Quyayarqeggcikici!!

That's Happy Thanksgiving in Yupik!
Yesterday at school we held a community Thanksgiving Feast! Our Dance Team entertained for the first half hour, then the paper was laid out, a blessing given by the Deacon, and then some major eating!  We had over 300 people who really seemed to enjoy the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, and fresh baked bread, all made by our two cooks, Simon and Chris, then served to the community by the staff. 

   

 

Then today I hosted a dinner for all the "family-less" staff. We ended up with 14 people, stuffed to the gills!! Daryl (my principal) and I cooked the turkey, and everyone else brought side dishes.

 

Dave and Daryl carving up the bird

 

 



SnOOOw much Fun!

These were taken last week on a cold but windless day, so it actually felt pretty warm.  It's right after school, so around 5:00 pm, and after we had gotten our first significant snow (about 3") that stayed.

                        Today it's only one degree with a minus twenty windchill (25 mph winds) - yikes!! -                                                             so no walks to the beach.

 

 

 

Happy Piluguuk Day!

Really - today is Piluguuk (ba-loo-guk) Day!  A piluguq (singular) is a mukluk, or mocasin - and throughout Yupik culture, women were to wear theirs today.  Although they used to be daily foot wear, now they are worn most often for ceremonial dance. The piluguuks are made of seal skin, with the bottoms being significantly thicker than the sides.  The front (and I don't think you can really tell how detailed they are in the photos) is thickened by tiny, deep folds creased into the seal skin.  Just like the quspeks, each one is adorned differently. They have beaver, seal, or fox fur trim, and thick woolen socks on the top.  Most of the ladies were complaining about how hot their feet were by days' end!!

A Death in the Village

This past week has been very strange in our village.  Last Tuesday one of the elders past away at her home from pneumonia. Tradition dictates that the body is to remain in the home for three days while family and friends pass through to give their respects.  All after-school and community activities are cancelled until after the funeral.  Students come and go from school all week – staying home to be respectful, but then coming back either from boredom or driving the parents crazy, I imagine. I had to go out to the school’s play deck several times to “shoo away” students who were not attending school because they were related to the elder, but were disturbing classes by bouncing basketballs and making noise. 

Obviously, there are no funeral homes here. After three days, the body is taken to the church to be placed in the casket.  That is, if the casket has arrived.  This week we had freezing rain and a low cloud layer, so for several days there were no planes.  So, poor Mrs. Carl’s body stayed in the home for over five days waiting for the coffin to come.  Once the coffin/casket has arrived, they can begin digging the grave in the hard frozen ground.  They believe that if they begin to dig the grave before everything is ready, others will die. 

Mrs. Carl was from two particularly large families – the Carls and the Juliuses.  Because she was originally from Newtok, half the village of Newtok is here, having flown in the day she passed away.  The extra people have really changed the “feel” here.  It just seems bustling and eerie at the same time.  Last night there was a big sing-along event at the community center next door, so everyone was out way past curfew, and the streets sounded like a freeway with four-wheelers buzzing everywhere.

Today, school was let out early so that everyone could attend the funeral at 1:30.  It was at the Catholic Church, with a full mass and communion.  Tonight there will be a large feast; then again, in 40 days from her death, the family will host another feast.  Our school secretary, Susie, told me this morning that all the upcoming babies will be named after the woman that passed away. 

Saint Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church

Finally, every year on the anniversary of her death, the family will hold a large feast in her memory.  Over time, people combine the feasts for several members of the family – otherwise there would be a feast every week!!

Fall Festival

 

A couple of weeks ago, our fourth grade teacher put together a wonderful event for the fourth, fifth and sixth grade students, aided by the ninth grade class. There were several stations with games, face painting and cookie-decorating. Jill did such an awesome job organizing that it all went without a hitch!

Decorating Cookies



Estimation

Halloween Bingo

Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin

Donning our GAME DAY faces!

I am truly blessed to work with a fun group of people who enjoy socializing in a relaxed atmosphere.  It's definitely a "come as you are" kind of place.  Since there is literally nothing even close to formalized entertainment here (i.e., shopping, movies, etc.), I initiated a monthly Game Night.  I sent out a general invitation to all staff, but it basically boiled down to our "regulars" (all without families here, except Kathy Chugluak who is not Native, but married a local and has been here for 26 years). 

The first night's theme centered around the food - a Baked Potato Bar.  We played Pit at one table while other's enjoyed a calmer game: Bananagrams. Then we all came together for a hilarious few rounds of Balderdash!  It was a great evening!



Even Nelson enjoyed the evening!

Cindy, Crystal, Kathy, and our lone guy Kevin playing Bananagrams

Megan, Janet, Me, and Sharon checking our hands for Pit

Jill gets a winning hand!

October's theme was Halloween Bunco!  Jill helped with the decorations, and I whipped up some soups for a warm meal before a raucous time!  Lots of hoots and hollers all night long!

Rolling the dice for "Left Right Center"

Sara collecting her "Left Right Center" winnings!

Jill won the "traveling" prize - all the quarters in the jar!

Megan - just excited to be here??

When you are short a player, you play with a "ghost,"
so I made a little friend to play with!