Congratulations

Congratulations on receiving the Association of Village Council Presidents’ 2018 Small Business Award. This is a tremendous accomplishment of which I am sure you are very proud. It is no small feat to provide over 15 years of service of news to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The hard work, care, and attention you give to the paper has not gone unnoticed.

Thank you for all you do at The Delta Discovery and know that I am committed to ensuring a favorable business climate for Alaska. Keep up the good work!

Lisa Murkowski
United States Senator

Ciumuruqurluku…

Allrakukegtaaraam nutaram assilriakun ciuniurlikut tamamta. May this New Year accept us all in a positive way. And may our children be safe and nurtured. Irniaput-llu calrunateng cali-llu auluk’luaqaumaluteng pikilit.

Reminiscing … that is what we do a lot. Umyuangcaaralartukut … amllermi. About many particular events in our lives; whether it is sad times, happy times, hurtful or enjoyable times. Umyuaqekngamta-llu ilait angniitellemta, angnillemta, cangayullemta wall’ nunaniryullemta nalliintaqluteng. Their significance has either been great or not so great for us. Agtuumaaqluta-llu assilriakun wall’ assinrilngurkun. But nonetheless we have placed them in a particular timeline, mentally. Taugaam umyuaqelaraput ayuqluki. And more often than not, we tend to live and act on those memories; subconsciously, consciously … or just thru common sense. Amllermi-llu yuucimteggun alaitelartut, pitsaqutmek, wall’ nallutmun wall’u-qaa umyuangcauteklemteggun assinrullrakun. Common sense…because it has been ingrained? Umyuangcauteklemteggun assinrullrakun…tua-i-qaa umyuamtenun/cingillemtenun qillrusngiin? Taught to us? Qanrucimallemteggun? Or is it because we hate it so much and found a way to cope?? Wall’u-qaa akngirnaqsiyaagan qailluiturluta yuugukut.

And because it is a human trait to act on how we are brought up and including acting out what we have experienced; whether positive or negative … it is crucial to continue to focus and live on…our methods and grassroots style of taking care; in other words, our traditional and cultural means of care, and especially the “mental health” care. Yuullemteggun-llu anglicaumallemteggun egilertelaamta ilakluki-llu cat imkut naspetelput/atulput; assirli wall’ assinrilli…arcaqertuq ciumurutellerkaa cali-llu kangikurallerkaa…wangkuta piciryararput, aulukiyararput; Yup’igtaat qanruyutet tunginun aulukiyaram, arcaqerluku umyuiqellrianun. We need to continue to uphold what is for us and what is ours. Tegguteknarqaput piciryararput cali-llu wangkutnun taqumalleq piciryaraq. Nothing was placed merely on a whim … when He placed His people upon this earth; He made sure His people will be cared for in their relevance of care … that leads to Him. Ca tamarmi elliqainaumanrilan … Piliaqestemta ellillerminikut nunam qainganun; aulukumallerkarput taringarkamteggun tapqellrua. Elliinetarkaurrluta.

Our method of practicing our mental health support … utilizing our Yup’ik systemic practice has to continue, it is our way of moving forward to wholeness. Piciryararput aulukillemteni pinarqellrianek/umyuiqellrianek…aturluki Yup’igtaat piciryararput ciumuutnarqaput, assirillerkam tunginun.

We do not necessarily need a licensed or a certified professional to get us to a point of wholeness. Imumek kalikartalegmek wall’ aprumalriamek ikayuristemek piilengramta assirillerkamtenun tekicugngaukut. Sometimes, this ‘required’ procedure of care sort of adds to the chaos we are already in. Iliini-wa uum nallustemta/nallukemta kalikartalgem ikayutii imutun cakviurutemta pikaniutekellriatun/ilalriatun ayuq’laku. Maybe too many times? Tuar’-qaa amllerqunek? This increase in chaos usually derives from misunderstanding and thinking there is only one learned method to take care of people … by the book solution. Man’a cakviunarqellria/aakulagnarqellria taringutenritlemteggun wall’ kiingan piciryarauyuklemteggun alarutek’laraput … kiingan kalikatgun piyarauyukluku.

What we all need to professionally understand is that we all have differences and in order to positively help people, we have to be culturally competent, enough to be open to utilize what works best for people. Taringnarqaput ellatuluta, yuut ayuqenritellrat, piciryarait-llu taringluki, assirillerkam tungiinun aturarkauluki. A.K.A…”best practices”. Man’a nallunairuterluni, “at’ulriit naspecimarilriit”.

In our times of need, a lot of us have that someone we can go to; someone we tend to keep in our circle of support. Ikayurnaqlemta nall’iini, nallunrilkengaangqelartukut ullagyugngakemtenek; imumek nallunrilkengamtenek qanerviggaqluku. And that someone is usually right there among us. Tauna-llu nunalgutek’lararput. Maybe right next door and many times there is no appointment necessary. Aipaagni elaqlirput, amllermi-llu sass’iryaraunani ullallra. When there is a dire need for another type of support; maybe a licensed or certified, the person in crisis or his/her support person will know the steps to take to get the other source of help. Pinarqelriaruaqan imumek allamek ikayurtemek, aipaagni kalikartalegmek wall’ allamek, nallunrit’lartut qaillun ikayungcallerkameggnek uum tungiinun. We are a knowledgeable people. Elimalriaruukut. We know who or what can help us. Nallunritaput ikayurtekaput, wall’ qaill’ ikayumallerkarput. We are not helpless nor are we uneducated. Ilacilriarunritukut elitnaurumanrilnguuvkenata-llu.

Our way of taking care is still very much ‘in’. Man’a yugtun piciryararput piunrirngaituq. It will not cease to help us. Ikayunrirngaituq wangkutnun. It is part of our identity as Yup’ik people. Yupiucimta, taungucimta ilakaa. All of us may not have the fluency of language but that does not mean we lose ourselves. Tamamta yugtun qanerturanrilengramta wall’ taringuranrilengramta cali Yupiugukut. Nor do we lose the respect to utilize our method of mental health provision for self and others of our race. Qevinganritaput-llu atucia piciryaramta ikayuqengyaram tungiinun ilamta wall’ wangkutnek.

Elena Aluskak
Bethel, AK

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