APU Blogpost #3: Ella Tonuchuk

http://www.alaskapacific.edu/blog/encouragement-diligence-and-a-desire-to-make-her-parents-proud-help-alum-earn-her-apu-degree/

I'm on it!

So my landlord died suddenly and tragically. The Care Cottage was also shut down permanently. More on that later. For now I have been relocated to APU campus apartments. I'm so happy! 'Thank you so much Beth, and everyone in housing. I even got some bedsheets and towels loaned to me. Beth kindly lent me some blankets, dishes and utensils too.

Now I'm closer to all the good eats on Tudor (of course I'm closer to work, but food really matters). "Good eats" includes fellow FAI intern Josephine's house. Josephine, who is Yup'ik, usually goes by "Mussy," which in turn is derived from her Yup'ik name, "Mass’aluq."

By the way, this reinforces my little notion that Native people everywhere all seem to have two or more names (Mussy herself and Sherman Alexie can back me up on this one). Mine happens to be "Dis-Dis," which comes from ałk'ésdisí, the Navajo word for "candy." The word refers only to hard candy. "Like peppermints," my aunt explained over the phone, "Ałk'ésdisí comes wrapped and the plastic is twisted at both ends."

As a toddler, my paternal grandma used to babysit me. "Ayoo ałk'ésdisí ííyą," she said one day. "She eats so much candy." They began calling me "Disí." It soon evolved into "Dis-Dis," which is what everyone uses today. I will only allow family to call me that. I find I do not respond well when acquaintances use it; it is devoid of the familial love and affection.

I do not have a Navajo given name, but that's okay. I'm fine being "Dis-Dis," because I was raised as Dis-Dis.  To this day, when I enter the room, at least one person will shout "Dis-Dis!" and everyone will do welcome laughs.

My cousin Tyler also has a Navajo nickname. He's known as "Chxoosh" because of his hair, which sticks up everywhere.

Back on topic now... Let's see, I did struggle a bit with relocating, but anyway, last night's dinner of fish egg soup at Mussy's house set me right. We had freshly-made akutaq afterward for dessert.

While the soup simmered, Mussy mixed strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and handpicked salmon berries with several handfuls of shortening, water, and sugar. She'd already prepared akutaq using quagciq, or beach greens, and I tried some of that as well. That was delicious. It tasted like a mildly-sweet tea. (Those were the beach greens we'd picked the month before. She'd just frozen them since then.)

This is fish egg soup.

This is the akutaq containing the type of beach greens known as quaciq.

The newly-prepared akutaq with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and hand-picked salmon berries.

APU Blogpost #2: Jorie Paoli

http://www.alaskapacific.edu/blog/first-in-her-family-to-earn-a-college-degree-paoli-credits-apus-work-friendly-schedule/

APU Blog Post #1: Bobby Dunno

http://www.alaskapacific.edu/blog/planning-to-take-one-class-dunno-stayed-on-to-earn-an-apu-degree-then-another/#comment-1490

Writer's Block

Writer's block is not so much stressful as it is escapist. I'm a known escapist. I didn't say "escape artist." I'm terribly clumsy. Anyway, writer's block seem to cause changes in my daily habits. It is terribly familiar. Work shouldn't feel like college, it should feel different! I found myself making true attempts to be healthier, so as to somehow purge my body of whatever was bogging me down. It might be a step for the better because I feel lighter.

One relevant issue I have is with the draft edits. So extensive they were that I wanted to re-evaluate everything I had ever learned. Ah, perfectionism at its finest. In spite of receiving edits and criticism in college, all the work was initially written for professors' eyes only. Don't we sometimes just mold our work to please just the professor? Some weeks it just happens that way. It's unhealthy for your writing, people. Try to write for the world...!

Writing for school is one thing, sharing your writing with the world is quite another. Of course you need edits. You need all the help you can get!

Busy Day Yesterday

I ran around Anchorage yesterday. Or rather, Victoria chaffeured me around Anchorage. That word is too calm. I thought she was suicidal. I think she probably knows how to drift. Did two APU alumni interviews (Ella A. Tonuchuk from FAI and Sarah Johnson from Alyeska Pipeline), a tour of a corporate building, and attended a AK Native conference. I was happy to have done so. It was worth all the effort and listening. My brain was brimming with information by the end of the day. (If my mom were sitting next to me she'd tell me it had just earned a few more wrinkles.) I think my two hours of rest last night have helped me to digest half of it. I took a nap when I returned and it only made me stay up until 4:44 a.m.

For the moment, I have to contact Albert Kookesh. I have done the first part and researched him online this morning. What I would actually be nervous about would be forgetting to ask about important details, since he is busy and might be difficult to contact later on.

Saturdays

I have been wanting to put my Saturdays to good use. Some Saturdays were absolutely terrible because of my low energy levels. I remember having the toughest time in June because of the headaches. I thought I was having terrible allergies. Beth, my supervisor, was so kind and went out of her way to buy me curtains. It was lovely of her and she saved the day, because after that, my headaches stopped.  I had been using an eyemask, but I guess my body was not fooled into believing the room was dark.

Some days, it is no use cycling around Anchorage. Now that I've been to Seward and Homer, Anchorage is not enough. The World Eskimo Indian Olympics is in Fairbanks from July 18-21st. If only I could somehow get there!

Let's think. Phillip Blanchett told me about the Kaladi Bros. Pamyua blend, so I supposed I could hunt that down. It appears to be limited release so only a few shops are selling it. Heck yes, I'm up for experiencing the encore of flavor. What better way to enjoy Alaska than to chillax with a hot brew inspired by an award-winning Alaska Native band? It puts Denny's rockstar menu to shame. Pamyua touches bases with fans because of the effort they put into creating and developing the blend and the bag. Blanchett said they would frequently visit with Kaladi do coffee flights of the proposed flavors. Pamyua was looking to interpret their namesake, which means "encore," and took steps to incorporate the finishing touches. Blanchett described the finished product as "medium-bodied with a nice, chocolatey finish that comes and hits you right at the end, and you say 'Mmm, that's good.'" He described himself as a "coffee-snob" and said he worked closely with graphic designers to get the bag made to their specifications, demonstrating that band promotions are also creative works of art.

That's it, I'm taking a shower and leaving! I actually feel like doing the downtown market today. Shopping sounds like an excellent idea. There is a Kaladi Bros. there (although I heard they don't carry "Pamyua." Yes, I asked around). I hope to ride to Earthquake Park again by bike before I leave Anchorage for home. Why do I feel like I haven't gone out in ages? I was at the park last week having fun at the beach. Wow, the work week sure slowed time down!

Mozart Moves the Day Along

My favorite song to listen to today was Mozart's Symphony No. 25 in G minor. It focuses me in a way that no other song can. (I feel songs in minor often have the effect of making one more thoughtful.)

Rosanne Pagano is my primary writing coach. As a writer and professor, she chooses to set examples in all of her interactions with me. Each time I see her, we greet, discuss, and plan. She excuses herself at the end of nearly every meeting with, "Okay, Christy I must write now, so you have to go."

She is not only setting an example of discipline. I know exactly what she's feeling. Once you are in the writer's state of mind, you don't want anything to do with the outside world. It's like that for me, at least. If the phone rings, you hope to the Muse you don't become too engrossed for it will destroy whatever opus you had in mind.

I unabashedly sloshed coffee down my front. I find I don't care. I can slosh coffee whenever I feel like just as long as I do it when I'm in the writer's state of mind. I dislike cream and sugar today, or rather most of the time. I even bought coffee candy from the Asian market. Ah, placebo.

I wrote a progress report to Beth, Rosanne and Victoria. (By the way, they are all professors at Alaska Pacific University.) I'm supposed to write one every Friday. Some weeks in June, nothing would happen, so all I could really say was, "Met new people and read the textbook some more."

Here is a (revised) copy of my PR:

I felt that things I planned for this week turned out satisfactory because I did two interviews. I could have done more. We all have priorities and important dates, and sometimes they just have to wait. J (Ella forgot about the interview!)

I am learning about what doesn’t work. I’m not good at writing by hand anymore. I typed all throughout college. Shorthand is impractical and will take too much time to learn. Typing is best anyway, because you one can highlight it on the computer and pick any color. What’s a marker again? I don’t know! I’ll get one soon, so I can use it on print-outs.

Preparedness is the key! I feel like I learn things if I make mistakes. There is no telling me to do it right the first time, and I’ve learned that over a number of years. I find that all the lectures in the world would never have prepared me for my first interview. I was really engrossed in blogging right before Phillip Blanchett showed up and was unprepared and unfocused. I was simply waiting for the our 2pm meeting and was feeling like blogging. I found that I am slow to transition from one mode to another in seconds. I find that it takes at least ten minutes to “snap outta the blog fog.” (Phillip took it well, although I kept acting like a frozen deer. I think it was obvious too!) 

Research is important. It was not hard to research Pamyua, but finding something note-worthy was hard because there were many interesting things about Phillip and his group. However, researching everyday people brought up extraordinary results. I found a blog that Ella Tonuchuk kept when she was a First Alaskans Fellow for a legislative session earlier this year. It made me appreciate her work more and helped me understand her more as a person. I’ll do the same for the others. En route to FAI, I was prepared because I kept looking at my notes of Ella and Jorie. I had time to simmer ideas in my cauldron. I rescheduled with Ella. After interviewing Jorie, I went to a restaurant with wi-fi and highlighted everything immediately. I typed up her lead and because everything was so fresh, started on her story. Jorie promptly sent me her photo and all felt well for the moment.

In the interviews, I applied what I studied from Writing and Reporting News: A Coaching Method. (This is called active learning, right?) I found everyone has an image they want to project, and it is obvious when you interview them. Some want to project a more formal image, while others are fine with divulging answers to more personal questions. I find I am good at picking up on a person’s aura. Jorie wanted to stick to her work with AK Natives, and stayed away from discussing family plans. Phillip was the opposite. He wanted to take his family to the east coast and reconnect with his father’s family. This made him seem down-to-earth, which I suppose music artists strive for. Public policy leaders vs. musicians: both call for different approaches. Both people were very used to being interviewed, but one of them was difficult to approach with the right questions. It was Phillip. He likely gets asked the same questions over time. I finally got him to smile when we started discussing Pamyua’s new coffee blend for Kaladi Bros.

Work Goals:

• ·         I feel I can and should do more. It would be nice to take on more than one project. Got in touch with Ella T. and Joyce M. and will touch bases with Sarah J. Now that I know myself better as an interviewer, I want to throw myself in from here on. I found face-to-face interviews drive me forward faster. I like getting the info sorted before it goes up in smoke. It’s more stimulating than e-mail interviews and faster too. Ah, I love communication.

Other goals:

• ·         Continue learning and meeting people of course. I found that to become a real foodie, you befriend the restaurant owners. Go Victoria!

• ·         Find the geocache that is supposedly hidden somewhere on this campus.

Note:
Phillip let me know about a job opening with his artist friend Paola Pivi because he was on the look-out for her. One thing he said was, “She’s looking for an assistant who is culturally-sensitive.” I was surprised, but wondered, “Is it a good idea to try it? Am I allowed to take up a second job?”

“They don’t own you!” Phillip replied, laughing. Paola asked me for my CV, which I will send anyway because she actually e-mailed me about it. My NMSU work with exchange students made me comfortable with internationals, so if I ever met her, I won’t be too awed to speak.

The Care Cottage

     When the Care Cottage was first built, it was to provide pregnant women from rural Alaskan villages a safe, relatively inexpensive (compared to the hospital) place to stay. It is now open for everyone, and since the first day here, I have met so many different people from all over Alaska.      Pregnant ladies, fishermen, travelers, displaced families and people have all come to stay at the Care Cottage since June 1st. I think the furthest anyone has traveled from would be Barrow (and like everyone else in Alaska, they all seem to know each other...it's a "my people likely know your people" thing). I think I am the only one who is living and working from the Care Cottage right now (other than the newly hired help). I find it is expensive to live here as opposed to the New Mexico cost of living, but it would probably cost just as much as a typical Anchorage apartment without all the other small conveniences (like a listening ear, an occasional courtesy carpool and the secure, safe feeling of clean towels and linens--yes, these are provided).
     There is really nothing to do at the Care Cottage for fun, unless you love TV, jigsaw puzzles, board games, and snacking...all the things you might do at your real home. I actually had a blast with the other women (all waiting for their due dates) assembling the jigsaw puzzles. The Disney princess puzzle started a series of group jigsawing that lasted weeks. We worked super-hard on it and even stayed up until three in the morning, so in the end we decided to preserve it to hang on the wall, but not before writing our names on the back!
     The Care Cottage has discounts for expectant moms, past customers (those who have become mothers while staying at the Cottage), and clergy. Some of your dollars can be donated to your church, and the rest of it goes to pay the Cottage's upkeep. If you want to feel safe and comfortable, it's the place to go. The atmosphere is always positive and welcoming. The owners are down-to-earth and care immensely about making your life easier.
     The prices have actually increased by at least a dollar, but no matter, it's a place to sleep soundly at night. Katrina Circle is a very quiet cul-de-sac. It was actually recommended to me by an Alaska Pacific University staff member who knew a student that stayed here long-term and enjoyed it. I am certainly enjoying myself and I would stay here again for sure if I came up to Anchorage a second time.

www.carecottage.biz

free from the box

I personally think young people on the Navajo Nation need to experience Alaska. And I mean to say they should get familiar with Alaskan Native issues and their way of life because it's such an eye-opener. I feel like such a different person since coming to Alaska. You learn a new sense of appreciation for your own culture and you won't know its true value until you leave the rez. If you are able to drive home on weekends, that does not count as actually leaving the rez. 

Alaskan Natives have not been affected in quite the same way as the lower 48 Native people. To some obvious extent, yes, but how they handled their situation with the land and health care have been very different from the rest of the tribes down here. I didn't know they were supported by corporations. I know there is a Utah Navajo corporation, but that's only for the Utah Navajos. From subsistence hunting and gathering to everything else, Alaskan Natives are so different. Yes, Alaska is American and all that, but from a Native American's perspective, it is a very different territory. I was struck by the people and the culture. Never before in my life have I been so fascinated with another's culture. My love for Alaskan Native culture has grown just as strong as my love for Irish and Japanese culture.
I have not missed home yet. I miss many of course, but I am not homesick because I feel I still have to learn so much. It already has me thinking about future jobs and schooling. I was talking with APU professor Victoria Hykes-Steere and she said, "So when are you going to grad school?" I said, "It has to be soon. This English degree is not going to cut it." And she nodded her head in agreement. "You should go into Indian policy." Victoria's so matter-of-fact. I keep wondering why the hell nobody seems to know her on campus. "Do you know Victoria?" I ask, and the response is always, "Hmm, no." She's one of the rare jewels. I made a mental note to ask other natives if they've ever met her.