Cold Monday

I'm here in Deering where it's a chilly -40. The ride in the sled behind the snowmachine picking me up taught me one thing: do as the Yup'ik do. Even though this is Inupiat country, I was riding with a Yup'ik man who immediately turned around to face out of the wind. What a difference 90 degrees makes on your skin!

Kotzebue was hopping today. The cold weather meant that everyone was taking taxis if they could, but there were many walkers. Cab drivers usually pick up many people- they charge a flat rate per person. She picked up one child at the school who didn't know where she lived. The driver called on the radio to see if anyone knew her parents. No one did, but no one was stressed, including the little girl because she was warm and having fun in the back of the cab. I suppose if her mom didn't call, the driver would call the school and ask for a phone number.

The water in Buckland and Deering is very low. The village tanks are almost out of water and it is difficult to fill in these low temps. Some people are conserving by not flushing toilets and the kids in Buckland were sent home one day for lunch and breakfast.

Discussion tonight over dinner (the whole staff ate together except someone who was sick) was interesting and well rounded. It ranged from the limited and sensational news that US stations broadcast compared to BBC all the way to the challenges of reasserting Alaska Native culture in schools that are inherently designed to teach non-indigenous skills. Even with AK Native teachers, the whole design of schools is not indigenous culturally reinforcing- daily schedules as opposed to seasonal, segregated age groups v. multi-age, inside rather than outside, distant mandated standards v. locally determined curricula, prep for jobs, college, world citizenship v. prep for subsistence and family life. I don't think schools are wrong- all students need to be prepared for any life they choose- its not an either/or. It's just that formal schooling is not the best forum for teaching Native cultural skills, in my opinion. They can teach respect, they can reinforce language skills and they can show connections, but .... Our dinner conversation told me that I wasn't alone in this feeling.

I started the Alaska Teacher Resources Blog. Watch for additions when I have time. I am hoping to focus on math and Alaska studies first- then branch out, based on the needs that I see.