is a student at the Kuskokwim Campus in Bethel, AK.
Falling in love and saying goodbye
11-21-09
by Annette Coyle
My first trip to Bethel was in the early 1980’s while working for the State of Alaska Public Health Nursing Program. I wasn’t impressed. Fast forward to May 2006 when I returned to Bethel to interview for a job as clinical diabetes educator with YKHC. Back in Juneau following the brief visit and interview I told my friends and family “it’s worse than I remember.”
Still when offered, I accepted the job and came to Bethel. I came with squared shoulders and a smile on my face determined to make the best of what I was sure would be a rough but educational two years.
Then. Then! I fell in love.
My first love was my little “shed”. A tee tiny blue house with a red roof in Uivik Sub was my first home. I sent a picture of this little house to a friend in Tennessee. When he received the photo he called and said to me “I got that picture. I Iooked at it and said to myself my goodness! Annette’s living in a shed!” Forever after, that little house was known as “the shed”. It was wonderful – cozy and sweetly decorated. Its modest size forced me to consider each purchase or acquisition carefully. I couldn’t run around buying things willy nillly. Where would I put the stuff? I learned to think about “stuff” carefully. The utilities were very affordable and it cleaned up in a snap. After a while I wondered why anyone would want to live in a big house. I was in love with small space living.
Next I fell in love with my work. In spite of the fact that my boss reminded me about 20 times a day in what I chose to believe was good humor that I was still in my “90 days” and could be let go at any time, I loved going to work each day. My co-workers were the best ever and learning about diabetes was fascinating. When I worked for State of Alaska Public Health Nursing I thought that itinerant PHNs had the greatest job ever traveling to the small villages around Alaska providing services. Now I was doing the same thing as a diabetes educator! I loved traveling by what I affectionately called “duct tape planes” because half the time it was this material that seemed to hold them together. I loved it when I was the only passenger on the plane and the pilot would take me moose spotting. I loved exploring the villages and meeting new people. I woke each morning with a smile eager to see what my workday would bring.
The tundra was my next love. Ah, the tundra – that incredible tapestry of form, fragrance, texture and color. How I loved to walk on its soft uneven ground with the wind in my face bringing the distinctive smell of Labrador tea which I found strangely comforting. After a long walk on the tundra admiring the mosses, lichens, grasses, berries and other plants I came away refreshed, calm and centered. The tundra reminded me not to judge things based on first impressions. At first glance it seemed empty but upon closer inspection I became keenly and delightfully aware that it is anything but empty. There is much to love.
Then – last but by no means least – I fell in love with the people. There is something very special about the people who live on the YK Delta. There are those who live here because their ancestors have called this place home for centuries. There are those who live here because the music they hear is just a little bit different. This place is just chock full of interesting folks!
In spite of the fact that they live with a never ending parade of constantly changing gussack faces, I found the Yup’ik people to be very welcoming and friendly ready to teach me what I was ready to learn and patient with my western ways. I fell in love with their humor. Did you know that I got lost in Tuntutuliak? Well I did. One dark, cold and windy morning while on my way to the clinic I took a wrong turn on the boardwalk. After walking for several minutes the clinic was nowhere in sight. I was cold and perplexed. I flagged down a very nice man on a 4-wheeler and explained my situation. He told me to hop on and he would take me to the clinic. When he dropped me off he looked at me curiously – this man from a village of about 400 people – and asked me in his quiet Yup’ik way “Do you get lost in the city?”
In Pilot Station, I was transported in a truck with a passenger door that could only be opened from the outside. The driver – a nice young man – had to get out and walk around and open the door for me. I remarked to him, “Oh, I feel like such a lady having a man open the door for me.” He responded, “Yes. I was thinking about getting down on one knee.”
I loved being taught to cut fish, to speak a few Yup’ik phrases, to read the ice on the river, to jig for pike, to read the wave action on the river to know where to find the sand bars and to dance in the Yup’ik way. Understand that I’m not claiming to be very good at any of these things – but I loved the willingness to teach me. I loved being introduced to Yup’ik foods – some I liked very much and some I declared “interesting”.
My father has always thought that I hung out with a rather odd crowd. Once when eating a handful of filberts I remarked, “I’ve never met a nut I didn’t like.” My father replied dryly, “You can say that again.” Well, I think one of the reasons I have loved Bethel is that it is so full of nuts! I believe that in order to survive and thrive in Bethel one needs to be just a little different – and I mean that in the very best sense of the word. Run of the mill ordinary vanilla white bread people just don’t come here. Or, if they do, they certainly don’t stay. So the people that remain are open, generous, interesting, intelligent, resilient, creative, resourceful, strong, adventurous, and just a little “bushy”.
I have loved Bethel but Bethel is not my home. After 3 ½ years it is time for me to return to my family in Juneau. I will miss Bethel, my work – the fabulous diabetes team at YKHC, the sweet fellowship of the Unitarian Universalist community – and my many friends. I leave grateful for 3 ½ wonderful years – the memory of which will stay with me forever.
I wish all of you the very best. Fare thee well. Fare thee very well. I leave a little piece of my heart with you as I go. Thank you.
My mother, the best role model in my life
11-11-09
by Carlotta Evan
The best role model in my life is the one who nurtured me since I was born - my caring, loving mother, Mary “Tutmaralria Apall’aq” Evan Lupie, who was born and raised in Napakiak, five minutes southwest of Bethel, Alaska in a Cessna airplane.
My aunt Martha Perry told me that my mother didn’t know how to prepare food and cut fish at all before she got married. She didn’t know how to work on birds, fish, or even how to cook and bake them. She also didn’t know how to bake snacks such as breads, fried breads, pies, cookies, and Eskimo ice cream.
Not tall and skinny, but very fit, and in her mid 20’s, she moved to Tuntutuliak, twenty minutes southwest of Bethel, Alaska via airplane, with my father Adolph Lupie. They got married and together they raised four girls. My half sister, Norma Evan, is of the four. My parents gave another girl to my aunt Martha Perry, so my mother had a total of five daughters.
Her life dramatically changed because she had her own family to nourish and sustain. Now she had to concentrate on how to take care of Adolph’s catch, make soup, bake, and even make dessert. By watching my grandma and aunts make soup, cut fish, bake fried bread, and mix Eskimo ice cream, she managed to learn to do all those things by herself.
She is a pure-hospitality Yup’ik Eskimo. When an activity happens in Tuntutuliak, she warms up the house with her cooking and baking to feed the strangers’ growling stomachs. She also gives the guests Labrador tea, or ayuqs, Hills Bros coffee, or even Kool Aid. She feeds the strangers whatever food she prepared that day. The strangers munch like dogs crunching on their favorite bones. The gift of hospitality passed onto me. It is also one of the reasons why she remains my favorite role model even today.
My mother is a hard-working woman. I was gone this past summer for the first time. I’m amazed that my mom can work by herself and take care of my dad’s fish. She gutted, cut, hung, smoked, and packed the fish all by herself throughout the summer. My cousin from Napakiak, Scott Nelson, told me that he loves the taste of the fish my mom puts up and told his mom to make her fish like my mom’s.
Tuntutuliak residents love the way Mary’s fried and homemade bread turns out, soft and smooth as a Yup’ik baby’s cheek. They taste so delicious that some people buy it from her. Making fried breads is one of the desserts I learned to make. My grandpa, Paul Andrew, likes the way I make them. So when he tells me to make fried breads, I do and give him quite a few as a present.
On one cold winter day while I was attending boarding school in southeastern Alaska in Sitka, twenty minutes south of Juneau via jet, I called home. My sister told me that she and my mom tried baking bread together using the woodstove. They baked it in the oven for the same amount of time as they used to do in the propane oven. When my mom checked the bread fifteen minutes later, the bread had burnt. Now every winter my mother bakes the bread in less than fifteen minutes, so the bread won’t burn the way it did before.
When Martha sees my mom prepare and cook food, she is surprised and amazed that my mother became an expert in food preparation - cooking all sorts of dishes, such as bread, pies, bird and seal soup, and fish soup. From not knowing about food preparation, such as baking desserts, or even cutting fish before she got married, to being able to raise a family, she has learned a great deal. By her past experiences and her own example, my mother is helping me get ready to become a good wife in the future.
Carlotta Evan is a student at the Kuskokwim Campus in Bethel, AK.
Valuing respect
11-4-09
by Mary Petluska
My name is Mary Petluska. I’m from the village of Eek. I’ve lived in Eek my whole life. I am the daughter of Leona and Bobby Petluska. I am the oldest of eight children. I have seven other siblings: Carl, Della, Terry, Kylie, Karly Mae, Rehana and Micah.
I attend Eek School. It is a great average-sized village school. There are about 90 students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. I have attended Eek School since kindergarten, and I will be graduating this coming May. I find education very important, and I have to admit that I love school. After high school, I would like to further my education by attending college.
Last summer, I was selected for the Rural Alaskan Honors Institute in Fairbanks. It is also known as RAHI. RAHI was very interesting and I learned so much. I feel like that experience has helped prepare me for college. The program was six weeks long, and in those six stressful weeks I earned nine college credits. Some of those classes also counted for high school credit. I also applied for the Rural Alaska Mentoring Project (RAMP) to be a student mentor. I recommend that students apply to either program. They will enjoy the programs and really grow as a person.
In every village, people face many difficulties. In Eek, I think that the three most important difficulties we face are: bootlegging, no running water and the dumpsite. Bootlegging has been a problem for many years in Eek. Today it is slowly declining. Many people have cut down on drinking. They have seen how people can go “downhill” because of alcohol. I really wish that people had voted differently last week. I don’t want liquor stores or bars in Bethel.
We have never had running water in our house. That is at least 17 years. That is too long to be hauling water and emptying honey buckets, especially in this day and age. We should have water and a sewer system in the houses in Eek pretty soon. I can’t wait. It will be so much easier to stay clean.
The village dumpsite is located at a close distance from the school. When the dump is burning the smoke often blows towards the village. We have to keep our windows shut. That doesn’t help much. We can still smell the smoke. It is very unhealthy when the air is polluted. The Traditional Council has had people out here testing the water to make sure it isn’t polluted too. In a few years, they want to further the dump so it will not pollute Eek so much.
I would like to inspire the youth of Eek and the youth in the YK Delta villages to keep their Yup’ik culture going. One of the Yup’ik values that I would like to share with other youth is having respect for our land and its resources at all times. This value relates to running water and the dumpsite. Another Yup’ik value that I would like to share is to refrain from alcohol and drug use. This relates to bootlegging. Our Yup’ik culture is very important, so I would like to inspire the youth to keep it going and keep it strong.
Hunting on a trashy tundra or fishing in a river full of rubbish isn’t cool – sober or not. Thank you.
Mary Petluska was one of the three keynote speakers at the 2009 AVCP Convention.
Tobacco
10-28-09
by Adolph Lewis
So, is it anyone’s business when you decide to use tobacco? And, is it anyone’s business when you’re diagnosed with terminal illness?
When you use tobacco, you use it without getting assistance from anyone. Nobody is there at your side helping you move from one place to another. Once addicted, what’s the point to listen to someone telling you the long term harm of substance? It’s your choice and shall always be your choice to listen to yourself when everything seems dandy.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t stay that way for life. The choice you strongly stood for becomes someone’s choice to help you. That expectation you once stood for shatters in a blink of an eye when the Doctor says you have cancer. It doesn’t matter whether you were strong willed, passive and weak person, life stops momentarily. Desperation and fear of the future races ahead in time and that once stubborn choice to use tobacco is nowhere to comfort in time of despair.
Current Native Leaders voice paving paths for the next generation’s leaders. There are some leaders who promote sobriety, encourage youth to pursue education to its highest level, and to become successful Alaskan Natives.
The Alaskan Natives are vocal about alcohol and drug abuse as the leading cause of child abuse in every way, and leading cause of tragic deaths among the native population. The Native leaders are looking the other way when it comes to tobacco.
Although tobacco is not visibly destructive as alcohol and drugs, it slowly deteriorates the body. The effect of tobacco is subtle and quiet. The end result is a debilitating and painful death, and as prevalent as it is around natives today, “it” is still considered a natural illness and natural death. And while alcohol and drugs are considered stealing away needs of children, tobacco, the cheapest deadly drug, does not fall into that category.
Tobacco is a social drug. It’s used and accepted among the rich, the poor, the godly and ungodly population. It’s a drug you don’t hear from the podium. It’s not a conference issue to many organizations and companies.
Today we hear some insurance companies who will not give benefits to tobacco related diseases or illnesses, but it does not raise a red flag to the native population. Church leaders do not and choose not to make it an issue from the pulpit because it’s a very touchy and offensive topic to some congregation members.
The Native Leaders need to recognize the dangerous effects of tobacco and start talking amongst themselves and to the youth population. If Native Leaders want success for their youth, success has to start from leaders - stop using tobacco.
Adolph Lewis is a resident of Kwigillingok, AK.
The Yup’ik culture is a prized possession
10-22-09
by Kira Wilkinson
My name is Kira Wilkinson and I am 17 years old and junior at Kwigillingok School. I have four Yup’ik names, all of which are my grandmothers, but I go by Nuqarrluk. My parents are Bill and Mary Ann Wilkinson. My grandparents are Frank and Nellie Andrew.
My vision of the future is that this generation and the next will be able to realize that our Yup’ik tradition is slowly losing its way, and stop the trend. I hope to see the younger generation talking more with the elders and learning things about how they used to live.
The book that I have recently read called I Heard the Owl Call My Name expresses what we, the Eskimo culture is going through. As we all know, we have changed dramatically compared to how our grandfathers and ancestors used to live.
I had the chance to hear and know what my grandparents went through. I did not take advantage of how wise and knowledgeable my grandfather was. I do not want to see my fellow classmates and peers go through what I have. If I had known how I would feel now, full of regret, I would have spent as much time as I could with him.
Today, most people are too focused on fitting into a certain group, or about their appearance, to even notice what they could be experiencing. I’m not saying that we should be ignoring the Western culture and completely focusing on Yupik, but to simply pay more attention to both sides. Being half Yup’ik and half Caucasian, I had to know both languages and know how to act when around different people.
If everybody started to understand that the Yup’ik culture is a prized possession, I wonder how the younger generation would think about it. When I asked a few of my peers, how they think about the future of the region, they weren’t quite sure how to answer me. I guess none of them really thought about our community. Hopefully, the region will able to get better and won’t have as many problems.
In my hometown, I am one of the few younger people that have attended community meetings. Not many people stand up for what they believe in, and I think that people need to voice their opinions to help make changes. Otherwise, nothing is going to change and all we will be able to do is complain. This is how a community should be. People need to start attending the meetings and know what’s going on in their own village.
As students, we like our schools. It’s a place where we can be ourselves and can learn. We have wonderful staff, fine students and a great principal. Schools have done an excellent job of supporting and encouraging students to do their best in class and extra curricular activities.
My plans for the future includes going to college. I am hoping to attend either the University of Alaska Anchorage or a University of California. I will major either in business or the medical field. I want to become someone useful and do something that I love.
That is what all young people want to do in our region - do something useful and something we love. The villages in our region can help young people by encouraging them to speak to our elders more and to help keep our tradition alive. Thank you.
It is time to achieve our goals
by Nicole Pingayak
First of all I would like to thank the creator for being with me today, my parents and family for supporting me with all the decisions that I make, my superintendent for nominating me, my parents and librarian for editing my speech, and the ACVP executives and all of you that have come here to better our region.
Am I a hard worker? Yes. Am I motivated? Yes. Am I Alaska Native? Yes. My name is Nicole Mimi Ciqilaralria Paukan Pingayak and I’m a Cup’ik Eskimo from Chevak, Alaska. I am the 6th daughter of John and Teresa Pingayak, and they’re the ones who have helped me become the person I am today.
I was well educated in the community of Chevak, but my parents and I decided that I would have a variety of options if I went to school at Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka. I am a four year senior still schooling at MEHS and I love it. I am honored to be selected from my region by the AVCP to speak and to help contribute ideas of the young people. I want to welcome each and every one of you that have come here from the Yukon and Kuskokwim Delta. This is the first time I have been to a convention that deals with issues and figures out solutions to help our communities.
There are many issues in the villages of the Yukon and Kuskokwim Delta, but there are three issues I feel that the youth are facing today… Drugs and alcohol. Why do teens do drugs and alcohol? Do they do it because they want to forget, or is it because it’s a quick way to have fun? I think it’s both. The young people say that their hometown is boring and there is nothing to do. So we have to give them something to do. We need to give them places to hang out. Places where they can be themselves… to have fun. Places like teen centers that have arcades, games, or even hosting movie nights. Places like that to let them know that we care and were there for them whenever they’re in need.
Culture loss… Many of the communities in Alaska are experiencing culture loss. In my AK Issues class there were 17 students including myself. The Teacher asked to raise your hand if you still go fish camping and I raised my hand. Out of those 17 students in the class I was the only one who still went fish camping! That’s when it hit me hard. We have to do something, and I say we because it includes both of us, you as teachers and me as a student. As a student I have to want to learn more before part of me my culture is gone and you as teachers have to give the time and effort to pass the knowledge on.
Family Bonds… Family bonds in the YK Delta are very important, and it’s critical to keep the family together. Without your family it’s easy to fall into something unhealthy like drugs. There are many ways to make your bond with your family stronger and it doesn’t take much. For example, you could take your grandchildren and children out into the tundra to gather eggs. Family activities don’t have to be a large effort. They can be simple meals with the family or evening walks together. The families that bond share important events and participate in events together.
Saying what you’re going to do is one thing, but putting your words into action is something different. I don’t want to just see goals set; I want to see them be developed into action plans. It is time to achieve our goals and make a difference in Alaska.
My Life in 2009
10-15-09
by Michael W. Smith
This year for me was quite a real learning, challenging experience. I have lived through many things that I thought I would never face my whole life. For the past couple of months, I needed a lot of help to cope with things I faced. Luckily, I got a whole lot of help from people I knew.
In January, I started going out with a girl I met sometime around 4-6 years ago and her beauty just awed me. This relationship was the best I ever had so far. Just about everyday, I would call her, chat, or email her. But that changed as the end of the summer came around. I still remember a lot of things that happened but I won’t be telling that part of the story.
I loved this girl considerably. We were just about the happiest, perfect couple in the whole world. We never argued or got mad at each other. You wouldn’t believe how many things we “had” in common. She was smart, loyal, trustworthy, real beautiful, and everything else you would find in the most wonderful girl or lady in the world.
I did many things for this “lady” so that she could be happy, and it worked. She was happy most of the time. Then during the summer time, something bad happened. Sadly, we went our different ways. It really hurt to hear what she said but I was able to cope. You’ll hear more as you read on.
The next day, I just couldn’t control how I was feeling. I was feeling sad, depressed, and alone. I was thinking about suicide and could have done those things but stopped. I stopped, because I thought of what she said and what I promised her. I also thought about what I would miss in my life, and what would happen in the afterlife. I didn’t want to go through those things in the afterlife.
I tried to call my old teacher from downstates but I couldn’t get a hold of him. So I talked with some of my friends and told them what happened. He told me to think about what will happen next if I do “these things.” He also told me the Bible says “Forgive and Forget.” So I did just that. It was hard but I was able to do just that with God’s help. I forgave some people and in return, I got some things back, like respect.
I was isolated from just about everyone around me. I always wore my hood and sunglasses because I didn’t want the public to see my face. Sometimes I went out for walks with friends since, they helped me feel a little better. I talked with people that had similar experiences. They told me some things to help me get better. After a while, some of my friends quit hanging around with me. These friends weren’t as good friends as I thought they were. They are still my friends and I will always have their back. Every time I faced problems, I always went to my real “close” friends that I knew would do something to help.
One day, I went down to the beach to get my mind off of things, I saw this group of people. I didn’t know who they were but they were digging. I just rode on and ignored them at first, then when I was going back, I stopped by them and asked what they were doing. They said that they were digging up an old sod house. Then they asked me if I wanted to take a look at what they were doing; so, I did. I was hooked and went to check on them every day. One day, they asked me if I wanted to help. I said yes and they gave me my first job, screening the dirt. It wasn’t a minute and I already found my first artifact at the screener.
Almost every day, I would go see them at that site and help around. While I was there, I kept my mind occupied and never had any negative thoughts. My mind was clear for a while. After they left, negative thoughts came back and I was that person again that wanted to be alone most of the time. As school came closer, it was kind of going well but, I was still trying to cope with reality life. It was hard to deal with school at the time.
One day, a few weeks after school started, I emailed my 5th/6th grade teacher and told her what I’d been going through. She replied and asked if she could get another adult that’s closer since she felt too distant to help. She was worried and concerned of what I was going through. I told her it was OK. A couple hours later, I got a call from a Social Worker from District Office. We talked and gave advice to me that would help. He said to keep my mind occupied with activities like carving earrings. That helped and I kept my mind only focused on the earrings and nothing else. He also said that he would be in my village this coming Wednesday.
That next Wednesday, he came in to my classroom and asked me that if I’m ready, we can talk. We went out on a walk and started talking, which made me feel better; I was taking out what was building up inside me for a couple months.
The counselor told me something that I will never forget. He said that I was strong for forgiving these people. Normally, people wouldn’t forgive, until after they do some things to them. I told him that I am not like other guys. I am strong, kind-hearted, and make good decisions. I try to make good decisions because I get help from friends and family.
One of my friends told me that she doesn’t know me anymore, because of how I act. My actions had changed over the past couple months. She even told me that someone asked her about my actions, that they were noticing my attitude had changed at school. I didn’t think so, but I trusted my friend and the person at school.
After having the same bad dreams, I went to my teacher who just became a Lay Pastor recently. He told me to start doing more things like reading the Bible, going to Youth Group practices, going to church, and participating in more activities. Then, before I left, I camai-ed him and was about to go out. But, he didn’t let go and he asked me if we could pray. So I sat back down and bowed my head. While he was praying, I almost started crying because I was listening very carefully to the words in his prayer for me. After we got done praying, we let go of our hands and just as soon as we did, I felt lighter like a great weight was lifted off of me. It felt as if I were floating. I felt so happy about that feeling that I wanted to cry, but I held it in. Ever since that evening, I have felt better than ever. I’m again slowly going back to my old self, the old self that was always happy and joyful.
I would like to add that while I was going through these troubles, my mind was open for anything to get into it. I started doing bad things and getting real bad thoughts. It was like Satan got to me and was telling me what to do and what not do to. I listened to some of those but I tried my hardest not to do any of them. I didn’t have God in my heart to help me go through my problems at that time.
I would like to remind you kids and adults, no matter what comes in life, try following the good things that I did. Even if you go through the toughest times, go to God, talk with someone you really trust, most likely an adult, and don’t do anything that will disappoint anyone. Right now, I’m doing anything I can to get back to my “old self” since I know everyone misses him. I know that going through some things like this leads to suicide, I’m telling you people, don’t do it. Think of what will happen in the afterlife and what you will be missing in your future. If you have bad thoughts in your mind, go to God and talk to anyone you trust.
I have learned that some things don’t work out the way you want them to in life and that you should always go to God when you have troubles. But you shouldn’t only go to him for help but also, go to others for they will help you more. If I hadn’t chose what I did a little while back, I would not be around anymore.
I would like to thank my friend and cousin Buh Boi who was there for me most of the time when I went through a lot, he helped me feel better when I was feeling down by making me laugh a lot; Peter Miner for being the Social Worker around and someone to talk with that gave me great advice; Miss Christina Powers for helping me find help when I really needed it; John and Vonnie Franceschini for being there to talk with when needed; my cousin/aunt Charlene Toniak for helping me when needed at times; my family for always being there; and Larry Strunk for helping me in every way I needed. QUYANA CAKNEK for reading!!!
Michael W. Smith is a student from Quinhagak, Alaska.
Voting Wet: The consequences for Bethel and Kotzebue
10-6-09
by David Marshall
This week, Bethel and Kotzebue will vote on if they want to go wet. At present, they’re damp. Booze is flown in, to residents who order it from Anchorage liquor stores. Their monthly limit is 14 “fifths” of hard liquor (a bottle every 2 days, say), plus 32 bottles of wine (one a day, say), plus 12 gallons of beer (5 12-ounce -packs a week, say).
If they vote wet, no one will need to order from Anchorage, though they still can if they want to. Depending on just what is voted on, in Bethel they’ll be able to go to 2 bars and 2 liquor stores, maybe have wine in a restaurant, or drink at a licensed club. In Kotzebue, they’ll be able to go to a city-owned and operated bar or store.
In any case, these are just details. If they vote wet it’ll be a disaster. It will raise accidental deaths and suicides, homicides, other violent crimes, and law-enforcement incidents of all sorts. How do we know this?
Take suicides. The numbers show the Athabaskans of the Galena region had much higher rates than the Inupiat of the Nome region, who in turn had much higher rates than the Yupiit of the Yukon-Kuskokwim region. Is this because Athabaskans are more inclined to take their own lives than the Inupiat, who in turn are more inclined to take their own lives than the Yupiit people—that there’s some cultural reason for the differences among the three groups? Of course not.
Booze is the reason for the differences. Three studies showed this. In Galena and the 6 related villages the annual average suicide rate was 141 per 100,000 over the period 1979-1989. In Nome and the 15 related villages it was 89 per 100,000. In Bethel and the 48 villages of the Yukon-Kuskokwim region it was 56 per 100,000. Galena was awash in booze with a store in Galena, one in Ruby, and one on the Yukon near another village.
The Nome villages were dry, on paper. But residents brought booze in from the liquor store in Nome, and arrived home drunk from its bars. But the Y-K region had no liquor stores or bars, except for the store in Red Devil, 150 miles up the Kuskokwim from Bethel. The three studies, which included accidental deaths as well as suicides, showed alcohol was involved in over two-thirds of all the deaths they reported.
What else should these suicide rates be compared with, besides each other? The annual average suicide rate in the U.S. has been around 12 per 100,000 since 1900. It fluctuates a little, but not much, through two World Wars, a Depression, the entry of many more women into the labor force during and after World War II, increasing drug use, race riots, anti-war protests, a huge influx of immigrants, and other major social changes nationally.
Since the early 1980s—the first time the state has had reliable numbers—Alaska’s rate has been 24 per 100,000, and the rate among Alaska Natives rural and urban combined has been 48 per 100,000. A doubling: 12, 24, 48. (The 3 regional rates are not age-adjusted. If they were, they would be somewhat less: there are more young people in the villages, relatively speaking, and it is above all young people—the 15-28 year olds, males especially—who are most at-risk for both accidental deaths and suicides.)
Even more locally, the evidence is unambiguous. Red Devil was the eye of the storm. In the early 1980’s a study showed law enforcement incidents increased, the closer the nearby village. In descending order: Sleetmute; Stony River, Crooked Creek; Lime Village. (The store was closed down later, after a Beverage Control Board hearing in Sleetmute at which local people testified and these numbers were presented.)
One time, a plane flew up there from Bethel, loaded up, and crashed in the trees soon after takeoff. The pilot was drunk. All aboard died. In 1998 in Ruby—one of the 6 Galena-related villages—the Fairbanks Daily News Miner reported that “In a fight fueled by alcohol, a 22-year old woman fatally stabbed her boyfriend and then hung herself…” Presumably the alcohol was from the liquor store there.
Some of the suicides in the three studies—a few, but some—were related to alcohol only indirectly rather than directly. But this seems to be a distinction without a difference. One night, during a drunken argument, a man threw his wife out of a truck onto a frozen river in the middle of winter, and drove on. She froze to death. Subsequently, their two children—in their early teens—committed suicide. Their death certificates say alcohol was not involved.
This last case points up a well-known fact of village life: suicides and accidental deaths in the villages often take the form of clusters: in some villages more than in others; in some families more than in others; in time. Yet everyone is involved. Anyone who has lived in a village—any village—for any length of time has loved ones, related or not, friends, and acquaintances, who have died in alcohol-related violent deaths. Their lives too will be diminished if Bethel and Kotzebue vote wet, as residents find booze easier to get, and non-residents go there more often.
There seem to be three elements at work that cause such deaths in the villages. Any one of them alone may not, but the three combined, as they usually are, do.
The most general element is the winds of change that create tinder-dry houses, psychologically speaking. These winds take numerous forms: language, schools, epidemics, sexual abuse by clerics, non-Natives in the best-paid jobs, television, governance, subsistence resources, and many others, all of which have been discussed for decades by “experts” and non-experts alike. One example for me makes the point: the absence of Yukon kings. Whatever the reasons (climate, commercial fishing, other things) the upshot is that families cannot rely on the kings as they used to. So the role of the young men—the ones most at-risk—is diminished, and their image of themselves as at home in their physical environment and as providers in their community, is destroyed. They cannot engage in the activities that especially are for them life-affirming activities that play a central part in their occupying the positions they do in the village: preparing to harvest, harvesting, and sharing the subsistence harvest.
This ties into the second element: their relationships with young women. If a young man manages to establish a healthy relationship with a young woman, the odds are he will make it to the magic age of 28, after which rates of violent death decline. But given the prevalence of the winds of change, and how they affect the roles of the young men, this is a big If. One young woman, interviewed in the course of a jobs-planning study for a village, said “I wouldn’t go out with any of the guys in my village. They’re all junk.” One of the early leavers, she moved some 20 years ago to work and live in Anchorage, where she has stayed, mostly single for most of her adult life. Fights with young women are then like sparks.
The gasoline—alcohol—is the third element. With tinder-dry houses psychologically, the sparks from failed relationships with young women, and alcohol acting as gasoline, violent deaths follow. Analysis of the first two of these three elements goes far beyond what is possible in this article.
But one is struck by a startling fact. Rates of violent death among Alaska rural Natives are as high as those among Russia rural Natives. This fact seems to lead to the conclusion that alcohol is not just an important element in explaining the rates. Its pervasiveness—an element common to both groups—seems to be an element that in and of itself completely offsets all the differences between the two groups. Alaska Natives enjoy a standard of living beyond the ability of Russian Natives to reach, or even to dream of. In Alaska’s villages, subsistence has priority. Housing is subsidized. Health care is free. All households do subsistence, with boats, engines, nets, guns, ammunition, atv’s, skidoos, and related tools. Financial support is provided directly federally and by the state. The villagers’ voices are heard at all levels of government.
Given all this, one wonders if the needs of the Bethel and Kotzebue residents who want to be able to drink as and when they choose can be met in some other way than by having bars and liquor stores established.
The monthly limits seem not to be unduly restrictive. Anyone drinking monthly the amounts allowed to be ordered and imported would be permanently pie-eyed. So the vote is not about not getting enough. It’s about convenience: immediate access if/when one wants a drink and hasn’t any on hand. Then, one can indulge any time at a bar, or by buying at a store. It’s also about control. Why should the government control how much one can drink, and when?
In this light, the vote raises the age-old controversy of the individual versus the community. Should the rights of the individual prevail if, when exercised, they would wreak such havoc on the community? If Bethel and Kotzebue protect themselves from such havoc by not voting wet, residents are not disenfranchised. They can continue to order and import far more alcohol than they can drink.
Bars and liquor stores will bring in tax revenue. But it will not be new revenue. It will just be a redistribution of some of the monies that come into the community. It will create some new jobs, but destroy old ones that now are based on spending patterns that will shift. These won’t be a balance, because the net consequence will be a huge increase in social costs: ambulances; police; jails; attorneys; judges; funerals; down time, and many other measurable things. There are then the unmeasurables: the new permanent higher levels of grief and pain that lasts a person’s lifetime, and that wells up unexpectedly at unannounced moments in remembering a loved-one lost.
Among the many whose deaths the studies recorded, I think of one especially—a Bethelite. He introduced me to blackfishing in the (then) Clarence Rhodes Refuge, hauled me out when I fell through ice he’d just walked safely across, interpreted when I spoke at public meetings, hunted moose with me upriver in my neck of the woods, instilled in me a liking for strips and seal oil, and even managed to persuade me (once) to eat his duck soup from which heads emerged. I’ve written this for you, iluraq. Can you hear me?
David Marshall is an economist now in Anchorage who lived in Aniak 1979-1987 and did the 5 studies referred to.
Vote NO on Proposition # 1
9-30-09
by Sharon Lindley
For people who are transient residents of Bethel, Vote NO! For people who are Lifers in Bethel, Vote NO! For people who have moved to Bethel from the villages, vote NO!
What are the reasons to Vote No on Proposition # 1?
•Alcohol comprised 99% of crime committed in Bethel and the surrounding villages.
•Alcohol is addictive and problematic in most family problems including: DV, Assault cases, OCS involvement, Suicide and Sexual Assaults.
Bethel is a Gateway to all the 50+ villages in the region. Most of the villages have chosen to ban alcohol and we, Bethel residents, must recognize we have direct influence on the alcohol traffic in the villages. If we allow this proposition to pass by voting yes, we are usurping and undermining the local options in many villages. We cannot allow this injustice to happen by voting yes.
People in the villages are not given a voice with this proposition when they are directly influenced with this “Bethel only” vote. This is not a Bethel issue, this is a regional issue. It is a regional issue because Bethel is a traffic gateway to all the villages in the region. Allowing alcohol traffic to be entirely in the hand of Bethelites is a farce. Bethel is not for Bethel residents only; Bethel is also for all the villages that use it as a gateway and as service center.
The City of Bethel hasn’t been a thriving model for financial sustainability in its infrastructure, our City buildings are old and barely standing, we’ve had high turnover in BPD and OCS yet by voting yes, we think we can handle more negative influence of alcohol. It must stay in the hands of State because it will be the State agencies who will inevitably be the ones handling more alcohol related problems in Bethel and surrounding villages. It won’t be the Bethel Police Department traveling out to the villages to investigate more crime. It won’t be Bethel Police Department coordinating the Search and Rescue around the region. However, it will be the Bethel Police Department, Alaska State Troopers, Office of Children’s Services, VPSO, VPO, and sober non-drinking families who will have to take care of, pick up the pieces, and handle all the negative outcome of this proposition. Bethel residents must Vote NO!
Read the proponents of Prop 1. They write that a “yes” vote means the citizens of Bethel can control the issue. Not! It will be the State who will ultimately take control of the problems as a result of more flow of alcohol. Again, Prop 1 states that a “yes” vote doesn’t mean there be liquor store and bars. This is exactly what a Yes vote will work towards. There will be liquor stores and bars. This is what “vote yes” advocates are working towards. Bethel is strained and can’t deal with the current problems related to alcohol today, how is this change in proposition 1 against Local Option going to make it Better for Bethel? It won’t.
The State of Alaska must continue to control Local Option because the State of Alaska is ultimately responsible for handling all the alcohol related crimes in the whole region. Vote NO and continue to allow the State of Alaska to control Local Option for all the villages. Vote NO and Do justice to all the villages who use Bethel as a gateway and hub.
VOTE NO on Proposition#1.
Sharon Lindley is a resident of Bethel, AK.
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