Category: Unangan Culture

Unalaska at its finest.

We have been enjoying our beautiful February weather over the past week or so.  Mom and Dad say that they have always done a lot of boating in February because the weather always offers up a couple of weeks of beautiful, flat calm days with brilliant sunshine. 

This past week has also shown another finest of Unalaska, besides its February weather. It has been an action-packed showcase of the generousity of Unalaskans, from the Channel 8 auction (with their awesome and hilarious soap opera, Dutch Harbor 99692 ), to the Ballyhoo Lions bowling, spilling over to the Museum of the Aleutian’s Chocolate Extravaganza, and ending up on Sunday with the Preschool Ice Cream Social.  Where else but Unalaska, could you wear yourself out donating money to great public ideas in action?  And having fun doing it? 

A couple of my indispensable chocolate making tools.

I also wrapped up my segment for the Unangan Program at the elementary school.  My last week with the cutest little first graders you will ever see, was a breeze after my previous week with almost 30 second graders!  Not that the second graders weren’t cute…..there were just soooooooooooo many of them.  Keeps you on your toes when you are working with hot oil. 

Awesome journal-ing.

Suzi Golodoff now has five weeks with the students, teaching about our Aleutian feathered friends, and, last but not least – in fact, most importantly – Laresa Syverson will give 5 weeks of her afternoons in the pursuit of passing on Unangam tunuu (the Aleut language) to a generation younger than her!

Can you find the grey-crowned rosy finch?

Matter of Fact 1.

Webster’s dictionary defines exhilaration as a gladdening or enlivening; the act of enlivening the spirits; the act of making glad or cheerful.  It is the state of being enlivened or cheerful. 

One of the facts of life in the Aleutians is that the weather is never boring.  In fact, it is somewhat… exhilarating.  One of the values of the Unangas is that you should never say anything bad about the weather.  And so we don’t; or, at least if we do, we immediately note that we have inadvertantly done so.

The Aleutians are known as the birthplace of the winds; the cradle of the storms.  It is rarely ever still.  There is always a breeze wafting around, even on our calmest days, and a calm day is any day when the wind is below fifteen to twenty miles per hour. 

I often find myself in awe of our weather, either because of the wildness, the force, the absolute beauty, or the serenity.  I am contantly exhilarated.

Nawan Alaxsxan Ax^anan helps Unalaska celebrate MLK Day

Unalaska celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, by celebrating diversity.  In a program presented on Monday, January 18, I inadvertantly captured the Nawan Alaxsxan Ax^anan (The Unalaska Island Dancers) on video, and then did it again, and again.  Unfortunately my captures are quite unprofessional…I will have to practise.  I like totally forgot that my camera did video…hahaha…old timer!

So this is a clip of Qalngaagin, or Raven.  It was composed and choreographed by Laresa Syverson.  The unfortunate part of this clip is that I cut it off before the dance was totally complete…just a few seconds, but…  The song sings about the ravens seeking food near the beach, flying and performing in the sky, chasing each other.  Then flying toward the mountains, landing in the snow and sliding.  Just typical raven behavior!

Drummers from right to left:  Jacob Hawthorne, Nicky Hawthorne, James David Gregory.  Dancers from right to left:  Delores Gregory, instructor Laresa Syverson, Ariel Gustafson.   (Unalaskans:  After it buffers through, you can hit replay for a smooth version!)