Smashed!

9-1-10

by Peter Twitchell

Thinking back, my first drink was when I was four years old. Dad went down to the civil aeronautics administration (CAA) post office across the river from Bethel where I grew up and picked up a case of country club malt beer. He told me that’s what it was and the cans were half the size of a soda pop can and probably held 4 ounces of the foamy brew.
I asked him for a sip when he and I got back to the ice house where he opened the case and prepared to drink it, punching two triangular openings with a can opener. The year was 1954.
I wanted a taste and after refusing me gave in and allowed me a sip. It tasted awful! Yuk! isn’t a good enough word to describe its bitter taste as I forced a mouthful down my throat. This was my first drink.
My second drink came when my cousin Joe and I were in the ice house, playing in the bin filled with sawdust and chunks of ice. My folks kept food items and beverages cold, buried under the sawdust even in the hottest summer. There I found a can of Dad’s Schlitz beer. I was twelve years old then.
Joe and I sat underneath the CAA’s power line pole, facing each other and grinning widely, as we punched two holes with a nail we grabbed in the ice house. You first, I told my cousin and we took turns sucking the can empty. This was my second drink of alcohol, and the beer taste hadn’t improved since the first time, 8 years ago.
Maybe we got a slight buzz, because we ran and pulled out Dad’s canoe and dragged it into the lake a couple hundred yards down from the house. It was July and about 11 o’clock in the evening.
We paddled about a mile down the oblong body of water about a hundred feet wide. It was a calm evening, and surprisingly the mosquitoes weren’t anywhere near the body of water.
As we got about a hundred yards from the other end of the lake, we heard the tall grass swishing at the side of the lake. When we glanced toward the sound the grass looked as if a very strong wind was blowing it over and over. We didn’t sit around to see what it was, but it had to be something big.
Joe and I paddled with all of our might and landed the canoe back where we’d launched it from. Our hearts were beating rapidly as we ran like the wind, code blue, as if we were rushing to someone’s aid. Trying to catch our breath we told Mom, she said calmly, “carayaullilria-wa,” (it was probably a bear).
The next day she told Dad our story and he set off carrying his 30.06 hunting rifle. A couple hours later he returned and said, he’d found some bear tracks in the area where Joe and I had heard the noise, and saw the grass bending over.
My next drink of beer came in the fall of 1970 at the 3 and A Half Club in Sitka. Looking at my drinking experience I can say it was okay to drink once in a great while, but drunkenness (smashed) is a sin according to God’s word.

Pattern

8-26-10

by Peter Twitchell

People have difficulty talking about their addiction to alcohol and drugs. They don’t want to admit to something they aren’t ready to give up or change, they want the status quo. They don’t want to acknowledge that they have a problem. They are happy keeping their problem invisible, like a fantasy. All they want to believe is it’s fun and “I’m having a blast!”
There is no end to living in a euphoric state created by alcohol and drug abuse. It’s a place they can escape to and become invisible getting away from their problems. Like living in a fantasy, living in a fog of lies and deception, becoming invisible. This becomes their reality. It’s a pattern they’ve chosen and are comfortable living in.
If they change that pattern they could change their behavior. It has been a pattern since childhood. We all have experiences that set our patterns in life. A pattern never changes until you decide to alter it. All pilots fly in a direct pattern, from time to time they make changes to that pattern based on turbulence, wind direction and other natural elements.
From the time we’re children until we’ve reached adulthood our lives have taken on a pattern, varying from person to person. If pilots have a better alternate route to fly in, they will not fly into a fog bank on purpose, especially in dangerous terrain. This should hold true in our lives, if there is a better way take it.
We’ve all had different experiences as we were growing up, some people have wonderful memories of growing up and some had horrific experiences like seeing their Mom beat up by their Dad. Whatever our experiences, we may choose a pattern of assaulting and battering our partner over and over again. If we were beat up time after time after time when we were growing up, we may choose to become abusive in our own relationships. It’s like a wound that never heals.
Now alter your pattern of thinking, and tell yourself, “I want to change and better myself.” That thought although profound and positive is invisible. Now, write that down on a piece of paper. That thought is no longer invisible, it becomes tangible, a goal you can work with – put it into action, it becomes a reality for you. It’s not a fantasy or a pipe dream.
You can now achieve this by becoming a sober individual, and changing your negative behaviors into positive behaviors. You cannot sober up for anyone else. You can sober up for yourself. By sobering up you can help others, your husband, wife, son and daughter, achieve their dreams.
Just like my Mom chose her pattern to put beautiful threads onto her pillowcases, you too can choose a pretty wonderful pattern to live by. Just like the pretty threads on a pillowcase, your pattern for living a sober and productive life will never fade, even after you’re long gone, the pattern in which you chose to live by will remain in the memories of your loved ones.
What kind of pattern do you want to leave behind?

What’s so good about sobriety?

7-27-10

by Peter Twitchell

Sobriety is defined by Webster’s dictionary as: abstinence and clear-headedness, also includes calm.
Think about the last time you were clear-headed, and ask yourself, ‘What was so good about it?’ ‘How did I benefit?
Being sober is a great feeling. When I’m sober, I’m clear-headed, I appreciate life more when I can remember things, and people. I don’t take them for granted, I appreciate them more.
Being sober to me is like going salmon berry picking at Kialiq, downriver between here and Tuntutuliak. It’s a wonderful feeling once you get down there and smell the tundra, it smells so much sweeter during berry season, which is now through September.
When you come upon the nunapik or ‘the tundra’ and see the land of orange your whole attitude, your whole being changes when you look at those thousands and thousands of orange salmon berries. When I eat one my whole life flashes before me, because I’ve been picking and eating berries ever since I can remember.
I’ve noticed even the birds appreciate life and the berries too. I can hear them 2-3 miles back from the slough, but I choose to leave the cranes and the geese alone. They too are enjoying the fruits of their labor.
I long to go back to Kialiq and spend a whole week there, just picking berries and reminiscing about years gone by when I was there with my parents, Juanita and grandma Hannah. When I’m sober and think of these things, there’s nothing but good memories to reflect on.
I’m glad that I was sober before my Sons Dan and Dave went off to boot camp and we’d play cribbage and fish on the river together. Those were really special times, ones I always treasure, and the communications we had about the boot camp experience.
I remember my sons sharing that when they went out on the target range to qualify for the best weapons the Army had, how they imagined the targets to be some of the animals and birds they hunted when they were kids. I relished the moment I heard that they qualified for those top guns as “expert marksman.”
I remember my youngest Son telling me how the platoon commander liked to use him in competitions with other platoons running field obstacle courses at the end of a hard day because of his agility and quickness.
Now that I’m sober, I appreciate the friends I have now. Each one is special in their own way. Being clear-headed I can recall all the instructions Dad, Mom and grandma Hannah gave me when I was young. Those qanruyutet, ‘teachings’ advice, and words of wisdom have played an important role in my life. I have to live them, in order for them to work and mean anything to me.
When I see their results, I am grateful. They are useful tools I can benefit from throughout my lifetime, and I share these with others as the opportunities present themselves.
When my friends and I are playing instruments, I’m glad that I am sober. The music is sweeter when it starts pulling at my heart strings. Love is love, it’s a gift from the Creator and we are to love ourselves and pass it on to others, and sometimes we are privileged to share it with another person.
I’ve seen many animals in my lifetime. You can picture all the common ones in our immediate area, moose, bear, caribou, ravens, swans, swallows, and muskrats. Out of the thousands of birds and animals I’ve seen, I have never seen a drunk one yet, they’ve all been sober.
I’m very happy to report that I am very happy today. I am living life on life’s terms, meeting it head on each day. I no longer have to hide from life by drowning it in chemicals, like alcohol. It’s so much easier to resolve and repair things when you’re clear-headed.

Turning our life around

7-21-10

by Peter Twitchell

My Mother Sarah S. Twitchell was born in 1909 and when she was a little girl believed that the Yupiaq Eskimos in the immediate area were the only people on earth. She also believed that the horizon was the edge, or end of the earth as she knew it.
She did share with me once that she attempted to walk to the end of the earth but that it just seemed to get further and further away, so she turned back. Now, go back a few thousand before my Mom’s time when people thought that the world was flat and if you set sail that you would eventually fall off the edge of the world. How do you think Columbus convinced the sailors to go off on an exploration expedition if that’s what they believed? Maybe he told his men that they could drop anchor or start rowing back before falling off the edge of the earth. Whatever they believed was real to them.
Imagine if you will for a moment what the Yupiaq’s thought when they saw the first white man, plane or ship coming. They probably thought that it was Llam Yua (Son of the Universe) coming. They were probably both curious and fearful at the same time. We all have had false beliefs at some point in our lives, because we didn’t fully understand the exact nature of our wrongs.
We are what we believe we are. If we believe that we are good people we will have good self-esteem and hold ourselves up in high regard. If we believe that we are not good people we will not value ourselves and therefore sell ourselves short of being good.
Where does this feeling of not being worthy come from? It could be self imposed, because that is the picture we paint of ourselves. Maybe we don’t feel and therefore don’t hold ourselves credible.
Some people have a false sense of who they are. We do this because we are ignorant to the exact nature of our wrongs. If we believe that there’s nothing wrong with stealing and “everybody does it,” your conscience won’t know the difference.
If you continuously tell yourself, “I have a blast every time I drink,” and not focus on the bad consequences that come with drinking, you will always paint yourself a pretty picture about drinking.
Drinking is not a “blast nor is it fun” when we begin hurting ourselves and others when under the influence of chemicals like alcohol and marijuana. We should be alerted to problematic drinking/drugging when we start cutting ourselves on broken glass, get broken fingers and fractured bones caused by accidents when we’re too drunk to care.
These are red flags - warning signs that the worst is coming. Our bad experiences is only a prelude to worse things to come associated with our chemical addiction. We know what those bad consequences are when we start hearing about our friends and neighbors dying from accidental drowning, hypothermia, overdose, gun shot wounds, self inflicted or otherwise, and crashing their snow machines and four wheelers.
It’s the nature of the beast. I can’t think of one good thing about problematic drinking, and drugging. It’s irresponsible on our part when we begin traversing down the road to self-destruction, sadly there is no happy ending to this problem. Some of us are survivors, willing to pass on what we’ve learned to others. Thanks Mom, it’s never too late to go back and turn our lives around.

The sky’s the limit

6-16-10

by Peter Twitchell

We’ve talked about chemical addiction and the importance of changing behaviors. Now that we are sober, it’s just as important to see what relapse looks like.
It’s an unwillingness to confront our fears and grow – we need to do whatever it takes to accomplish this. We need to accept a power greater than ourselves and ask for guidance. We need to live our lives openly and honestly so we can share our mistakes and learn from them.
We must make amends when we’re wrong, even for little stuff. We must forgive those who wronged us, whether real or imagined. Whenever you feel overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Get completely honest with your sponsor.
Remember to start your day with appreciation and gratefulness and help the less fortunate – give them a fresh fish or help them however you can. Be kind to yourself and give yourself a star for any progress you make, not perfection. Lighten up, to absolutely enjoy life.
Make sober friends – don’t hang around using friends. Hang out with positive people. Stay busy in something you like or are interested in. Find a role model – someone you look up to and do what they do.
Spend time outdoors – in nature, to do cultural activities, fish camp, pick berries and hunt. Take good care of yourself – your image is critical to how others respond to you. Be positive, be aware of your thoughts and change them as needed. Don’t blame or make excuses, excuses only create limits.
Release your past, don’t drag it around. Focus on how and what you want for your future. Write down your dreams and goals – reflect on them. Learn job skills, get your GED, higher education, even college – when you’re sober, the sky’s the limit.
Read more – know more. The most successful people are readers and knowledge seekers. Have faith in yourself – be willing to learn and practice your traditional values. Managing and structuring your time is important. Turn your negatives into positives, learning in your challenges/obstacles, don’t give up.
Find the value of the lesson. Make a mental list of things to do, which make you unavailable to go to a party. Remember, people with negative emotions and attitudes place the abuser at high risk for continued substance abuse.
Be sober and avoid jail, you can do it if you believe it.

Positive Energy

6-11-10

by Peter Twitchell

My friend Tony told me that if I have the love of God in my heart and he lives in me, I need not fear anything, not even a wasp. When he said, “I’ve seen you run from them,” he had caught me off guard. He snooker punched me when I wasn’t looking but he really made me think. Almost in the same sentence he told me “you can set your mind to anything, and it will be done, but you have to believe in yourself.”
You see, some of us believe these to be true, but it’s one thing to believe them, say them and do them. It’s an added bonus when someone can practice what he or she preaches.
Right away Tony had positive energy flowing through me and upwards towards the heavens. Don’t we all need that flowing good energy feeling every day? I think this is what makes the world turn. Then I turned to the boat he was repairing for me and told him, “You don’t have to take these dents out of the sides of the boat, I’m happy with it.”
A couple days later I went to see Tony and I was amazed that the boat no longer had horrific dents in it. I said, “Why’d you take the dents out, you didn’t have to do that.”
“I want my work to reflect how I feel, and I just couldn’t neglect those dents, I want to do quality work while I’m able,” was the response I got.
Needless to say I was inspired by his words. Tony was charged with positive energy. It’s good to see that in every person every day, but some people show it only when they feel like it.
There’s that word again, “feelings,” which means “emotion, sensation, belief, concern, and love.”
It’s amazing to me that the world around my friend Tony might be falling apart, but I’ve never seen him in a negative state of mind. I could have a bad day, but when I’m around a positive person, my mind quiets down. I understand now why opposites attract. I also understand that we change.
A year ago, Tony wouldn’t have said these words to me in the manner that he did, although I’ve found him to be an encouraging person throughout. I’ve also found that when he’s feeling a tad bit down, I will give him encouragement.
We are energy beings and we’re just like magnets - we attract what we send out to others. I pointed to a poster on the wall to my group at the jail the other day. On the poster was a smiling face which I used to illustrate a positive feeling. I told them, “That person smiling at me, makes me want to smile back.”
Good or bad we connect to everything in the world. Unfortunately people are not always going to be positive, when someone is in a downward mood swing. Feel the feeling you get, and understand where that feeling is coming from.
It’s a real blessing when someone can lift you up from the dumps and downs of life. We all need that one time or another. When you feel joy feel it and express it freely, pass it on.

Mixed emotions

5-27-10

by Peter Twitchell

Drinking and abusing alcohol and drugs, is a disaster waiting to happen. We get comfortable living in the fast lane, all the chemicals we ever want are there for us, just for the asking.
When we’re in our addiction we have no back up plan if we get into a fix. We can have all the excuses we want. We may start having mixed emotions when it gets so bad we feel like chucking all chemicals away, then your mind will tell you, “When I drink and drug I have so much fun, I love doing alcohol and banging dope so why should I quit? We’re all going to die anyway.”
Like the incident with the oil pipe rupturing off the waters of our southern states reminded me when the oil industry executives got together and started pointing fingers, blaming each other for what happened; that’s what we did when we were projecting our drinking and drugging problems onto someone else. We weren’t responsible for any of our actions or messes. We were faultless, we couldn’t even admit to our own addiction.
In reality we’re like that broken oil pipe, we’re gushing uncontrollably under the influence of chemicals. When we’re drinking and drugging we’re out of control. The booze and the dope control us.
We gave up our power a long time ago. Our power to think through consequences of our actions left us a long time ago. We can’t reason, and think about reality. We begin living in a fantasy world. “I’m having so much fun - it’s a blast! Poof-my stress is gone, poof-my relationship problems are gone - poof, I’m not responsible for my actions – poof, all my problems are gone, I don’t even worry about my bills anymore.”
Then poof – we wake up in jail. Admit to yourself that jail is making you unhappy, think about what got you arrested, and how to change that in the future.
The reasons why we go to jail are endless. It’s a rude awakening when this happens. It’s time we wake up and smell the tundra tea. This is a good time to practice positive thoughts everyday you’re sitting in jail. This will better prepare you for life when you get out.
Ask yourself, “What makes me happy in my life?” “What am I excited about?” “What am I enjoying the most when I’m with my family?” and “How does it make me feel?” “What am I most proud about?” “What am I grateful for in my life right now?” “What is my commitment to change?” Work on these.
Wake up to the fact that my life of using alcohol and drugs is taking me nowhere. It’s a good sign when you start telling yourself, “I’m tired of lying to myself, just going through the motions, and telling people just what they want to hear.” “I want to be a better father to my son, my daughter, become a better friend to my family, become a better person unto myself.”
What does this mean? The simple truth is that you quit living in a fantasy world, you’re now in the present. Welcome to the real world.
When you start living in the real world is when the real fun begins. The joy of living starts when you start smelling the tundra, and appreciating life for what it is. You start appreciating yourself when you become a responsible human being.
You know what it feels like when you start having money in your pocket? Just like a million bucks.
When you’re living a sober life, and paying the bills, all of a sudden your relationships with your wife and your children improves – you become a part of their lives. You’re no longer a slave to chemicals, imagine that, isn’t that what we all want - freedom?
Surrender to alcohol and drugs, saying, “I quit.” That’s not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of strength, and you will get your power back. We’re energy beings connected to everything.
The turning point in our lives starts when we start changing. Start by replacing negative words and thoughts with positive ones, and begin practicing them in your daily life. You realize that you can change only yourself, and begin the healing process.

The biggest village

5-20-10

by Peter Twitchell

If you think for one minute that Bethel is the biggest village in Alaska, think again. Believe it or not, Anchorage is, by far, the biggest village in the whole state of Alaska. Over 20,000 natives from interior, coastal, northern, southern, western, eastern and all points in between are living in Anchorage and more are moving there everyday.
I think of Eskimos and the natives moving to Anchorage, like Koreans coming to Bethel, because the opportunities for them are greater here. One day, I will join my fellow Eskimos in their outward migration into the land of “milk and honey” and opportunities beyond measure.
The migration to Anchorage has begun, whether we like it or not. People have different motives for moving away from small villages - economic, health, and educational opportunities are not there. Just imagine a man trying to support the needs of his growing family just on subsistence and what the tundra has to offer.
People are starting to realize that the opportunities for growth are numerous in Anchorage and its hub communities like Eagle River, Wasilla, Homer and Hope, Alaska. I believe there is an open invitation to go and live in Hope, so that the school there is not cut and lost.
I don’t know about you, but I relish the idea of living in a community where I feel welcomed in, as a community member and church member, for that matter. Speaking of which, I’m very happy to see the Moravian church thriving in Anchorage. For over 30 years, we didn’t have a Moravian Church in Anchorage, we could call our own! Now, through the hard work of the Anchorage Moravian community, we have a place.
As many people as I saw going to worship there last Sunday, they’re going to flourish quickly. They need to start expansion as soon as possible in their newly acquired property. They’re church is ministering to the needs of their teens, church members, and community members at large. They gather there, and the people sitting in church are not gazing through the walls, they are worshipping, caring for one another with joy on their faces.
That is a church I want to worship in, and have fellowship with people I know care about me as a church member. They visit with one another, pray for each other, and the wellness of kids is a priority for them. They also do outreach work, to help the needy and the suffering at a moments notice.
Their attitude is one of caring, and inviting calls. I have many hopes for the Anchorage Moravian Church, and I’d love to see it televised, throughout the state. If Dr. Jerry Prevo can do it, locally, so can we.
But, I’d even take it a step further and wish big for the Anchorage Moravian Church, to have an FM radio station, where we could broadcast right from the church. Then, I’d really feel right at home, if I could be a part of that ministry. I could do that and have a hand in it, for the rest of my life, I would be completely satisfied. That would fulfill my purpose here on this planet nicely.
Bethel was a great place to grow up in, but now all the old-timers are gone, and my kids have left the nest for greener pastures and one more will soon be leaving. It just doesn’t feel like home anymore for me living here. What’s left when all your loved ones have left – memories, and I’m ready to go and make new ones. I’ll always have friends and relatives here, and I’ll be back to visit with them from time to time.

Defense Mechanisms

5-13-10

by Peter Twitchell

When we start feeling we’re scraping the filthy bottom of life, remember, there is a higher power that we can connect to. Denial is a powerful defense mechanism that holds many people back, denial is a refusal to perceive an unpleasant reality.
People who study behaviors may refer to the “ego”(self) as consciousness of being. The ego can be further explained as personality of an individual and encompasses our behavior, attitudes and beliefs.
Another defense mechanism is rationalization/justification, in the simplest of definitions, rationalizing is making justifiable excuses. This is a cover-up for making mistakes. The late Dr. John Hawkins, Ph.D. explained to me “Projection,” as placing the blame for one’s difficulties on others or attributing one’s own unethical desires to others.
Many substance abuse clients blame society, their parents, their upbringing, or others for their problems. An example of unethical behaviors and beliefs is, “everyone else lies, cheats, and steals, why shouldn’t I?”
Distortion is a mental reshaping of person’s reality to suit inner needs. Some alcoholics and smokers point to family members who smoked and drank everyday without having problems indicating that their genetics are superior – so they can continue to use. “It will never happen to me, weak people become addicts.”
Repression, is sometimes thought of as active forgetting of unpleasant thoughts or experiences. Clients in treatment will conveniently forget unpleasant experiences that occurred under the influence while tending to remember good times. Remember the last party – “we had a blast.” Regression is a return to an earlier, less mature developmental/behavioral state in response to anxiety or guilt.
For example, some adult addicts or alcoholics in treatment may come to the realization that they are, indeed, addicts who have created a real-life nightmare for their loved ones. Reaction Formation is the prevention of dangerous behaviors/desires by actively adopting and expressing the exact opposite beliefs and behaviors. Many addicts and alcoholics become leaders in the antidrug movement or become counselors themselves.
Isolation/Compartmentalization, is the holding back of conflicting and contradictory beliefs by never thinking about them at the same time is termed isolation. The beliefs of an individual are usually thought of as being compartmentalized – tightly shut off from each other.
Chemical abusers tend to have numerous areas compartmentalized. For example, some say, “I love my children,” yet their behavior has shown that they have done many things that indicate they don’t love them.
There is a simple, but powerful exercise we do in group therapy, giving the clients a piece of paper and asking them to put the name(s) of people they love, and hold dear. Upon completion the counselor may tear up the papers, one by one or at once. The client(s) may look at you in disbelief. We tell them that is what they do when they drink. To some this exercise may be a wake-up call, realizing what they’re doing to their loved ones.
Displacement is the discharge of hostile, pent-up feelings on a person or object less dangerous than the person that initially aroused the feelings. The classic displacement example is the man who kicks his dog after his boss chews him out. Counselors and programs treating criminal justice clients often experience the displaced feelings of clients toward the criminal justice system that sent them there.
Emotional Insulation is a withdrawal into passivity in response to anxiety or painful situations. This can occur frequently as clients become more aware of their difficulties.
Undoing is attempting to atone for or counteract negative behavior or impulses. Often, compulsive behaviors, like frequent hand washing, can be attempts at undoing. Telling clients that they can’t undo what was done, but that they can make amends (AA) for their mistakes, and change their behavior is a beneficial therapeutic tool.
Passive-Aggressive behavior is a form of defense mechanism. Not communicating effectively, like giving your wife the silent treatment, procrastination, such as not fixing a minor part on the hot water tank so your wife gets only a 2 minute hot shower, or not cutting wood, or cutting wood and letting your wife haul it into the house. It’s a form of selfishness and subtle revenge, because you want to be mean with expressing it out loud.
In treatment it can be seen when client(s) are constantly late for group sessions, and then looking out the window, yawning loudly, facial gestures, groaning at inappropriate times, or losing tx. materials or not getting assignments done.
Most of this material is from the book “Effective Counseling Approaches, for chemical abusers and offenders, by Gregory L. Little, Kenneth D. Robinson, and Katherine Burnette, from Eagle Wing Books, Inc.

Division of power

5-5-10

by Peter Twitchell

Bad things happen, it’s how I respond to them that defines my character.
Some of us go overboard, when we don’t get our way, and get into a fit. Character is defined as temperament, spirit, moral fiber. The word temperament is defined as nature (oh, that’s his nature), character, and temper, and spirit is strength of mind, force, and heart, and moral fiber is all of the above.
Let’s say a man and his girlfriend are getting into it and yelling at each other, loud enough for others to hear. To begin with, the business was between the man and woman, now it becomes everybody’s business. You obviously can hear yelling and swear words. Maybe not in that context and order; all of a sudden things become offensive. All of a sudden the strength of the mind (spirit) is broken. Tempers flare, and the elegance of the moment is gone.
What happened? Someone wanted power over someone, and it wasn’t received in a good way. The conflict was seething under the surface, and when it finally surfaced later, it did so in a more destructive fashion.
We pick conflict over cooperation. People say, “It’s so easy to do bad.” If you want to do good, you have to work at it, and most of us are too lazy to do that. Or, maybe it’s your tough as leather image of yourself.
I was talking to someone and when I said, “You know some people don’t have the same belief system you have, and just want to tell you their point of view.”
The person turned on me, in a bad-tempered voice saying, “What are you trying to do – play mind games!? You think you’re better than me?!” I was dumbfounded. I didn’t know how to respond to him. I think he was bored and just wanted to pick an argument, or in fact a power freak.
Do you know people like this? I do now. I didn’t think that someone could be so stubborn. The message I got was that his opinion was the only one that counted, and this was a guy in his 70s. Some people just don’t want to compromise their power over people. Isn’t that what an argument is about – power?
As far as you’re concerned you’re right and the other guy is wrong. You hurt, therefore you fight. I can’t understand why people can be so angry and bitter. This doesn’t give them permission to go and hurt others, but they have to try to force their belief on someone.
I remember working for a guy from BLM when I was 23 years old and he was in his 50s. I was just fresh out of business school and got the job as bookkeeper for them. I was stuck some place in the trees out of Kenai. After the first day of work, I dreaded going to work every day after that.
I had to leave that nasty environment, I’d heard enough for a lifetime in just 7 days. It didn’t bode well with my new career choice. It was such a bad experience for me, that I went and became a broadcaster instead, and I worked in radio for 24 years. You know who those hardheaded people are out there, most of them are retired, thank God. Most of them believed that the world owned them something, and they weren’t accountable for their attitudes and behaviors.
They couldn’t sit down and list their problems with those they had a conflict with, and come to a compromise on their differences. They hadn’t figured out that it’s a give and take world we live in. First, we aim for a goal, middle ground that we can function in. We come to a compromise on an issue, by working together on a solution to a problem. No one should ever walk away from a dispute holding all the power over another person. Even children deserve to be heard and counted, their opinion counts toward a solution to a problem, and they need to know that they have some power, and feel good about exercising it. We do this and the bad things that happen won’t be so overwhelming.

The right to bear arms

4-29-10

by Peter Twitchell

I have a dear old friend whom I’ve known all my life, since I became aware of who I was, that’s how far back my friend and I go.
On January 14, 1995 he plead “no contest” to an Assault IV/Domestic Violence charge. Immediately, he realized that his life was disrupted. He has been hunting the last 15 years as an outlaw, trying to put food on his family’s table. State law says he can do this, but with the domestic violence (DV) charge he can’t hunt legally, under federal law.
Essentially his whole life has been disrupted, and he closed the door on himself, when he plead out. He admits he won’t be hunting with a free conscience until he clears his criminal record. Until then he will be hunting with the nagging feeling that he’s a common outlaw. The truth of the matter is, if officers so choose, they can cite my dear friend, and he can go to jail for hunting under federal law. The right to bear arms is not the only issue here. My friend will not be able to work at an organization like the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation or work any place where there are children (LKSD), but the most hurtful one is not being able to purchase a gun, not even for his grandson.
There are all these federal laws which have grave consequences once someone pleads out. I think it is very important for people to know this. Especially natives; born hunters, from the time we were children. We were taught how to hunt, starting with small birds, mice, advancing to ducks, ptarmigan, muskrats, squirrels, and rabbits. In another few years we were taught how to hunt geese, seals, moose, bear, caribou and wolves.
There are thousands of other people out there in Native Country, who plead out, not understanding and not knowing what the consequences were going to be.
Just imagine for a moment that you’ve been drinking, and your wife tells you, she’s going to call the cops. All of a sudden fear comes over you, because cops carry guns, and your friend was seriously hurt when he was arrested. In your black out state, you automatically get into a self defense frame of mind, and go and pull the phone out of the wall. The act although a reckless one, was done in self-defense. Maybe you had a real fear of being arrested and thrown in jail.
My friend plead “no contest” when a plea of “Self-Defense” might have been more favorable. There wasn’t an intent to hurt or do harm to his wife, but he did commit the act of property damage.
Anyway, my friend is arrested and goes to jail. Meanwhile he is unaware that he is even in jail. He comes to and realizes he’s been arrested. He still doesn’t understand the full extent of why he’s been arrested. At arraignment the next morning he finds out he pulled the phone out of the wall, and injured his wife’s hand unintentionally (Assault IV/Domestic Violence).
The moral of this story is that pleading out to any domestic violence (DV) offense will disrupt your life, in more ways than one. I see a lot of people across Indian/Hawaiian/Native Country who plead to a DV offense, and then discovered how they could not work or purchase a gun. There are all these federal laws which have grave consequences once someone pleads out, and I think it’s very important that people know about this.

Beaver dams

4-15-10

by Peter Twitchell

As a hunter, I can’t say too much that’s nice about the beaver, except that they are probably nature’s greatest engineers.
I tried once, unsuccessfully to pull apart a beaver dam using the anchor on my twenty foot (20’) river runner with a 110 Evinrude outboard motor. You just about need four boats and motors the size of mine to do any good. After some thought, the only solution to clearing our upper streams of beaver dams is to start hunting and trapping beaver aggressively. No one traps them anymore and that’s why we have a problem with their dams blocking out fish from reaching their spawning grounds.
Last hunting season we tried to take the right fork on the upper Gweek River. Our efforts to go beyond the first beaver dam were nil. We just couldn’t get past that dam with the 140 outboard motor and low water. Thirty – five (35) years ago there were no beavers to speak of in that area, only moose.
Fish and Game and Fish and Wildlife need to figure out some solutions to this growing problem, otherwise we won’t have any more salmon stock. We can always use a lighter boat and motor to go to find our moose.
Dynamiting is probably the quickest way to clear out an area of beaver dams, but the eager beavers probably build another dam just as quick as it was destroyed. Environmentally safest method is trapping and snaring beaver. Most of the old-timers are gone now, and there aren’t that many trappers anymore. Not with the cost of living demanding that we go to work, and welfare picking up the food tab.
I’m afraid when it comes to beaver dams and dealing with the beaver – we’re trapped. The beaver got us both ways anyway we look at it.
Beavers are a lot like you and me. They just want to live in peace, they don’t want to be bothered by boats and wind kicking up water against their dens. I’d do everything to barricade me and my family from such disturbances.
I’ve seen beaver houses in lakes, one the size of a 16’ by 16’ building about 10 feet high. Even I could find some comfort in my own den that size.
My cousin Wilben Dahl told me a good beaver story: “In about the 1960s a beaver family developed a great plan on the Seward Highway near Summit Lake. They decided, all they had to do was plug the culvert under the highway and the highway would become a dam for 500 feet or more. They would have a spillway going over the highway for a long stretch, because the highway was level. It didn’t take long for their plan to work out and they started building a big lodge as well. The highway maintenance crews went into panic mode and blew up the dam with dynamite several times. The beavers would have it repaired in a couple of days. Finally, they had to send in “hit” men to stop the cycle.”
I got to put it to the beavers though, they’re always busy, foraging for food, constantly cutting down trees, and probably the worlds greatest natural engineers. It’s amazing how structurally sound their dens are. Imagine the first human being that set foot in anywhere and saw a beaver den, and how that influenced how he built his dwelling place. Thanks to the beaver’s ingenuity we survived.

Positive attributes of our People

4-9-10

by Peter Twitchell

We know that not every member of a community is using alcohol and drugs. Too many times I hear people say such and such villages are into “booze and pot, or everybody uses.” I can’t believe that.
I’ve been traveling to the coastal regions, the Yukon, and upriver communities to know not everyone is smoking dope and drinking brew. How can a community thrive for instance if everyone is drugging? We are stronger than that.
There is a certain segment of town that want the best for their children. There are parents that take very good care of their children. They provide a safe home, that’s warm, where there is plenty of food. The home is clean and the children have adequate clothing for cold weather. These children are well cared for, and happy.
There are also work places within the communities where people are happy to be working and use the money to support their family needs. Where there is a certain expectation from the workers to do the best job that they are capable of doing, and they have good work ethic. They go to work when they’re supposed to and meet and go beyond their work expectation. The commitment of the people in that village raises the standard of living conditions.
I know there are villages that expect its members to get involved in civic activities and duties, such as cultural activities, potlatches and fiddle dances, dog races, and Eskimo dances. There are also fundraisers for their VPSO’s, their fire departments, and Search and Rescue Operations. Community members get involved in their city government, churches, tribal councils, school boards, and some volunteer at their schools.
There are even nameless people who go beyond the call of duty and volunteer to make their village a better place to live in. You know who these people are and they should be recognized, and celebrated. There are health care workers and counselors who help their communities by nurturing their patients’ strengths.
There are big brothers, big sisters programs throughout Alaska, and this is much needed. Our children can really benefit from this program, and it’s a boost to our children’s well-being and supports single parents. There are women’s support groups scattered throughout Alaska. Can you imagine how difficult it must be for single parents to raise their families? Support groups of this nature gives single parents hope, and solutions to some of the difficulties they are faced with everyday.
I can only imagine the burden of a single mother, who struggles to get their son or daughter to go to school. When a person begins to feel positive emotions, other than the frustrations, and real stressors of life, with support they become healthy mentally, spiritually and physically.
There is more to supporting community members, other than AA, NA support meetings. Everyone can feel contentment with their past, happiness with the present and hope for the future, if we use our resource of strengths to help support each other.
I’ve seen creativity for example here in Bethel to get our kids involved in the arts, which includes arts and crafts, theatre, dance poetry and film making. Our school administrators, and teachers are making strides in helping our kids. They really try to make the schools a positive place to be, with academic support, athletics, and technical support. In many ways, grooming our kids to become the leaders of tomorrow, and utilize the wisdom of our Elders to further enhance the strengths of our children.
If we start focusing on the positive aspects of our lives, even in our villages we will start to see fulfilling and meaningful attributes of our people.

A formed consensus

4-1-10

by Peter Twitchell

We all have responsibilities in life to accomplish, and one of those is communication.
Communication simply means: meaningful interaction with another human being or exchange of ideas. Obviously, arguing with someone is far from this definition. Nothing is ever accomplished when two people can’t come to a compromise or peaceful settlement of an important issue, but talking about it is a good beginning.
Going back to ‘arguing,’ when someone becomes argumentative, it’s usually because they have a belief, that their point of view is the only right one. Some people start quarreling, and disagreeing with another person trying to push their beliefs, right or wrong, onto someone else.
One important element of communication is respect. Whether or not you agree with the other person’s point of view, is immaterial. Some people like to make a case of their views. It doesn’t mean you have to go along with them. That’s what I used to love about radio talk shows, playing the Devil’s advocate just to keep the dialogue interesting. Because, everyone has their own opinions on certain issues, sometimes leads to a heated discussion.
But there’s something special about just two people having a conversation. Maybe, you have a formed consensus about someone, maybe you like them or you don’t, or maybe you don’t respect them. I think, that’s when people tend to cross talk and talk over others even before they finish talking. When you have a negative formed consensus about someone, you tend to walk all over them, or try to. You ever notice the other person shutting up or even walking away when you start yelling?
One thing that turns me off automatically is when someone starts yelling. Yelling is not communication, remember that. Yelling is a form of warfare which I won’t get involved in, when speaking with another person. Two people can communicate with a civil tongue, with mutual respect for each other.
I believe that yelling is reserved only in case of emergency. For instance, if a child should run out onto a busy roadway, walking up to a tied dog, or someone backing up to where a child is playing, you usually yell a directive and run to your child’s aid. Any other time yelling is used, other than in a sports event or if you get lost, is asking for a feud, and then you have to struggle with its consequences.
Life is too short not to communicate with your loved ones, and really embrace the moments you spend with them. You don’t have to be a great communicator. Listening to what the other person is trying to tell you is a very successful element of effective communication. Sometimes that’s all a person wants is someone to listen to them while they vent out their frustrations.
Remember too, what may be a cultural norm in Eskimo culture might not be in the western world. I remember my wife used to ask me a question, and I wouldn’t answer her question right away, until the very next day. I’d answer her question, and quite often she’d say, “what?”
“That’s the answer to the question you asked me yesterday.” We were raised never to talk back (argue), yell, or control the conversation with anyone. And, never to answer back immediately, when someone asked us a question, only after we gave their question some thought. More often than not, our thought out answer had substance to it, and a good foundation you could build on. That is the Yup’ik way.

“Back to the 80’s”

3-25-10

by Peter Twitchell

I thoroughly enjoyed “Back to the 80’s” a musical presentation by our high school kids here in Bethel.
Let’s not kid ourselves, I was actually blown away, they were so good! Every single one of them deserves a pat on the back for a job well done. They were all professionals in their own way. The actors had all their lines down pat, and the dancers moves were all natural.
I went to the show, not knowing exactly what to expect, but I had been told I would enjoy the local production. I was pleasantly surprised as I sat there enjoying each presentation and the characters involved.
I began to drift back, in my mind, to my own Kilbuck High School years. I was much younger then, as my mind floated back to 1968. That’s what this program did for me – took me back in time, not just to the 1980s, but the late 1960s.
We had just seen, “Bye Bye Birdie,” with Ann Margaret, at the Northern Commercial Company show hall. I could still feel the plush red velvet cushioned chairs at the theatre. As a ”Woody Woodpecker” cartoon came on, the green velvet curtains drew open.
After watching the main feature film, our class had an idea what we wanted to do at our “Sophomore Spectacular” presentation in the National Guard Armory. We would have Stan Nevak come in on his motorcycle, wearing his red helmet and a Fender Strat strapped to his back. Stan emulated nicely, Conrad Birdie’s character in the movie making his grand appearance to his concert on a motor bike.
I can still hear Judy Guinn, Louise Venes, “Miggle Knight,” Grace Jacobs, and Minnie Sallison, and all the girls screaming as Stan made his grand appearance and sang the Conrad Birdie song, “One Last Kiss.”
The Bethel High School students, or should I say, “The William Ocean High School Kids,” took this a step further. “Back to the 80’s” reminded me that our relationships to each other was innocent and healthy back then. We all got along, and our high school years flew by, we were having such a good time. It was like a moment in time was frozen, and I could go back to it, and reminisce.
The main thing was that I felt good when I left the stage presentation of “Back to the 80’s.” I felt good about myself, my 11 year old daughter being there, and the great job our high school kids did. I could only describe the show as, “Spectacular”, “Sensational”, and “Awesome.”
It was a surprise and unexpected, on my part, and it came just at the right time of the season. To be honest, I was getting a little burned out on the cold weather, and I really needed something to lift me up above that, I was beginning to feel.
Once outside, the cold didn’t even bother me. I didn’t remember the cold, and my aches and pains were replaced by a good feeling. I had just chipped a tooth that day, and I wasn’t bothered by the pain any longer.
Thanks to the cast of “Back to the 80’s”, the Director, and all the people responsible for making this presentation possible. It was fun, I even had a few good laughs, which is a real accomplishment on the part of the high school students. Keep up the good work, and any future presentations that you may be working on – I know they will be FANTASTIC!

Like a beggar

3-17-10

by Peter Twitchell

In Luke 22:24: Words that disappointed Jesus: Such as, “I’m the number one apostle,” “No, I’m much more spiritual than you,” “you guys are crazy, I brought more people to Jesus than anyone.” According to the bible, self-righteous people put us in a box and label us.
For instance, “I don’t want nothing to do with you, you’re a sinner,” or “you’re an angry person, I don’t want nothing to do with you.” According to the bible, Jesus came to earth to wash the grimiest feet with his hands, and died to save the sinner’s soul from eternal damnation. It’s the oldest sin in the book. God confronted Adam, because Adam thought he was better than Eve.
If that’s true, why are you and I put in a different class of people? Even people who claim to be children of God are quick to pass judgment on to you and me. They think, and have this false belief that they have something over us. In other words, they think they are better than you and me. When people say, “He or She doesn’t deserve God’s favor,” God says to that person, “You’re right, but you don’t either.”
As Christians we have a real attitude problem: “We don’t want to see ourselves as we really are.” When apostle Paul, late in his ministry, drew closer and closer to God, he said, “I am the least of the least.” Remembering what he had done in the past, realized how closer he had come to God. As Christians we have a real tendency to exceed ourselves, and justify ourselves, but God is all forgiving, “if you confess your sin.”
If you think in terms of the bible and a supreme being; you cannot cleanse your own filth, we cannot remove our own sin. Our feet must be in His hands.” We will never be cleansed until we confess we are dirty. That’s only the first step. Then and only then, can we “practice what we preach.”
In substance abuse treatment, we cannot heal until we talk about our problems, and really take them to heart and deal with them. Those grimy things we’ve stored away and suppressed for months even years. We cannot start to heal until we’ve addressed and talked about the filth in our lives. If you keep garbage inside your house for years, it will become a toxic substance; filth because it’s like poison that’s killing us emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically, needs to be cleaned out everyday. That’s why we say, “clean house and let God in,” when we turn our lives around.
Everyone, even Christians can benefit from going to treatment, just to examine ourselves. We may not drink; that doesn’t mean we’re healthy spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically. There are a lot of dysfunctional people in the world, simply because they have failed to self-examine and assess themselves. Have you dealt with your loss and grief, and have you resolved those resentments you carry in your backpack? How about jealousy, anger, and selfishness, and your self-pride? Christian or not, God says, “You’re like filthy rags in my eyes. There was only one perfect when he was among you, and that was Jesus, the Son of God.”
Even a beggar is a good person. All he probably has is the shirt on his back, yet he will tell another beggar where the food and shelter are. We have to get down to that level to really see what love, and compassion means, then we can apply it to our lives.

Taxi Wars

3-2-10

by Peter Twitchell

While the cab fare war helps some, it hurts others. The five ($5) dollar taxi fare seemed a little extreme when it first went into effect, the upshot of this was that it helped those who make driving a cab their career. The cab drivers of the 1960s and 1970s raised their families with their earnings. These same drivers kept the money circulating inside our community.
I can speak on behalf of our local drivers because I was one of them. I drove for Hugh and Faye Short for several years. We made a decent living back then from the fares we collected. The two ($2) dollar fare, the drivers were collecting a week ago, is the same fare we collected back in 1973. The only difference back then was we weren’t competing against 50 other cabs, maybe there were 15 cabs total then.
The lower fare is good for anybody’s pocketbook, but I don’t see it going on forever. The thought, that a taxi cab competing with the city bus’s lower fare is unrealistic. The price of fuel alone will dictate that.
Thanks to ONC and the City of Bethel teaming up to get our bus transit system operating, really helps our community’s population get to where they need to go. It takes on average 20 minutes longer to get to your destination, but most of the time I don’t mind. When I do have the money, I like to go from point A to point B the quickest way possible.
The drop in fares last week was a stimulus for other cab companies to lower their prices. It was no longer five ($5) dollars across the board, and I could pick and choose the lower fare. We all look for the best deal we can get to stretch our dollar as far as we can, and it helps us tremendously, even on the short run.
We can still say, we support our local drivers who spend the money they earn locally. The money spent locally circulates around helping other local people before it leaves town for good.
The city bus back in 1971 was a good way to meet and get to know who our neighbors were. The bus brings people from all walks of life together, and it’s a good time to socialize. Socializing is healthy for us and is needed. Most of us are not an island unto ourselves. I enjoy talking to people as much as I like riding in the bus, just to see parts of our community I wouldn’t ordinarily get to see, or people I would never meet otherwise.
The bottom line is – it’s affordable. And, while some cab operators give breaks to families with children, not all of them do. You know the drivers that are trying to help us. Most of them have made Bethel their home, away from home.
I was in my young 20’s when I was driving cab, and I always got out of the cab to open the door for our patrons, and especially women with children and our Elders. It was just a part of the service, no ifs ands or buts, I just did it automatically. Remember though, we’re all quick on our feet when we’re young, and besides, it helped my blood to circulate better. On a typical day I was driving a 12 hour day, and I really felt the need to move around. I rarely went ‘blue’ for any coffee or lunch breaks.
I appreciate all our drivers who work in the transportation business. It’s not an easy job. You don’t get rich driving a cab or bus, and I take my hat off to anyone who makes a living doing it, day in and day out.
I hear a few cab drivers are bootlegging whiskey on the side. I’m glad none of them are people I know. These people shouldn’t be driving a cab – period. They’re bootleggers, not cab drivers.

Wellness Ladder

2-24-10

by Peter Twitchell

We need more Healthy Families in the 56 villages of the AVCP region. There is too much suffering within our family systems in the AVCP region. Some people are trying to salvage their families, but it becomes a losing battle when only the husband or wife gets treatment. When there is alcohol abuse in the home, every member of the family needs to be treated. Treatment means every family member gets therapy, care and healing. I believe that’s the only remedy to the problem.
Everybody has to pitch in, including village tribal courts, tribal councils, and they need leadership. I believe the body of AVCP, Inc. is the leadership we need in the AVCP Region. I also believe the leaders of AVCP, Inc. needs to focus on this growing problem. It needs 100% of their attention and not less than that.
When you’re drinking, believing that this is the only source of your happiness in your life, your son can be outside sitting in the snow freezing until someone comes along and carries him to you. I wish you would have heard your daughter or your son at the foster home saying, “I want my Mom and my Dad, I want to go home.”
I often hear the cliché “it takes a village to raise a child.” If this is true then we need to have healthy families first, then we can be there for our children.
We’ve already had our wake-up call in our Yukon, Akula, coastal, upriver, and downriver of the Kuskokwim region. We need to heed the call for help. The Athabascans up north saw a need for their problem when they got a wake-up call. They did something about it – they built Old Minto Recovery Camp for families. They serve the state, but that’s not enough. They can only treat so many families all at once. We need a recovery center here in our southwestern region of the state.
Stop our children from committing suicide, growing up without a parent(s), and let’s do something about it. Our children are supposed to be the next generation to lead our children and grandchildren. I think AVCP made an excellent attempt in the past to do this with a program called, “Kinguliamta Ciunerkaat,” we just need to take the next step forward and up the wellness ladder.

Trust me

2-11-10

by Peter Twitchell

There is so much dishonesty in the world, it becomes a way of life. We’ve all been swindled by banks and someone.
I bought a 22’ Yukon Raider with an Evinrude 120 outboard motor. My first outing the motor ran for 15 minutes and blew a piston. I paid thousands of dollars for it. The sellor was dishonest in the representation of the boat/motor, he didn’t tell me it had been swamped in silty water most of the summer before he sold it.
If you’ve ever bought a product which wasn’t complete for full price of a service which was left unfinished, then you became a victim of a dishonest person. A dishonest person never feels he is in the wrong. It becomes a way of life. Dishonesty is planted in the mind of an individual, then it shows up in his actions and his words. What’s in the mind and heart of a person shows up in his behavior.
A dishonest person affects everyone around him, until there is no trust. If you know you are a dishonest person or have had someone tell you, take immediate action to change. If you think ‘honesty’ then you will be honest in your dealings with others, and trust will start to grow – trust me.

I’m sorry

1-29-10

by Peter Twitchell

If you’ve held on to guilt and shame for a long time and have been hesitant to admit it, and held back from saying, “I’m sorry,” to someone you hurt so badly, by action (deed) and words, rest assured that you are not alone. Maybe, there is someone out there who is, and has been longing to hear those two words, from your mouth. Perhaps, you might be afraid that by apologizing that you’re going to open old wounds, or, maybe you have the real fear of being rejected – you are not alone.
Once the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation Behavioral Health Department had a therapeutic group who invited people they had resentments towards and for a number of reasons including abandonment, betrayal and issues of abuse towards them, and other family members, by their family member. The program paid for the travel to Bethel of family members involved in the healing group. Family members, including grandparents, parents, children, husbands and wives were brought together and confronted on hurtful issues. Sometimes the individual confronting them began yelling. After all was said, that needed to be said, everyone was crying, even those not directly involved in the exercise were crying. There were tears in every eye in the entire room.
Almost immediately, healing began in the lives of people who were there. A son and a father who hadn’t spoken to each other in over thirty years hugged each other with tears of forgiveness and joy. Even grandchildren had become resentful towards some of these people. Every member of the families involved had been affected.
People who have a strong faith and belief in God, believe that people need to forgive each other, just as “God forgives them.” Either way, I believe, as human beings we are all bound by forgiveness and love.
It may be too late in some instances to apologize to individuals we hurt, face to face, and in person. I also believe, that there are individuals who may be longing to hear an apology from a loved one who isn’t there anymore, by separation, even death. Is it possible we can still apologize to someone who has passed on to the “other side?” I believe so, my grandma Hannah used to tell me, “our Ancestors are watching us, and know all that we do.”
I’ve apologized to my grandma Hannah once since she’s passed away, for disappointing her, and hurting her by what I said. At the time, I thought I knew it all. I believe she’s forgiven me.
I spoke to one person who was at the behavioral heath healing circle, and was told that it felt good to get an apology from their loved one, and old wounds were healed over for good.

Homelessness

1-21-09

by Peter Twitchell

Most of the homeless Alaskan Natives in Anchorage are from remote villages, and would go home if they knew they were missed and are welcome back home. A homeless person can’t come up with enough money to buy a ticket home, even if they wanted. The home villages also need to be notified of the homeless individual’s intended return home. The village needs to be ready with a supportive network of family and friends to welcome the homeless individual back home.
I heard another “homeless” human being was found dead, at a homeless campsite in Anchorage. Of course, the people of Anchorage see this as a different kind of problem. They don’t want to see panhandling on their street corners. They know the money they give isn’t going to buy food – only alcohol. They want to see regulations that make it a serious offense to give people money on street corners or elsewhere. They spend that money on alcohol, pass out, and freeze to death.
The majority of Alaska Natives that end up in Anchorage know that they can’t beg for money in their villages, but it isn’t a problem for them doing it in Anchorage.
The people that hand money to panhandlers may go home thinking that they have done a good deed. They do not realize what they may be contributing to. Even if they kindly give them a sandwich that may just make them able to save enough money for a drink. The shelters will not take them in if they are drinking, nor will they let them stay if they bring drinks in. For that reason they will stay in their camps so they can drink in peace. It is a sad situation.
I’m wondering too, when this dilemma is going to end? I think, homeless people dying, has gotten enough attention. The twelve (12) profit Native Regional Corporations have an obligation to step in and help their tribal members get on their feet. The thought of doing something isn’t enough anymore. Help get their tribal members back on their feet, give them at least three months to become job marketable, or send them back home where they can be safe with relatives, and people who really care about them. If the corporations are not willing to help them, the home village can spring the money for the homeless individual’s ticket home. Possibly the financial costs of sending the homeless person home could be paid off in community service that reconnects them back to the community so that they know they are needed and appreciated.
We can’t leave it to Anchorage to take care of the growing problem. As you know Anchorage has problems of its own to deal with. There’s got to be a solution to help the homeless, than us, who are stronger, standing around, watching them die. Where is the compassion of our warriors? Build a temporary shelter, to help the homeless get back on their feet. Being homeless isn’t an excuse to live a down and out life either, we’re better than that.
We’re a proud and spiritual people. I’d like to thank my cousin Wilben Dahl, of Quyana Bed & Breakfast in Anchorage for his perspective of the homeless.

You’re a weather station

1-6-09

by Peter Twitchell

Did you realize, as we get older, we’re going to get into general weather forecasting? Nothing scientific or sophisticated, but something we can do to amuse ourselves and our friends.
I didn’t realize aging had so many thrills attached to it – for one, you automatically become this person who foretells changes in weather. Another obvious one, you don’t have to pull five full days of work, anymore. Every month you go to the post office to pick up a check. You get to spend more time with your grandkids, whether you like it or not.
I find this one a bit amusing, you can sense when the weather is about to change. I keep hearing this phenomenon from my co-worker who says, “My knees are hurting so bad, the weather is going to change.”
Bingo, an amazing thing happens - the weather changes. The weather changes from cold to warm, or from warm to cold. If someone says, “Oh, my bones hurt today, the weather is going to change.” Don’t argue with them if you’re a non-believer. Be forewarned if someone comes up to you and says, “You wanna bet the weather is going to change?” I wouldn’t do it – I’d lose.
I never really thought about this in terms of getting old. I can hardly wait! I am waiting with anticipation. I’ll pay attention to every little ache and pain. I will keep track of it, and measure it, after all, I’m going to have plenty of time on my hands. You never have to think about pain, as suffering again. You won’t have to reach for the medicine cabinet or the bottle of aspirin either. However, if the pain persists, and the weather doesn’t change, I’d go see the doctor. The pain in your joints is only an indicator that the weather is going to turn around. Your pain will be gone tomorrow and the weather will be better too, or worse.
Instead of greeting my friends with the usual, “Hello, how are you?” I’ll ask them, “Are your joints aching today?” If they say otherwise, then I’ll know.
Science indicates “change in barometric pressure is the main link in joint pain and weather.” When high pressure is building, the pain subsides. I thought it was old wife tales when my grandma Hannah used to say, “The temperature is going to drop, I’m having so much joint pain.” She always knew if she went for a walk she would feel better, and the pain wouldn’t be so pronounced.
She walked here and there when she was a hundred years old, visiting with her friends and going to church bazaars through blizzards, sleet and snow, selling her pretty, embroidered pillowcases. But, that’s all they did back then. The old folks never depended on cabs, four-wheelers or snow machines to transport them anywhere – they walked. I guess, that’s why they lived long and healthy lives. Another thing that you may want to ponder and marvel at.

How long will it take us?

12-9-09

by Peter Twitchell

Some of our people believe that we shouldn’t treat the Eskimos like “children, let them learn to drink responsibly.” The comment I heard was “unlock the kitchen cabinet, let them have their booze.”
To begin with how many people in the eastern and western worlds, tell their partners, “Honey, can you pick up some booze on your way home.” No, they address alcoholic beverages respectfully. They might say, “Can you pick up a bottle of Chardonnay, extra dry on your way home?” “Stop treating our people like kids, they have to learn to control their alcohol consumption.”
Look at the Europeans who have been drinking alcohol for thousands of years. They make alcohol available to their children. They drink alcohol all the time at the dinner table. And, their children are welcome to have alcohol with their dinner. The kids grow up without stigma about alcohol consumption, and majority of them don’t abuse it, or they can opt not to drink it.
Here in Yup’ik country it’s a little different story. Some of us take alcohol and drink it like we’re never going to have another opportunity to drink again. Some Europeans like the Italians drink and they start to boast. The French like to sing when they’re drinking, Germans like to dance, and Russians become affectionate. Europeans can drink and rarely get into murderous quarrels.
So, I want to ask the obvious question. How long will it take us, in Yup’ik country to drink socially and how many of our people have to sacrifice their lives before we can become responsible drinkers?
We have to admit we’re not responsible drinkers yet. The fur traders in the 1850’s took advantage of our hunters and trappers, by trading a bottle or two of spirits for a whole winter’s catch of furs. When we got our Limited Entry permits to sell salmon commercially, we traded our permits for a case of whiskey. Recently, someone traded last year’s model snow machine for four bottles of whiskey. We can get into other devilish transactions, but I think you get the picture.
The manner in which our society is heading in this century, it pretty much boils down to choices. All of us get up in the morning and put our feet on the floor and start moving. People still put socks on one at a time and put their pants on one leg at a time. It’s all about choices we make. One drink is okay, the second one is tolerable. Forget the third drink, we’re pretty much out of it by then. Some choose to drink for days, and sometimes they don’t have a choice, they’re on automatic pilot, they drink until they pass out.
Henry Shavings and Family used to have a recording called, “Whiskey is the Devil.” Most of us black out and the Devil in us is unleashed, and we start to raise hell. I guess that’s why we have jails. It’s where they put us when we’re uncontrollably drunk to protect themselves and to keep us safe from harm. How many more years do we have before we start drinking like responsible human beings?

2009: The Year
Yup’iks Fought and Won

12-3-09

by Peter Twitchell

All those Yup’iks on the Yukon deserve a medal. Let’s never forget how the state and the feds messed up in summer of 2009, and how the people battled and won.
Those of us in Bush Alaska know nothing is more important than subsistence – the right to feed ourselves and our family. And, we know that the State doesn’t like that word, and really only cares about big commercial fishing companies, like the Pollock trawlers, who throw the salmon away. But this past summer the government tried to shut down king salmon subsistence fishing on the Yukon. I’m proud of the protests and the victories.
It began with the ticketing of little old Alakanuk Elder John Chikigak, who has been fishing for kings before Alaska was a state. He said he was just trying to feed his sick wife. He told the government they were wrong to shut down fishing. He said there was no shortage of salmon. He said he could care less what the sonar or biologists were saying - there was plenty of fish for all. In turn, he got ticketed and all his hard work of catching a few salmon got taken from him.
Then, the Marshall Tribe, Ohogamiut Traditional Council, also protested. They screamed to anyone who would listen that it was wrong to shut down subsistence king fishing. The Tribe even authorized a protest fishery, and authorized the only police officer in the village, Jason Isaac, to catch a few fish. They, too, knew the government was wrong, and there was plenty of fish. Officer Isaac also got a ticket.
Then there was a few others, such as the Landlord brothers from Mountain Village, who refused to give up their inherent rights, and also got cited. They said stopping men from king salmon fishing is “silly - just like stopping women from picking berries.”
Then entered Bush lawyer, Jim Valcarce into the chaotic catastrophe. My heart jumped when I heard that a local lawyer agreed to fight for anyone ticketed, for FREE! Bethel lawyer Valcarce stepped in and took on the government. He yelled at officers who arrived in Marshall; and he told them they had no right to talk to anyone. He helped give voice to Elder Chikigak’s story, and Valcarce arranged for guests to speak about the tragedy on a national talk show. I know he worked behindthe scenes to help. One by one the tickets got dismissed; something Valcarce claims was not his doing. Just this week Valcarce told me the State has finally alsoagreed to dismiss the Landlord’s citations - something he again says others should get the credit for doing. He says it was the kind and good work of the State Trooper Dan Dahl and the St. Mary’s Magistrate.
Mr. Valcarce is married to a Yup’ik and I know how important subsistence salmon is to his wife, Tauni Rodgers. I know what he did and why he did it - and I’m proud he’s a part of our community.
The end of the story is that the government found out the Elders were right all along. There were lots of salmon, the biologists and sonar studies were wrong, and Canada ended up with all our winter meals.
But, let’s never forget 2009. The year when Yup’ik people and Valcarce stood up for something they believed in and the year we all won due to their efforts. This is for you.

Never going to prison

11-21-09

by Peter Twitchell

I told one of my friends today, “I’m glad you’ve never gone to prison.” He said, “Never, I never want to go to jail.” Hearing that from him made me feel good, giving me reassurance that people still have the will to be free, if they want to be.
The word never, could mean, “I’ve never been to jail and I don’t have any intentions of going there,” or “By no means do I ever want to go to jail, it’s not a place for me.” These are strong words, coming from a strong person.
It takes courage to make such a bold statement such as this. It takes guts to stand up, to another person, whose pressuring you to drink, and say: “No… never, will I do anything to jeopardize my freedom.” “If drinking is going to take me there, then drinking isn’t worth being locked up, and making my family unhappy, and me miserable.” It takes commitment to resist temptations like this, day after day.
When you go to jail where are all the people that fed you liquor? They never encourage you to think about the consequences of drinking irresponsibly. They never visit you once you end up in jail. They’re willing to give you a free hand in helping you get drunk, but they don’t give a hand when it comes to feeding your hungry family.
Remember, once you get arrested, your buddies don’t go to jail with you, instead, your whole family does. When you’re sitting in jail and hurting, do you think you’re the only person hurting? You’ve hurt your entire family; which includes all your kids and your wife. They suffer right along with you.
They’re not at fault when you run into overflow and die of hypothermia, or fall out of your boat and drown. You’re so-called drinking friends don’t care. They might think that you’re stupid for getting caught, because, they have one less person to supply them with alcohol.
You’re on your own when it comes to drinking. Whether or not you go to jail is up to you. The bar owner doesn’t care if you drink their booze, and end up in jail. The liquor stores, and people who sell you the booze could care even less. They’re in the retail business, to sell as much alcohol, and make as much money as they can. You can go to a vending machine right now, and buy a candy bar, or soda pop. The more the vendor sells the happier he is.
Does a liquor license holder really care if you drink yourself to death, or die accidently? I strongly doubt it. He’s in it to make a profit. He doesn’t care if you turn over in your grave as long as he turns a profit at the end of each month.
The sadness to all of this dysfunction in our society is when our kids drink and get into trouble. They don’t want to go to jail. Maybe they have a false belief that something terrible is about to happen to them. Some of our kids have been known to kill themselves for one reason. They don’t want to go to jail.
Alcoholism is a disease in our society that’s passed down from generation to generation. I used to think, if Dad can drink, I can drink too. This vicious cycle of destruction has to be cut somewhere, sometime, and somehow.
One man told me one time. “I want to teach my son before he turns to the age of two, that living without alcohol is okay. I don’t want him to see me getting drunk, acting crazy and ending up in prison. I’ve already spent half of my adult life in prison. I’m going to cut the chain, before it affects the next generation. I cried when I was a kid and I saw my Dad in jail. I don’t want my son to look at me with tears in his eyes.”

Keeping the spirit of
dog mushing alive and well

11-11-09

by Peter Twitchell

Since I met Bob Sept, Veterinarian and owner of Bering Sea Animal Clinic in Bethel, he has been a very caring man, both personally and professionally. I brought my daughter’s dog in after it had wrapped its chain around its foot and frozen it. It eventually fell off, but left a bone exposed. Dr. Sept removed that for us, and didn’t charge a cent for his time in the operating room.
What can I say about Dr. Sept that would describe him as a man? More than that, he is kind, loves animals, loves people. Why else does someone leave his home, his family and all the comforts of life to come to rural Alaska? I believe he really cares about the animals and the people who own them.
I’ve talked to a local dog musher and he said, “Bob sure knows a lot about sled dogs. He makes the time to help mushers with serious problems. He never has said, ‘you’re a little guy, I don’t have time for you.’ For one, Bob sponsors my dog kennel and provides me with all the medicines I need and doesn’t ask for money in return. A lot of people don’t see that. Seeing what Bob does from the kindness of his heart, we tend to help each other as much as we can. It’s like love for our animals, and love for the sport of dog mushing just flows into us from Bob.”
I asked a client of Bob’s and pet owner how they would describe him. “Dr. Sept is a selfless man. He’s a wonderful veterinarian. He flies out here to the bush to take care of our dogs. He lessens all the pain and suffering our dogs would go through, and he vaccinates them against rabies, which protects the community at large.”
Another person said, “Bob tries to help the animals of Bethel. He’s gone to the airport at Anchorage to pick up a dog, brought it back home, fixed it, and returned it to the airport for a safe trip back home. He really goes out of his way for people. He’s really knowledgeable about dogs. He is more than just a doctor to dogs, he rallies and supports dog mushing, and sponsors some kennels. He’s volunteered hundreds of hours on the Iditarod, and also the K-300 dog sled races. He’s worked free to keep the dog mushing alive, and keep dog mushers mushing.”
The list of grateful animal owners goes on, thanks to Dr. Sept. And, I know, now that mushing weather is upon us, that Dr. Bob will be out there, somewhere on the field, helping a musher and his dog team. Thanks Bob, for really helping in keeping the spirit of dog mushing alive and well.

Six stages of moral reasoning

11-4-09

by Peter Twitchell

I was looking at Kohlberg’s six stages of moral reasoning, and realized that Yup’iks have made a shift in recent times. We used to adhere to numbers 5 and 6, but now changed to number 2 stage. At least that’s where I see our young people heading.
You can look at Kohlberg’s 6 stages of moral reasoning and see where you’re at. Stage no. 1 is the pleasure and pain stage. You know this stage by heart. You experience it every time you hear your favorite song. Yesterday, I heard for the first time, “Black Pearl,” by Bryan Adams. The right side of my brain lit up like a Christmas tree. I liked the guitar hooks and the phrasing, and the rhythm of the song.
Stage no. 2 is reciprocity (back-scratching) stage, you do something for me, and I’ll do something for you. I’m afraid, this is where most of us find ourselves in the present day and age. Stage 3 is the approval seeking stage, it’s self explanatory.
Stage 4 is the law and order stage. For instance if you’re in prison and you’re in stage 2 in your life, you cannot change your primary life, unless, you go to stage 4.
If you remain at stage no. 2, you’re chances of coming back to jail, once you leave, is high. Stage 5 is the social contract (helping people) stage. You’ve heard of Ghandi, and Mother Theresa. They weren’t interested in their own well-being. They wanted to help others. Here, I’m reminded of our own, Dr. Jill Seaman, a real humanitarian.
Stage no. 6 is the Universal Ethical Principles stage. How many of us have stolen a pencil or pen from work? How many of us have intentionally, or unintentionally bounced a bad check? I have. I should be so lucky, I live in a state that is so forgiving. If you live in Oklahoma for example and write a bad check for fifty dollars, you’ll go to jail for 5 years. Oklahoma state is the highest rated of ‘women in prison - in the world’ for writing a bad check. It doesn’t matter if you know how to add or you don’t, that’s just the way it is.
Kohlberg’s stage no. 2 is where everything works on plea-bargaining, such as in our courts, where they either or don’t sign off of punishments.
Life is based on one thing - the choices we make. We can choose to work, and we can choose to lay around the house. You have to bend your arm at the elbow to drink, it’s all up to you. You won’t drink, if you don’t bend your arm - your choice.

Reflection in the mirror

10-28-09

by Peter Twitchell

You ever look in the mirror and see a splittin’ image of yourself? I hope so. How about, when you’ve looked at someone and you see something disturbing about him or her? I have, once or twice.
Usually when we see something in someone we don’t like, it reflects right back to our personality. We see ourselves in that person. We all have characteristics, and we may not like about ourselves. Sometimes we see these reflections in another person.
Perhaps we are in denial about our own particular characteristics. We may see something we object to in another person that we ourselves have not had the courage to look at in ourselves.
Whenever we get this uncomfortable feeling, we need to take personal inventory of where we are. We can journal our feelings and write down things about ourselves and both negative and positive attributes about ourselves will appear.
You don’t really recognize these good or bad attributes about ourselves until we’ve started working the 12 steps of the AA principles. We begin to see objectionable things in others that exist in us. This realization should motivate us to look within ourselves and not at someone else.
This knowledge exists for one reason, when we recognize it, and we need to deal with it, it will get us movin’ along in our recovery. Step 10 entails working steps 4 - 9 on a daily basis. The 4th step in the 12X12 book is the first attempt at an inventory and the 10th step keeps us doing it.
Step 10 allows us to address things as they come up in life. The big book shows us how to do this, and when we are wrong in our actions, and harm someone. This step tells us to make amends promptly to that person. Don’t wait more than 4 days.
For an example, if you lash out at another person, because we resent what they did or said to us. We brood over our resentment and complain about that person for a few days, nursing our resentment. If we work the steps, we will realize that we are wrong. Amends are in order and we need to make them as soon as possible. This is for our own good and health. Forgiveness on our part is an important and essential step to make, in order for us to learn about our resentments and swallow our pride.
Taking responsibility over our actions is important in maintaining our sobriety. The more we practice this, our amends should come progressively more quickly each time, we make a mistake.
It’s been awhile since I let someone have it. Hopefully, I have learned the restraint of tongue. Spot check yourself and when disturbed, step back, look at yourself before acting. When you do this, guaranteed that you will reflect and take more appropriate action, than hurting someone. As you start to grow spiritually, you will find more and more positive attributes of your life. Staying on this track will bring your genuine happiness, joy and a free sober life. When you reach that peaceful plateau, then you will know.

Silent Treatment

10-22-09

by Peter Twitchell

When someone is giving me the silent treatment it really frustrates me, because it hurts me emotionally, and causes me physical pain. I never know what the other person is up to. I’m totally in the dark.
It is abuse either way you look at it. I’d rather blow up at some, apologize for things I said, which I really didn’t mean to begin with, and move forward into discussing the real issues and begin resolving the problem(s) which led to giving someone or myself the cold shoulder.
If two people are screaming at each other, it’s mutual combat, trying to hurt the other as much as possible. The one who refuses to acknowledge that there is a problem, or refuses to ignore the pain they are inflicting on the other person, may consider themselves the winner... in reality they are the one who cares less about whether or not they damaged the other person emotionally. They are cold-hearted, and could care less.
It is all about controlling the other person, and pushing their buttons. This damaging behavior can go on for days, weeks or even years, with a few good moments in between. Why would anyone want to stay in this kind of relationship? Nothing good ever comes out of it, and it happens over and over again.
Silent treatment can inflict pain on the part of the brain that tells you, “I don’t belong, I’m not good enough.” This kind of bitterness creates low self-esteem. If someone really cares about your well-being, and they truly love you, they wouldn’t let you suffer. The person doing it has to be borderline evil. Ostracizing another human being is like torturing them.
There are laws against physically abusing, emotionally abusing, and torturing another human being. I don’t see any difference when it comes to giving another person the cold shoulder, and causing them pain and suffering. If you do this on purpose, and just to hurt another human being, you’re a real bad character, scoundrel is not a good enough word.
Silent treatment can be very destructive behavior when it involves personal relationships, nor is it condusive to healing and well-being. Remember if someone pisses you off constantly for no apparent reason than to hurt you, no one deserves to be emotionally and physically hurt constantly. It’s time to leave a bad relationship. If the other person is unwilling to try and confront hurtful issues, and talk about them in a civil manner, it becomes a no-win situation.
You can’t save a bad relationship, unless the man and the woman agree to disagree, and talk about things and learn to compromise. Any relatonship, can be difficult, when there are some complex factors involved. You have to be willing to work hard at resolving problems. Remember, some resolution to the problem can be reached, but you have to be willing to talk about them.
All healthy relationships require some dialogue. You can’t sweep anything under the rug and expect it to fade away. Get involved, join the human race, work together, and both of you will be winners.
Giving someone the ‘silent treatment’ is childish, I think if someone is acting in a childish manner, and pouting and not wanting to acknowledge you, they ought to be given a ‘time out.’ Any child that’s feeling ostracized starts to behave whenever they are given a time-out, because they would rather behave than feel the physical pain. There’s a lesson in that. I guess, it requires we look at things from a little child’s eyes and learning how to talk and communicate effectively with each other.

Science of Happiness

10-15-09

by Peter Twitchell

What can you say about happiness? I know that it’s a really good feeling. It’s something good you feel inside, when you’re proud of yours or someone else’s accomplishments. It could be a good feeling that people share with each other.
The other day in class, my group and I talked about positive psychology, which led to a discussion about our Eskimo Arts and Crafts. Some of the people in my group were craftsmen and artists, from beginner to advanced. Each one of them had a happy story to share; something that really made them feel good inside, a real satisfying feeling of fulfillment. Some were great carvers, others could draw. Some didn’t have a creative bone in them, as far as art was concerned. Nevertheless, we all sat enthralled at the amount of talent present. I didn’t really think that a simple topic like this could create such excitement.
Everyone had really good feelings about the success of the artists and people they knew, like a brother or a cousin. I was amazed about how people who created works of art spoke so strongly and passionately about it. It became a very positive discussion. The artists were proud of their accomplishments, and listed them one by one. It was very interesting.
His eyes lit up as one carver spoke about making a gun stock out of male and female walrus tusks, and after embellishing the stock with his artwork, sold it for $29,000.00 to a contractor who commissioned the work on his Dad’s old flint lock rifle. He was expecting to get five grand for his work.
This same person makes pistol grips out of mastodon for three grand. One person also had two children’s books that he is ready to publish. His Dad told him that he could become a millionaire if he wanted to, as talented as he is. He just said, “I’ll be happy with just name recognition.”
We talked about scrimshawed whale baleen, how arts and crafts from various parts of Alaska had their own distinction. If you have kids that like to draw, or carve and have potential for being very creative, encourage them.
One of the more successful carvers in the group, said: “I was six years old when I started carving. I sold my first carving for five ($5.) bucks! That made me want to carve more after that. I started buying my own carving equipment, bandsaw, and files. From that one little object that fit in the palm of my hand, I can now carve a full size bear out of soapstone and get thousands of dollars for my work.”
One person had his carvings from sixth grade brought to, and displayed at the twin towers in New York. It was a fun way to spend an hour with my group, but it paid back in dividends with positive feelings of joy, and happiness. It was a very relaxing way to end the day on Friday, and even after feeling super tired, the energy was created by positive thinking and feedback.

Local Option

10-6-09

by Peter Twitchell

I write this on behalf of those persons who are unable to write this for one reason or another, and otherwise may no longer be with us because of an alcohol related death.
First, it’s a choice that I chose to drink, no one forced me. It’s a fact of life that we sometimes make choices that have tragic consequences, and we didn’t mean to make our beloved families mourn for our untimely death. You know, drugs and alcohol are a fact of life, and a way of life for some, and I chose to make it a part of my life. It had nothing to do with the fact I had a good upbringing, with a Mom and Dad that loved me, and cared for me, and was concerned that I make the best of my life.
There will be more and more tragedies in the future because of drugs and alcohol. We who aren’t here with you anymore, we’re not alone. Unfortunately, there will be more alcohol related deaths, it’s a fact of life. We cannot go around it, under it, over it. We go through with it eventually, one way or the other.
I don’t blame anyone, not even the person that sold it to me. It was my choice to buy the alcohol and drink it. We didn’t mean for our families to be hurt, saddened and cause them to mourn for their loss. Mom and Dad are strong, and they will live through their sadness, I know they will say, “It was his/her choice, and that took his/her life.”
None of us can hide from it, alcohol abuse is a way of life for some of us. Our parent’s bust their behinds to make a good life for us, then someone comes along and tears down everything they ever built up. But then again, we live with the consequences of our choices in life, both good and bad. But, for these people that come along, and make changes in our lifestyles, I’d like to ask them to look at the past summer, and look at how many precious lives that were lost to drownings, most of them were alcohol related deaths here, we can’t hide from that fact.
I just ask you one last time to look at it one more time. Look at what’s happening to our people. Yes, there will be more and more tragedies related to drinking, it’s a fact of life. Bethel is after all the hub of the Yukon and Kuskokwim region. People come here to bank, buy their groceries, do their school shopping, and buy their fuel.
Unfortunately for some of us, drinking and water don’t mix. People will continue to use Bethel and Anchorage because it’s convenient. People go to Anchorage, and come back home. Most of the time their booze is confiscated, good for them, maybe that was one less alcohol related death.
Reflect on past tragedies when we had a liquor store and bars in Bethel. Many of our family, friends, and Yupiaqs died alcohol related deaths. Just look at all the crosses at the cemetary, not everyone dies of old age, more and more it’s your neighbors and friends from here and other villages.
You used to tell me, “think before you act” - I didn’t do it, I hope you do likewise in regard to the local option law. We don’t need any more bodies at the bottom of the river. Remember, one time, the river was used for our food source, not our final resting place.

Glorious days of fall

9-30-09

by Peter Twitchell

We were on our way home from a glorious 3 days of hunting 70 river miles up river from Bethel. There was our boat captain and mechanic Tony Avalos, deckhand Chris Wasuli, Elder Al Wasuli, and myself. I was in charge of scouting for suitable camping spots to everyone’s satisfaction.
At the headwaters of the Akuluraq the water level was 3 feet below average, which made negotiating the creek somewhat difficult. We had to push and pull around 4 bends.
We went through two props. Due to the hard use of the props, the water impeller on the lower unit of the outboard motor nearly crippled the whole engine.
After two hard but, successful days of hunting we turned the boat around and headed back downstream at about 5 miles per hour. Golden yellow leaves of the birch trees were fluttering down from the sunny blue sky with its cotton white clouds.
Tony and I rod and reeled 4 culugpaleks or grayling, as we scraped gravel bottom. Finally after 13 hours of traveling, we landed at the Moravian Children’s Home historical site, at 2AM in the morning.
We threw a space blanket on the grass after crawling up the muddy bank and threw ourselves to deep sleep on the ground. The last thing I remember seeing is tons of stars, satellites floating by and geese making their southern migration in the dark night.
In the morning I got up to more geese and decided to walk the grounds of the abandoned Children’s Home. I thought, this was such a beautiful place in its day. And, it’s such a perfect location to have Kids Spirit Camps and Families Healing Retreats. It’s time AVCP, Inc. step up to the plate and team up with the Moravian Church and put their money where its really going to count.

Life in Akiak

9-16-09

by Peter Twitchell

When I was 9 years old, a couple things happened. Mom and I went to live with Dad in Akiak and we became the 49th State. I didn’t really understand what the latter was all about. But I was excited about the former. It felt kind of weird though, moving to another village, but the people were friendly and life was great.
I found some lifelong friends while in Akiak, which included Albert Kvamme Jr., Matt Gilila, Mike Williams, Adam and Lillian Japhet, Jackson Williams, James Nicolai, Moses Owen, Ronnie and Melvin Egoak, and Robert and Betty Snyder. If I left anyone out, it is on purpose because they either were too young or came along later.
I mustn’t be remiss though - David and Peter Gilila are my good friends today including Robert Ivan, and Ivan M. Ivan. Mom and Dad knew everybody including the Jackson, Lake, Kvamme, Kawagley, Demantle, Egoak, Ivan, and Williams families.
I was very fond of elder Molly Owen. Shortly before her death in the mid 1990’s, I sang the 94th Psalm for her at her house. She was a strong, courageous, and loving woman who always lifted me up and encouraged me. I will never forget her.
Life in Akiak included hunting spruce hens, or willow grouse, with my .410 shotgun. I loved walking in the trees hunting grouse and observing all the squirrels. Just a few days before freeze up, around floating ice Mom, Dad, and I boated upriver a few bends above Akiak to fish for sheefish.
The big fish really went for the sliver spoons and they really liked my yellow spoon with red dots. Looking back, I had a great time in Akiak and wouldn’t trade those memories for anything in the world.
One cold October day, Dad and I went above Akiak and shot a couple willow grouse that were perched on a tree along the river when Dad spotted some mallards huddled and swimming together. Since they were swimming upstream, along a big sandbar, Dad went above them and we waited in a lying position with our shotguns cocked and ready to fire.
In a few minutes, the big fat mallards were within killing range. Dad instructed me to shoot the upper half and he would shoot the lower half. He said, “When I count to three, shoot.”
We got all 7 mallards and by evening, they were toasty warm in our, and Maggie Japhet’s cooking pots.
As winter approaches, these are a few of my fall time memories.

A memorable moose hunt

9-10-09

by Peter Twitchell

When I left home to go moose hunting and, the more I saw of the tundra, moose meadows, and nature, the more I felt I had left a cosmetic city behind with its cosmetic buildings.
By the first day I began to appreciate the great outdoors again. There were all the familiar sounds of geese, swans, and cranes gathering to begin their southward migration. I saw and heard cackling geese, Canadian honkers, whitefronts, speckled bellies, yellow legs, and ones I hadn’t seen before. They came right over me out of the morning fog. They had black heads with gray and black feathers.
I saw tons of beavers, especially at night in the moonlight and early morning hours. I saw two muskrats and a porcupine. A falcon swooped down and grabbed a ptarmigan off the tundra and brought it back to it’s perch on a spruce tree.
It was an unusual sight but we were all playing the hunting game - bird for bird, a brown bear was running down a cow, and we were hunting bull moose.
A bear visited our camp at night, walking a couple feet from the side of the tent I was sleepign in. It didn’t bother us or the cooler full of meat. We were camped on a sandy beach up the Three-Step.
We moved to the Gweek River and set up camp next to an old gravesite. My son Dan who has good hearing, kept hearing chimes ringing. I heard something too.
I had a nightmare at camp and plan to write a script for a movie idea based on my dream of a lady. It was really spooky, I never been so scared.
All in all, it was a successful moose hunt. I didn’t need to dress up or live by the clock. It was good to smell the tundra again and fired gunpowder too. I figure I went 20 miles on my odometer, the boat and motor probably closer to 250 miles, but it was a journey of a lifetime bringing with it lots of good memories of outings with my family, friends, and loved ones.
These memories I will cherish all my life. Thank you for reading this and sharing a tad bit of my trip.

Help needed in hit and run incident

9-1-09

by Peter Twitchell

Sometime between the hours of 10am and 5pm on Wednesday, August 26th, 2009, my boat trailer was damaged beyond use. Currently it is useless and new boat trailers cost $2000.
My boat trailer, which has been sitting quietly all summer was bulldozed to the side of the driveway by someone who pushed their bumper against the tongue of the boat trailer and force pushed it around.
Earlier I had seen a man in a burgundy truck with a rack in the back and a tall man in a blue car examining the area. I made a police report and they took photos. If anyone saw anything suspicious, please report it 543-3781. Only a criminal would destroy another person’s property and think nothing of it. I think it might have been a local business’ workers, but I can’t prove it without help.
If you know anything related to this crime that would lead to a prosecution, I am offering a $200 reward for information.
The morning of Wednesday, August 26, 2009 my boat trailer with a storage 6’x8’ wooden box sitting on it at Watson’s Corner, at 213 3rd Avenue, right across from the GCI satellite dishes, was damaged by people who think they can just vanish into thin air. My number is 543-5980.