Last Thoughts

So, my year in Kasigluk is over and I'm now back in Peoria. I've thought a lot about my time in Alaska. I've often asked myself was it worth it. I don't know. A lot has changed for me since I returned. I'm adjusting - slowly. I'm not certain how I will feel in the fall. Will I miss the village, the kids, the staff? It's all rather confusing at the moment.



But I did love the experience. I didn't mind the isolation. In fact, at times I feel much more isolated here in Peoria than in Kasigluk. I certainly was never alone there. We were a group working toward a common goal. That I enjoyed. I didn't mind not having running water. It was a little inconvenient at times, but everyone in the village lived this way. I was glad to be away from the television. The constant barrage of negative news is depressing. I didn't miss the mindless television programs, either. I read more books than I have in ages. I didn't care that I didn't have a telephone or reliable cell phone service (although at times it was annoying). I didn't miss going to the grocery store or coffee shop every day. I didn't miss spending money daily on frivolous things. And, I didn't miss not having the internet at my house.



I learned to enjoy the sunset in the evenings and the groups of kids asking, Can we visit? I looked forward to the Saturday night card games. I loved watching the progress as kids learned to read. I enjoyed each feast, potluck, throwing party, dance, game, and activity that was held. I learned a lot about the Yup'ik culture. For that I am grateful. There is a real sense of community in Kasigluk. I was fortunate to be a part of it for a short time.

Final School Activities

The day after graduation, our Advisory School Board held a feast in honor of our retiring principal. Speeches were made and gifts were presented. The students danced and presented poems and skits. Vicki had created a One Word video. Each student and staff member was to describe Carl with one word and then Bev with one word. Vicki did such a fabulous job in editing it. She even had bloopers at the end. And, then, as usual, we had our feast. This time it was a potluck, so it was fun to try the different foods.

Now there was only four days left of school. Time to pack my things up and leave. I needed to have everything mailed by Saturday. I was leaving on Sunday. So, in the days I worked to finish up everything at school, and in the evenings I packed my things. During the week we held an Awards Day to present certificates for the students passing their phase classes. And, on Thursday - our last day - we had a community clean-up and a bar-b-que. The week passed quickly. It was hard to believe it was all over. The year had gone by so quickly.

Graduation May 15, 2010

Prior to graduating, our seniors held a Writing Fair in which they presented their portfolios. Each senior was required to prepare a speech to discuss his/her thematic writings. They all did such a wonderful job. It must have been very nerve wrecking to stand in front of their peers, teachers, family, and community to discuss some very serious topics: depression, fetal alcohol syndrome, family, future dreams, etc. Each portfolio the student created followed his/her chosen theme and contained a variety of writings on the subject. And, each was so well done. This was a course requirement for their senior English class. The Writing Fair was on Tuesday. Prom was on Friday, and Graduation was on Saturday. What an exciting week for our seniors!

With the Writing Fair done and Prom over, it was now time to think about graduation. We met around noon on Saturday and began the clean-up. The decorations were in great shape. We just moved a few things around, added some chairs and tables, and in no time we were ready. Graduation was at 5 PM.



Graduation isn't just for our senior class. Our pre-schoolers graduate into the Yup'ik immersion program, which will be their K-2 grades. Our second graders graduate into the 3Transition program, which is taught in English. And, our seniors graduate from high school. So, we actually have three groups graduating. Tammy Schneidler, our 4th grade teacher, was the speaker for graduation. She spoke directly to each senior, describing how he/she is a hero. Then Danya spoke for the senior class. We had one senior in the hospital in Anchorage. We Skyped the entire graduation ceremony with his mother accepting his diploma for him. When the seniors all walked over to the computer to wave at him and when he waved back, there were many tears all around.





Once the diplomas were awarded and the certificates given to the pre-schoolers and second graders, we formed a receiving line for ALL graduates and the entire community walked through congratulating each student. Food was provided, and after the receiving line was done, each senior received a half sheet cake which he/she cut and served to family and friends. The seniors were so excited to be done. A few would return the next week to finish up projects and chat online, but for the most part they were done. Their next event would be May 23 - senior class trip to California!

Prom May 14, 2010

I volunteered to do the decorations for prom this year. The students met in December and chose the theme Hollywood Nights. I was expecting a small prom when I volunteered. No one told me the entire community would come! We decorated the gym all week long. The doors opened at 7:30 that night, and the dancing began. At 10 PM we crowned the king and queen. The littluns were sent home because it was past curfew, and the high school kids and adults danced until 12:15. It was a great night. Here are just a few photos of the dance!

Spring in the Village - May 2010

Knowing that I have only a few weeks left in the village, I wanted to take a few photos, so I set out on a walk. It was an incredibly lovely evening. The sun now sets around 11 PM. We are gaining 6 minutes of sunlight daily. Although the sun sets at 11, dusk lasts much, much longer. This added daylight makes everyone want to be outside. We have a curfew of 10 PM. Each night the village police must stop by the basketball court outside of school and send everyone home. I can't blame the kids for wanting to stay out later. I do, too.

Since we are a subsistence village, hunting and fishing are the main activities at the moment. The ducks, geese, and swans are back. And, the pike are biting. One of our teachers caught 203 pike, which she cut and now has drying. Soon, it will be egg hunting season. In June the salmon will run and by the end of June berry picking season will begin. These are important months for gathering food. Everyone works hard this time of year, and they love it. There is a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

As you walk through the village, everyone has fish and meat drying. Spring has arrived in full force and everyone is hard at work.

May 7 - Friday Night on the Boardwalk

Ah. . . spring has finally arrived. Beautiful skies and warm breezes. Melting snow. Geese and ducks overhead. Long days of sunlight. You can just feel it in the air.


For that first beautiful Friday, we did what everyone does - we grilled out! Now you must realize that we are very limited in our land space. So, whatever we do, we are near the boardwalk. Our land is tundra. It is a bog. We don't walk on it because it's very muddy, so instead we have the boardwalk. The boardwalk winds through the entire village. If you decide you want to walk on the boardwalk, it will only take you about 15 minutes to walk the entire village. It's always a nice walk, but as you go your way, you tend to pick up kids who just want to walk with you!


So, on this first Friday in May, we decided to grill out. Instead of a leisurely walk this evening, the kids came to us. Enjoy the photos of our Boardwalk Evening!

May 3 Dance Fest - Pamyua

Our school was fortunate to have received an arts grant which allowed teachers to receive training in a variety of art medium and also for us to have guest artists throughout the year. One of the students' favorite artists was the group Pamyua. Steven Blanchett (white shirt) heads the group. He teaches traditional Yup'ik song and dance and also teaches the students how to create their own songs and dances. For his visit this time he brought his entire group. The group has won a Grammy and has performed at various locations throughout the world. To say that they are good is an understatement. Amazing would be a better description.

The group worked with our students on Wed and Thurs. Then in the evenings, the community was invited to come and watch what the students had learned. On Friday, Pamyua gave a concert, and once again, the students danced. As I listened to the concert on Friday, I was mesmerized. The gym was full. Here we were in a small gym on an island in the AK Bush listening to a Grammy winning group. Believe me, it just doesn't get any better than that.