"Click here to see my Panraven storybook."
http://www.panraven.com/visitor/VisitorViewStory.epage?sp=Slink&sp=104034&sp=SNTIzMDQ1ODQxXzExOTUyODg0ODk0NzdfMTIzOTg1ODI5NQ____
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Welcome Home Potluck for the National Guard
There was a potluck held at the Dick R. Kiunya Memorial High School for the National Guard troops that came home from Iraq. An elder opened the potluck with a speech followed by a prayer. People brought food to share for the potluck. There was a variety of native food on the tables. Three of the men who were in Iraq attended the potluck. They wore their military uniforms and visited with the people in attendance. It is so good to see the troops reunite with their families. We are so blessed that every one of the troops came home alive and safe. I was glad the community honored them for their courageous actions.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Edible Plants "Negaasget"
For many years the Yup’ik Eskimos have picked various edible plants in southwestern Alaska. Between September and early November people pick “negaasget” commonly called “mouse food’’ from the tundra. It is called mouse food because mice collect these roots and store them for their winter food. It is picked before the tundra freezes. The mouse food comes from roots that grow under the tundra and they’re one to two inches in length. These pictures show mouse food that was picked over the weekend.
Usually people will pick mouse food in large quantities and wash them throughout the entire day. It is cooked with water until it becomes soft and easy to break apart. The excess mouse food is stored in Ziploc bags and then frozen. Ziploc bags are used for storing several types of subsistence food in the village. Mouse food is commonly turned into an Eskimo ice-cream dessert called “akutaq”. There are many ways to enjoy mouse food. Some people will remove it from the freezer and cook it again. It’s used like an extra vegetable when cooking bird or seal soup. Some people will eat it simply by dipping it in seal oil.
Usually people will pick mouse food in large quantities and wash them throughout the entire day. It is cooked with water until it becomes soft and easy to break apart. The excess mouse food is stored in Ziploc bags and then frozen. Ziploc bags are used for storing several types of subsistence food in the village. Mouse food is commonly turned into an Eskimo ice-cream dessert called “akutaq”. There are many ways to enjoy mouse food. Some people will remove it from the freezer and cook it again. It’s used like an extra vegetable when cooking bird or seal soup. Some people will eat it simply by dipping it in seal oil.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Walrus
This weekend one of the locals caught a walrus. Usually at least one walrus is shot each year. The picture shows a walrus that was cut up on Saturday by several local residents. The person who shot the walrus keeps the ivory tusks. It took several men to haul the walrus from the ocean, to the river, and back to the village. Once the walrus meat was butchered, an announcement was made on the VHF offering to give each family some walrus meat. Sharing is very common in this community. People still live a subsistence lifestyle and there’s always game to freeze before winter arrives.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Weekly Blog
Last night after class I went to a “Women’s Throwing” party. This is the second one I’ve been to since I’ve been back. A local lady had a throwing party next to her yard, but I am not sure for what occasion. I invited some teachers, but none of them came because they were busy working during after school hours. I got there shortly after the lady began her party. I had to bring my gloves because it was cold outside and I was freezing a little bit. The lady stood on top of a tall freezer van. Some of the gifts she threw were cloths, rugs, bowls, clothes-pins, hair accessories for little girls, mini-bottles of hair shampoo, conditioners, lotions, tubberware, Alaska Ulu Knives, yarn, combs, and other plastic containers. This time it was not a huge crowd, probably because of the cold temperature. I enjoyed the fresh air outside and not being locked up in my study room. This was my excitement for the week.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Community of Kongiganak
Hello everyone,
I want to share more information about Kongiganak, since I didn't include enough information when I published my flicker slideshow. Kongiganak has been experiencing a moderate population growth over the last several years. The origin of the village began in 1964 when my grandparents, Charlie and Elizabeth David, along with another family moved to Kong from Kwigillingok. They moved because they wanted to live on higher land. Flooding was a concern in Kwigillingok and that basically forced the moved. Shortly thereafter, the population of Kongiganak started to increase.
Kongiganak is an unincorporated community within an unorganized borough. It is governed by a traditional council. The council owns and operates the washeteria, the village office, the community center and the health clinic. Qemirtalek Coast Corporation was incorporated in 1972 after the Native Claims Settlement Act was passed on December 18, 1971. With 250 people enrolled in the corporation, Qemirtalek was entitled to 115,200 acres of land. Qemirtalek Coast Corporation is managed by five board of directors. Children born after December 18, 1971 don’t receive stock from their corporation.
Currently there are two active religious denominations in Kongiganak. Approximately three quarters of the villagers are Moravian. The church consists of about 250 members. When Kongiganak was first established, community members of around twenty people would gather in tents for church services.The current Moravian church was constructed right after the log cabin school was built in the early 1970’s. The congregation is maintained and operated by the congregation and by selected officers.
The Russian Orthodox Church has a congregation of about fifty members. One of their main annual celebrations is the Russian Christmas (Slaviq). In early January, members of the church take part in activities that are related to the Slaviq celebration. Families donate gifts and they are given to various households. While at the houses, members of the Russian Orthodox Church will sing songs, pass out gifts, pray and eat with members of that particular household. This will continue from one house to another until all of the gifts have been distributed. Generally school starts around January 10th, paying respect to this tradition.
When Kongiganak was first established, about sixty students used the log cabin for their classes. Students were given the option of staying in the village and receiving an 8th grade education, or going on to a boarding school for their high school years. Some students went to boarding schools in Mt. Edgecumbe, Sitka, and Oklahoma.
In 1975 a new school was built. The school was large enough to educate students from kindergarten through the 12th grade. The school was named after a life long school board member, Dick R. Kiunya. The school was built with classrooms on two sides of the hallways. In the middle, temporary partitions were set up and used as classrooms. At the time, a school developer felt the children could learn better if students were in an open area. It’s questionable whether this format actually has improved or impeded the students learning.
Today there are about 120 students enrolled at the school. Many students are active in basketball, cross-country, Native Youth Olympics and student government. Over the last couple of decades, several students have to go to boarding school in Mt. Edgecumbe, Sitka and Nenana. Parents often feel that students in boarding schools are offered more structure, better academic opportunities, more educational role models and a wider variety of extra curricular activities that allows the students to travel.
The people of Kongiganak have been dependent on land, water and the welfare system for their survival. There is plenty of wild game to fill the freezers of residents year round. Many people hunt for caribou, moose, ducks, geese, ptarmigan, seal and walrus. Salmon, white fish, herring and halibut are harvested from the waters.
Berry picking is a main stay in the village. Several people go out on the tundra between the months of July and September to pick blackberries, blueberries, salmonberries, raspberries and red berries. Berries are often used to make akutaq. Hunting, fishing and gathering berries has gone on for years.
Kongiganak is a relatively new village having only been in existence for less than 50 years. My family relatives said they have seen many changes in Kongiganak since its inception in 1964. While the subsistence lifestyle has remained fairly constant, the ways and means of hunting and fishing has changed. More boats, four wheelers and snow machines have given hunters and fisherman an upper hand on gathering meat and fish for their families. The growth in the village also has increase in the number of planes flying into the village. Three small airlines travel to Kongiganak on a regular basis transporting goods and passengers to and from Bethel and the surrounding communities.
I want to share more information about Kongiganak, since I didn't include enough information when I published my flicker slideshow. Kongiganak has been experiencing a moderate population growth over the last several years. The origin of the village began in 1964 when my grandparents, Charlie and Elizabeth David, along with another family moved to Kong from Kwigillingok. They moved because they wanted to live on higher land. Flooding was a concern in Kwigillingok and that basically forced the moved. Shortly thereafter, the population of Kongiganak started to increase.
Kongiganak is an unincorporated community within an unorganized borough. It is governed by a traditional council. The council owns and operates the washeteria, the village office, the community center and the health clinic. Qemirtalek Coast Corporation was incorporated in 1972 after the Native Claims Settlement Act was passed on December 18, 1971. With 250 people enrolled in the corporation, Qemirtalek was entitled to 115,200 acres of land. Qemirtalek Coast Corporation is managed by five board of directors. Children born after December 18, 1971 don’t receive stock from their corporation.
Currently there are two active religious denominations in Kongiganak. Approximately three quarters of the villagers are Moravian. The church consists of about 250 members. When Kongiganak was first established, community members of around twenty people would gather in tents for church services.The current Moravian church was constructed right after the log cabin school was built in the early 1970’s. The congregation is maintained and operated by the congregation and by selected officers.
The Russian Orthodox Church has a congregation of about fifty members. One of their main annual celebrations is the Russian Christmas (Slaviq). In early January, members of the church take part in activities that are related to the Slaviq celebration. Families donate gifts and they are given to various households. While at the houses, members of the Russian Orthodox Church will sing songs, pass out gifts, pray and eat with members of that particular household. This will continue from one house to another until all of the gifts have been distributed. Generally school starts around January 10th, paying respect to this tradition.
When Kongiganak was first established, about sixty students used the log cabin for their classes. Students were given the option of staying in the village and receiving an 8th grade education, or going on to a boarding school for their high school years. Some students went to boarding schools in Mt. Edgecumbe, Sitka, and Oklahoma.
In 1975 a new school was built. The school was large enough to educate students from kindergarten through the 12th grade. The school was named after a life long school board member, Dick R. Kiunya. The school was built with classrooms on two sides of the hallways. In the middle, temporary partitions were set up and used as classrooms. At the time, a school developer felt the children could learn better if students were in an open area. It’s questionable whether this format actually has improved or impeded the students learning.
Today there are about 120 students enrolled at the school. Many students are active in basketball, cross-country, Native Youth Olympics and student government. Over the last couple of decades, several students have to go to boarding school in Mt. Edgecumbe, Sitka and Nenana. Parents often feel that students in boarding schools are offered more structure, better academic opportunities, more educational role models and a wider variety of extra curricular activities that allows the students to travel.
The people of Kongiganak have been dependent on land, water and the welfare system for their survival. There is plenty of wild game to fill the freezers of residents year round. Many people hunt for caribou, moose, ducks, geese, ptarmigan, seal and walrus. Salmon, white fish, herring and halibut are harvested from the waters.
Berry picking is a main stay in the village. Several people go out on the tundra between the months of July and September to pick blackberries, blueberries, salmonberries, raspberries and red berries. Berries are often used to make akutaq. Hunting, fishing and gathering berries has gone on for years.
Kongiganak is a relatively new village having only been in existence for less than 50 years. My family relatives said they have seen many changes in Kongiganak since its inception in 1964. While the subsistence lifestyle has remained fairly constant, the ways and means of hunting and fishing has changed. More boats, four wheelers and snow machines have given hunters and fisherman an upper hand on gathering meat and fish for their families. The growth in the village also has increase in the number of planes flying into the village. Three small airlines travel to Kongiganak on a regular basis transporting goods and passengers to and from Bethel and the surrounding communities.
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