Fall Adventures in Chevak

Taking a break from gathering wood.

The beautiful colors of the fall tundra.

Kirby and his "gondola!" :)

We are already half way through the first quarter which is hard to believe. I have realized that I am not blogging as much as I did last year which is probably because there aren't as many new things for me. BUT, just when I was beginning to think that winter was coming without any new fall adventures... things changed. :)

Since we often take steams (maqii) with Denise and Carrie, Chris and I told them that we would like to go out by boat with them to help collect wood for the wood stove that is used. So, one afternooon after school around 5:30p, we headed out by boat with Denise and Kirby towards Kashunak. We took the shortcut and about a mile and a half from our destination, we got stuck in one of the sloughs because the tides had changed and the water was too low for the boat. It was soon sitting in mud. We decided to make a fire and have a snack and then try pushing the boat a ways until we got to higher water... but, the higher water wasn't coming anytime soon. So, after some pushing we made the decision to make another fire, sit back, and wait until the tide came in again... this happened around midnight. We did get to see a GORGEOUS pink and orange sunset over the tundra and the night was lit by a bright, full moon. We made it home around 2am... needless to say, I didn't workout at 6:30 that morning! Thanks for the adventure
Denise and Kirby!

Me, Kirby, and Denise

Priscilla, me, some of my students, and a beluga!.. Impromptu field trip :)

Earlier this week Chevak was fortunate to have a pod of beluga whales come through our river which doesn't happen every year. I have never seen a whale in real life so I was super excited to see one, while the locals were super excited to catch one! News spread quickly over the VHF and through word of mouth (and cell phones now) that the whales were here so around 2 o'clock, with permission from the principal, Priscilla and I took the kids down to check for whales. Without each kid having a pair of binoculars this would be a difficult task... BUT, someone had caught a beluga and had just begun the gutting/portioning process so we were lucky enough to see this! I didn't have my camera (BAD teacher!), but the superintendent's wife was in town and was cool enough to snap some shots and send them my way(thanks, Bev!). Now, talk about hands-on science and social studies! Ah, life in the vill.

Emily and I on a boat ride with the Ulroans.

Making Connections Makes Life Changes

The Beginning of My Second Year in Chevak

Well, I am back in Chevak. This is not only my second year teaching, but it is also my second year teaching second grade. Our official first week of school starts tomorrow.

It is SO good to be back. I cannot count how many times I have heard, "Welcome home." And, it really feels like home.

I came back to Chevak with news that I was moving into my own unit. So between getting settled into my classroom and the new place, I have been staying pretty busy. It is definitely a treat to have my own space and to decorate things to express my personality.



On Wednesday I was invited to take a steam which I was so thankful for though I was reminded of Lena. She was the first person I ever took a steam with. We have lovely and funny memories of that first time. In some ways this steam was bittersweet. But, I am a firm believer that it is good to remember. And, I was amongst great company. I am so happy that I was able to take a steam so early in the year- thank you, Susie!

The first weekend of each school year marks TundraFest. This is a time when other villages come to Chevak to yuraq (Eskimo dance). This year Nitemute and King Island joined us. The festivities began on Thursday night and just ended last night, on Saturday. This was a good time for me to get out and visit with Chevakers that I have haven't seen since the spring. It sure was a good time.



Also, yesterday I had the opportunity to go out by boat to one of the Ulroan's camps for berry-picking and burgers :) The whole family went out. The ride was beautiful- my first one of the year. There weren't too many berries, but it was so relaxing to be out on the tundra and just be in peace.



This evening I heard someone say, "Making connections makes life changes." He said, "We cannot just work, work, work. Even if this mean staying up late (which we do for TundraFest)." I really appreciated hearing this because that has been something I believe and want to make sure I remember this school year. Out in the village, it is very easy to be in our classrooms for much of our spare time and to get stressed about school-related stuff. But, we have a choice not to and I am making that choice. I want to make sure that I make time to play, to connect, and to have me time.



You have heard me say this a time or two, "Life is too short." Well, I absolutely believe this and I heard something else today to add to that thought: "Watch carefully how you live your life. Be wise in how you live, making the most of every opportunity." I LOVE this! Spoke right to me.

Thank you for following my blog. I look forward to another great year out here in Chevak and plan to keep this updated once again.

Quyana Cakneq :)

Can you guess who that is in the picture on the wall?! ;)

The End of My First Year

Lotus Flower: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Meaning-and-Symbolism-Behind-the-Lotus-Flower-Tattoo&id=95396

The end of the year has come and gone. School let out on Friday, May 15. I am heading "home" to Anchorage in a couple more days and it is time to reflect before I head out on my summer journey.

I have to start by saying that I truly had a great first year of teaching! I was fortunate to have a wonderful aide who became my friend, a great group of students, and many supportive parents. And there a quite a few things that I learned about myself as a teacher. This first year has allowed me to see my strengths and weaknesses- both of which I value.

This was also a great first year in Chevak. I met so many wonderful people and have so many wonderful memories. Some of my favorites are taking steams with Lena and Carrie, catching a devil fish while manaqing, falling in a slough while playing the states game with Jaden, yuraqing, purchasing beautiful dolls from Dorothy Nayamin, seal hunting, eating seal liver, going by snowgo to Scammon Bay to watch a ball game, and the many dinner and game nights with other teachers... these are just a few.

Of all the things that I learned and experienced throughout the year, I would have to say that my greatest new learning or aha is my new persepctive of community. We were unfortunate in that there were eight deaths in Chevak since the start of school in August. We lost elders, a teacher, and even students. There is something to be said about the mourning process in this village. I wish that I was able to capture just exactly what I mean, but it is really something that I can't quite put into words alone. I feel so fortunate that I have been able to not only observe, but also be a part of this community and their traditions.

Not too long ago a local group of dancers performed for the Commisioner of Ed when he visited Chevak. As I watched this particular group of men and women, I looked at each of their faces and I recalled the tragedies that many of them had faced in the last year. It broke my heart to recall the deaths that took place, and at the same time, seeing their family members yuraqing gave my heart such a joy and peace. The reason for this is that these people have so much strength. Through their culture and their community they have built a support system that one cannot just recreate.

My day to day life is constantly driven by the hardships that I went through. Not that I wallow in them, but that I make almost all of my decisions based on the mantra that "life is too short, we are only here for a time, and we have the power to live happy." I am often reminded of the losses that I took over the last couple of years, and as I look at the Cup'ik people, I think "Wow, they know how to grieve and they know how to support one another." One would not know this at first glance, but instead one would have to embrace their culture and step into it in order to see this. And, it is a remarkable thing to see and to be a part of.

I am so thankful for the experiences that I have had in my first year of teaching and so many of them wouldn't have happened if I was still living in the city. I feel that I am gaining a rich knowledge from this whole "experience" if you will, for lack of a better term.

But, this is not just an experience. This is my life. I live in an Eskimo village of about 1,ooo people; 300 or so being students at the K-12 school. There are about three trucks here, but the primary form of transportation are snowgos and hondas (snowmachines and four-wheelers). There are three main stores, a clinic, a postoffice, and two churches. If there is a medical emergency, one would have to get medevaced to Bethel or Anchorage for treatment. Some days we do not have planes come in at all due to weather, which also means no mail. In order to dispose of our trash we drive to the dump and light it on fire. Everywhere you go, everyone knows who you are and they all say hello... and they call you by your name. If they don't know you, they will ask you who you are and where you are from.

As I have said to many of my friends and family, teaching in Chevak for my first year has been the best decision for me both personally and professionally. I wouldn't trade this for the world. I love that Chevak will always be part of my life, part of my story. If you hadn't figured it out by now, I am returning for my second year in the fall. I don't for certain know how long I will stay, but I know that Chevak will always hold a special place in my heart. I will head "home" in a few days and I will spend a few weeks there before traveling to Thailand for the summer where I will gain a whole new set of learnings, memories, and experiences.

This really is a great life; I am enjoying the journeys.
Warm Regards, Misty

Teacher housing in Chevak

I was just realizing that I haven't posted ANY photos of my living quarters. So, here are a few:

Bathroom

Living Room

Kitchen

Snowy April in Chevak :)

Here we are, April 26, '09 in Chevak.

The snow is still quite high here; dogs can still walk right by my living room window.

LOOK! I can see my deck again!!!

Winter trash runs... gotta love them. Hitch a sled to the back of a "snowgo," load the trash, and throw in a couple of kids... it actually makes for a fun trip on a nice day.

I think he is thinking, "This is the life."

Beach baby, beach baby here on the ... snow?? :)

Kendall and his big brother Aaron playing out.

Haley and I nearly crashing into a house!

Spring fever!

Teachers and their kiddos on a sunny spring afternoon... sledding off a roof.

Yuraqing and More

Cultural Heritage Week 2009

Sledding with my kiddos.

All in sleds behind "snowgos" heading out to the hills.

Pamyua

Haley in her regalia.

Emily Lou yuraqing with her middle schoolers.

Yuraqing with my students.

I ate SEAL LIVER!!!

Lena's boys Kash and Conor.

Here I am gagging a bit, but I did eat it... and it did stay down. I like all of the expressions in this photo! lol

There is a program called "Sister School" that Chevak participated in this year. A couple of weeks ago, a small group of our middle schoolers visited Palmer and got to partake in city life. This week (which is our Cultural Heritage Week) the Palmer students came here! They were fortunate to be invited to watch the gutting of a seal. AND, they were brave enough to try the liver! If you know me well, or really for any amount of time, you know that I have a weak stomach. However, there are things that I can handle now that I couldn't prior to coming to Chevak. This is probably the third gutting that I have seen and each time I think I am more comfortable with the process (smells, sights, and even sounds!). I was so proud of all of these middle schoolers trying the liver, so I joined them- with their encouragement, of course! In fact, some of the people you see in these photos are from Chevak, but this was also their first time trying the liver. It was a challenge and first for many of us, but we did it! Enjoy! :)