Fall Fun

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This weekend, one of my high school students offered to share her family’s moose with us.  She came over on Friday night and using her ulu, cut up her moose meat, seasoned it, and threw it on the stove with water.  We roasted some veggies in the oven to go with it.  Every two weeks we get fresh fruits and vegetable in the mail.  It is so nice to have these things, because there is literally no other way for us to get fresh food like this.  The small store in town has canned goods, a limited amount of bread and eggs, and lots of pop and candy (the students’ favorites)!  Sometimes we get some crazy things in that vegetable box that I have no idea what to do with- like bok choy and rainbow chard.  Needless to say I am learning a few new recipes this year :)

It was so generous of my student to share her family’s moose with us.  Her father shot one moose this season, and it sounds like in general, it was a tough season for the villagers.  Fall hunting season is over, but there is another moose hunting in winter.  Maybe there is more moose in my future? 

This week there were a few passings in the village.  My students told me that one of the elders that passed away was 104.  I can’t even begin to explain the family structure of the Yup’ik , as it is very different from the traditional Western family and I am just beginning to wrap my brain around it.  I was able to learn a little more this weekend by observing the funeral that took place yesterday.

I was working in school yesterday morning to get some lesson plans done as I have homework that I am spending today completing.  Teachers in Manokotak work at least 6, if not 7 days a week!  Right before 2 pm, the “running of the kids” began.  I could hear the back and forth racing of the little ones down the school hall- which meant it was time for the funeral to start.  Because the school is the biggest building in the village, this is where the double funeral was held.  Everyone from the village was up, and I had heard that many from other villages flew in as well.  Tons of cars and 4-wheelers were parked outside school as I left just before 2.  A few dozen kids were outside on our two playgrounds as adults were filing into the building.  After a few hours, most vehicles left to go to the small cemetery that sits between the school and village.  Soon after, they were back up at the school for the “potlatch” (potluck) that followed. 

Other things I did yesterday:

·      Lucas taught me to drive the 4-wheeler.   My previous experience with a non-automatic vehicle was not a good one.  This was MUCH easier.

·      We had ourselves a little fire and made nutella s’mores.

·      Taco and game night with our neighbors/co-workers/friends :)

The tundra is changing colors and looks beautiful.  However, I really miss a Midwest fall with the changing leaves and trips to apple orchards.  My students have told me that there will be caramel apples in the store soon….I am crossing my fingers!  Until then I’m drinking my pumpkin spice tea  a co-worker shared and eating the apples my mom sent me!

Village Life

I thought I'd share a few facts with you about Manokotak so you have an idea what life is like here:

Manokotak is about 350 miles southwest of Anchorage.  There are about 450 people in the village (97% are Native).  It sits on the Igushik River.  Manokotak is a Yup'ik Eskimo village with a fishing, trapping, and subsistence lifestyle. The sale, importation, and possession of alcohol is banned in the village.

 We have 125 K-12 students in our school.  I am teaching 7-12 Social Studies, which consists of one Geography class, two American History classes, one 7th Grade Social Studies class (Ancient World History), one 8th Grade Social Studies class (Medieval World History), and one Government/Civics class.  Yes, this means I have to come up with 25 lessons a week (I only had to plan 10 last year...)!  Lucas teachers a remedial math class, 7th Grade Reading, 7th Grade Writing, a math test prep-class, middle school PE, and high school PE.  We spend a good chunk of our Sundays (and sometimes even Saturdays) in school to keep up with our planning/grading.  We are also both taking a grad. class on Teaching in Rural Alaska that meets twice a month. 

When we've needed a break from time in school, we have had the opportunity to experience some very "Alaskan" things! :)  Labor Day weekend, we had two invitations to go out on a boat.  Sunday, Larry (our awesome tech. guy at school and Manokotak native) took us out on his boat for some fishing as sight-seeing.  I looked stellar for these adventures! :)

The next day Kirk (science teacher) took us out on his boat.  We threw a net in hopes of getting salmon, then went berry-picking on the tundra.  The berries (blue, black, and a few cranberries) are super tiny and pretty seedy, but it was fun to go.  Lucas got to play look-out because we were in bear country!

We have a few ziploc bags full of berries and a chest freezer full of salmon fillets now.  Lucas has gone down to the river (FYI: The river and village is 4 miles from the school and teacher apartments) just about every day (via 4-wheeler) to check the salmon net to see if we have anything in there.  It has a been a slow late summer when it comes to the salmon, but we have enough to eat salmon about once a week from now until Christmas.