Furry creatures
8-24-08
by Peter Twitchell
What is that furry creature out there behind the house? It’s able to jump in a single bound and leap over creeks, lakes, rivers and ravines. It isn’t dad, it’s a musk ox! What brings wild animals to and within the city limits?
When you think about it, four legged creatures abound everywhere. They have been free to roam for thousands of years. Well, one finally came to Bethel, where it came from is anybody’s guess.
According to Fish and Wildlife Services species information, “The ancestors of Yukon musk ox roamed grasslands in Asia along with mammoths, woolly rhinoceros and caribou. Musk ox evolved in these cold regions into their current ox-like form. Musk ox are one of the few large animals, including caribou, moose, and grizzly bear, that outlasted the cold climate of the ice age and still survive today.”
Musk ox are vulnerable to over-hunting. The main reason is that their group defense position, so effective against wolf packs, provides little protection from humans with guns. Musk ox in a defense ring are easily shot. For this and other reasons, musk ox disappeared from many areas of their former range including the North Slope of Alaska.
By 1967, musk ox numbers had increased so much that hunting under a quota system was permitted in several Inuit communities in Alaska and the Northwest Territories. Musk ox were found on the Yukon and Alaskan North Slope until the middle of the 1800’s when they disappeared. Musk ox were re-introduced to the North Slope in Alaska in 1969 with the transplant of 51 animals from Greenland to Nunivak Island.
Musk oxen also have been reintroduced in Russia, to Wrangell Island and on the Tamayr Peninsula. Worldwide musk oxen now number about 125,000.
The population grew rapidly and began to spread to the west, east and south. Today there are estimated to be over 800 musk ox in this population, ranging across the Yukon and Alaskan North Slopes in the adjacent areas. There are approximately 500 musk ox on the North Slope, 190 on the Yukon North Slope, 110 in NWT (Northwest Territories) west of Mackenzie River and an additional 30 musk ox in the Yukon south towards Old Crow.
We hope more will thrive in the Kuskokwim Region. Musk oxen have a low reproductive rate with single calves born annually or 2 to 3 years. At 3 years of age, cows normally bear their first calf. Mating takes place in August and September with most calves born in late April or May.
And, now Musk Ox population: 1 in Bethel, Alaska.
Share your expertise
8-14-08
by Peter Twitchell
What are you expert at? Are you good at mending salmon nets, smelt nets, or are you expert at making canoes?
Athabascans from interior Alaska are experts at making birch bark canoes. People along the coast like in Kipnuk are experts in making qayaqs, the old fashioned way. My cousin Joe is expert in carving earrings, bracelets, from ivory and masks and figurines from driftwood. He can draw images of geese, landscapes, etc. Some people are experts cutting and sculpting life size bears, sea mammals, and eagles.
I watched Elder Waska Evon of Bethel make a traditional Black fish trap made from willows, connecting each strand of carved wood with its roots. Or are you expert at making storyknives from the bones of caribou, ivory or wood?
When we were young, Daniel Kashatok and his brother Tony and I were experts in making slingshots. We were in our early teens and we knew instinctively which Y’s on the trees to carve and which inner tubes of tires would have the most strength in terms of pounds per pull.
Some people are experts in making toys out of driftwood. Women have different expertise - weaving baskets, sewing, beading, and making qaspeqs and parkas. Fifty years ago, women could sew small tiny squares of calf hide and sew them to the bottom hems of fur parkas. Women don’t seem to have the patience or the time to spend hours making intricate designs on articles of clothing. Some women are excellent bakers and cooks. Some are expert in making deep-fried breads, fish akutaq, and strips.
If we stop and think about it, we can come up with a skill that we have. When I was a kid, Elder Tom Nelson (Jacob and Arthur Nelson’s dad) was expert at making wooden arrows carved from blazo/kerosene boxes.
My grandpa was expert at making fish hooks for lush fish from the bones of bear, reindeer, caribou or moose. He had a technique for bending nails and then flattening the ends of them so they fit tightly snug in the tip of the bone lure. My grandma Hannah caught dozens of lush fish during winter nights using these homemade hooks.
I remember mom putting red yarn on the top of the hooks she used. I have several hooks that I found in storage, and it’s amazing how professionally these hooks were made.
We all have expertise in something. Some people are really interesting storytellers, like Tom Nelson was. We all have the capacity to share our knowledge and expertise with others who are willing to learn.
Just recently, I attended a Financial Literacy workshop with the staff of ONC’s social services department. I benefited greatly from someone else’s expertise and have begun to make some life changes in regards to money. I understand more clearly how to manage my money. This is something that I wish I had been taught in grade school. I am convinced about one thing. It’s never too late to learn!
Our Elders are wise and understand life’s circumstances and how to live a good life. The things that grandma Hannah used to tell me are still true today as they were back then, some fifty years ago.
I am requesting that you utilize our Elders’ wisdom and knowledge to your advantage and our children’s advantage. Never be afraid to share your expertise with others. It’s a give and take proposition. We all benefit.
Peter Twitchell is ONC’s Tribal Court Family Navigator.
Powerful families
8-6-08
by Peter Twitchell
I just returned from Anchorage. I was there almost the entire week attending the “Casey Powerful Families” workshop. It was a 9-week course compressed down to a 4-day workshop covering 4-6 lessons a day. It was an exhilarating training and one that I will personally reap the benefits of when I work with ONC’s tribal members.
When I left this workshop on the final day, I felt like I was at the top of my best. It’s a good feeling to have because once you learn to apply the various concepts of living a better life to your own life, everything begins to work in your own best interest.
You’ve got to use the tools you are given every day. Begin looking at each day as on opportunity to start over and do it right. It’s like changing old behavior that never benefited you or anyone to where new healthy behavior helps you if you practice it every day.
I would recommend one of Casey’s programs to anyone who is working in human services. Ultimately, your clients are the ones who benefit. I have renewed source of energy within my capacity as a Family Navigator at ONC’s Tribal Court and working with ONC’s Social Services program.
It was a good break from the intense training last Thursday to run outside the downtown Marriot and see two young bulls in the parking lot. It was a good reminder of the fall moose hunting season coming up. I had an invite to go up to Ronnie’s Camp or go for a “boat ride” with my hunting partner Tony Avalos. If I choose the former, it will be a matter of days to get my moose. Whereas, if I choose the latter, I might be out hunting in God’s Country for two weeks. I would really have a chance to unwind while getting a lot of fresh air and putting in some fly fishing and bear/caribou hunting. Either way, I am truly blessed!
Brain power
7-30-08
by Peter Twitchell
We all have brains. Ever wonder why we limit ourselves when our brains can do so much more? Why do you think that our social security numbers are only nine digits and why phone numbers often are only seven digits? We should be able to remember numbers, but we often limit memory to special events and special people.
Why do we bother to memorize names that are important to us? We better remember our supervisor’s name. We make it a point to remember our health care provider’s name. So, why don’t we remember people’s names when we meet them casually? While it is important to remember an IRS agent’s name, it’s the proper thing to do.
I was at a workshop twice when the instructor asked us to give our first names. There was at least 30 people in the conference room and he greeted us reciting each of our names. I was amazed. He chose to remember each of our names. I thought…WOW, what an accomplishment! The reason you and I can’t do this is because we tell our brain, “I can’t do it.” Therefore, our brain stalls because we tell it to. The brain isn’t going to do what we don’t tell it to.
When we’re culturally grounded, we know who we are and we know how to be a good Yupiaq person and our behavior reflects that. We are not living in a fantasy world and our lives are not dictated by television. Don’t get me wrong. The television has been a wonderful device to bring us news, sports and entertainment. I watch news occasionally (once maybe twice a week), David Letterman (sometimes twice a week), and occasionally the “Price is Right.”
We limit ourselves in other ways too. You ever try to lose weight or get into shape? Why is it we fail at these attempts? We don’t tell ourselves convincingly because we only fantasize about losing weight or getting our bodies into tip-top shape.
Next time tell yourself, “I’m going to lose weight. I’m going to eat healthy foods and I’m going to walk everyday. I’m going to go to bed and get my eight hours sleep and rest. I’m going to get up tomorrow, ready to meet the new day, and a new beginning.” Then tell yourself, “I’m going to have a good day!”
Like my son David often tells me, “Just be honest.” Think about it. Being honest and rigorously honest has many applications. Have a nice day.
Walt Monegan
7-23-08
by Peter Twitchell
State Commissioners come and they go, but in the case of Commissioner of Public Safety Walt Monegan, his departure from that position was premature. I can say that the action of Governor Sarah Palin was quite immature, especially when it came to firing a man who had a clean record with no improprieties to speak of.
Besides Walt was one of us. He was raised in rural Alaska with a good cross-cultural experience. He grew up at NYAC and knew the people of rural Alaska. He understood the culture, traditions and customs. His vast knowledge of the people of Alaska didn’t count for nothing at the end. I think Governor Palin made a poor choice to replace Commissioner Monegan.
Usually people are given a chance to perform their duties in carrying them out. I thought Commissioner Monegan wasn’t given that choice. To me, it’s like yanking out an experienced road crew before they had a chance to grade it and lay out the asphalt.
I didn’t vote for Sarah, but she has far exceeded my expectations of her. She has done her job to the best of her ability. She is only human and it’s human nature to make mistakes. And, boy, did she make a big one this time!
I haven’t heard one good reason why Commissioner Monegan was replaced. Can you justify Governor Palin, why you replaced Walt?
Is it because Commissioner Copp is going to eradicate our alcohol and drug problems in rural Alaska? Is this a new direction you’re taking? Wishful thinking. We’ve had alcohol problems as far back as I can remember – 50 years! We’ve lived with drug problems for 40 years!
Walt Monegan is a friend to ALL Alaskans! He worked hard to get to where he was. We know the superb job he did as Anchorage Police Chief. It saddens us to see Walt being let go before he could finish his work as Commissioner of Public Safety. He was a great asset to our state and will continue to be in any capacity he serves us.
Thank You Walt Monegan for your unselfish service to all the people of Alaska!
Two heads are better than one
7-16-08
by Peter Twitchell
Ever wonder where our kids learn some of their negative behaviors? All negative behaviors aren’t picked up at the home front, but much of it is.
Without thinking, us adults can be talking with our spouses, partners or friends either in person or on the phone. During these conversations we could say things without thinking, and guess who picked up on our conversation? More than likely, it was our kids.
Just think, we can be carrying on a conversation and harming our children inadvertently.
What do we say on the phone or in our conversations with others? Gossiping always has some negative sides to it, otherwise, why do people gossip? Have you ever talked about someone behind their back, call them names, or say an expletive like, “those d--- (nationality or ethnic group). We’ve all done it one time or another.
The brain is a pattern-seeking device and it picks up both the good and the bad.
When our children constantly hear us being overly critical of others they too can fall into a negative pattern. They refer to a negative pattern of thinking and acting as, “a learned behavior.”
There is a significant relationship between the brain and behavior.
And whether or not we are aware of it, we are teaching our children bad habits, and negative ways of thinking of others.
It’s a big responsibility raising and nurturing our children. Get your child’s brain ready for the challenges of this world. Us adults are responsible for our actions, and ways of thinking first and foremost, and our children next. They are the benefactors of our wisdom or lack of it.
As parents we can stop and think before we say something we might regret later on, take a deep breath and relax. And rather than become upset, we can learn self-discipline by calming ourselves before bringing our mind to the present. Learn to connect with your mind, your feelings and your children in a positive way.
My Mom used to instruct me, “umyuangcarraarluteng taugaam qanraqluten,” meaning, “always think before you speak.” When I reflect on this, just think how many lives can be healthier in body, spirit and mind, because we took a few seconds to think before we spoke.
The words in the third paragraph, “The brain is a pattern-seeking device,” come from “Conscious Discipline” (Teaching to the Head, Hand, and Heart), featuring Certified Conscious Discipline Instructors Kay Zastrow and Peggy Simonis. Just goes to show that two heads are better than one sometimes.
Peter Twitchell is ONC’s Family Navigator.
Happy children
7-9-08
by Peter Twitchell
I was privileged to be one of the guests on Peter Jacob’s KYUK radio talk show on June 30, 2008. Those present were: Peter Jacob, Sophie Jenkins, Stella Wassillie, Mardy Hanson, Mary Johnson, Sarah Jenkins, and Peter Twitchell. People called from Akiak, Eek, and Bethel. The main topic of discussion was Children.
When our grandparents were children they were instructed to “listen” to the Elders of the Tribe. Difficult children were placed among the men of the Qasgiq for the day if they weren’t good listeners.
Back then the Elders were in charge of the conversation. When they spoke, everyone listened. The Elders were respected to the utmost. They were the leaders who spoke the truth and their wisdom led the tribe on a good and safe path avoiding all danger and trouble. Today children feel like they have to be in control and dominate a conversation.
A caller from Akiak, “Angilan”, reiterated that “children need to be corrected immediately; placed with the Elders, and not wait until tomorrow.”
A childbearing woman was instructed to care for her child and never leave the child alone for extended times, nor in the care of siblings saying, “Yuucit-llu tarraruciqan.” This was a teaching under the heading, “Irniangqerrsaram Ayuqucianek” (code of conduct for a new Mother). Entering Motherhood was a gigantic step and came with great responsibility for a young Mother.
In modern day, grandparents have become caretakers for their children’s children. Grandparents become distressed. A crying baby distresses them. They are discontent with raising a second generation of children. They have already done their job, raising their own children. Grandparents want serenity in their lives.
Both parents and grandparents have a role in the instruction of children. Children need instruction from the time they start talking through their pre-teen and teenage years.
A caller named “Itumuralria” stated that a child needs to understand instructions and they need to be made clear to them in order to be on the path of his/her well-being. He said, “It is when instruction becomes beyond the child’s comprehension or understanding that the child loses interest.”
One caller originally from the Nelson Island area, stated that it is imperative that a parent talks to their daughter or son when they sober up about the importance of the responsibility of raising a healthy child.
Time and time again the Elders agreed that “it is important to give instructions to the young, as they would use those tools they were given later on.”
One Elder, originally from Mekoryuk stated, “Speak to the young or one sibling to another in a normal voice.” This strengthens their relationship, and more apt to listen and pay attention.
The important thing is to keep all lines of communication open and most important is to listen to parents and grandparents when they give instructions on “how to raise a child.” The Elders give us options and tools we can draw from, if not immediately, later on. It’s never too late. We can help our children to avert and avoid hazards and the trials of life.
The world is not all bad
6-24-08
by Peter Twitchell
The world is not all bad, nor is it a bad place to live. And sometimes it can bring a smile to your face.
Once upon a time in this not-so-bad world of ours, there lived a loving couple. She was a wise, broad-shouldered and heavy-set woman. Her Yup’ik name was Urulleq. He was skinny as a noodle, obedient husband whose Yup’ik name was Tengtelleq. Oh, and…she was the boss of everything!
One fine day they set out in their 20 foot wooden skiff to look for salmon berries for she was getting hungry for some akutaq (Eskimo ice cream). Once in a great while she pointed her arm and her finger away from driftwood and sandbars. Just the same, he was tip-toeing constantly, peering off to her side, and then the other to look and read the water.
As they entered the mouth of the Johnson River heading up the river, they saw a small patch of tundra next to the river. He killed the kicker, parked the boat, and both of them headed back to where the berries were in abundance. In less than half a day they managed to pick about 5 gallons of berries. She wanted to return home to make akutaq. She cautioned her husband in a soft sweet voice, “Murilkekina ata ut’reskumegnuk.” (On our way home, please watch where you’re going).
On the way home, everything was fine for the first 45 minutes as he tip-toed, looking side to side of his wife as best he could until his toes started burning and cramping. On the return trip his aipaq (wife) was facing him, not wanting to get windburn. All of a sudden the boat came to a halt, the prop of the Elto motor throwing mud at them, and the bucket of salmon berries bursting into a cloud of orange berries flying every which way.
He had grounded their wooden skiff onto a sandbar. He managed to stay on his feet (not living up to his name), but his wife was hurled forward lying on her back with her legs straight up, pointing to the sky.
The husband moved quickly to his aipaq’s aid. When she finally got on her feet and had adjusted her kuspuk and straightened her pelatuuk (scarf) (nuliara qanertuq), “Usuuq…maagun pivkenak, avagun taugaam. (Pikanirluni-gguq nuliqcua qanertuq): “Usviilnguq maagguilartuq (pointing in the direction of the sandbar). Usvitulriit-llu avaggun (pointing toward the channel and deeper water)”.
In essence she said, “My dear husband, don’t traverse this way, go that way.” She continued (raising her voice ever so slightly). “An airhead goes this way (pointing at the sandbar) and a wise man, (pointing at the channel) goes that way!”
The moral of this story is, to lift up your wife and give her encouragement such as:, “You give good directions, we haven’t gotten hung up on a sandbar yet.” Or telling your aipaq “by working together and the both of us watching out for driftwood, we have extended the life of our outboard motor.”
Mandatory reporting
of child sexual abuse
6-18-08
by Peter Twitchell
This years 4th Annual Tundra Women’s Coalition sponsored Conference, Moving Forward to Wholeness; was held June 4 – 6, 2008 in Bethel, Alaska. The theme was “End Violence” toward children. The keynote speaker for Wednesday and Thursday sessions was Julia Brown from Kongiganak.
The conference touched on mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect. A mandatory reporter will: report what he/she witnessed or heard from a child, which includes unwelcome touching and fondling, sexual odor, sexual abuse, molestation, physical abuse, black and blue marks on the body, arms, legs, face, and cuts.
Neglect of children includes: dirty, hungry, messy dirty hair, dirty torn clothes. Children should be encouraged to speak freely even if they have something unpleasant to tell you. They will tell you in trust as you listen and not get upset. We need to change our way of thinking even though as a Yupiaq community we have customs and traditional beliefs.
In mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse, physical, emotional, and all forms of abuses towards our children, there are no barriers. Keep in mind the health of the child and the fact they need us to intervene for them. Everyone is a potential perpetrator: brother, uncle, Dad or other.
Everyone is a mandatory reporter when it comes to our children’s health. Mandatory reporters include: grandpa, grandma, dad, mom, teacher, pastor, ICWA worker, counselor, resident(s) and extended family. We all have a role. We are chosen to protect our children from the grief and horror of sexual, physical, emotional abuses and those who are already captives and prisoners of child sexual abuse. Don’t wait until you “hear something.”
Report what you see and know to OCS (Office of Children Services) and the Alaska State Troopers. Let your VPSO know. You may not be “popular” for reporting incidences of child sexual abuses. Believe a child if they tell you about being victimized. As counselors, ICWA workers, and residents of our community, it is our duty to let the authorities know. Keep in mind the confidentiality of the victim.
Get out of our comfort zone and work on their behalf in order to have healthy and happy children. What we do for our children is out of love. Us adults are the voice for our children.
Every child abuse perpetrator must be made known to the residents of the community. The children of the community must be protected against its perpetrators. If a child sexual abuse perpetrator is in the company of a child in the village, this must be reported. Each village should practice zero tolerance.
If my child is in the company of a child sexual abuser, I want to know about it. Every concerned parent who loves their children will feel the same way. Think about the consequences and the liability to our children if such crimes are not reported and prevented. Our children’s lives are important and their welfare is in our hands.
By reporting child sexual abuse you will ensure the safety of all children in your community. We hear and read too often how child sexual abuse is the “highest” in southwestern Alaska. We must stop this! Abusing children sexually, physically, emotionally, or any other way is not our Way of Life in the Eskimo community. Sad to say, it is a reality, and it must stop. Only you can carry the burden of responsibility. If you experience harassment for reporting, let the VPSO, VPO, or State Troopers know.
Peter Twitchell is ONC’s Family Navigator in Bethel, AK.
Child maltreatment
6-11-08
by Peter Twitchell
According to the publication, “Child Maltreatment 2006,” 905,000 children in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico were determined to be victims of abuse or neglect in fiscal year 2006. This figure is 905,000 too many!
If we love our child(ren) and hold them in the highest regard then this number will be reduced. People need to look at each child as a treasure and a gift from God. Children are loaned to us to love and cherish. Our children are with us only for a short while until they are out on their own. Give each child loving and pleasant memories of being with you, if only for 18 years out of their whole lifetime.
I love my 4 children. We have one adopted child, but she is like my very own blood. I love her no more and no less than I do my own biological children.
If we love our children we will be there for them. Perhaps some of us will take the time to tell them, “I’m here if there is anything that you ever want to tell me. I am here if you are faced with difficult issues to help you. Don’t ever be afraid to talk to me about anything that is uncomfortable and difficult. I am here for you.”
One of those difficult issues could be if anyone touches our children in an inappropriate way, such as child sexual abuse which includes unwelcome touching. Child molestation is a reality even in the Eskimo community. It is not only here, but happens in every state in the United States and even occurs in other countries such as Iran and Iraq.
It is not normal in the Eskimo community. It has to stop. As parents, Elders, and concerned community members we need to protect our children. We must tell our children whom they can talk to in our communities about unwelcome touching. School children can tell their teacher at school, Sunday school, family members, extended family members or others they feel comfortable confiding in and to people they trust. This must become a standard of living in our communities.
If you are a concerned community member and you see or know of a child who needs help, support them by reporting what you know to the proper authorities. We need to protect our children from harm. We can intervene on their behalf and open up an avenue for healing from their hurt.
Helping them through their ordeal can free them from suicide, bondage to alcohol and other deadly chemicals, and self-destructive behavior later on. It’s up to each one of us to help in the healing process of wounded spirits.
If you have been sexually molested, abused, the best thing you can do for yourself is talk about it with someone you trust or a counselor in your village. If we never talk about our hurt and pain we will pass this hurt down to our children and to our grandchildren. If we don’t help the victims, they themselves will become perpetrators. This can become a vicious cycle.
Unloading ugly baggage such as sexual abuse or rape by talking about it will start the healing. You will get up and run and not be weary. You will soar with the Eagles. We need to start supporting and help each other, especially those victims who fall prey to sexual abuse.
Listening is powerful
6-4-08
by Peter Twitchell
Our Yupiaq Ancestors used to tell us kids, “I’m telling you this…because, I love you.”
Listening is a form of respect, also love. If the speaker is speaking to us with love, we are more apt to listen to what they have to tell us.
When I was growing up, us kids listened intently to what we were being told. We never answered back and we never talk back if we didn’t agree.
If listening is love, then listening to our children when they speak to us tells them, “I love you and I care about you and I want to get to know you better. What you have to say to me matters enough that I will take time out of my busy adult life to listen to what you have to tell me.”
Bridges between two people are built by listening to what the other has to say. Listening is powerful. The other end of the spectrum is dividing. If we don’t care, we won’t listen and we’ll constantly interrupt what the other person has to say. We’ll even talk over what they’re trying to say and even finish their sentences for them. We never get the message because we’re not listening. Interrupting the speaker is a shortcut to disagreements. Listening quietly prevents divisiveness and arguments.
If you never listen to anyone, you never allow them in. It’s like you lock your door and never open it. It’s like a salmon pressure cooker that creates a vacuum in a jar and seals the lid tighter and tighter.
You know what happens when we are in disagreement with someone, especially someone we are close to. We begin talking louder and louder and soon we get into a shouting match with each other.
Going back to the other end of the spectrum if we let the other person speak, for example, if they were upset to begin with and we just let them talk, they soon reach a sea of tranquility.
Sometimes when a person is talking about a problem they’ve encountered and we listen and let them speak, they will soon come up with a solution to their problem or answer their own questions.
In a counseling situation, you listen and give them some tools that they can implement into their treatment program. You repeat what they’ve said back to them with more structure or encouragement and they realize that they knew the answers all along but needed outside validation.
Back in high school I had both male and female friends. They confided in me, problems they were having. For instance, a female friend told me about boy problems she was having. I never always had an answer to their problems but I listened to them speak, not interrupting them. It was like they were glad to have me in their presence.
Today, I can look at this experience like volunteering at the radio station. The radio signal covers and area of a 100 mile radius all around. I’m not listening to people and their problems per say, but I feel like a welcome guest.
Peter Twitchell is ONC’s Family Navigator in Bethel, AK.
What helps our children, part 2
5-28-08
by Peter Twitchell
I’d like to examine the bonding aspect of child development and our well-being. My workplace, ONC’s Tribal Court and Social Services Department advocates for healthy families.
When you think of bonding you will realize that it is an important and integral part of growing up. Bonding with family, our cultural heritage, and traditions gives us a sense of unity, purpose and identity. When you have an attachment to your family, you are less likely to stray from your family values. When we are a family, we have supervision and people who really care about us. We all need our family’s support as well as our community’s support.
Some of the ways in which our family supports us is in their instructions and directions as we are growing up. They want us to do well in school and in life. They are generous with sharing their knowledge with us.
For instance, a father who takes his son out hunting, fishing, camping, and teaches his son the skills necessary to be successful out in the field and also teaches him survival skills. They instruct us how to behave in school and in our relationships with others. They teach us what is appropriate behavior and what isn’t. So we venture out on our own and try these concepts and we realize that what our parents, grandparents, and extended family taught us - works!
Our teachers in school and at home don’t want to harm us, but they want to help us to be better people. All of us are influenced by our environment. If we’re around a grouchy person we’re not going to be easy to be around.
My dad took me rod and reel fishing when I was too young to stay awake. When I fell asleep he carried me back to the tent. I was glad that he cared enough to take me out with him.
Several times when I was too young to run, he pulled me in a wagon to his duck blind, several miles from our house across the river from Bethel. I observed with great interest and awe how he bent the willows to make a bird blind and call birds with a spent shotgun shell with a v-shaped slit he cut with his pocketknife. I didn’t know you could do that and my young mind was amazed to see that immediately after he shot and ejected his first shell.
My dad taught me a lot in the short time he was with us. I felt confident in what he had taught me to just go and do it.
He taught me about gun safety. Number one, never point a gun at anyone. Treat each gun as if it was loaded. How to carry a gun through trees, or when crawling on the tundra. How to clean my shotguns and rifles, and put a shell in the chamber only when I am ready to shoot the gun.
He taught me all the basics about setting a set net, or drift net, lush fishtrap, lush fish hooks on a line, and set a net under the ice. I really appreciated him for letting me operate the outboard motor, even when he had to holler instructions to me over the roar of the motor. I knew he did it with love and concern.
Bonding with Mom came naturally watching her clean the house, do the dishes, scrub the floor, baking and cooking, threading the needle, picking berries and gathering greens. I did all of that and consider myself to be a pretty good cook. Some of my favorite dishes are moose/caribou curry, moose and salmon chop suey. I can even bake.
Bonding with a nurturing caregiver molds us and helps us form healthy attachments. Invest time and give a kid some.
I really appreciate the Big Sister - Big Brother programs, due to the fact that they may be a big influence on a kid who needs to have healthy bonding with role model adults.
Peter Twitchell is a Family Navigator with ONC.
What helps our children, part 1
5-20-08
by Peter Twitchell
As ONC’s Tribal Court and Social Services department was developed to provide child welfare services to children and their families, we will work in accord with the laws, traditions and the cultural values of the Orutsararmiut Native Council tribe.
We need to work cooperatively with other agencies, local, state and federal governments to ensure our children grow up healthy, and reach their full potential to contribute to the tribal community and the welfare of future generations.
Our born and unborn children need to grow up in a safe environment. Our children need good nurturing - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. What is hurtful to our children is neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse and emotional abuse. Some types of neglect are a failure to meet a child’s basic needs for physical, social, and emotional development.
Between birth and three (3) years - a child in a violent environment can suffer permanent irreversible impairment of brain development, or from failure to follow medical instructions or to seek medical care. Our children need constant guidance and instruction. Consistency in the care of our children is important as they put their full faith and dependence on us adults.
As it was so important for our grandma, grandpa, mom and dad to talk to us and give us meaningful instruction, it holds true today for us to teach our children. We must become more aware of our responsibilities to our children and instill in them the values we were given in our youth. Be aware of some of the long term negative effects on our children, if we don’t, we may not have the bonding with our children necessary for their well-being.
If we continue to neglect our children; they may have poor coping skills, learning and, emotional disabilities, limited parenting skills as adults, anti-social behavior, including aggression, alienation, withdrawl and isolation, and poor relationship skills.
Peter Twitchell works for ONC as a Family Navigator.
Ideas that work
5-13-08
by Peter Twitchell
There is someone among us who wants us to live a good comfortable life, saving thousands of dollars, and live a healthy life to its fullest. His dream has been to put 200-300 local people to work building energy efficient homes. He is and has been willing to teach our people for decades.
So far his ideas have fallen on deaf ears. I guess we have become too content with making big dollars and working in less than suitable offices and dwellings.
He wants us to start gardening fresh vegetables and stop eating foods loaded with food preservatives. Those same preservatives that we crave for in junk food and processed canned foods. He wants us to start eating healthy local foods, like wild game, ducks and geese that we can grow.
He reminded me today why people like my mother, Sarah Twitchell, who loved to garden and grew her own vegetables in the 1930’s through the early 1960’s before she relocated to Bethel from across the river, could no longer garden and why we can’t garden today.
We are restricted to building a house on our lot and that’s about it unless you’re wealthy enough to have two adjoining lots or 13 acres to cultivate to produce fresh produce.
This man has set the standard. He should be in the Alaskan history books. He should be on the front pages of the Anchorage Daily News! He should be featured on 60 Minutes. He is a trendsetter and his work should be patented! How can we not acknowledge this man and how can government not lend him an ear?
The answers to some of our nation’s energy crisis problems are right here in Bethel. This man is our neighbor. He is proven. You will be amazed at his ingenuity in capturing the solar energy from the sun and utilizing it to heat his underground gardens for just pennies a day.
This man doesn’t want to hurt you. To the contrary, he is more than willing to help you. He’s got ideas that work. We need more people like Tim Meyers in the world. I know in my heart that my grandkids will benefit from his work and contributions to Alaska!
God willing, he will build my next house, or at least it will come off his assembly line. Just imagine working and learning at the same time how to build his energy efficient houses and going home with eighteen thousand ($18,000.00) dollars. Just enough nest egg to begin constructing your own energy efficient homes in the villages of the Yukon and Kuskokwim Delta. Then calling Tim up and telling him that you would like to go to work when the next phase of building starts up again, which could be in a matter of a few months.
I know we will benefit from his gardens this summer. In the bigger picture, we can all benefit from hard work in cultivating and harvesting our own vegetables at fishcamp or at home. We can save hundreds of our hard earned dollars, if we just get off our butt and go harvest fish this summer and eat healthy next winter.
You and I both know that the price of food is just going to keep going up and up. Our government seems to be on the upswing and economy may spring back. What does that mean to you and I? Probably more money to spend buying food that we shouldn’t be eating.
With a little muscle and sweat on our brow, we will reap the rewards of our efforts to live healthier lives. Thanks to Tim Meyers for your hard work in making ours a healthier and better community.
Which is smarter?
5-6-08
by Peter Twitchell
I read “sad commentaries” regarding the trashing of our tundra. What does a raven think about before tearing into the plastic bags at the refuse landfill? His has perhaps a survival instinct to eat. The raven doesn’t look at the strewn plastic bags as a pollution problem, so I can’t even blame birds.
Someone told me not too long ago that ravens are smart birds. They may be in their own peculiar way, but not in a human sense. I don’t blame any one person for our pollution problem of toxic materials on our land and in our waters. It’s the human race collectively who is responsible for the mess we’re in. I thought for sure by now that we would smarten up.
The plastic on our tundra and in landfills all over the globe should be a concern. If we are truly concerned then we will come up with solutions, but not before there is some discussion on the matter. Matter of factly speaking, each one of us is instrumental in keeping our land, water and air clean and pristine.
You are smarter than any bird so why is it that birds aren’t part of our pollution problem? I can’t think of one problem birds cause. They may get sick when they ingest some of our human-made pollutants they come into contact with.
It is an eyesore to see all our trash being strewn about. It’s just as bad when you’re up in the foothills and discover empty aluminum cans strewn about or trash bags of plastic products like baby diapers laying on the tundra hundreds of miles outside any townsite. It makes me feel like we don’t really care about polluting our land.
What is worse still is when I see empty petroleum containers floating on the river or in our sloughs. We need to each do our part bagging our trash and bringing it back home where we can discard it properly. We can still invest in our environment.
When I heard about our elementary school kids going out to pick up plastic bags and trash from near the Mikelnguut Elitnaurviat School, I felt angry that they were exposed to contaminants. After thinking about this I thought perhaps the school administrators had wisdom and foresight in their actions.
When I was a school kid, I was impressionable. The kids learn that polluting our land is not appropriate behavior. And, even though they are exposed to some germs, wearing gloves and having appropriate supervision will avert them from contracting harmful bacteria. What a great educational and learning tool.
It is our responsibility to pick up after ourselves and keep our land clean. As long as we are here, we will always have trash to deal with.
Someone had a good suggestion about using reuseable bags that you can buy at AC for $1.50 apiece. This bag can be used over and over again. When I was growing up here in Bethel we never used plastic bags. Our groceries were put in biodegradable paper bags. We used the bags as fire starters at the smoke house.
We may have an abundance of trees right now to make products like paper bags but we can all learn to conserve, even a renewable resource like a tree. Which is smarter, a man or a bird?
Our kids need their own place
4-30-08
by Peter Twitchell
Buck Bukowski brought up a really good point about our kids in Bethel not having a place to hang out. This could be true about any community. He brought up the fact the Bethel Teen Center caters to the elementary school age children, but that the community library was not an appropriate place for kids to hang out due to the fact that “it is too structured.”
I agree Buck, kids need a place just to hang out with friends. When we were growing up in Bethel in the mid to late 1960’s we had “Mom’s Kitchen.” Helen Bautista the owner told me, “I want the kids to have their own place and I want you and your band to play (dances) on the weekends. The back room which measured approximately 16 X 40 feet was our “own place.” The front part of “Mom’s” was a cafe and the other side was the pool hall. Us kids really felt an ownership and really had a say on how the back room was used. Our job was to decorate it to our hearts content. Mom Bautista made sure that we had adequate tables and benches.
As community members and as leaders in our community, we need to serve ALL people including our kids. We get into positions of power and we soon forget about our kids needs. For example, we’ve taken over 20 years to come to terms with the idea of having a community swimming pool. We still don’t have an adequate place for our kids and teenagers to hang out but when it came to having bingo and rippie parlors, these became a reality almost overnight.
Let’s stop pushing our kids aside and work diligently as a community who cares about our future leaders to meet their needs and follow Buck’s advice. Let’s get a building where our kids can hang out with supervision. Give our kids their own space to be kids. Remember what they say about idle hands being “the Devil’s workshop.”
A second chance at life
4-22-08
by Peter Twitchell
It was sometime after the Alaska Native Land Claims settlement, my friend “JZ” was hired to go out to the field and help survey Native Allotments. On one such trip, JZ was dropped off on a hill. The hill was solid rock and he was to find the boundary line of two adjacent allotments.
On a break JZ went out on a ledge and looked at the beautiful environment. He said, “The river below me looked like a winding ribbon and the trees looked like toothpicks.” Just then JZ heard what he thought was a sharp blast of a big game rifle. In a split second the ledge rocked and starting falling. It was an instant adrenaline rush, but JZ didn’t panic as his life rushed before his eyes.
The rock he was standing on measured approximately 10 feet by 20 feet. The drop was a good thousand feet or more. It was as if time stood still for a moment and JZ felt weightless falling in slow motion. He saw two small spruce trees clip by quickly. He looked down and noticed a small tree coming up. He reached out and half jumped for it. He grabbed on to it slowing his fall, but the branch ripped and peeled off.
Amazingly, JZ had grabbed on to a second branch and hung on for dear life. In a moment he heard the crashing rock beneath him and then total silence. He swore the only sound was his heart beating.
JZ looked to his left and all he saw was a solid wall of rock. He looked to his right and noticed that there was a narrow ledge right above where the tree had grown into a small crevasse. He reached up barely able to get a real good grip, but then hung on to the ledge by his fingers. He started inching his way down to his right. The narrow ledge on the surface of the rock ended, but then he realized that it actually turned a corner to another solid ledge.
His fingers began to burn as he reached the ledge beneath his feet. He thought that he had hung on the side of the wall of rock for ten minutes. He said, “It seemed like an eternity. Once JZ regained his sense of well-being, he noticed his skinned forearms and fingers. He said he raised his arms and praised his Creator.
Today, life has a whole new meaning for JZ and he lives each minute to its fullest. He said, “I was given another chance in life.” This is a true story as it was told to me by my friend “JZ.” When I’m with JZ, I can feel he has a deep sense of purpose and worth. He is a caring and loving individual who cherishes his family and friends.
Becoming a better human being
4-15-08
by Peter Twitchell
At last Sunday’s service, I heard Pastor Bradbury of the United Pentecostal Church say, “Don’t be satisfied with who you are, God wants you to let Jehovah-Jesus work through you.” Something close to this, but you get the idea. By the way, congratulations to Pastor Bradbury, who has been bestowed with the title of Bishop Bradbury. Also congratulations to my friend Pastor William “Doc” Nicholson who is now the Bishop of the whole Alaska Moravian Church.
We are human beings first and that’s why we tend to put limitations on ourselves. We’re satisfied with the status quo. That’s just it. We are who we are. The truth is we can do more and more better.
When I selected to go to the Alaska Native Alcohol Recovery Center in 1995, now known as the Ernie Turner Center in Anchorage, I could not have done better for myself. It was putting myself on the line and taking the risk to self-discovery, but I didn’t realize this at the time. I can tell you honestly that I didn’t know myself until I was in treatment for 41 days. No one, not even the court asked me to go to treatment. It was something that I chose to do for myself but I believe that my direction was dictated by a power greater than myself.
I believe that the great I AM, who is never distracted when we pray to him because he lives inside each one of us, commanded me to take that path. He likes each one of us no matter who we are and what we are. He promises each one of us that we can be a better person today and tomorrow.
To make a long story short, going through alcohol treatment opened my mind and my eyes to see more clearly that I wasn’t a good representative of God’s grace to me. I sort of took it for granted. In my mind I thought I was a good person, but I really wasn’t.
When I was drinking I had a hard heart. That’s easy for me to understand because I chose not to let Jehovah-Jesus be the master of my life. Without Him, I am nothing but an empty vessel. I was born into sin and live in a sinful world and sin affects my life every single day. He is generous with His forgiveness of my sins because as a human being, I will always be a sinner. I am thankful that he fills me with His love everyday.
I try to practice what I say, think, and do everyday. For instance, if I say I love you I must believe this and if I say it I must show it. I cannot be a hypocrite by backstabbing you after I tell you that I care about you. I cannot hate my fellow man, if the Holy Spirit resides in all of us. I’m afraid if I hated you, I would hate God. I believe I can hate the sin that you do, but I cannot hate you. This is what I got out of going to treatment.
If I cannot love myself, I cannot love my fellow human being. I can thank my higher power - God, and the people he chooses to work through that I can broaden my understanding of my purpose in life and the choices I have in becoming a better human being.
The building blocks of mathematics
4-8-08
by Peter Twitchell
A few things come to mind as I prepare to write this. I noticed in the Monday, March 31, 2008 Anchorage Daily News “B” section, the Nation and World issue under the heading “Al-Sadr halts Baghdad fighting.” I didn’t read the article, but am reminded again that the Muslim world is governed by their religion, whereas we live under a democratic form of government.
Another thought was when I see an Eskimo couple walking down the side of the road, the female always walks on the outside. Life never ceases to amaze me. Our differences are unique to our culture.
Ever since I can remember I learned to work out math problems, be they long division, add and subtract, or multiplication. Math proved to be a very challenging course for me. This was by large due to the fact I missed about 4 weeks of school during our spring and freeze-up. My foundation and learning blocks for math were not there. My high school math courses from 9th grade until I graduated were pure misery for me. I had a very difficult time comprehending my algebra math problems, and Kevin Murphy and Jane Allen can attest to this. I barely passed my college math in order to get my AAS in human services.
I’ve worked with my children doing their math with them, sometimes I felt that they knew more than I did. Now I hear that our LKSD school district is considering using calculators from Kindergarden on. I’m not totally against this as long as the kids are required to do the math problems manually and double check their answers with the calculator. I’m totally against doing math problems strictly on the calculator. Our kids should know how to work out their math problems manually. I believe this method of learning would benefit our children more than just punching buttons.
It’s just good practice to exercise the brain, and I’d like my daughter Suzi and my grandchildren to be able to solve math problems by working them out manually, and to know how they got their answers. I believe this method is good provided our kids can still work out problems.
Our kids compared to baby boomers are so technologically advanced it’s mind boggling what they can do. Let’s make sure that the marriage of the scientific calculator and the old way of solving math problems remains a building block in mathematics.
Be safe this spring
4-1-08
by Peter Twitchell
This time of the year many of us start acting like we’ve added another 20 years to our lives almost instantly. Some people develop a limp or walk like they’ve broken a tail bone.
For instance, I slipped and fell recently and it took me a good month to feel like my old self. I used to bounce right back when I was younger, but when I’ve had a good fall my whole body hurts for several days.
One day we were getting ready to have our fiddle dance at the ONC multi-purpose building and my good friend Bob Angaiak was on his way to pick me up. I was rushing to go and meet him when I slipped. The last thing I remember was looking down at my right index finger and the frozen ground getting ready to impact. I pulled back, but was too late.
It’s kind of funky when you watch your finger which was in good shape a second ago begin to change shape in a flash. The fact I pulled back on my hand probably saved my finger from being fractured, because all that happened was it became dislocated.
In a split second my finger was lying flat on the palm of my hand. At first the doctor thought that I might need surgery and that pins might need to be put in. I was lucky this time. I waited for 5 hours in the ER clinic before being seen. I was hoping that I could have seen a doctor soon after I got there.
I slipped outside the Bethel Utilities office building and decided to walk over to the fire station. I’d like to thank Bill for coming to my aid so quickly after I got there.
My index finger happened to be my bass guitar picking finger and it’s been out of commission for two months now. The doctor said that it would take about a year for my ligaments and finger to heal. It’s been a painful experience and I’d just like to thank Dr. Eggimann and Dr. Hodges for putting my finger back in shape and also Dr. Hartman for working with them.
It’s no fun to fall on the ice. Several days after my injury, my good friend Raymond from Public Assistance greeted me and as soon as I turned my head to acknowledge him, I lost my footing. Instead of falling on my hand again, I managed to catch my self with my left foot and flung myself forward with my arms outstretched. This was a poor imitation of superman getting ready to blast off to save the city of Metropolis, because I made a belly flop on the frozen ground. That night I had a little trouble sleeping as I must have pulled muscles around my stomach and it hurt me every time I moved or coughed.
This spring save yourself the trouble and wear your ice cleats. We can’t always get lucky and broken bones take a while to heal themselves. I myself have been more careful to avoid slipping and falling. What they say about being safe than sorry is true.
A friend of mine, Dan, fell on the ice not too long ago and broke some ribs, another friend nearly broke her back. At least that’s how she said she felt. And another friend dislocated her finger.
Be safe, wear cleats if you’ve got them, and avoid any broken bones. Not to mention all the benefits of being in good health. Take care.
Name calling
3-26-08
by Peter Twitchell
I used to think that name calling was something out of fashion. I never heard of such a thing when I was going to Bethel Territorial and Kilbuck schools when I was growing up. Name calling was unheard of, at least, I never heard name calling.
They say that majority rules and we were the majority when I was growing up, besides we took it out on each other during the winter months when we had snowball fights at recess. Snowball fights were fashionable in those days, at least I thought it was. We lined up and the other guys lined up and then we went for it. We always had the low ground but we always managed to fight our way up and chase down our opponents to the Armory side.
There’s nothing that stings more than a wet snowball on your face. We fought intensely for about a half hour and quit. We went back to class and that was the end of that until the next time.
The other thing about name calling is that it never occurred to us to call each other names. All through school I don’t remember once calling anyone a name. It was etched into our minds before we even started school to love the other person and never to be mean towards anyone. This is an Eskimo tradition and most of us, I’m happy to report, live by it today, and I’m speaking on behalf of the baby boomers.
Modern day kids seem to be a little more meaner and more aggressive than we were in my day. It’s probably because of westernization that we are so mean today. I don’t lay all the blame on the kids either. Some of it is learned behavior at the homefront. Our parents have rules that they have to live by everyday and they enforce more rules at home.
The way I see it, kids are over-ruled. Parents are the frontline instructors whether or not they know it. Some of this negative behavior or violence, we live with daily. We see it in the home, on television and violent games kids play.
I feel the school has a responsibility also. I think teachers and the system over-burden our kids with rules and regulations. Teachers in this day and age are a lot different than teachers of my day. Today, if a kid(s) creates trouble, they become a problem for the school, the teacher and the system. Therefore rules are written to correct the problem.
What do too many rules do for our children? They feel the strong arm of the school, teachers, and system. We are suffocating our children. Instead of always punishing children, why not teach them proper behavior as well? We have truant officers and detention up the ying yang.
It has come to my attention that some of the kids who get into trouble are not at fault, but the blame lies with the teachers. I can relate to parents today who have to deal with a strict and over regulated school system.
We are the most regulated people in the United States and I’m speaking for our elementary, junior high, and high school students. Not to mention hunting laws, subsistence laws, and the many other laws we have to abide by. Our children feel the brunt of just how much we are regulated. I wish that they would ease off our kids and start teaching them between what’s right and what’s wrong and have a heart to heart one on one with them at school. We shouldn’t turn our kids off to school.
I wonder if our teachers make time to teach our kids about name calling and how destructive it is to the individual. To have kids practice name calling on a daily basis is wrong. If it happens once it should be addressed by the teachers to the students and also the teacher to the parents of the perpetrators of name calling.
There is no place in our schools or outside our schools for the ugly behavior of name calling. I don’t wish this hurtful behavior for anyone. Name calling is unprofessional, demeaning and destructive behavior and it should be stopped now. I personally wouldn’t tolerate it so why should our children? I don’t want my child so full of fear that the system steers her knee jerk reaction or causes her to get startled when called upon.
Tuntutuliak
3-20-08
by Peter Twitchell
I never thought about it before, but I became intrigued by the name of the village I was visiting for the weekend. The Yupiaq word “tuntuq” means reindeer, as in caribou. The village name Tuntutuliak means literally the place of reindeer.
In the turn of the twentieth century the government brought reindeer to the area as an experiment to see how reindeer herding would fare. Those who were chosen to herd reindeer flourished. Tuntutuliak sits on the north side of the Kuskokwim River and the village of Eek sits on the other side. Eskimos regard the Eek side as “tuntuq” country.
When I was a kid we hunted and gathered up in the Kuik River just above Bethel and dad would point out the fencing that was used to contain the reindeer by the herders of that area. The reindeer herding industry faded with the passing of those who were involved in its creation. Some of the descendents of those reindeer that were brought in are probably our main staple today.
If I didn’t eat my share of caribou in the last several years I sure made up for it in Tuntutuliak. Almost everywhere I went in the village, the people were enjoying fresh catches prior to the end of the hunting season. My timing in coming to the village was perfect.
I enjoyed the tuntuq in soups, dried and fried. We ate like kings and never had a hungry moment during our weekend visit. The village is rich in the sense that the majority of the people still live off the land. It was good to get away from the processed foods of Bethel and truly live a subsistence lifestyle.
We were given seal oil and caribou to share with our families when we return home. It was like having a burst of energy. I felt stronger and healthier, in general.
The people are starting to think about the spring seal hunting season which begins as early as April. Like a cadillac sno-go, our bodies need good food for fuel. Today we balance our diets with traditional and modern day cuisine.
I want to thank my host family of Charlie and Sally Andrew who prepared the delicious Eskimo foods I tremendously enjoy. I even had salmonberry akutaq at James and Nancy Charles’ home, made with tallow like the old days. I’d like to personally thank Charlie Andrew who went all out to feed us, just like he went all out to serve our country in “Operation Iraqi Freedom.” We can’t thank people like Charlie enough for their unselfish service and acts so that the rest of us can live in comfort of our freedoms.
It was the first trip for me to the village and I’m really glad I was here. People are generous and very helpful.
The price of fuel in Tunt is five ($5.00) dollars a gallon for regular gasoline and five ($5.15) dollars and fifteen cents for stove oil. Some people said that if the price of gasoline tops seven ($7.00) dollars a gallon they will have to part with their snow machines.
I’m a better person for having been in Tuntutuliak. I was reminded that people in remote Alaska still care for each other, as adults and children alike greeted each other with a “good morning” on their VHF radios. Thank you to all the people here in the land of tuntut.
Back to basics
3-13-08
by Peter Twitchell
I saw a program the other night about Crow Village up on the upper Yukon. It brought back some good memories of my younger days being out there among the spruce trees, rabbits and the spruce hens. It reminded me of how simple life seemed to be back then.
We never had to go to the store to fill the cart full of processed and farmed food. The closest we came to farmed meat was reindeer that mom bought every winter, usually from Dave and Keith Swanson, at the Swanson’s Store, but also direct from Nunivak Island. Mom and her sister Annie Nansen ordered their reindeer together. It was something they enjoyed doing.
I got out every chance I got when we were up at Akiak. I spent the whole school year up there and enjoyed my weekends tremendously. I took by .22 rifle and hunted in the willows across from the village of Akiak.
One day dad caught a great big owl in one of his fox traps and brought it home. The owl occupied one corner of the house and he didn’t seem to mind that at all, except when it started hooting in the middle of the night. It was a full grown owl with horned ears and yellow eyes as big as ping pongs. It had tremendous sharp claws, and I’m glad that it never bothered us, but I’m pretty sure that it felt out of place, like I sometimes do now, as a city dweller.
Someday when I get older, I’d love to have a cabin that I could spend winter weekends and summers in my twilight years. God willing, I will be able to make some wilderness time available and really get some enjoyment out of it in the process.
The son and father in the program spent some quality time together setting a net under the ice, chopping spruce trees for their woodstove and setting rabbit snares. Mom and grandma Hannah used to tell me how they set ptarmigan snares when they were younger. It amazed me to hear them tell their stories, because they set so many small snares.
I used to think how time consuming it would be. I got out every chance I got as I was growing up to get them some ptarmigan. I would take off walking behind ASHA Housing and walk clear out of sight of Bethel. I was probably five miles outside of town.
Sometimes a snowmachiner would chase away ptarmigan I was hunting and although I felt at a disadvantage, I knew eventually I would run into a flock. I usually did and I’d be happy if I caught just two ptarmigan.
Later on when I was eighteen and able to buy my own snowmachine, I would go out and fill a gunny sack full of ptarmigan and rabbits to hand out to my Elders.
Back when Paul (Cingliaq) Gregory and I used to set our nets together, I really looked forward to the subsistence activity. Paul knew instinctively where the best spots were to set his nets and so I would set mine not to far from his. Every few days we would walk on glare ice to go and pull the white fish (cingikegglit) burbot or Ling Cod (manignat) and sometimes an occasional pike fish.
Paul filled his gunny sack full of a variety of fish including a Shee Fish now and then. He was a great fisherman and I always felt privileged to go out with him. Once or twice we enjoyed some white fish sushi and even some white fish roe. That always warmed me up and gave me an extra boost of energy to walk back home, which was usually a three mile trek out and three mile trek back.
The first time I set a net under the ice, I thought that it was going to be really frigid and cold, but when you’ve been out there in the cold for several hours chipping ice and pulling in your net in and pulling fish out of your net you forget the cold.
I stopped setting rabbit snares and instead went out to shoot a few right about supper time. The rabbits were out in abundance inside the willows just as the sun was a foot or two over the horizon. My cousins Joe “Manny” Evon, Henry Kohl, Joe Woods Jr. and I waited until 8pm to hunt rabbits in the night.
One thing about Jack Rabbits is they are very fast runners but when you approach them with your snowmachine they seemed to freeze when the headlights hit them and then they’d be down at the count of one. We don’t do that anymore. I guess some of us start to age a little quicker than some, start slowing down a bit, and just enjoy too much the comforts of home, the television, and spaghetti with meatballs.
With the cost of living starting to sky rocket in the last few years we may have to get out of our comfort zone and start setting snares again, but we may have to leave our snowmachines at home.
Empty promises
3-6-08
by Peter Twitchell
Hear ye, hear ye! O’ citizens of Bethel! Imagine our children going to the famous and much anticipated annual Easter Egg Hunt at Pinky’s Park and finding empty Easter Eggs.
Yuck, the kids wouldn’t like it and I would be disappointed. I’d think the sponsors didn’t care anymore, just like our City government and City Hall prosecuting its citizens and fining one man $16,000 for using a honey bucket and not having proper sewage hookup.
City of Bethel has begun imposing severe punishment to its citizens who don’t abide by its laws. Who did the city fathers pay to write such an ordinance? How did we get to this point? And when did we stop caring for our people? Where were the watchdogs when the thief came in the middle of the night to inflict more pain on folks hard on their luck?!
Not every citizen has a college degree and a steady job. But the government doesn’t care. If they really cared they would have practiced being proactive and making mini-grants available for low-interest loans. These grants would help pay for septic tanks, install plumbing, and meet compliance requirements.
You cannot enforce laws and expect people to comply in so many days or weeks, they don’t have the financial resources. Not everyone has the means or the credit rating to get the job done in a timely manner.
I don’t know of any village in the state of Alaska who would leave their citizens dead in the water. It’s shameful and a slap in the face. People who make Alaska their home. Give Bethelites a fighting chance. We can’t fight government head to head and come out ahead.
At the same time, we cannot fall into total disobedience with authority. We need to communicate and let someone know when we need help. The City will let us know what the consequences are for not abiding by their ordinances, they must be willing to help us jump through the hoops to become compliant with the necessary laws.
We need strong council members, not empty promises.
What’s on the inside counts
2-28-08
by Peter Twitchell
If coffee is life and our cup represents our job, position, and money, where are you within this context? Many of us put great emphasis in our cup - it becomes our prized possession. Our job, job title, how much money we make becomes our driving force. It overshadows our family and marriage.
People even fight to save their careers, neglecting their marriage and family. Shouldn’t this be the other way around? When our jobs and civic duty becomes a dominating factor in our lives, we lose sight of what should be important to us. We place more importance on being a city councilman, tribal council, and a board member. This is all surface stuff.
When we look at a human being we don’t know what’s going on inside this individual. In reality, we don’t know the person at all. At best, we can only judge a human being by his or her appearance.
So many of us can take a quick glance at an individual and form a description in our minds of who this person is. A panhandler or beggar comes to mind. Take for example, a homeless man in Anchorage standing on a curbside holding a sign that says, “I’m homeless, I’m hungry, and I need help.” Many of us write him off automatically as a “bum”, an “alcoholic”, and a “loser”.
We call ourselves a “Christian”. The least we can do is pray for him, but do we even do that much? And then we make a judgment call and tell ourselves, “If he can stand and hold a sign in the cold, he can get a job.”
I don’t believe that this behavior is God’s will. To me we are not practicing Christians or true followers of God when we deny a hungry man food.
I have a very good friend who was traveling to Anchorage and due to circumstances beyond his control, had to travel separate from his wife. He took an earlier flight and would be arriving several hours earlier. At first, he told his wife, “I’ll just wait for you at the airport.” Then decided he would wait at the hotel lobby. His wife said, “No, don’t do that. Wait at the airport. You don’t want to wait at the hotel lobby with your old, outdated suitcase. Just wait at the airport.”
I had a good laugh over this one when my friend told it to me. I think we need to start dealing with the real essence of life and what’s on the inside and not the outside. Don’t camouflage and hide the real beauty of what’s inside each one of us.
Remember when you see a man with holes in his pants, he is still the same great person and somebody special to someone.
Honoring children
2-20-08
by Peter Twitchell
Life is a great race to the end of the line. What prize awaits us at the end of this sometimes uncharted course?
As children we are groomed and prepared for this journey with the best foods, medical care and instruction from our Elders. Our parents and society attempts to plot a course for us to follow. We are taught and warned about of obstacles we will need to negotiate and overcome along the way.
Life is never smooth sailing for anyone. We access some of the tools to use from church, school, and our Eskimo Culture. These include how to survive in the extremely cold elements of nature, and instructed to remain calm in dire emergency situations. Panic will only cut our life line short.
It’s like sitting in jail and missing out in experiencing the beauty of nature and taking a big chunk of precious time from our family and children. It doesn’t do your mind and soul any good to stare at four concrete walls all day long, 24/7. Our minds and body will decay at a much faster pace while we rot away in jail.
You can alter this course by choosing to live a wholesome lifestyle. Just look at the common housefly. Without the fly, we would be living in a toxic wasteland. We need sunshine and fresh air daily to live. This freedom comes with a great responsibility.
What priorities have we set for ourselves? Is it gambling, such as bingo, alcohol such as homebrew, or the X-Box?
We need to reach our children before they are gone. We need to listen with a keen ear just like we do when we are moose hunting. Be vigilant to that wee voice that tries to draw our attention with a question.
Honor your children now while they are alive and not after they die. Do this, and you will reap the award of the goodness you sowed and your children will reach their full potential.
At will policy
2-14-08
by Peter Twitchell
Sometimes I feel like an accessory to criminals and criminal activity. I have some examples. For instance, I applied for medical disability benefits on December 10, 2007. They took documents for my health care provider to fill out. My medical report and condition was documented and reported to the health insurance company. Doctors good work and words was received by the insurance company.
However, when I called them a week later, they requested a statement from the doctor. The claim was resubmitted by my employer. I called the insurance company once again at the end of December. By this time, it felt like I was being given the run around. After I was told, we’re still waiting for your doctor’s report, I waited another week.
By this time it had been a whole month since I applied for medical insurance. Company then asked for test results of prior doctor visits not related to my claim.
Another example, January 2008. I received a termination letter from my employer stating “effective immediately January 8, 2008 your employment is terminated pursuant to our company’s at-will employment policy. Our handbook states we may terminate at-will employment arrangements for any reason not prohibited by state, federal, or local law. Your employment is now terminated pursuant to our at-will employment policy.”
I believe the “at-will” policy used by several local organizations gives them all the rights and freedoms to act in a negligent and arrogant manner. I also believe that this policy can be challenged and tried in the court of law, especially if you think you’ve been discriminated against or your character has been defamed.
Never forget our Native Heritage
2-5-08
by Peter Twitchell
I heard a non-native caller through the American Native call in show ask, “Why do you insist on holding on to your past?” And he made the bold statement, “You should be living in the present, forget about the past and move forward,” - something to this effect.
I believe as Eskimos you should never forget our native heritage. We must practice our traditional values and traditions as they were taught to us generations ago. This is who we are and this is what makes us strong as a tribe.
Our ancestors were strong cause they never forgot who they were and they helped each other and worked together united.
When I was 21 years old I chose for myself and accepted the fact the old way and the modern way were compatible, that I could live with them. I wanted the best of the old and the new way of living. But it has actually taken me 24 years to start practicing what I was taught about my native culture. I have learned many lessons and feel that I’ve only touched the surface of what I need to learn.
I feel I’m beginning to harmonize living in my world and the western culture. It may take me another 20 years to gain my Masters degree in Eskimo culture, customs and traditions, but it has been worth every learning experience.
Our people are experiencing symptoms of divisiveness and confusion. We cannot have disrespect or continue fighting amongst ourselves because we need to be strong physically, mentally, and spiritually.
And we must know who we are in order to be strong. Never stop teaching our children the old ways as they learn about the new world. They must not forget their past where they came from.
Renewed hope
1-29-08
by Peter Twitchell
I found that people will disappoint you and those that are in positions of power will hurt and destroy you if they can. When you are given the privilege to lead others, or given the authority to see to the safety of others, it becomes a great responsibility.
Most people will let power go to their heads and become irresponsible in their duties. In other words, they become liable for their actions. They must answer for their poor judgment and dereliction of their duty.
You know who these people are. One day they will be called upon on their misuse of power. They will not run slipshod over innocent people for long. When I think of ruthless people like these, I become optimistic. A new hope rises in me. I don’t have to feel downtrodden and angry. Hope is what makes me feel upbeat, I get happy, cheerful, assured, and confident.
This is when I go see a lawyer and let them untangle the mess power-driven sloppy people got me into. The opportunity to open the door to genuine joy is also there.
One Christmas my son Dan gave me a book entitled, “Quiet Moments in the Presence of God”. I opened this book from time to time and I always find renewed strength when I meditate on its uplifting words.
This morning I read, “When you get to know God, you come to trust his power in your life. When disappointment pulls a cloud over your heart, you know God is able to bring you again to a clear and bright day. God is able to move you forward and you can face anything. Whatever happens, you know God is with you to help you. God who raised Jesus from the dead will raise you up from the ashes of deceitfulness and give you victory.”
My friend John Simon
1-22-08
by Peter Twitchell
Several of us were standing on the bank of the Kuskowkim River for a better part of 2 hours awaiting the arrival of the Kuskokwim 300 mushers. Since we didn’t have any place to go to get relief from the cold, I headed home.
I was thinking back to the early part of the century when people up here were more accustomed being in the colder elements of winter. I thought about the windy, icy slush, the cold water conditions the mushers and their dogs had to race in and endure.
I thought as the cold began to penetrate my skin dog mushers and their dogs have to be tough as nails to endure the physical mental pains of running races like the Akiak Dash, Bogus 150, Kuskokwim 300, Yukon Quest, or the Iditarod race from Anchorage to Nome.
And I thought about a friend of mine, John Simon of Bethel - who has a huge dog kennel, raises and races dogs. I had the pleasure of spending an hour a couple summers ago at John’s dog yard. I was amazed at the constant care and work that goes into being a committed dog musher. Dogs have to be watered, fed every day, dog yard has to be cleaned, and water must be hauled from the rain barrel or the water tank. Dog food must be caught and preserved or bought year round.
I asked john how he managed to do this day after day and year after year. He told me dog mushing is fun.
“I do it for exercise, keeps my mind and body healthy and strong. I enjoy being out there with the dogs not dealing with every day life, good way to unwind from all the stresses of modern life. I couldn’t do it without my family’s support. I have to even out everything - taking care of my family; living a subsistence lifestyle; working a 40 hour week; selling, buying, raising, and racing dogs. Unlike the big gun mushers like Martin Buser or Jeff King, we don’t have big sponsors here in the village. We have to work for everything and it costs money.”
One of John’s favorite all time mushers is Lance Mackey who won last year’s Yukon Quest. “He’s down to earth, treats everyone on an equal basis, never forgot where he came from.”
John keeps the tradition of mushing dogs alive with a smile on his face, because it’s that part of his Eskimo culture that his father and grandfather enjoyed. John is grateful that others in the community, sponsors, and all the volunteers make it possible for him to enjoy what he does.
My friend John has come a long way from alcohol and drug abuse becoming a responsible person who has learned from his mistakes, paid his dues to be where he is now.
In the meanwhile, John gives credit to rookie mushers like Steven Alexie and says, “I’m proud of Steven for trying. When you’re starting off, you don’t realize how hard and difficult it is ‘til you’ve tried. Don’t give up.”
Perhaps as John gets older and wiser, you will one day run the Kuskokwim 300 to give the big boys a run for their money too.
Congratulations to my friend John Simon who is this year’s 2nd place winner of the Bogus 150 race!
Better is better
1-15-08
by Peter Twitchell
Alcoholics have said for years, “I don’t…I never drink in front of my kids.” When we say this, just who do we think we are fooling? Don’t kid around with your kids. Who do you think you are kidding?
If you go do your drinking at your friends’ house, not in your own home, do you honestly think you are think you are out of sight and out of mind? If your kids are too young to know where you are now and what you are doing, they will know eventually.
You can’t keep this a secret forever and your kids are not stupid so stop fooling yourself. Face the naked truth. Whenever we try to hide the truth don’t you realize we live in a glass house?
Take for instance a person who goes to bingo regularly. They have every color of the rainbow dopper collection. They buy stacks of bingo cards and stacks and stacks of rippies. You can see that most of them are not happy. It’s another form of addiction and denial all stacked into one.
If wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler, imagine what hard liquor is. Alcohol has led many of us astray and we became fools - and we sober up and we regain our self respect and become wise again. The good book says in Proverbs 22:10, Drive out the mocker and out goes strife, quarrels, and insults are ended.
So, why do sober people do this? First of all, a person must want to change from saying harmful, distressful, and making disastrous statements to another person, (I Peter 3:10) and, “end his lips from deceitful speech.”
Change is often for the better. Like my friend Billy Olson says, “Better is better.”
Show pride in our people
1-9-08
by Peter Twitchell
We can do more to show pride in our children and our Eskimo tribe. Calista Corporation’s “The Storyknife” features individuals in their publication. We can do more.
In The late 70s and throughout the 80s the Tundra Drums newspaper featured citizens of Bethel in an interview format. The paper took pride in doing this and we got to know who our neighbors were. Each one of them shared their wisdom with us.
When I go to the villages within the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta I meet people of all ages. I find them to be intelligent and knowledgeable about life - I begin to look at life in a brighter light.
In The Delta Discovery newspaper, we see the Student of the Month column. We need to show our children we care about each one of them, not just a select few. We have got to feature whole classes of students to show them that we take pride in them.
Parents also need to begin going to go to their kids’ classroom spending an hour or so observing them in school. We need to send a message to each student that we care - let’s take pride in our children.
I’ve seen calendars where village corporations have taken photos of all their village residents and featured them on each month of the year. This works well with a two year calendar. This is another way to show pride in our people.
Know your rights as an employee
1-2-08
by Peter Twitchell
As Christmas door prizes are being drawn and families and other agency employees are holding and yielding winning tickets, I kept hearing a female worker saying, “this is a conspiracy,” and then laughing.
I became intrigued by that word. You have become aware of people who plan secretly something that is unlawful and wrong. This woman was happy and joking whenever she said this. But when this becomes a reality, it’s not a laughing matter.
Whenever your own people start pushing you out of a job, you have to wonder, why they are behaving like they are being disloyal. You have to look at who their immediate supervisor is. More often than not, it is an outsider. Most outsiders don’t care about you. If you feel your own people who are in positions of power are trying to rub you out, you’ll understand where their directives are coming from.
This is unfortunate but a fact of life in the corporate world. Is it right the way they mishandle workers? No, it is not right. It is wrong. That is why some of our midlevel managers need complete revamping. Because they let top management look bad.
There are several corporations here in Bethel that need complete revamping. There is only one local corporation I trust and it is the Bethel Native Corporation. Values of their CEO are practiced from top to bottom.
In a religious sense Christmas marks the day when Jesus Christ was born, not Santa Claus. Like managers who are weak in their leadership skills, or biased and misdirected, you are often put on the spot.
Know what your rights are as an employee. If you are being investigated for any work related accusations, and you feel the investigation was mishandled and corporate policy was not followed, you have the right to file a grievance requesting a fair hearing in regards towards the manner in which the investigation was conducted. You have every right to know what has been filed in your personnel file. You have the right to know exactly what you are being accused of. You want your employer to know you want the accusations deproved ‘cause often people making accusations have their own agendas in mind, not your welfare.
You have the right to celebrate Christmas by choice. But work related matters and how they are handled must comply with the law.
Have a Happy and Safe New Year to all our readers.
Sin will not enter God’s Kingdom
12-25-07
by Peter Twitchell
I heard a pastor say the other day, “One sin will not be allowed to enter into the Kingdom of God. There will be no sin in Heaven.”
This tells me that there will be no liars in all of God’s Kingdom. For those that believe in the Kingdom of Heaven and life after death, heed these words. These are powerful words.
So what is sin? Sin must be the opposite of the golden rule, “love everyone.” Unforgiveness has got to be a sin. How many of us carry grudges, resentments and bitterness toward people we love to hate? Most all of us do. If you are a child of God, then you aren’t included.
This tells me in order to be a part of the body of Christ we must be completely sinless. We have to have the total innocence of a newborn child. That is one thing that always amazed me about my own children. As children up to about the age of five years of old, they loved everyone unconditionally. We all had that ability to love everyone when we were children.
My first recollection of resentment towards anyone was when mom left me with grandma Hannah a number of times and fled the “scene of the crime”, so to speak. I never knew where mom and Gus took off to in their 5 dog team sled. I must have been all but three years old and I hated mom for abandoning me.
One morning mom put several handfuls of coins, including Liberty half dollar coins, silver coins, and Buffalo nickels, into the washbasin and began washing them. She told me, this is YOUR money. She said, “Win-all’ertua kaaltaallemteni.”
When I realized she abandoned me and left me with grandma Hannah to go and gamble, I hated her. In my young mind “Mom loved playing cards more than she loved me.” Abandoning me with my grandma was more important to her than being with me. At least this is how my thought process was unfolding, even at such a young age.
All of us individually entered into a world of sin when we were born. I remember my children being afraid of one person when she was drinking because she enjoyed frightening them whenever we saw her around town. My kids would scream and run away. They really were afraid of this person. They did not love this person when she was drinking and being loud mouthed. They grew to resent her.
According to the pastor, we must love everyone in order to enter heaven. I forgave mom a long, long time ago, but how many of us let the hurt we experience go on forever when someone has wronged us enough to anger us? An apology is so simple, but according to the pastor, a simple act of genuine forgiveness pays great dividends at the end of our road.
The thought of living forever in God’s Kingdom becomes sweeter the more I think about it. The true body of Christ will never be destroyed no matter what people or the devil may throw at it. All the paper, metal and brick churches will be left behind.
What does it mean to lead?
12-12-07
by Peter Twitchell
I saw my good friend and fellow Yupiaq Felix Lincoln and we started talking about our Yupiaq language. It’s a common bond we share. It is our source of strength through the generations, past, present and future.
Felix is a natural born leader in his village of Toksook Bay. He advocates for unity within his tribe. He knows that this is the bond that will keep his people strong and on common ground. Felix knows there is strength in numbers. One person cannot get the job done for the whole tribe or region.
Just look at our current state of affairs in bush Alaska. We are required to live with building codes, electrical codes, and fire safety codes. It is hard for one family unit to make ends meet during the hard times when money is tight.
There is no back-up system in place to help individuals pay overdue utility bills, fuel oil bills, rent, and even the phone bill. When the cut-off date and hour approaches, the utilities are cut regardless of how cold it is outside. It can be sixty below zero, there is no angel of mercy to help us.
If you want assistance, and most of us do because we are in a welfare state, we have to go through miles of bureaucratic red tape before we get the assistance we need. By then someone with a disability, a life threatening disease can go downhill very fast.
We are at the mercy of a merciless system. Take for example the local food bank. I went over to the log cabin at Pinky’s Park last Saturday to observe the food giveaway. There was a good healthy turn out of needy people from the area. The Bethel Lion’s Club does an excellent job of advertising their food bank distributions but where are the sponsors of Holiday staples like turkeys and hams?
I didn’t see one single turkey or ham given out at the food bank during this Thanksgiving Season. Bethel is a community of seven thousand strong. Why can’t the strong help the weak? Do we always have to go begging at the footsteps of the rich?
Sometimes we forget where we come from. The minute the hard times are over for us, we don’t bother to lend a hand.
I’m still kinda mad about Ben Dale leaving us behind. Ben always had ideas that would help the people of the Bethel area and went the extra mile to help us when he was with us. I don’t have to reiterate all the kindness Ben showed us in Bethel.
I see some of that goodness in people like Red. Red does a great job clearing people’s roadways after a heavy snow and I’ve seen him go the extra mile and never asked for nothing extra in return. Red is a leader in our community, and we’re glad to have him here.
A real leader learns to share his resources whatever those are. I consider Peter Jacobs Sr. one of our leaders. He is an Elder in our Yupiaq Tribe but he shares his wisdom with everyone Monday mornings on KYUK radio, 10AM to Noon. There are numerous ways people go out of their way to help others. These are the great leaders in our community.
Life’s final scene
12-4-07
by Peter Twitchell
I was lodging on the north shore of Lake Lucille in Wasilla November 8-10, 2007. The scenery - the frozen lake, thirty (30) foot birch trees and the majestic mountains were an extraordinary sight to behold. Then the snow started falling and covered the whole landscape. It was near postcard perfect, but not as good as the real thing.
The next few days I saw all the mayhem of mangled cars and trucks along the highway between Wasilla and Anchorage, off the road, on their sides, and top side down. When our minds are made up, sometimes our lives end up looking like accidents.
The best of minds can become fickle. It made me realize how really careless we are as human beings. Then I saw the Sean Penn movie “Into the Wild”, a true story of a rich adventurous young man who came to the Alaskan wilderness and died. He had the world in the palm of his hand. He chose not to be with his friends and family or bask in their wealth. No one could make him love or care about these people in his life.
What I got out of this movie was: When we have the opportunity, we need to embrace those around us and closest to us because we may never have that chance again once it’s gone. This realization came to him while he was stranded in the Alaskan wilderness.
In the final minutes of his life, tears started rolling down his face. I thought, how genuinely sorry he was for pushing away those who really cared about him. I think he discovered towards the end of his life that he had the capacity to love them and others.
How many times a day do we brush our child aside and fail to listen to a wee little voice or do we think that what our child has to say is insignificant? If we really cared we’d know and come to realize that we are robbing ourselves and our children of a perfect opportunity to share a common bond called love.
Let’s stop feeling justified in our feeling of superiority over our child’s feelings. Just think, if we listened our child would never feel like dirt beneath our feet.
Like the young man in the movie, we will all come to realize how little we cared and loved when it counted. We are setting up the final scene of our life’s stage. Is it going to be one of feeling lonely and alone? Only you can choose.
Wind for power and talk
11-26-07
by Peter Twitchell
I attended the National Rifle Association’s annual gathering at the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center Saturday, November 03, 2007. This function was well attended by a cross-section of Bethel’s population. I sat next to my friend of over 20 years, David Rose, and we got into a conversation.
As Bethel grows it seems like old-timers like David and I rarely see each other enough to catch up on what’s happening in our lives today. One thing rings true. Bethel is getting too big for its britches. No longer does one size fit all.
There are about seven thousand people in Bethel and they come in all shapes and sizes; tall, short, big, small, fat, skinny. With this many people plus the 26,000 Yupiaqs of the southwest Alaska region, we sure could use a Fred Meyer’s store and Home Depot. We are ready for one.
Each week we have sales listings at our grocery stores and when you take a good look at their prices, we aren’t saving much. A toy that costs $.99 in Anchorage has a sticker price of $1.99 to $2.99 here. A gallon of good brand ice cream in Anchorage is $3.42. Here in Bethel you will pay $9.00. I could go on and on but what good will that do?
We used to have a cost comparison printed by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service. They showed a comparison of prices across the state. I often wondered why Nome prices were often less or comparable to Bethel prices. The boat or plane has to go further northwest.
What happened to the wind generated power idea for Bethel? I used to hear Willie Keppel discuss this in length. Did this idea get lost somewhere down the line?
I understand that Kasigluk has some wind generated power and they attain savings on electricity generated by the wind turbines they use. We have to do something. Our tundra country is flat and we have plenty of wind to use to our advantage. Maybe we need to start a co-op to bring in these energy saving turbines. I believe Willie knew what he was talking about, let’s keep the conversation turning.
Another thing we talked about was black fish - can’giiret, and white fish - akakiiget, also pike – keggsulit (Yukon) or luqruuyiit (Kuskokwim) and how to subsistence fish for them. There are more ways to catch fish besides using a net or hook.
It was a nice visit David, let’s not wait too long for the next one. Well, to make a long story short, David and I didn’t win any gun raffles. Most of the guns went to women by the way, so be extra nice to them.
We’re like a puzzle
11-23-07
by Peter Twitchell
We have many good things happening in the world today, but the ones that stick out like a sore thumb are the bad things that happen here and around the country.
I was wondering about this one. Do we have too many freedoms here in our country? Good people are allowed to be good and bad people are allowed to be bad. Is it drugs that make people go nuts? Or is it a mental deficiency when a person goes overboard and is this deficiency caused by alcohol abuse and drug use by the person or passed down from the parents and grandparents?
When people do insane things it affects the individual first of all, then the family, the community and society, such as our Yupiaq tribe. This takes me back to the issue of freedom and the lack of structure in the lives of our youth today. Many times when our kids return home from school, the house is empty. Why? Because parents are out making a living and leaving kids without adequate or no supervision.
We have all the freedom to pursue all the good things, but this freedom tends to get abused when people start pursuing all the bad things in life. It’s true, we can’t judge society by a couple people by in large. Look around; there are some countries that don’t allow this to happen or go on and on.
For example, the 14 year old that went on a shooting rampage and shot up 4 people at a school in the lower 48. Some countries don’t allow this kind of behavior in schools. They are strictly regulated and structured. These schools work hand in hand with the community and teach the basic principals of living as a family unit and how important this is.
They don’t condone divorce among married couples; instead, divorces are frowned upon in their society. They teach strong family values and structure their curriculum around families. Students at these schools are subjective to their teachers.
In some ways, I think, this can stifle the child’s creativity. That is why we have Advisory Committees within our schools. We have a voice but we need to speak out on behalf of our children. We want what’s best for them.
There are so many parts to this puzzle. I guess if you looked at each individual like a separate puzzle, eventually, there would be some pieces missing. We can’t judge a person because he might not be completely there, but we are capable of learning from our mistakes and going on.
There may be an unfinished puzzle of myself in my teens but the picture is more full, coming together, looking good and feisty as I begin to mature, and with help from my family, friends, society and tribe.
Cherokee Wisdom
11-13-07
by Peter Twitchell
As I prepared a couple filet of fish to feed to Suzi’s puppy, “Chilly” I reflected on a Cherokee story.
I thought this was a great story to pass on and it is a lesson to be learned by all of us. This is part of Cherokee Wisdom about “Two Wolves.”
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves, inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
“The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which one wins?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
Oh boy, I wish I’d known this a long, long time ago before making some costly mistakes. We never really stop to think about these things until it’s too late. These words of Wisdom are no different than those that were told to us as children by our grandparents, mom and dad.
All of us experience events in our daily lives. Some stir our emotions and based upon how we feel we tend to react to our feelings without any consideration to the consequences of our actions. If we take only a few seconds to analyze our feelings, we may not react without thinking.
This is just one aspect of what goes on inside each one of us. You could call it any one of the “evil” things like anger, jealousy, self-pity, or superiority.
The opposite of this is by far the better choice. Take serenity for example. If we never blew up each time our feelings were hurt or someone touched a nerve, if we just kept quiet for a minute, we might have maintained a peace of mind.
Most of the time we’ve tried to inflict as much hurt and pain as we could onto the other person. This got us nowhere as we dug a deeper and deeper hole for ourselves. In this hole we often felt dismay, humiliated, regret, and sorrow.
If you often wonder how you got to where you’re at, you might find some comfort in reflecting on this story. We are the keeper of the key that opens our door to better choices and freedom.
CIRI loves their elders
11-6-07
by Peter Twitchell
I feel a little embarrassed hearing some CIRI shareholders moaning and groaning about giving their Elders a little extra CIRI dividend money. I think some people are just plain greedy.
CIRI gave out $85,000.00 in shareholder dividends several years ago. That money went to each shareholder of Cook Inlet Region Inc. Why are you bellyaching?
The CIRI shareholders get a dividend check every quarter. If not every quarter, they get a healthy shareholder dividend check each year. I know because my cousins are enrolled in CIRI Native Corporation.
Our Elders are special people and they deserve a little recognition and a little more for their twilight years is okay. “Let it Be” and MORE power to the CIRI Board of Directors for making this little extra disbursement of funds available to the Cook Inlet Native Elders.
The Elders deserve every penny that they get. They are the ones who fought to bring about the 13 regional native corporations. I want to tell those who think out loud because they strongly feel they are being discriminated against. Shut Up! Go out and earn the $2,000.00 you feel you and your children are due. You guys are rolling in the dough. Stop complaining. Be grateful you even get a shareholder dividend check. Something us Yupiaqs in Southwest Alaska haven’t seen in over two decades.
It would be nice to get a shareholder check now and then, but I would never begrudge our Elders if they were getting a little bit extra. I respect my Elders, therefore, I wouldn’t complain. In other words, I wouldn’t mind taking a little less so that my Elders can get a little more.
What’s wrong with that scenario? Our Elders have lived their lives, and us younger ones have ours to live. Maybe someday, you will be given the same consideration by somebody else. Are you going to bellyache then too? Stop bellyaching, life is too short to get more gray hairs. There is a right time to scream and holler about how your CIRI money is being used or abused.
If for example, if your Board of Directors were buying fur coats for their mistresses, and I’m not suggesting they have mistresses. Or if they bought a jet to go have their meetings in Las Vegas, just to party it up, then I’d have something to say and scream about. Until that day, and pray it never comes, just say, “Thank You” to your fine Board of Directors.
In hindsight, I read an article that the words, "In God We Trust" were not printed on the surfaces of some of the first batches of the new dollar coins, but will be included after adjustments at the U.S. Mint. -Peter
God is love
10-31-07
by Peter Twitchell
“GOD” is no longer printed by our U.S. Treasury Department on its minted coins. I was excited about the thought of a new dollar coin featuring our U.S. Presidents being released. When I saw a George Washington coin I was disappointed that the words: “In God We Trust” had been etched out from our new money.
Where has our value system gone here in the United States? We are supposed to be a nation among nations, looked upon as a world leader. I’m sorry, but I cannot vision a Godless nation in that elite category.
At one time we were a God fearing nation. We displayed the word “GOD” in public places. I remember a school prayer being said by my teacher when I was in grade school in Akiak. He prayed to God and asked for his divine protection and guidance as we started out the school day and asked for wisdom for our nation’s leaders.
I think we were better for it. We displayed honor, respect, and our desire to express our freedom of religion.
Our Elders in Eskimo country were diligent in reminding us each day to love and respect everyone, including honoring the Creator. We were always reminded that the God of the Universe was watching us, and our actions should be pleasing to this Divine being.
As such, Spirituality was strong and in the forefront among our Tribes. With western influences our people are becoming weak spiritually. This is the price of freedom. The freedom we have to worship and the freedom we have, not to.
I am not surprised anymore when manmade catastrophe erupts on our land. It seems like violence on the television, sexual content, and being disrespectful, is portrayed as a way of daily life in our country.
If you doubt this just watch the 2005 movie, “Bad News Bears.” Grandma and Grandpa aren’t here to teach our children how to be a whole human being, who practices traditional values, and how to live life to its fullest with love, honor, respect, and highest regard for ourselves, and others.
We act like we do not fear God, nor show or express love of the Holy Spirit who lives in everyone. The Bible says, “God is love.” We’ve become hardhearted, and chosen to exclude Him from our daily lives.
Winter memories
10-23-07
by Peter Twitchell
I was wondering about several things. One which is after the fact.
I was told by a friend that he came close to being hit by a vehicle. He had a bright front light and a red tail light on his bike. He believes he came close to death the other day. The vehicle came so close the blast of air from the vehicle nearly caused him to crash.
He was so upset by this that he followed the vehicle and told the driver, “I believe you nearly killed me.”
My question is: Is the bike path along the Eddie Hoffman highway legal or not? I’ve always been told that when you ride a bike “go with traffic.” However, our bike path is only on one side of the road. We have such a smooth road now that we need to be extra careful. Come winter, ice and snow will hinder our safety.
The changing of the season was always welcome when I was a kid. One winter activity the men of our tribe welcomed was the trapping and snaring of fur bearing animals. The men of the YK Delta left home to their trap lines for several months during the winter. I rarely hear about this winter activity anymore.
I sat waiting for a flight home at Sea-Tac airport about a decade ago when I spoke with a gentleman from Texas. He was on his way home. He told me he spent a better part of his winters in Alaska trapping fur bearing animals. I was amazed when he told me his trap line extended a distance of 800 miles, winding in a wide circle, and it took him several days to check all his traps. He made a good living doing this and was close to retirement.
The only experience I have in this activity is when dad would leave home right after New Years with his friend Oscar Larson of Napakiak and didn’t return home until late March. They trapped the area called Kavirlirralek, south of Bethel. It took them a whole day to get there by dog team. They set their fishtraps which caught mink, otter, and muskrat. That was their “wet traps” so to speak.
Their ground traps caught mink, otter and fox. I remember seeing red, blue and white fox hides, and on several occasions a wolf.
These men that trapped our country were great trappers. They had to have been in order to trap a wolf. You know how smart the wolf is. It’s a rare day when you see one trapped. Winter brings many good memories, let’s try to avoid making bad ones.
Don’t languish in poverty
10-17-07
by Peter Twitchell
What if we weren’t living in dire poverty in rural Alaska? One thing is for sure. A majority of us would be educated with college degrees, holding down important positions within our local organizations.
Some do hold down key positions within our tribal organizations without a college degree. They are the privileged few. But think how much more effective our people would be in these positions if they were educated with business degrees. I don’t care who we are, we weren’t meant to languish in poverty.
There are certain geographical areas in Eskimo country that prosper mainly from our natural resources. How long is that resource going to be there? Take the North Slope for instance. What happens after all the oil and minerals are gone? Perhaps tourism is a viable option for them.
How about other investments on the world market including holdings in the entertainment industry? Let’s face it, we all need to be entertained.
What was the Bureau of Indian Affairs meant to do for the Eskimos and the Native Tribes of Alaska and did they fulfill their purpose for being here? Have we come to depend too much on public assistance to provide for our needs? We were better off when we didn’t have government assistance programs at one time but we’ve grown to depend on them to help us more and more. These programs fall short; while they help some people and families, others are left to fend for themselves.
We are still poor with inadequate education. If we weren’t, we’d all be gainfully employed and we wouldn’t have to import people from outside the region to come and work here.
I always hear that our Yupiaq people don’t want to work. Is this true? When I look around it must be partly true. We have Orientals, Hispanics, Blacks, Whites, Albanians, and people from all over the globe taking advantage of money making opportunities. If we don’t get on the ball, we will be left out in the cold.
There is room for improvement, such as developing good communication skills and good work ethic. How many of us can work tirelessly, day in and day out, 16 hour days year after year?
People come here and prosper. Many of them came from poorer countries than ours and they don’t ask for public assistance and they don’t get free health care. If we ever become self-sufficient in Eskimo country we can solve many problems associated with living in poverty.
Middle income bracket
10-9-07
by Peter Twitchell
The way the cost of living is eating us alive here in rural Alaska - we will be reduced to either the well-to-do and the poor. The middle income bracket will become extinct. The rich will be able to live with the high costs of day to day living and the poor will exist to survive. The middle income earners will not tolerate living paycheck to paycheck. They will pack up and move out.
What does this mean to the Bethel economy? It means our tax base will be dramatically reduced when people start moving into the more urban areas of our state. People move to rural Alaska for promises of earning better wages. Not unless you’re a health care professional, a pilot, or a lawyer, your chances of getting rich are slim. No one in their right mind comes here just so they can exist on a meager salary.
It takes two, a working couple to live comfortably with today’s cost of living in rural Alaska. You need two wage earners to stay afloat. It is true that a couple can accumulate wealth over their lifetime.
As a single wage earner you may be making a decent wage but eventually your money will be swallowed up by taxes. If you have credit cards, interest and carefree spending will put you further in debt. If you’re like me, somewhere in the middle to low income bracket, avoid getting into further debt unnecessarily.
The best thing I ever did was eliminate my credit card not by choice but necessity, and now contemplating acquiring a debit card. Unless, you have a cheaper solution, let me know. Credit card companies are robbing us blind, we’re just doing it to ourselves.
I’ve eliminated soda pop from my budget. It isn’t good for me anyway. All soda pop does is load me up with sugar and take out of my body the nutrients and minerals it needs. I’ve also read somewhere that sugar is a fertilizer for some bacteria. Anyway, that’s about $600.00 a year I save. I’ve also quit watching television. That’s at least another $600.00 a year I’ve saved since 2003. In the process, I’ve eliminated half truths and other junk I was constantly being bombarded with. The truth of the matter is, unless we in southwestern Alaska do some belt tightening and start practicing better money management, we won’t come out of this cost of living crisis unscathed.
Education, a must
10-2-07
by Peter Twitchell
It is more important than ever that our children are given the best education possible today. We have to be careful to never allow our children to fall through the cracks. As well as the school administration, academic programs, and teachers may be, we cannot depend solely on the system to educate our children.
Sometimes as parents we have to speak up on behalf of our school children. If we don’t, who will? Other people don’t know my children’s strengths and needs as well as parents do. As parents we have to be on top of their academic education.
We cannot depend solely on the school system. We, as parents, need to make sure our kids are reading at the level they should be at. We need to know our children’s weak points as well as their strengths and make sure their needs are met. We have the tools and the resources necessary to accomplish this. We have teachers who are watching our kids’ progress on a daily basis and we need to know at what level our child is reading.
If the child is falling behind we need to make sure they get tutoring at school. In the same token, don’t hold back the bright and gifted children. They need to excel at their own rate. Don’t stop them from moving forward.
The parent-teacher conferences are an excellent tool to utilize. Our children need to know we are interested in their progress at school. Enroll them into a summer/winter reading program, and get them to the library. The Kuskokwim Consortium Library has an excellent assortment of reading materials and a story hour for kids every weekend. Utilize these excellent resources for our kids. You have control on the home front. Get the kids off the x-boxes, and into reading instead.
Too many of our kids are standing idle and stagnating. Give them chores to do. Set aside a time daily they can work on homework. There’s nothing wrong with some structured game time. Not in copious amounts, but like seasoning in a great dish, you can’t overdo it. Help structure their time at home, you’ll be glad you did later on down the road.
Excuse me
9-25-07
by Peter Twitchell
