Life in Alaska

[Nanuq]

My daughter is working with kids in the remote Alaskan bush this summer. She's been getting some really great exposure and I thought you guys would like it.

Bush, Alaska is comparable to 3rd world countries in many ways; many villages don't have sewage treatment facilities, police, a post office, a store, nothing. It's extremely harsh survival. It's more remote than you can wrap your head around. Consequently, the Native culture is very different than the white man's culture.

They call it the "song" of the people. In New York for example, the tempo of the "song" is fast and staccato. In the deep south it's slow and drawn out. White man has many "notes" in his song, with lots of ups and downs, from squealing at a newborn baby, to deep throated conversations between men. The Native "song" has two notes... when mama raises her note to the second one, everyone scatters. It's a slow tempo. They are intensely aware of the spirit of the land they borrow from their animal cousins.

As part of her orientation they showed a video to help explain the difference in how we see the Native culture, and how the Native culture sees ours ... how their clock runs slower and how they "feel" more. I loved it.

This was produced by some Native kids here, the opening was filmed right at the foot of my mountain. Then it goes in an unexpected direction

Watch this and hear what's in between the visuals. See our world through his eyes. Feel the frightening fast tempo of our song. Watch him celebrate his victories, even though they seem very small to us. This will help you know these good people better.

You're in for a treat!

[imajedi]

Interesting. Very well made.

[Nanuq]

I spent a lot of time in the Bush the last two summers in places you can't even pronounce, and it just made this video all the more real. These are beautiful people, I hope you guys get the experience some day.

[Demsey]

Cool!

[436NR]

You know I just saw a piece where the Native Elders speak about global warming. They're expressing doubts on it being man-made. Seems that they've noticed a significant change in the position of the stars that they use for navigation while hunting at night. One even said that the point of sunset on a certain mountain used as reference has moved significantly as well. The sun is higher in the sky. They believe that the earth has shift slightly on her axis.

Do you believe that there's any stock in that? Makes sense if generations have been using a point as reference for hundreds of years and now it's changed.

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[Demsey]

When in doubt, always look for the most simple and natural explanation. Native peoples living in time honored ways, their entire existence depends on them being natural scientists. Good natural scientists.

If a Washington politician told me the sun was going to rise in the East? I'd probably check the Farmer's Almanac to be sure.