Death in Alaska
Recently a very good friend of mine read one of my Alaska Log posting where I wrote how one of my students had gone to the hospital in Anchorage. She, my friend asked me what happened to the girl. I guess I failed to continue the story. Several years ago I wrote a short piece for a magazine. I changed the name of my student but what follows is a true account of what happened.
Death on the Tundra
Bright Moon and a bunch of her friends were riding their four wheelers on the beach late one night. They were playing a game the kids called ditch'm. Bright Moon was riding with three other girls when they hit a piece of driftwood and thrown in different directions. All suffered head trauma. They were evacuated to the regional hospital a couple of hundred miles away by plane. No small feat in the middle of the night in the Alaskan bush but unfortunately a common one. Bright Moon was the most severely injured so she was sent on to Anchorage. The family managed to raise enough money to be at her side the next day and eventually faced the horrendous decision of pulling the plug.
School was sort of a dismal place waiting for news about Bright Moon's condition. The vice principal spoke over the intercom to try and set the record straight about her condition and asked everyone to observe a moment of silent prayer. An hour later he came back over the intercom and informed us that Bright Moon had died. School was dismissed.
The next day some village elders, a social worker and the missionary came to Bright Moon's classroom and had everyone who wanted talk about her do so and to more or less comfort one another. They sang songs, held hands, and prayed. No separation of church and state that day.
A day or so later her body was flown back to the village where it was laid out on the family's living room floor. The wake was like a wake anywhere else. Friends and neighbors brought food, shared hugs and memories, shed tears, and bid Bright Moon farewell. The body was laid on a piece of plywood surrounded by folding chairs just inches away from Bright Moon. Everyone took turns sitting in those chairs for quiet contemplation.
The next day a large funeral was held in the school gym. All the stores were closed, school was put on hold, and even the post office closed down.
A few days later Bright Moon's mother came to our classroom and presented us with an 8 x 10 colored photograph of Bright Moon. I found an old rosary and draped it over the picture. The picture and rosary hung there the rest of the school year.
When I returned the next school year the picture was still hanging on the wall. Some of Bright Moon's friends came by and asked if they could take it to their new classroom. It was a procedure that would be followed until her class graduated from high school.
The year book that year will have a page dedicated to Bright Moon.. At the graduation ceremony her picture will be placed on the seat where she would have sat. Her name will be read as if receiving a diploma and then a close friend or relative will carry the picture down the aisle towards a future that should have been hers.
Monday, November 27, 2017
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Log 11, Alaska
Log 11, Alaska
8/17/04
Gee, no entry for a long , long time. I am in Pitka's Point. Paula stayed back to take care of the boys. I'm alone up here and really don't like it - the part about being alone. But that has always been one of my fantasies, to winter in the far north alone and isolated. Well perhaps I am not that isolated there are three other white teachers, several native staff, and 120 other villagers. Interesting place so far.
8/23/04
This last week has been spent getting ready for school. It starts Wed the 25th. I went for a walk after dinner tonight and found myself on the banks of the Yukon River talking to a couple who were kayaking to Nome. I told them they could come up to the school and use the Internet to check mail. They may come up later.
8/24/04
School starts tomorrow. I am about as ready as I ever am.
8/26/04
School is OK. I only have seven in the class. A real dream job. There are only 35 in the whole school. The grades are K - 8, and then the kids transfer to St. Marys, about 15 miles down the one road in these parts. There is one young man named Gabe who is very smart and one other who is funny as all get out. The others are good kids, but there is always one with an attitude. The problem is that his grandmother is my assistant.
8/28/04
I am the cross country coach which is stupid because I don't know the first thing about it, but some one had to do it and I am the only man on staff and the ladies did not want to. I got a book about it and set up a practice schedule but the kids sort of come and go at will. They don't like to practice for very long. Their parents take them netting or hunting, or they have to baby sit. There is always some reason. Gabe seems to be the best. There is a district rule that they have to practice 10 days before a meet. To accommodate the kids I have practice on Sat and Sun, sometimes 2 per day so they can get in the required practices, gee what a nice guy I am, but it is not like I have much else to do.
8/29/04
Went to church in St Marys. They have a Jesuit society there.
9/1/04
Got paid, $3781 clear.
10/16/04
Took Claudia, our principal-lead teacher to the airport this moring. She is going to Anchorage for a principals meeting. Left me in charge. Perhaps I will call school off for the rest of the week.
*
11-26-17
Note to reader: For some reason I stopped keeping a log as such and have no more day to day entries to make. Some how now and then I run across items that seem to fit this narrative and if I do I will share them with you.
I didn't call off school that week. I don't remember the names of the other teachers except for Claudia and I can say we were all friends but not close ones. I had thought that that would be my last year but Paula filed for divorce when I was there and sort of left me in a financial bind. Absence makes the heart grown fonder, but usually for some one else. That is not really fair, she had a host of family problems to deal with and one can only do so much. We tried to reconcile but its is hard to do over the phone etc. I saw her once the following year but nothing really came of it. I have not seen her since - that shipped sailed. I came back one more year and have visited three additional times.
8/17/04
Gee, no entry for a long , long time. I am in Pitka's Point. Paula stayed back to take care of the boys. I'm alone up here and really don't like it - the part about being alone. But that has always been one of my fantasies, to winter in the far north alone and isolated. Well perhaps I am not that isolated there are three other white teachers, several native staff, and 120 other villagers. Interesting place so far.
8/23/04
This last week has been spent getting ready for school. It starts Wed the 25th. I went for a walk after dinner tonight and found myself on the banks of the Yukon River talking to a couple who were kayaking to Nome. I told them they could come up to the school and use the Internet to check mail. They may come up later.
8/24/04
School starts tomorrow. I am about as ready as I ever am.
8/26/04
School is OK. I only have seven in the class. A real dream job. There are only 35 in the whole school. The grades are K - 8, and then the kids transfer to St. Marys, about 15 miles down the one road in these parts. There is one young man named Gabe who is very smart and one other who is funny as all get out. The others are good kids, but there is always one with an attitude. The problem is that his grandmother is my assistant.
8/28/04
I am the cross country coach which is stupid because I don't know the first thing about it, but some one had to do it and I am the only man on staff and the ladies did not want to. I got a book about it and set up a practice schedule but the kids sort of come and go at will. They don't like to practice for very long. Their parents take them netting or hunting, or they have to baby sit. There is always some reason. Gabe seems to be the best. There is a district rule that they have to practice 10 days before a meet. To accommodate the kids I have practice on Sat and Sun, sometimes 2 per day so they can get in the required practices, gee what a nice guy I am, but it is not like I have much else to do.
8/29/04
Went to church in St Marys. They have a Jesuit society there.
9/1/04
Got paid, $3781 clear.
10/16/04
Took Claudia, our principal-lead teacher to the airport this moring. She is going to Anchorage for a principals meeting. Left me in charge. Perhaps I will call school off for the rest of the week.
*
11-26-17
Note to reader: For some reason I stopped keeping a log as such and have no more day to day entries to make. Some how now and then I run across items that seem to fit this narrative and if I do I will share them with you.
I didn't call off school that week. I don't remember the names of the other teachers except for Claudia and I can say we were all friends but not close ones. I had thought that that would be my last year but Paula filed for divorce when I was there and sort of left me in a financial bind. Absence makes the heart grown fonder, but usually for some one else. That is not really fair, she had a host of family problems to deal with and one can only do so much. We tried to reconcile but its is hard to do over the phone etc. I saw her once the following year but nothing really came of it. I have not seen her since - that shipped sailed. I came back one more year and have visited three additional times.
Saturday, November 25, 2017
Log 10, Alaska
Log 10
1/14/03
1/18/03
2/2/03
No entry for a long time. Went to Dixon and KC, had a nice time visiting kids, better than usual. Been doing most of my writing working on stories, trying to get them ready to send to friends. There is a lot of snow and the weather is very cold now. Alexa came back with us. She doesn’t appear to like me much, perhaps time will change that.
The teachers are all in a ditty because they heard that a consultant was making a hit list. I’ve gotten along well with the guy but people like Mike Jump says he is not to be trusted.
There are some things wrong about the educational system in Alaska . The Administrators by and large are inept and have no long range programs. The school boards are comprised of well meaning but culturally different Eskimos who think tradition should over shadow all. There are a lot of teachers that just give up and are staying for the money only and find it easy to fool the administration and community that they are doing a great job. All one has to do is keep the status quo, tell the parents how great their kids are doing, and basically just not rock the boat. All so the parents are very lenient. Given the combination above it doesn’t make for a good learning environment.
There are many ways to solve this problem one of which is to have everyone held accountable via standardized tests. One problem I can see is how do you standardize a test for Eskimos, some of which have never seen a side walk?
Snowing, cold, and basketball game. Have spent the morning doing little except studying on my Alaskan History course and sending emails. Paula cooked a nice breakfast – Egg omelet, bacon, raisin bread, yum, yum.
Saw the northern lights. Spent a long time getting on my clothes to go see them. Not a real good display. Reports of polar bear prints north of town.
Log 9, Alaksa
Log 9, Alaska
I went out tonight and walked around hoping to see the northern lights. I didn’t so I then hoped I would see some Hooper Bay
No entry for a long time. Thanksgiving was spent at the Principal’s house. Paula left for Dixon – I’ll leave on the 21. she said she spent 26 hours in travel time including airport waiting areas.
At a pot luck for the students an old Eskimo man asked me if he could borrow Paula. I wasn’t quick enough to ask him how many seal skins he had to trade.
Things are quiet. I did manage to piss off the post mistress, but am still getting mail.
The kids are very restless in the afternoon. The morning class is good though.
Paula and I thought we would go to the Amboy Church Xmas eve – that ought to be interesting if my second wife is there also. I need to some how make contact with Darren while there.
Got stopped in the hall on the way to lunch. Marta was furious. She got a bad evaluation. I have never seen her teach but she can’t be a bad teacher. In fact I have never heard anything but praise about her skills. The administration does not like her because she is out spoken. She is also the union rep. She says she is going to appeal the evaluation than sue the principal personally. Pot luck ought to be fun tonight.
Friday, November 24, 2017
Log 8, Alaska
Log 8
November already, amazing. The computer is set up, I am on line but still need to hook up the scanner and printer. Paula got her second pay check today. The twist is she was supposed to get it yesterday but the plane was not able to come in – where else does that happen?
Halloween was calm. Nothing exciting. Big to do tonight. Dance and a spook hallway up in the school. Looks good, will have to walk through it later tonight.
One couple has been here twenty years, love to camp, own a boat, four wheeler, and snow machine. They live in one of the nicer places. He is a jack of all trades, fixed our cable when it went out, let us use his satellite unit, very helpful but remains isolated a little from the rest of us.
We had a housing inspection yesterday by the central office. They are looking at all the teacher housing in the district to levelize rents. Some units better than others but the rents are not equal. Ours is OK for the most part, don’t expect the rent to go up or down.
One of the new teachers is kind of a sad case. Flunked out of a PhD program, should not be teaching middle school, poor class room management. No real friends, no TV, no stock pile of food. We had him over for dinner once, nice enough guy to talk to, seems to know a lot about Russia .
Megan had Eva yesterday or the day before depending on the time between here and there. Seems as though Dad left an insurance policy to be divided between us kids and Marsha – don’t know how much. There is little to write about my Alaska adventure right now and it is too cold to go out exploring without transportation of some sort. Been writing some stories.
One of my students is dieing from a head injury she suffered from a four wheeler accident. Chasing around at night, hit a log on the beach, flew off. She is on life support. Benise Smith, 13, Two other girls were hurt also. Benise is in the hospital in Anchorage . Her parents flew there, they have no money to speak of. The father is one of our janitors and her mother is a sub and works with Paula sometimes. We will have to go to the funeral – I hear it is an ordeal. I will let you know, dear reader.
Thursday, November 23, 2017
Log 7, Alaska
Log 7, Alaska
10/14/02
Last weekend our friends Bill and Sue came over for dinner and brought two quarts of beer (home brew.) It was a little on the dark side but I enjoyed it none the less.
The satellite keeps going out and I spent almost all day climbing around buildings and up and down poles. I got it going but weather conditions keeps the signal erratic. Have emailed all my friends to send up some videos of normal TV as a back up if one day I cannot get it fixed.
I have changed the seating configuration of my room about five times trying to do some internal levelizing, not that it makes much difference. They are all still behind.
I enrolled in another class, so this year I will pick-up nine college hours from the University of Alaska - so what - perhaps I will learn something though. It is about the History of Alaska, required for full certification.
So far I have heard that the the following teachers don't want to come back next year - VP, first grade, second grade, seventh grade and a kindergarten teacher. Two teachers say they want to transfer to Russian Mission and the Principal had a heart attack. It is only October.
10/20/02
Just got back from Jane and Jim's. Great couple. Jane is about my age, Jim a little older. They have a daughter named Kimmy who teachers here also. We go for coffee and roles on Sunday usually. They are from Idaho and have some connection to Tennessee. Their summer home is in Soldotna, about 3 hours from Anchorage. Kim says she is going to Nevada next year and teach.
It has started getting cold, down to around 0 with the wind chill a lot lower. The ponds that dot the Tundra are freezing over. The kids go out and play on them - running across the thinnest parts and are surprised when they fall through. I am sure they do this just for fun and not training for when they are adults and hunt on the pack ice, but I bet it is a carry over for when it really was necessary to have that skill.
Had a good size snow yesterday but it was a very fine snow so the wind whipped it around and you still see brown spots.
10/25/02
Visited with Marta. One of the old hands around here. Between her and Jane they have made life easy here. Nice lady. Friendly to the "newbees" as we are called. Comes from Florida. Summer home is in Anchorage. Always willing to give a helping hand. Does not like the principal much.
10/14/02
Last weekend our friends Bill and Sue came over for dinner and brought two quarts of beer (home brew.) It was a little on the dark side but I enjoyed it none the less.
The satellite keeps going out and I spent almost all day climbing around buildings and up and down poles. I got it going but weather conditions keeps the signal erratic. Have emailed all my friends to send up some videos of normal TV as a back up if one day I cannot get it fixed.
I have changed the seating configuration of my room about five times trying to do some internal levelizing, not that it makes much difference. They are all still behind.
I enrolled in another class, so this year I will pick-up nine college hours from the University of Alaska - so what - perhaps I will learn something though. It is about the History of Alaska, required for full certification.
So far I have heard that the the following teachers don't want to come back next year - VP, first grade, second grade, seventh grade and a kindergarten teacher. Two teachers say they want to transfer to Russian Mission and the Principal had a heart attack. It is only October.
10/20/02
Just got back from Jane and Jim's. Great couple. Jane is about my age, Jim a little older. They have a daughter named Kimmy who teachers here also. We go for coffee and roles on Sunday usually. They are from Idaho and have some connection to Tennessee. Their summer home is in Soldotna, about 3 hours from Anchorage. Kim says she is going to Nevada next year and teach.
It has started getting cold, down to around 0 with the wind chill a lot lower. The ponds that dot the Tundra are freezing over. The kids go out and play on them - running across the thinnest parts and are surprised when they fall through. I am sure they do this just for fun and not training for when they are adults and hunt on the pack ice, but I bet it is a carry over for when it really was necessary to have that skill.
Had a good size snow yesterday but it was a very fine snow so the wind whipped it around and you still see brown spots.
10/25/02
Visited with Marta. One of the old hands around here. Between her and Jane they have made life easy here. Nice lady. Friendly to the "newbees" as we are called. Comes from Florida. Summer home is in Anchorage. Always willing to give a helping hand. Does not like the principal much.
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Log 6, Alaska
Log 6
Continued from Log 5...
9/30/02
School is going well, at least the preparation of the lesson plans. I seem to have a knack for it. I could improve my presentations I think. I went to the local Covenant Church yesterday. It was a little more interesting than the local Catholic service. The church is headed by a missionary. A relative young couple in their mid or early 40's I suspect. They own an airplane and he teaches natives how to fly along with being a real asset to the community. There is going to be a teachers retreat next week. The sponsoring organization picks you up in a plane and you fly to some location, stay in a cabin, have religious services, and they feed you. It will be a nice change of events.
I am glad I have done this, coming up here, but there is a part of me that wished I hadn't. Seems a long way from home. Over all Paula and I have a pretty good balance on things.
They say it will start snowing soon.
There seems to be a lot of interest in keeping the Yup'ik culture and language alive, the language is about to disappear. But how do you do merge a subsistence life style with the 21st century. The parents want to help and most see the importance of an education but a lot of the time it does not carry over into the classroom. The state is demanding that the kids pass tests to move on to another grade level, and they should but how do they do it.
10/08/02
It snowed today. It came down real hard and blowing in from the sea. A white blanket covered the ground in no time. My first thought was that I hoped it did not effect our TV reception. But within an hour it had stopped. The sun came out, no snow, but did have TV.
The water pump went off for a day or two. No water for the school or our place. Had to walk a quarter of a mile to get water from the center of the village. It got fixed OK.
The village ran out of money and could not pay their 10 city workers for about 2 weeks.
A friend - Jerry, went to Mountain Village for a math conference. He didn't know when he was to supposed to leave, where he was going exactly or where he was staying, or if they would even feed him. Typical Hooper Bay travel arrangements I am told by the veterans here.
Apparently the school is built on an old Eskimo cemetery. There is supposed to a ghost running around. One teacher at least says she has seen it. There is also a story about little people that live out on the Tundra. It is sort of interesting that the same legend about the Little People is told among the Greenland Eskimos. Might make a story about that some day.
Continued from Log 5...
9/30/02
School is going well, at least the preparation of the lesson plans. I seem to have a knack for it. I could improve my presentations I think. I went to the local Covenant Church yesterday. It was a little more interesting than the local Catholic service. The church is headed by a missionary. A relative young couple in their mid or early 40's I suspect. They own an airplane and he teaches natives how to fly along with being a real asset to the community. There is going to be a teachers retreat next week. The sponsoring organization picks you up in a plane and you fly to some location, stay in a cabin, have religious services, and they feed you. It will be a nice change of events.
I am glad I have done this, coming up here, but there is a part of me that wished I hadn't. Seems a long way from home. Over all Paula and I have a pretty good balance on things.
They say it will start snowing soon.
There seems to be a lot of interest in keeping the Yup'ik culture and language alive, the language is about to disappear. But how do you do merge a subsistence life style with the 21st century. The parents want to help and most see the importance of an education but a lot of the time it does not carry over into the classroom. The state is demanding that the kids pass tests to move on to another grade level, and they should but how do they do it.
10/08/02
It snowed today. It came down real hard and blowing in from the sea. A white blanket covered the ground in no time. My first thought was that I hoped it did not effect our TV reception. But within an hour it had stopped. The sun came out, no snow, but did have TV.
The water pump went off for a day or two. No water for the school or our place. Had to walk a quarter of a mile to get water from the center of the village. It got fixed OK.
The village ran out of money and could not pay their 10 city workers for about 2 weeks.
A friend - Jerry, went to Mountain Village for a math conference. He didn't know when he was to supposed to leave, where he was going exactly or where he was staying, or if they would even feed him. Typical Hooper Bay travel arrangements I am told by the veterans here.
Apparently the school is built on an old Eskimo cemetery. There is supposed to a ghost running around. One teacher at least says she has seen it. There is also a story about little people that live out on the Tundra. It is sort of interesting that the same legend about the Little People is told among the Greenland Eskimos. Might make a story about that some day.
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