James's First Dance

 

 

 

Here are some pictures of James dancing at Cama-i. Because it was his first dance he passed out gifts to the elders afterward. He has really enjoyed the dance festival.

Cama-i is here

Cama-i means hello in Yupik. It is also the name of the Eskimo dance festival that is held each March here in Bethel. We are very excited about this festival, for several reason including that Jamie dances there tomorrow. This event is a celebration of Yupik culture. I worked admission for a few hours tonight and I couldn't believe how many people came through the door. It seems to be truly local event, loved and attended by the people who live here. I can't wait to go back tomorrow!

Funny, he doesn't look Yupik

 

This is Jamie in his first Kuspek. We ordered it at a Saturday market and drove out to one of the subs to pick it up today. He was very excited. The Yupik woman who made it wanted him to try it on to make sure it was big enough. It was. Then we had to go to the grocery store to buy some veggies for dinner and as soon as he was in the doors, he ripped off his jacket and threw it in the cart and proceeded to dance around the store in his new duds.

It was a subtle reminder of how important conformity is at this age. I grew up in a pretty homogeneous town so I don't know how being a minority feels. And yes, here Jamie is indeed a minority, 85% of the kids in LKSD are native. However, they are all aware of the dominant culture, t.v. makes its presence well known here, so I suppose it is a mixed bag. Jamie looks like all the people on t.v. but unlike all the kids in his class. But he loves his Kuspeq, just look at him.

You got to know when to fold 'em

Well, we are not moving into the house. We are disappointed, but it was the right decision. We are fine where we are at, and we will probably stay here until I adjust to my new job and then we will look for a new place.

Spring Break Alaska Style

 

 

Birthday Fun

 

 

 

Here are some pictures from Terrence's birthday party. It was a good time, mexican food, karaoke, and lots of balloon fun.

Life in the Delta

Recently someone left a comment on one of my blog entries asking what are we doing here. I sometimes get this question from family members and friends and I must admit that at times I find myself asking that same question. Life here is often frustrating, like when it is minus twenty degrees, or when I can’t get the things I need, like children’s Benadryl, or more commonly when I am confronted with situations that I cannot make sense of. The village of Kalskag lost its Jr./Sr. High School to a fire last month. It was a complete loss, all of the contents, computers, and supplies. The school also serves as a community hub for events and gatherings. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

The thing is, this wasn’t the first time. A fire destroyed the school in 95. The village doesn’t have a fire department, in the 95 fire they had a tanker but it was frozen because the public works building that was supposed to house it had never been finished. This time the truck wouldn’t start, although it is unclear why. However, even if a village has a fire department or a working truck, they still cannot adequately fight a fire because there is no adequate water supply. I find myself mulling over the fact that these are not acceptable conditions for a place where people live, but it is not an irregular situation in the region in which I live.

These issues are complicated, and unfortunately the results are sometimes devastating. Racism, social inequality, and cultural misunderstanding are so prevalent here. So I guess what we are doing here is trying to learn about these things, trying to understand how all of this happened, is happening.

– Megan

James Making Birthday Cake