Airport Project and Land Erosion

Iwas amazed to see trailers and vehicles for the first time in this village. Several barges have been coming in this past summer when the tide is high. The barges are bringing in dirt for the 17 million dollar airport project. They will continue to come in several times each week until the river freezes. Quality Asphalt Pavement Co. (QAP) is in the process of expanding and widening the airport runway. The project is expected to have a completion date some time next summer.

The community also has been dealing with land erosion along the river for several years. This land erosion prevention project will cost 4.7 million dollars. The QAP Company is putting rocks along the river to put a stop to the erosion. This project began in the summer and work will continue until the river freezes. It is expected to be completed some time in 2009.

Building Supplies for the New School

I came home last month and was surprised to see several projects going on in our small community. Its official, Kongiganak is getting a new school at a cost of about 22.5 million dollars. I took these photos on September 1 which was the first day the barge brought in supplies. Most of the school building supplies are stacked and ready for January 2009, when 30-40 workers will start building the school. They plan to have it completed in time for the 2010-2011 school year. Dick R. Kiunya Memorial School is the name of our present school that was built in 1976. The community is excited to get a brand new school with a different name.

Tundra Vegetables

My aunt picked these tundra vegetables called, “Kapuukaraat” in Yup’ik. They are found on mossy edges of tundra lakes and in ponds along the coast of the Kuskokwim. They are picked and cleaned in water. The vegetables are frozen and used in bird soup and stir fry caribou. While not eaten raw, they can also be used as a side dish with seal and fish. They provide a rich source of Vitamin C. We have many nutritious Native foods available in the Kuskokwim area. People along the coast have lived off the land and picked these good nutritious foods for many years. Most people stay busy gathering food from spring time until the fall.

I will be gone most of the summer and won’t be taking part in subsistence gathering and hunting. I am going to continue taking classes through distance education this summer. I will be back mid-August and should have plenty of time to take part in some subsistence gathering activities.

Have a great summer!

Bearded Seal

My cousin David shot a bearded seal yesterday when he went hunting with one of his cousins. His cousin shot one and took it home to his family. We call this type of seal "Maklaar". There are several types of bearded seals and most are generally larger than the one shown here.
In this picture his Mom and girlfriend are cutting up the seal. This time of the year many fathers and sons in the village hunt seals and freeze the meat in preparation for the winter. We have a lot of birds flying in the sky and the snow is starting to melt….signs of summer weather around the corner.

Class

I would like to wish everyone in this class good luck in your future careers as educators. I am proud to see growing numbers of Native teachers in Alaska. I would like to thank Skip Via for teaching us valuable skills in technology that have prepared me for my upcoming education classes. I have learned a lot from the lessons and assignments I completed in this class. I’ve enjoyed reading my peers and the instructors stories and comments this semester. The information I have learned from this class will help me with my upcoming classes as well as my career as a teacher.
I would like to wish everyone a “Angniq Alussistuaq” (Merry Christmas) and a “Assilriamek Allraquukegtaarmek”! (Happy New Year).

Video

Enjoy the imovie.

Traditional Wooden Sled

I was walking to the post office this afternoon and I saw Ralph Kiunya making a wooden sled. I had seen him make wooden sleds several times since I’ve been back to Kong. I asked him what he’s going to do with it. When he’s finished building it, he will sell it to someone from another village for a couple hundred dollars. From time to time he receives orders for wooden sleds. Ralph has a reputation for creating quality sleds at a low price. He’s Kong’s version of Wal-Mart, but instead of the goods coming from China, they come from the hardworking hands of an American Yup'ik Eskimo.

Since jobs are very scarce in the villages, some people continue to make things like native crafts like baskets, jewelry, parkas, etc. as a way of making income. While craft items are often sold to tourists, sleds are bought, sold and traded within this region to locals who must have this in order to survive the arctic winters. Ralph has been making wooden sleds for several years. Most families here have wooden sleds to haul driftwood for steam baths or chunks of ice for drinking water. People often use wooden sleds as a means of transporting passengers on snow-machines to nearby villages.