Update from Rural Alaska
Another update from Nunam Iqua!! Well let’s see since I last did an update Nunam Iqua Food Drive has received over 620 lbs of food!!
We sorted and distributed it to 31 needy families here in Nunam.
The boxes came from…
4 boxes from New York , New York (LOL my fingers almost got ahead of me I almost typed Nunam instead of New York !)
1 box from Long Beach , CA
1 box from Berkeley , CA
2 boxes from Yorktown , VA
2 boxes from SPAN Alaska Donation Account that I ordered for the food drive
3 boxes from JB Bush (donation order)
2 boxes of Yarn from Juneau , AK
2 boxes from Colleyville , TX
1 box from Eugene , OR
1 box from Portland , OR
2 boxes from a TEAM SARAH MEMBER from Rochester , NY (wonder if they have their PJ’s on too?)
1 box from Eugene , OR
1 box from Anchorage , AK
2 boxes from Dublin , OH
2 boxes from Irmo , SC
1 box Yarn from Anonymous Knitter in Kenmore , WA
1 box from Eden Prairie , MN
1 box from Lake Port , CA
And FINALLY the cutest of them all…
9 boxes from The Punahou 2nd Grade “Shining Stars Class” Honolulu , HI which included toys for our K-2nd grade class, letters from the students, picture postcards, Hawaiian Snacks and a Coconut and of course lots of food for the food drive! [**Note from AKM - Look for another post on these great kids from Hawaii coming soon!]
Now I have two favors to ask
1. Ugashik and Pilot Point are desperately needing food please visit http://anonymousbloggers.wordpress.com/another-village-in-need-of-help/ to find out how to help.
2. I am now going to ask that you take a few minutes and support us in what is probably the most critical issue we face in the ability to support our families and villages in Western Alaska. Visit Anonymous Bloggers, and read our short explanation. To leave us a quick note supporting our call for the regulatory committee to support the restoration of our Chinook Salmon fishery click HERE.
Large trawler companies, many that are international partnerships, are pitted against villagers and small commercial fishermen for access to a viable salmon industry. It has been implied by some that the economic loss to this large trawler industry is more important than our Chinook run and way of life. We need to stop this COLD. Please help!
Quyana Cakneq all you Mudpups and Anonymous Bloggers for your extraordinary support and help!!! Please visit http://anonymousbloggers.wordpress.com and help us stop the Trawlers from taking our salmon and also please browse the site and see all that we are doing to hopefully prevent this crisis from happening in the future. You can join the discussion on long term solutions HERE.
Quyana Cakneq again!!! If you have any questions or need more information please feel free to contact me at nunamiquayouth(at)yahoo(dot)com or annstrongheart(at)anonymousbloggers(dot)com
Sincerely Thankful,
Ann “Qasqanayak” Strongheart
P.S. I have been receiving emails from people who are panicking that they don’t see their boxes listed in my updates. Please keep in mind that if you sent a box by regular mail and not the flatrate priority boxes they take 3-6 weeks to arrive in the Bush dependent upon the weather of course! The flatrate boxes take anywhere from 3 days to a week to arrive again depending on the weather.
thanks ANN…we’re sending more
OT a little]
State temporarily halts wolf shooting program
State officials have halted the predator control program near Tok after killing 66 wolves from a helicopter. An animal rights group filed a request for an injunction this week, saying the hunt is illegal, but the state says that had nothing to do with the program suspension.
@Kmart Palin Blue Lite Special (07:38:05) :
Yeah, riiiight! They’re just stopping it out of the goodness of their dear little hearts, not because they’re getting hugely bad publicity all over the world…
Three cheers for the Punahou 2nd Grade “Shining Stars Class” in Honolulu .
And congrats to their teachers and parents for supporting not just rural Alaskans but a terrific learning experience.
When I was in grade school we were forever collecting money, old clothes, and or canned and dried food for earthquake victims in Peru, drought and or flood victims here there and everywhere, even all the way back to the Marshall Plan (Ok so I’m old, hopefullyy our time will come as well, also, too) we sent clothes and food to Poland etc.
It’s a great way to learn about the world and its needs and that, yes we can, do something to help.
I grew up in Wichita Falls, Tx. When the 1979 tornado flattened 20% of the city, one of the towns in Peru that we had sent clothing and food to, sent us cloths and food.
That’s what real villagers do for one another.
Hip. Hip. Hurray!
Hip. Hip. Hurray!
Hip. Hip. Hurray! For the Punahou 2nd Grade “Shining Stars Class”
(I don’t know how many state and national humanitarian awards and honors Ann Strongheart can be nominated for but I think mudpuppys could start a list and start filling out applications.
And not just for her sake but for the sake of the people and the principals that her actions represent.)
Ann – Thanks for the update !!
Always enjoy your updates Ann…I’m just about set to mail out some more boxes. I will mail to the other two locations. Have a great weekend!
Good to hear from you ANN , more boxes will be on the way.
Thought for Today
We could all learn a lot from a box of crayons . Some are sharp,some are pretty and some are dull.Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
marnie…could you pm me over in the forum?
@ KMart & InJuneau – they stopped because of using up 80% of the 100K they’d set aside for it.
I have to ask… just how far would $80,000 go, how much difference it would make to the emergency in rural AK?
Priorities, y’all, PRIORITIES! (the yelling was to GINO, not y’all)
(and a ty to the TS member in NY; this emergency isn’t partisan, neither should the response to it be. So, thanks NY)
@Nan (08:50:10) :
yeah, I saw that in the ADN, but I still think it’s part of an overall “good excuse”…
NAN :::: that was F A S T!
DO THEY GET ANY OF THAT SIMU-money?
I posted my comment and when I get paid on Monday, I’ll make a donation to the villages you mentioned.
Namaste.
Also, if you adopted a family, those bozes would go to the family & not to Anne. Keep that in mind.
Looking forward to Hawaii post.
I have to ask… just how far would $80,000 go, how much difference it would make to the emergency in rural AK?
——-
It seems to me that it’s all public employees doing the shooting, so their salaries wouldn’t be part of that. And surely, the Dept. didn’t go out and splurge on new guns. How expensive can bullets be?
It costs a LOT to run a helicopter, though. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080213171345AAkaSl5 A lot of fuel burned by those babies, and the maintenance is expensive, too.
Hello Ann !! That is an incredible list of received boxes – I just love seeing where they are all from. The Hawaii box – oh so special – those kids will love to see the pictures of their gifts that made it ALL THE WAY TO ALASKA!
In gratitude to the TEAM SARAH member’s generous donation, I loved what C.Rock posted:
“We could all learn a lot from a box of crayons . Some are sharp,some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.”
I will go do my part on the bycatch issue! Give CC a big hug from her Juneau Aunties!
OMG!!! Those pesky 2nd graders. Who do they think they are? Community Organizers or something?
the problem child – I have heard and read that for every 2 hours a chopper is in the air , there is an hour of maintenance…….not cheap.
It’s spring everywhere by now except in the northern climes. But even if it’s still cold, we are THINKING about it while we listen to the birds sing (dang those little jobbers must be cold). Victoria from Ugashik just returned from her Fairbanks Gardening Conference and we’ll be hearing about that very soon! There are some exciting gardening ideas on the horizon. Or should I say, “on the tundra”?
And yes, gardening IS exciting! Especially when it’s difficult – you are just that much more proud of your accomplishments when it takes so much darn effort to keep stuff growing in the cold, the rain, the wind, away from HUGE slugs (don’t ask about Ketchikan Emperor slugs – they are just too disgusting for words) and myriad other creatures who want green stuff, too.
I still have 3 ft of snow blocking my little gardening shed, and my cathedral style greenhouse looks like an igloo because there is only about a foot and a half on top that isn’t covered with snow.
So with spring on my mind but tons of snow out my window, I went searching to live vicariously through someone else who can actually break ground right now and start planting. My first hit? The White House & Michelle Obama! She ROCKS!
Our first Lady is breaking ground on a veggie garden at the White House!
http://weblogs.newsday.com/features/home/gardendetective_blog/2009/03/more_details_on_the_white_hous.html
“White House officials have confirmed that some of the produce will be cooked
in the White House kitchen and some will be given to a local soup
kitchen where Mrs. Obama recently helped serve lunch.
There will also be a beehive, but there’s no word on whether the first lady will be head beekeeper. ”
So, Victoria – we must make sure to document your renewed gardening efforts and send to the our First Lady at the White House. I will help you figure out how to do this, I am so proud of your efforts!
Oh, and I guess beekeeping is out? Too cold? I’m fascinated with beekeeping and I am a major honey consumer!
SPRING SPRING SPRING SPRING SPRING SPRING!
I read that a WH carpenter is also a beekeeper and will be(e) in charge of the new WH hives.
Martha Unalaska when I read that “beehive” part, the image of GINOs beehive popped into my head….
I’m impressed! PO & [the real] 1st Lady are on the ball!
kinda OT…but I want you to meet my [home state] Govenor!
Governor Bev Perdue, Like GINO, she’s the 1st Woman…bu oh what a difference, [besides the Party Line thingy]
governor.state.nc.us
Over here in CA, The Gov on yesterday said Obama was beautiful & smart & he’ll take any of that money AK [and other States reject]… [Huff Post]
Martha UYS – here ya go , the head “Gardener”. She is one fine human being. Her dream came true about the garden at the Whitehouse. I ate in her restaraunt 15yrs ago. m-m-m-m !!
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4867014n
Kmart Palin Blue Lite Special (11:44:06) : Over here in CA, The Gov on yesterday said Obama was beautiful & smart & he’ll take any of that money AK [and other States reject]… [Huff Post]
…………………………………….
He should get the money Gov Perry refusing to take here in Texas also while he is at it
OT Depending on your sensibilities, The Rude Pundit sums up GINO pretty well on his site today. I particularly liked this description;
“She is like an especially ambitious dung beetle trying to push a t$rd up and over a hill; even if she gets it where she wants it, in the end, she’s still just been rolling s$it.”
It is worth a read.
mrs strongheart. i posted my comment as you asked and when i get paid on wednsday i will donate what i can to the villages that are still in need….yours, b
Kim…? I don’t think the shooters and the “YOU GUYs” you’re trying to talk about are one & the same…[not a nice comment]
C.Rock::: so the difference between the Repus who take the money and those who don’t is ________________ [fill in the blank - cause I don't know the answer]
@ Kim in Juneau
What a rude assumption you’ve made! Yes, the bush has crime just like everywhere else. Often the “crimes” are related to alcohol, just as it is esp. in other rural areas. Do we not CARE about the village of Pt. Hope due to the wanton crime to the caribou herd there? You blame the whole village for what a few people did, without getting the facts?
Well let’s see.. there’s plenty of crime in Juneau – and I’m beginning to think it’s all YOUR fault. And certainly NO ONE should come to Juneau’s help w/ our tragic loss of hydro power in the spring last year, and again this year, because you know what? I’m sure there are residents just WASTING power somewhere so none of us should have been able to find assistance w/ programs, deferring debt, borrowing $, etc due to those WANTON ENERGY WASTERS. Get a life, and don’t be rude!
@ Kim in Juneau
You also haven’t learned the rule of using “YOU GUYS”. It’s bad form, rude, and it makes you look like an idiot in making such an assumption for an entire village (or the entire bush for that matter).
kim. what hell are you talking about? where did you pop up from? your affect is very flat as fits one who is not quite all there. sort of pre-human. walking and talking but no animating soul. just an empty thing,clothed in human flesh. oh yuk
Kmart Palin Blue Lite Special (12:00:36) :
C.Rock::: so the difference between the Repus who take the money and those who don’t is ________________ [fill in the blank - cause I don't know the answer]
…………………………………………..
The ones who take the money can climb aboard the ship & sail smoothly & the ones that don’t can drown.
I posted my 2c worth about the salmon bycatch cap — there’s only a couple dozen votes/comments there! (you don’t have to write a novel, like I did; some folks have just written a one sentence comment!)
@martha unalaska yard sign. please tell me what is THINGY talking about?
Kmart – Saw the Govenator at the WH with PO awhile ago. Guess he rode back on Air Force One. Cool .
ANdrew Halcro writes….
Here’s the scoop on the Big Stim funding: Sara PAC won.
YOU GOTTA READ THE DETAILS!
Kim – How do you feel about shooting wolves from helicopters ??
Govenator, i LAFF each time I hear/read that…it’s like I hear his voice saying the word….
Dr. Truth,
It doesn’t bother me at all.
We just had 4 dogs here in Juneau that attacked a doe. It was 3 labs and a golden retriever. They had collars and obviously belong to someone. Those dogs should be shot too.
Wild chinook salmon runs are down all across Alaska.
Cap chinook bycatch on trawlers.
Look into the effects of King salmon ranching (rearing millions of hatchery Kings in netpens across Alaska for terminal fisheries) on wild chinook salmon stocks. There are too many of these and too many in the wrong places.
Thanks for providing a place for comments.
Here’s to health, wellness, and veggie gardens.
Here’s to healthy wild fish stocks and healthy watersheds.
Here’s to Mudflats.
@ bubbles
There was a blurb in the Juneau Empire about an out of season hunting incident by a couple of folks in Nunam Iqua. The Point Hope reference to the caribou killings happened earlier this winter, and they are beginning to charge those involved after investigation.
I’m not going to comment since I don’t know any more than the JE blurb – which was just that – a blurb and certainly no story or details. Unfortunately, these incidents are usually alcohol related but I don’t have the facts. The Tribal Councils have asked and worked for sovereignty over their own ever since statehood – to no avail.
I do remember an incident involving village teens here in Southeast Alaska who performed pretty awful crimes and the village was allowed to take care of the consequences in their own way after much ado with the local authorities. From what I recall, the “ex-communication” of these teens to a remote area to live only using their survival skills was quite effective.
Kim here’s GINOs email address, write her the same comment you posted her, cause don’t ya know she finally did a bit of ‘proud giving of food and stuff also to…gov.state.ak.us/govmail.php
…but it kinda sounds as if you might already be in communication w/ her…
Hooves down and stomping to Alaska Department of Fish and Game for wolf slaughter.
How do you think our legs grew so long and strong? Our gait so graceful? Our antlers so beautiful? Our habitat so healthy?
Off topic:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/20/palin-shriver-slam-obama-for-special-olympics-comment/#comment-2498743
yet it is she who refused the Stimulus Funds that would benefit special education!! Actions speak louder than words, GINO!!
dear kim, thanks darling.yes i will take my meds and have another drink, but you will still be a pre-human waste of space and a jackass.[raising a glass of bubbly in a toast]…hic*..b
@Kim in Juneau (11:45:24) :
If you bothered to read Ann’s posts here and at Anonymous Bloggers, you’d know that the name of the person in the moose case IS NOT the name of her husband.
TROLL
Kim – If I may be so bold , why don’t you have a couple of real stiff drinks ?? Maybe it will kill whatever is up your rectum. Have a nice day and we all hope “it” works itself out for you.
@martha. thank you for the info. yes people do stupid things sometimes. i know i have made mistakes too. the people in the villages will take care of the malefactors involved and rest of us will do what we can now and in the future to help our friends and family who are so far away from us. i think i will let akm deal the troll and ignore it.loveb
I’m sorry…I couldn’t resist one comment…
@ austintx
That was a great link about the “Mother of Slow Food”, Alice Waters. However, it made me very hungry so now I owe you one, big time! Have you ever watched an “eating” movie, like Tampopo or Like Water for Chocolate when you forgot to stock your own frig? It’s torture of the worst kind!
Or Chocolat? That was torture too…
Martha UYS – Her passion for “REAL” food and children really is special. How about that breakfast she cooked for the reporter ?!?! Alice Waters deserves the Congressional Medal of Honor. I’m serious.
Apparently the Juneau Empire has shut down commenting function for their news stories. We may see some more flotsam and jetsam washing up here as long as the crazed have nowhere to spew.
@ austintx
You are right, she is AMAZING! You gotta QUIT talking about that breakfast – it put me over the edge. I’m going to have to go to the store or find a gourmet, healthy late lunch somewhere!
our first lady planting a garden at the white house.wow! that’s wonderful. i was tortured terribly after seeing Babbette’s Feast. it was cold and night and the nearest supermarket had closed. all i had in the fridge was two day old lasagna but i heated that pasta and made do.wasn’t half bad either
@ problem child
Re: the Empire shutting down comments. I have been waiting for this to happen, and have even written several letters to the Editor about this very thing in my head our Alaska newspapers, as well as discussed it w/ big sis.
It’s because of Palin – and I’m sick of her creeps ruining ALL of the Alaska newspapers.
Here is something I found that another newspaper is doing:
http://www.cbs12.com/news/bristol_4715598___article.html/johnston_palin.html
From the editor: Many of you have expressed concerns about some of the harsh anonymous comments from readers. To remedy that, we are introducing new features. You can create your own blog, publish your news and share your photos with the community. Once you fill out a simple form and leave a verifiable e-mail address, you can set up your profile page. It will display all of your contributions and allow you to track issues and easily connect with others.
We want our site to be a place where people discuss and debate ideas that foster stronger communities. We built this for you. Please take care of it. Tolerate broad thinking, but take action against obscene or hateful material. Make it a credible and safe place worth preserving and sharing.
@ bubbles
I hear you! When my not-hubby-yet first shared the movie Tampopo with me, all we had in his bachelor pad was ramen noodles, you know – the .25 kind. We got up and made every package that was in the cupboard and ate noodles til we popped! It’s so rare that I eat those noodles (lived on ‘em during college days) but boy that night they actually tasted GOOD!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/tampoponrhinson_a0c94d.htm
@doctor truth-thanks for stepping up for me. i appreciate it. nobody messes with us pups. thanks again
@martha-i clicked on the link you gave and read about tampopo. sounds like a great film. i am going to see if i can rent from the video store across the street from me. if i can get it i will make sure the fridge is full…loveb
bubbles – not a problem. hope we don’t have to do it again , but will gleefully do so again.
New thread up.
Wonderful work, Ann!
I sent a flat-rate box (11.5 lbs.) to Alakanuk last week — it’s not much but I can see that every little bit helps!
@C.Rock (12:10:17) :
@Kmart Palin Blue Lite Special (12:00:36) :
C.Rock::: so the difference between the Repus who take the money and those who don’t is ________________ [fill in the blank - cause I don't know the answer]
…………………………………………..
The ones who take the money can climb aboard the ship & sail smoothly & the ones that don’t can drown.
======================
The ones who take the money might actually be smart enough (or have staff smart enough) to plan its use and properly account for it. The ones who don’t take it – it scares ‘em that they’d actually have to do some real accounting. They’d rather be lazy and not have to do all that hard number stuff.
“Kim in Juneau (11:45:24) :
too bad that nice folks all over the US are sending you guys food and stuff while you guys make the news about shooting a moose and leaving it and not taking the meat. That’s real nice, you should be proud.”
______________________________________________________________
On a similar vein, if someone in New Orleans stole a nice flat screen TV after Katrina, we should have let the whole gulf drown….whoops, we sort of did that. Does that make you feel proud?
The troll has been dispatched.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>SPLAT< into the mudflats.
Oh, thank you Great Troll-Splatting One! It was just rude!
Dang! I missed the troll post before she was thrown into the flats.
It’s so cool how everyone sticks up for each other here. You’re all great people.
AKM, thanks for giving MudstockCT a shout-out!
@ bubbles, I’m going to PM you with transportation info if you want to come.
@Sabrina (14:59:58) :
Oh, she was haunting another thread too, but maybe not anymore!
Thank you, AKM! I should know better than to feed the trolls, I was overcome by …rage or maybe…the wine..
@ Ann, THANKS so much for posting that link:
Favor #2, “To leave us a quick note supporting our call for the regulatory committee to support the restoration of our Chinook Salmon fishery click HERE.” (check Ann’s link for that, above).
I realized that my next postal mail out of my area would be Monday, likely too late for them to receive it by Tues. So your link allowed me to submit my comments. Hope you get a lot of comments, they appear to be coming from all over the country!