Chevak, AK

 

After flying to Hooper Bay for a couple nights for Teacher In-service, Michael (who kindly volunteered to be the male chaperone) and I flew to Chevak, AK. The flight was again amazingly beautiful with the sun peeking through the clouds to reflect brightly on the bay. We landed on a foreign airport with no one to pick us up.  After a few calls and still no one, I asked a local for a ride to the school.

That was my first encounter with anyone from Chevak. I’ve now come to conclusion that after meeting almost 30 people from Chevak that in my experience every single person is incredibly friendly! I also love the passion they share of helping the community by educating themselves any way they can to bring good leadership to their home village. Friday night, they invited guest speakers to talk to the kids to start off the Natural Helper’s Fall Retreat of fun ice-breaker activities, sessions about anti-bullying and dealing with suicide, and lastly a huge healing circle.

Chevak School

The guest speakers included the mayor, a young lady, and a member from the school board (Chevak is its own district, yet due to its location shares sports and activities with Lower Yukon School District). The speakers shared their realization of need for change within their communities and how it motivated them to push through college to create positive change within Chevak to help their loved ones. They talked to the Natural Helpers about how they chose carefully which college they would be able to go to without being overwhelmed and wanting to drop out and go back to the village (one went to Fairbanks with his wife and the other went to Hawaii to a small friendly campus). The guy from the school board ended the night with a prayer that all the Natural Helpers (about 15 students each from about 6 schools) would find healing at the retreat and hope for their future.

According to the Alaska Statewide Suicide Prevention Council report on Alaska Suicide Facts and Statistics, it states:

“Alaska had 1,369 suicides between 2000 and 2009, an average of 136 deaths by suicide per year. The highest number of suicides, 167, occurred in 2008. The lowest number, 123, occurred in 2003. That is an average of about 2.6 suicides in Alaska every week, or more than 10 a month.”

“Alaska Native men between the ages of 15-24 have the highest rate of suicide among any demographic in the country, with an average of 141.6 suicides per 100,000 each year between 2000 and 2009.”

A graph from the same site puts this into a much better visual perspective:

To see more reports, graphs, and prevention plans, check out the Health and Social Services section of the State of Alaska website. http://www.hss.state.ak.us/suicideprevention/statistics.htm

 The Chevak Bluffs on the edge of the village

Clouds reflect in a neglected window

An early morning walk with the Scammon Bay Mountains behind

Jamie Loun, my friend and Natural Helper Sponsor from Mountain

A tire sitting in front of the school.

These are hanging on the wall inside "The Cache Store"

A couple guys enjoying their "ride."

One of the students told me araq is the fungus that some burn and use the ashes as a hallucinogen.

A little girl playing by her house.

We don't see this native plant in Alakanuk.

On the shore of the Bering Sea: Hooper Bay, AK

Last week on Wednesday, all of the certified teachers flew from Alakanuk to Hooper Bay, AK for teacher in-service. We slept on the floors of classrooms Wednesday and Thursday night.

The Alakanauk Slough, right off the Yukon

 

The large building is the Alakanuk School; the dark green roof is my house.

Sammy visiting the pilot on the way.

Arriving in Hooper Bay, AK

The small dunes reminded me of Oregon

Hooper Airport was right next to the shore, so I asked if we could go there.

There were so many washed up starfish, shells, and even some sand dollars.

We were studying the brain-like intestines? Jellyfish are so fascinating!

Almost all of these are pictures taken from Sammy or my cellphones, but I'm glad it was still able to pick up the beautiful colors!

Sand shapes

Sammy and I

Sammy, Sarah, and I

Looking Northwest, the beach and sky were so blue!

We were all giddy to explore and play around on the beach. Although Alakanuk is close to the Bering Sea, there aren't really opportunities to go to a beautiful sandy shore like this one. One of my goals for once the river freezes up is to drive from Alakanuk out to the shore (about 10-15 miles away).

I love how the young and old never seem to tire of the splendor of the ocean. Also knowing that this water connects me all the way back to people in Washington is comforting. Although many miles separate us, there are times when I know we can look at the same moon, stars, or water that join us.

One of the many starfish on the shore.

 

 This was a sunrise over Hooper Bay while I was standing on the school porch. Out of the four sunrises I have seen there, I think it's quite common for them to have such beautiful sunrises where the brilliant red, orange, and pink tint the sky for over an hour.

Most people left on Friday to head back to Alakanuk, but since I am the Natural Helper Sponsor I flew to Chevak, AK. There was the Fall Natural Helpers Retreat Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so we made arrangements for 13 high school kids to leave Alakanuk and I (along with their male chaperone, Michael) flew from Hooper to Chevak to meet them.