Peter Twitchell

by Peter Twitchell When I was a boy about 8 years old I was walking to the Civil Aeronautics administration compound. I had a sense that there was something out there in the trees watching […]

by Peter Twitchell I remember growing up in the village of Bethel. My parents David and Sarah Twitchell lived on the upriver south side of Bethel. Back in the 1950s life seemed simple. There was […]

by Peter Twitchell When it comes to policing in a village community I can only imagine how challenging it must be to be a police officer where you know everybody and you’re related to them. […]

by Peter Twitchell When we were boys not too long ago, and we were going out to play we were given instructions by our mom and dad and grandparents, “Ilaten ata kenkurluki piurqina.” Meaning, “Love […]

by Peter Twitchell I met Carla Maxwell recently here in Anchorage who told me about her death in a traumatic car/van accident. She died bewildered, not sure what was going on around her. Her state […]

by Peter Twitchell The fair City of Bethel, Alaska is not a thriving community with unlimited municipal funds like Barrow, for example. I don’t believe the Bethel City Council members should be paid public servants […]

by Peter Twitchell While I was growing up in Bethel in the 1950s, money was scarce this time of year. The money dad made the summer before at Bristol Bay was spent, and there was […]

by Peter Twitchell I have a friend who is terminally ill. It’s never easy to lose a friend. To tell you the truth, I was overcome with anger when I found out. Due in large […]

by Peter Twitchell Queen the rock band from the 1970s recorded “Bohemian Rhapsody”. I wasn’t aware of the values “good thoughts, good words, good deeds” as being joined to each other. We were taught these […]

by Peter Twitchell I come from a long line of musicians, including mom and dad. When I was born mom already had a pump organ that she and her husband had shipped up from Seattle […]

by Peter Twitchell Congratulations to Pete Kaiser, our 2019 Iditarod Sled Dog Race Champion! You have set the course for future generations of Yup’ik mushers! A Yup’ik by birth Pete’s ancestral roots go deep into […]

by Peter Twitchell There was a test putting a vehicle in a middle class neighborhood to see what would happen to it. After a week or so the vehicle was untouched. And then part of […]

by Peter Twitchell Who doesn’t want to live forever? I think that we all do, to a certain extent. I believe I’m starting to accept the fact that death is an integral part of life […]

by Peter Twitchell It’s good to see high school, college-age parents and grandparents fill up the dance hall at Carpenter’s Hall in downtown Anchorage, where the young and old mingle. I never see kids running […]

by Peter Twitchell All of us have prepared ourselves, if not consciously, by our teachers, cohorts, parents, and the efforts of those closest to us for the world stage. My Grandma Hannah shared her values […]

by Peter Twitchell Just a couple schools of thought. My relative David Chanar reiterated the return of vinyl records! They are here so are the phonograph record players! Available in every major store and pawn […]

by Peter Twitchell Tonight 3-4 bands will play at the Carpenter’s Hall following a potluck. It will be a sober event where families gather. Activities here in the biggest village in Alaska are a little […]

by Peter Twitchell Two weeks already into a new year, it’s time to lighten our load of excess baggage! Let’s get rid of resentments, jealousy, hatred, envy, anger, blame, temper, even our great BIG ego, […]

by Peter Twitchell “It’s times like these we need a savior” just popped to mind – the Holy Spirit at work. I do miss our leaders, like Eddie Hoffman, William Lomack, Axel Johnson, Nora Guinn. […]

by Peter Twitchell I awoke from a wonderful dream of Mom’s old house in Bethel. In my dream it was full of my grandkids. Kids have always been and still is our family connection in […]

by Peter Twitchell Christmas in the 1950s was a special time in Bethel. Students were getting ready for Christmas by making rings out of cray paper. Mrs. Fancher helped us cut strips of colored paper […]

by Peter Twitchell My cousin Joseph Adolph Woods Jr. and I were like brothers. We grew up together in Bethel. We hunted together with our cousins Joseph “Manny” Evon and Henry Kohl. We were successful […]

by Peter Twitchell The earth is like a sleeping giant, when it awakes it is uncontrollable. In my 67 years walking the tundra, the land has been friendly. I experienced my first earthquake November 30, […]

by Peter Twitchell I had the great pleasure, first of all, to play my bass guitar in David Chanar’s “Pilot Bread” Fiddle Band, then on top of that to perform for the Elder’s of Wasilla’s […]

by Peter Twitchell Judo is fun! As in all sports a strict set of rules governs competition at all skills ensuring safety from club to national tournaments to Olympic games. Judo is best known for […]

by Peter Twitchell My friend Harry Nicholai became a man of God, he was a humble man, a quiet man who would not retaliate if you said anything to him. He listened to what you […]

by Peter Twitchell I’m not one to believe that I should vote for a candidate for Governor because he wants to give me $3,000.00 for something he voted against giving me in the first place. […]

by Peter Twitchell If you are a late teen and in your 20s, it’s your duty to get out and vote and hopefully you are a registered voter! It’s our duty to listen to your […]

by Peter Twitchell Today marks the day of the 2018 Alaska Federation of Natives Convention held at the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage. The Elders and Youth Conference begins today (Oct. 15th, 2018) – we celebrate […]

by Peter Twitchell On October 10, I got to see one of my favorite rock-n-roll icons from 1968. Suzi and I shared the excitement at the Wynn Encore Theater in Las Vegas on our way […]

by Peter Twitchell Our children should be learning about Aerospace, the next step to the stars and other intelligence. We’ve learned all we possible could about our world, but have we really? Let’s take the […]

by Peter Twitchell I know good lawyers and good judges, and I’ve known some lousy ones. Unfortunately not every lawyer is as good as some I’ve had to deal with. Not every judge is as […]

by Peter Twitchell In 1968 a dream was hatched to build a transAlaska oil pipeline. On November 16, 1973, President Nixon signed the Line Bill. This started our nation, the United States of America, to […]

by Peter Twitchell It intrigues me that people of Bethel and most of them are outsiders who came to live there find displeasure with the name “Louse Town” referring to the area of Urucararmiut, the […]

by Peter Twitchell Monday, September 3, 2018 was a gorgeous sunny day at the Palmer State Fair, finally. I walked down from the red gate to Dena’ People’s Stage where I saw Native arts and […]

by Peter Twitchell Here’s a motto I saw recently on the cap of someone who used to work on the North Slope: “Survival – Learn to Return”. I believe the same holds true for our […]

by Peter Twitchell Bethel needs thinkers and planners who can let the wheels of school buses bring our children safely to and from school. Kusko Cab has a new fleet of suburbans, and they have […]

by Peter Twitchell Lift up the face of your people (LUTFOYP)! You can do this by furthering your education, maintaining your job, raising a healthy family, being a good aunt or uncle, stewarding on land […]

by Peter Twitchell The Native Village of Eklutna celebrated its Biennial Dena’ina Athabascan Potlatch/Powwow July 28-29, 2018. As I shared in the Athabascan cultural event, it became a personal moment for me. My uncles Timothy […]

by Peter Twitchell For decades Yupiaq people of the AVCP-Calista Region were considered by the western world as being poor. Still today they say 25 percent of our people are living in poverty and unemployment. […]

by Peter Twitchell I guess maybe I was lookin’ a little down when a black gentleman walked up to me and asked me, “how you doin’ friend?” Deep down I had feelings that were connected […]

by Peter Twitchell The medical profession is not too far from fulfilling this promise. No longer do I go to dental to have them pull my teeth. There are really other alternatives to ignoring our […]

by Peter Twitchell It was pointed out to me the other day that our daily lives are based on money. Isn’t that the truth though? Some people will not do anything for you without seeing […]

by Peter Twitchell Live life with gusto! Live it to the fullest. Have sober fun with your sober friends doing sober things like finishing Elementary, Jr. High, High School, going to college or Job Corp. […]

by Peter Twitchell Thank you for those friends, John D., John S., Edward B., and others who have shared some of their bounty from the Great Kuskokwim River! This reminds me of our Grandfathers and […]

by Peter Twitchell I wanted to recognize 32 year Bethel, Alaska resident Craig Rogers. A man, in my opinion, who has served the people of Bethel beyond the call of duty. He, for example, was […]

by Peter Twitchell There’s something about singing, I’ve been singing since 1966. Before that, I was singing along with everyone in church. You can say I’ve had a song in my heart for 68 years! […]

by Peter Twitchell Some values shared by Natives including my tribe, the Yupiat/Yup’ik people of southwest Alaska is “The Earth is our mother, care for her.” Too often in life we have taken her for […]

by Peter Twitchell I was very pleased to see that our State Legislature passed a bill restricting smoking in taxi cabs. Thirdhand smoke is very unhealthy for passengers who use these cabs of Taxi Cab […]

by Peter Twitchell Today, May 13, 2018, was Mother’s Day and I learned a lesson from preacher Dr. Jerry Prevo of the Anchorage Baptist Temple. Jerry, in my opinion, is a down to earth guy […]

by Peter Twitchell Just recently a few days ago there were hunters outside of Nome on the Bering Sea who were trapped in ice floe when the weather closed in. Water started spraying the men […]

by Peter Twitchell I have been observing how men push their trucks in and around smaller weaker cars. These men are aggressive even in traffic using their powerful 8 cylinder stepped up trucks. When the […]

by Peter Twitchell Anchorage has given me even more options what to do to help people. I have been going to 3 job fairs and everyone wants to hire someone for the busy summer months […]

by Peter Twitchell Growing up in Bethel was a great time in the old days when Bethel was quiet. We woke up to birds like robins singing, welcoming the new day. The sun was warm […]

by Peter Twitchell When work and job opportunity comes knocking don’t ignore it. Only you can reach your full potential. As summer is quickly approaching, start planning on what kind of work you’d like to […]

by Peter Twitchell I went to the Desert March 23, 2018 to 3.31.18. The desert air agreed with me and I found myself enjoying the cool crisp air in the evenings and the temperature wasn’t […]

by Peter Twitchell I’ve been watching with astonishment how the Anchorage roads and side roads have been plowed after a week of heavy snow. We’ve got huge piles of snow here about 50 inches so […]

by Peter Twitchell Retirement after 50 years of working with and for people, leaves you kinda numb and lost feeling, just like I lost a good friend. I may have to find a part-time job, […]

by Peter Twitchell For the last 100 years the YK Delta has suffered from alcohol and drug abuse. Now we are growing aware of reasons why we’ve been hurt and damaged by someone who was […]

by Peter Twitchell I’ve had a love affair with music for all of my (67) sixty-seven years, and loved every minute of it. First, as a baby hearing my mom’s lovely voice in my ears […]

by Peter Twitchell On February 14, 1965 I sent 14 valentines cards to Pastor Eichman’s daughter Beth. I liked her as a friend only and she could brave the cold with the rest of us. […]

by Peter Twitchell Life can be a blessing or a curse, think about it for a moment. We shape our world and color it. We can shape our lives with twists and bends that are […]

by Peter Twitchell The Benefit of Living in Anchorage is all the city has to offer its residents – you are not alone here. For instance, there is help/assistance for grandparents who are raising their […]

by Peter Twitchell Most young people really don’t understand yet the dynamics of being addicted to chemicals like alcohol. Some teenagers think that when their friends get an assessment for substance abuse that their friend […]

by Peter Twitchell It really doesn’t matter where we are in this world, it is the season families feel a special closeness to each other, our villages and cities are aglow, like a pure heart. […]

by Peter Twitchell One morning during the Christmas season I went to work and was given some strips, pound cake and chocolate fudge. The chocolate fudge was special, being that day was Chief’s Day, celebrated […]

by Peter Twitchell This is the happy time of the season, where Christians celebrate the birth of the Christ Child, baby Jesus, bringing hope, cheer, and love everywhere. The goodness of the people of Anchorage […]

by Peter Twitchell A five and half hour jet ride south will get you to Pheonix, Arizona – a desert country where only the local Native people like Navaho, Apache, and Pima Indians really understand the […]

by Peter Twitchell Last Thursday Carl Jack and I drove 190 miles Anchorage to Ninilchik by way of Cooper Landing, Sterling, Kenai and Soldotna. One of the great benefits of living on the road system! […]

by Peter Twitchell The Big City of Anchorage with its many cars and people, where you are like a number, unknown, one autonomous individual where no one knows anything about you or who you are […]

by Peter Twitchell Life in Anchorage is definitely a couple notches up on quality of life in several ways. First, I miss the People of the YK Delta that I’ve grown to love. Since arriving […]

by Peter Twitchell I attended the Alaska Federation of Natives Elder’s and Youth Conference in Anchorage, it was great! Thanks to Colin “Atauciq” McDonald for putting it together for us in organizing and facilitating the early […]

by Peter Twitchell When I hear the word, “junk,” I think of things like trash and useless things. I was talking to my cousin Joe one time and we talked about holding grudges, resentments, and […]

by Peter Twitchell The privilege of serving your community is not to be taken for granted. I am saddened that our Bethel community lacks in local involvement when the opportunity to serve on the Bethel […]

by Peter Twitchell Joe Seibert, Chief Engineer of KYUK Public Radio and Television has kept the station operational, on a daily basis, for the past 28 years. Let’s go back 28 years. Joe was from […]

by Peter Twitchell The last time I set foot on the State Fair in Palmer was 2013, so I lost sense of how crowded and busy it is, but thanks to my wife, she made […]

by Peter Twitchell In the old days in Eskimo country people really cared about their neighbor and families really cared about each other. Imagine living a hundred years ago in a Yupiaq community. The people […]

by Peter Twitchell The meetings where alcoholics and recovering alcoholics meet and share their successes and defeats is an important part to recovery from the devastation alcohol has caused in our lives. It is important […]

by Peter Twitchell “Sunday Morning,” with Jane Pauly on CBS featured a story on the Public Defender Agency and that hit really close to home for those of us that have been incarcerated one time […]

by Peter Twitchell In the old days in Eskimo country people really cared about their neighbor and families really cared about each other. Imagine living a hundred years ago in a Yupiaq community. The people […]

by Peter Twitchell When times are good and when times are hard, fish camp is a wonderful place to spend time with the family. When fish camping, everyone is working together for a common cause; […]

by Peter Twitchell The grey whale was divided among the people of southwestern Alaska who wanted a piece of the Cetuqupak, Yup’ik word for the Grey Whale. People generously shared the blubber with their neighbors […]

by Peter Twitchell I’m glad the Bethel Police Department is alert to speeders in Bethel. Our roads are in poor shape and dangerous. I’ve been in older cabs that bounce around and bottom out after […]

by Peter Twitchell The Elders spoke earlier this summer about our Ancestors, who commissioned us to never fight about our resources like fish. However, we live in modern times and our sovereignty has been violated […]

by Peter Twitchell Bethel 4th of July celebrations have always been a big event in the past. The preparation, where everyone pitched in, including City Municipality, as they do now, all service organizations, and someone […]

by Peter Twitchell Scientists are so smart, sometimes baffling how they think and what they accomplish in life, but the question still remains, are they that smart? Can they tell exactly how many stars there […]

by Peter Twitchell I remember the time I went to the courthouse and sat in what I now know to be the main chamber. The attorney told me to be there by 10 a.m. so I […]

by Peter Twitchell Historian Will Durant said, “To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves.” What we say, what we think and what we do should all be in sync. When […]

by Peter Twitchell Sunday, May 28, 2016 I checked in my two pieces of luggage and a tote in Anchorage at 0945 hours. When I got home to Bethel, I checked my bags and tote […]

by Peter Twitchell I opened the folder to 1959 and looked at the pictures I took with my Kodak Instamatic camera back then. The photos were in perfect shape. I look at the pictures from 1909 […]

by Peter Twitchell When I heard about the news from Dillingham concerning drugs and gun(s), I was confused. The news said a guy was arrested for “felony gun possession by a felon,” and that he […]

by Peter Twitchell One of the great privileges we have as Americans is we have a voice on many levels including boards and commissions. As citizens of the great state of Alaska, we are the […]

by Peter Twitchell I’ve been to the library more than usual since retiring from my job which was cut due to no funding. I cannot not believe the amount of noise at our library. It […]

by Peter Twitchell If you are a member of a corporation like I am, I consider it a privilege, first to be counted. As a shareholder, my input and voting a proxy ballot is important. […]

by Peter Twitchell Our fears are based on things we don’t know about the future. The future is about the unknown, so why worry about the unknown because it is not for certain. Ever since […]

by Peter Twitchell When I looked up “values” it means: principles, standards, morals, ethics, ideals, and when we talk about traditional values it could include these Tlingit Values: Respect for self and others including Elders, […]

by Peter Twitchell I wonder if the hospital really monitors the meds we’re prescribed? I wonder because I ask for a refill and often I get like nasal sprays and I feel just one time is […]

by Peter Twitchell I was amazed when I went to ANMC this time to follow up on some health concerns I had. The new patient housing is awesome! Thanks for people who care about providing better […]