by Peter Twitchell
I remember a trip I made to Mountain Village in the not too distant past. The village was located high on the side of a hill on the lower Yukon River. I will always remember how the villagers of the Yukon River honored their Elders, former health aides, their children who have achieved in school sports and cultural activities, and dog mushers.
It is a given that people in various professions in the villages and in the bigger cities have moved on and relocated elsewhere with their families, in many cases to be close to a healthcare facility like the Alaska Native Medical Center.
The children of these families grow up and take a job in the medical field as dental aides, aides in surgical, therapists, and pharmacists, in triage, checking patient’s vital signs and heart monitor EKG’s, and doing sonograms.
When I was in the village of Mountain Village it was good to see the whole community and their leaders list the of names of people to give Certificate of Awards for those who worked in the health field, and those who retired and those who moved on, and relocated. What an honor to see their own people recognized for years of work to help the village and others. The folks in the villages recognize and appreciate their own people and they let it be known.
It was good to see a caring and loving community gathered together. I encourage the younger people to keep up with this good work!!
Thank you for letting me see this in person and to all of the villages I’ve been to – the kindness, caring and recognition that was shown to strangers who may be visiting for the first time, for that I am thankful.
My hat is off to all the people in the villages who carry on and raise our spirits to a higher level. Quyananaqvaa.
