Waqaa!
That is "hello" in the Yupik language. Yupik is the language of the central and western Alaskan natives. There are a lot of Yupik kids that go to Mt. Edgecumbe High School and I'm getting some Yupik lessons from a few of them. It's an EXTREMELY difficult language to learn because it uses a lot of sounds that aren't found in the English language at all. It's pretty cool, though!
This email will be largely dedicated to my service site, but it also features a very special guest author! Get excited!
I've been extremely busy with my service site since I last wrote. As a reminder, I serve with Mt. Edgecumbe High School. It's a residential boarding school for rural Alaskans. It's for kids around Alaska that have no high school or just want a better education from what they would have otherwise. I've talked to a lot of kids that there are something crazy like 12 kids in grades K-12 and ONE teacher who teaches all of them all day in many of their home villages. Can you imagine?! So, a lot of those kids will come to MEHS for more. And they don't have to pay - it's all pretty much free for them because it's federally funded. It's the top ranked high school in the state! Although from sitting in classes... it makes me feel bad for every other high school in the state if this is as tough as it gets!
My role in the school is to do... everything really. I spend my days doing office work, helping teach leadership and freshmen orientation classes, driving kids around town, working the rock wall, helping with a dance group, hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, or any other strange thing that may come up. This weekend as I was going on a stunningly beautiful 6.5 mile hike with the kids it really hit me how fortunate I am to have such a cool job. Just 11 hours before hiking, I was chaperoning a 80's themed dance and danced my butt off with the kids! How cool! I've also gotten to do some substitute teaching. I've subbed for the P.E. teacher four times now (imagine me teaching gym!!) because he is also the volleyball coach. Fun thing about being on a sports team in Alaska - you travel EVERYWHERE. Every weekend the teams are gone to some other little town in the state. Other cool things about my job include the staff - they are so much fun and genuinely nice people; the facility - I am welcome to anything the school owns so I have camping, hiking, kayaking, etc gear at my fingertips; travel - I got the opportunity to go to Anchorage to pick up kids from the airport (p.s. don't go to Anchorage. It just looks like every other strip mall you've ever seen... just with beautiful mountains as the backdrop).
The students are truly the best part, though. They are very different than high school students down south (meaning anywhere in the lower 48). They are much more polite, respectful, and form better relationships with adults. They're also quirky in some funny ways. They say "just kidding" after everything they say, even if they're clearly being serious. It's kind of weird and a habit I'm trying really hard not to pick up. They eat a TON of candy, LOVE soda and energy drinks, and live to eat McDonalds. They love soda so much that there is a black market on it. The school doesn't provide it, so kids will go to town and buy cases and sell the cans at a marked up price. It's really funny but the little entrepreneurs make quite a bit of money! Another interesting thing is their voices. The accent of the Alaska Native is so different than anything I have ever heard and it's really difficult to describe. My best attempt to describe it would be lower (they don't upspeak), choppier, and as if it's a second language (but they grew up speaking it as a first language). I've made really close relationships already with a handful and good relationships with a lot more. I've even had some very difficult situations because of my close relationships. One girl told me she thought she might be pregnant, another told me he smokes weed, another that she attempted suicide, and another that her mom is an emotionally abusive alcoholic. There is virtually zero crime in Alaska to the general public, but there sure is a lot of bad stuff that happens in the home here. It's very sad. Despite these hard things, it feels incredibly rewarding to bond with the kids.
Things I've learned from the Edgecumbe students:
- Most little villages don't have cars. Everyone has a snow machine! They have snow machine drag races because snow machines can go around 140 mph!!
- Parents will give their kids away. One girl told me her mom gave her sister away because a neighbor only had boys and wanted a daughter. Apparently this isn't extremely uncommon.
- In the Tlingit culture, you are born into the clan of your mother which is either a raven or an eagle. They have a matrilineal society! And, to them, this is a way of trying to dodge inbreeding.
- There are Native Olympics. The games are completely different though. All the games represent something in their society and are largely games of physical and mental stamina. Some include tying a string to your ear and it being pulled (representative of frostbite), hanging from a stick by only your wrist, and jumping from two feet and kicking a ball with one foot then landing on that same one foot (record is over 90 inches high!!).
- Nearly every village isn't connected by road to anything else.
From all of my time I've spent with the kids and all of the stories I've heard from them, I feel less and less like I'm in such a different place like I thought I was when I first got here. I'm sure when I get back home for the holidays and have malls, speed limits over 35, and people who believe in using umbrellas when it rains I will again feel like Sitka is super different. But, quickly, I'll give a few highlights of my off-duty time in Sitka. I have made good connections with the person who runs the biggest music festival in Sitka (http://www.homeskilletrecords.com/homeskillet-festival-by-homeskillet-records/ ) and I'm going to help with planning it next year. I'm really excited about working with Alaskan artists and getting to put some of my event planning to the test again! My roommates and I have become hosts of couchsurfers. If you aren't familiar, it's a website that puts travelers in touch with locals to stay on their couch for the night. We have had four couchsurfers so far (two groups) and they have all been really awesome. It's been neat to meet these people from all over and get to share Sitka with them. Also, I've gotten very good at goodbyes unfortunately. People move in and out of Sitka so much, especially summer help, that many friends I've made have left or are leaving. It's a very hard town to be in for this reason!!
One of the most exciting things that has happened recently was a visit from a friend. I really must have the best friends since one already came up from Ohio to the Great Land! Here is my guest author - Adam Burden!
I have always wanted to visit all 50 U.S. states. When I heard Katie was going to Alaska, we made plans to visit once she got settled in. It was in short – amazing. It was great to see Katie and get toured around by a “local.” :) Some of the things we did were a 3 ½ hour hike up and down Mt. Verstovia; have a potluck dinner with other Americorps volunteers and Katie’s roommates; walking tour around downtown; hitchhiked; took a boat ride to an abandoned island where we cooked over an open fire; and saw an eagle, sea lion, and jumping salmon.
For a little Sitka (and Alaska) context,
-If you make your right hand like a gun, then turn it upside down, that is Alaska. Sitka is on the inside knuckle of your thumb.
-According to the United States Census Bureau, Sitka is the second largest incorporated area in the U.S.
-If you live in Alaska for more than 12 months, you get a free check mailed to you (the state has that much revenue from oil companies).
-Alaska is much greener than I imagined. It was rainy, 50s-60s and lots of trees, but no snow!
-The pace of life is much slower and relaxed. If you are making plans, give yourself + 30 minutes on either side.
-The tap water tastes like it was run through a water filter.
-Life is much more centered on the weather and environment. For example, if you wanted to go hiking in Ohio and it was raining, you might make other plans. If you were in Sitka, you would strap on the raingear and just make sure you pick a trail where you won’t get eaten by a bear! No joke…one of the first things we did when I got there was bear safety.
Some other observations I made on the trip,
- When you pick up your bags in the Sitka airport terminal, they will be in carousel #1. Because there is only one baggage carousel.
- If you need to go somewhere and don’t want to walk, you can call Hank. He’s the taxi driver. He also doesn’t have a meter in his cab. When I got to the airport he just said, “Uh, nine dollars.”
- You can tell out-of-towners if they are not wearing Xtratufs boots. Everyone has them and they even wear them out at night to the bars. There are 4 bars. (Thank you Katie and Mt. Edgecumbe High School for letting me borrow Xtratufs and raingear! I was definitely underpacked.)
- The Radio Shack also doubles as the tanning salon.
- The lower 48 states are referred to as “down south.”
Katie has some great roommates and friends already. I don’t think I could live there, but I understand why people could like it so much. So, if you are thinking of going, I would definitely recommend it.
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I have begun to notice how badly I miss all of you and Ohio. I love it here and I'm having a great time, but there is a lot to miss back home. The time difference is very difficult, but please feel free to call me anytime and if I'm available I would love to talk. Also, please do tell me about what is going on with you via email. I love hearing the stories and sharing in all of your lives.
Lastly, I have some pictures up on facebook but I need to update more. Feel free to check that and keep on the look out for more to come.
All my love,
Katie
