ALOHA EVERYONE!!!
MY TRIP TO EMMONAK, ALASKA WAS AN “AWESOME” EXPERIENCE!!! I ATTENDED MY 1ST POTLACH AND WAS MOVED AND AWED BY THIS WONDERFUL & BEAUTIFUL CULTURAL EVENT. THE PEOPLE OF EMMONAK, ALASKA ARE BEAUTIFUL AND VERY FRIENDLY. I ALWAYS ENJOY AN UNKNOWN AND UNEXPECTED EVENT BECAUSE IT KEEPS ME ANTICIPATING ON WHAT’S NEXT!!!
AS SOON AS I ARRIVED AT EMMONAK, I GOT OUT OF THE PLANE, GRABBED MY BAGS, AND HOPPED ON A SNOWMACHINE. I ALSO HAD THE WONDERFUL PRIVILEGE OF DRIVING IT TOO!!! HOW COOL IS THAT??? AS I WAS DRIVING, I TOOK MY TIME TO ENJOY & TOUR THE TOWN. ALL THE PEOPLE I PASSED BY ALL WAVED AT ME EVEN THOUGH THEY DIDN’T KNOW WHO I WAS… LOL!!!
AS SOON AS I ARRIVED AT MY LOCATION, I WAS GREETED BY MY IN-LAWS & RELATIVES. AND WITHIN MINUTES, I WAS BROUGHT TO A TABLE OF WONDERFUL NATIVE ESKIMO FOODS!!!
BELUGA BLUBBER, WILD ROASTS DUCKS, ASSORTED TYPES OF PREPARED SALMON DISHES, FRY BREADS, AND TUNDRA TEA!!! I WAS IN FOR A TREAT AND ATE LIKE THERE WAS NO TOMORROW AND I DIDN’T FEEL GUILTY BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW WHEN I’LL BE ABLE TO EAT LIKE THIS AGAIN.
RIGHT AFTER DINNER, WE WENT TO THE EMMONAK COMMUNITY HALL AND I GOT READY TO ENJOY MY 1ST POTLACH EVENT. I WAS ANXIOUS AND COULDN’T WAIT, BUT AFTER AN HOUR OF WATCHING PEOPLE COMING IN AND LOOKING FOR SEATS, THE PLACE WAS PACKED AND READY TO GO.
THEY OPENED WITH PRAYER, THEN THEY PASSED OUT GIFTS, NOW THIS UNEXPECTED AND I RECEIVED MANY COOL GIFTS AND FOODS TO EAT AND SAMPLE AS WELL. I WAS SOAKING UP THIS WONDERFUL MOMENT AS I WAS TELLING MYSELF, “WHY DID I WAIT THIS LONG TO FINALLY ATTEND POTLACH???”
AFTER THE GIFTS PASSING WAS FINISHED, THEN CAME THE DANCERS!!! I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE VISITORS AND DANCERS FROM NUNAM IQUA, ALAKANUK, KOTLIK, AND STEBBINGS. THE DANCERS ARE AMAZING AND VERY UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL. I ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF THIS EVENT!!!
THE NEXT DAY MY AUNT GAIL FROM POINT HOPE MADE BELUGA SOUP AND AGAIN, I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW DELICIOUS THIS SOUP IS. THIS HAS NOW BECOME MY FAVORITE SOUP!!!
IN RETURN, I MADE A HAWAIIAN DISH, “SPICY POKE” WHICH IS RAW TUNA MIXED WITH SPICES AND SERVED IMMEDIATELY!!! THEY ALL ENJOYED IT AND I ALSO SAID THAT THEY CAN USE RAW SALMON AS WELL. I’M VERY GLAD THAT THEY ENJOYED IT.
AND THE NEXT DAY I RETURNED TO BETHEL, ALASKA. I MUST SAY IT WAS A SOMEWHAT SAD FEELING FOR ME TO LEAVE SO SOON. I SAID THIS TO MYSELF, “I WILL COMEBACK SOMEDAY AND PROMISE TO GIVE BACK SOMETHING THEY WILL NEVER FORGET!!!”
I WANT TO THANK THE FOLLOWING:
SHIRLEY FOR INVITING ME OVER TO EMMONAK, AND BEING A WONDERFUL WIFE & MOTHER DESPITE OUR PERSONAL STRUGGLES. FOR BETTER OR WORST, MY LOYALTY IS ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU. AND NO MATTER WHAT, “I’LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU!!!”
THE HOOTCH FAMILY FOR HAVING ME OVER YOUR PLACE AND THE WONDERFUL HOSPITALITY THAT CAME WITH IT. THE FOODS, TRANSPORTATIONS, THE GATHERINGS, GIFTS, AND “LOVE” IS ALL APPRECIATED AND WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTENED.
TO THE NEW & OLD FAMILIAR FACES I’VE MET AT “POTLACH”. FORGIVE ME IF I FORGET YOUR NAMES, BUT I’LL NEVER FORGET THE WONDERFUL FEELINGS I FELT FROM ALL OF YOUR FRIENDLY, WARM, AND LOVING HEARTS!!! GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU!!!
GRANT AVIATION FOR A SAFE ROUNDTRIP “TO & FROM” BEAUTIFUL EMMONAK, ALASKA!!!
AND TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF EMMONAK, ALASKA… I LOVE YOU ALL AND I CAN’T WAIT TO RETURN!!!
AWWWRITE!!!
WAIPA
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