The Bradford's Blog: Eskimo Dance, Goose Hunt, and a bunch of salmon!!

Every year the Alakanuk village puts on a dance for all the new teachers. This is a way for the village to show their appreciation and also to show us a little about their culture and tradition. They usually have a starting time around 5-6ish but nobody gets there til 7 or 8. This is the way all time works in the village--usually a couple hours later then what was said. We got to the community center(there is another word for it, but I forgot) and there were a few blue mats laying on the floor and chairs lined up behind them for the native drummers. People started to slowly find their way into the building and soon men were sitting in their designated drum chairs. Soon after, all in unison, all the men start beating on their drums and chanting and the women make their way out to the blue mat that was set out. The first dance looked like this:

All the men seated in their seat, ready to drum and chant

This is video of the first dance. The men usually sit down in front and if their wife is dancing also, she stands behind him.

Not sure what these are called, but they are made out of moose hair. You must have these in your hands while dancing, and if you don't have any, your hands must have gloves on them.

Tucker, the Eskimo.

Now, onto some salmon!!!

Every year Alaska Game and Fish come and count all the salmon...and to count them, they catch them and cut them open to see if they are male or female. Then, after they catch them they put them in a big blue tub right by the river and whoever wants to come and get them can! Greg and I made a trip down there a few days ago because we heard they had put some more salmon in there and here is what we found...

This is the blue tub that Game and Fish put the salmon in..

These were our 18 gallon tubs we brought to take the fish back

I wish I got pictures of us all gutting the fish...there is a table set up outside the teacher housing and usually if you bring fish, somehow...a lot of the teachers show up to help you gut them....its kind of a take what you want thing. Some teachers take some, some take none. Its a fun way to hang out with everyone too!

This is a smokehouse for drying the fish. This belongs to a native- I just peeked my head in there and wanted to see what it looked like inside, pretty cool huh? They also have some "salt fish" which is laying on a rack in the middle of the picture. This is just another way to preserve the fish.

I got this picture just because I thought it was cool. I was trying to be artistic for Terri.....what you think, Terri??

Lastly, our goose hunt!!!

I've been so proud of Greg lately, I mean, I'm proud of him always...but since we have been up here he has really been trying to be more social(those of you who know him, know what I'm talking about). Up here, we(white people) have to have guides(native people) to take us on hunts because they have boats and know all the good spots, and its the law around here....so Greg has been super friendly to all the native people at school. I think he started out doing it because he really wanted to get us some good hunts, but now, he has really developed a good friendship with most of the guys. They all really like Greg because he is a big hunter and he is always inviting them to come back to Arkansas and stay with us. But, anyway, we got a call and Morris, a native, asked Greg if he wanted to go goose hunting...and Greg being the sweet, kind, and considerate husband that he is, asked if his wife could tag along....Morris agreed so off we went!

We traveled about an hour down the Yukon River, into the Bering Sea Slough and on some island where we were literally out in the middle of nowhere. Here are some of the pics..

This was our walk down the bank of this island-- the island wasn't very big...maybe 3 or 4 football fields...

The Bering Sea Slough

This picture was taken about 830...it was so incredibly peaceful...and beautiful. Like no place I've ever been. I kept thinking how BIG God actually is...and what a wonderful place He has given us to enjoy...and to kill things..haha.