The Year I Became a Nukallpaiq

Growing up, I was raised by my older sister and brother.

My sister Iirpak taught me all the girly things. 

But my brother Apac'aq taught me everything my sister couldn't. 

When I was about ten, Apac brought me out bird hunting for the first time.

We went above Tuluksak, when we reached we lay down in the moss.

It took a while for them to come, we waited and waited.

Finally, when they started passing, my brother told me 

"When they're low start shooting at them.

Keep pumping the gun or you won't be able to shoot." 

There was me, Apac, Boysa, and Arissaq.

We all started shooting when the birds were low and close. 

At first I was afraid because all of us were shooting at the same time.

When the flock was gone my brother told me to watch what I'm shooting

and count what I catch.

When we finally went home at night, I was so excited to tell my sister how 

many I caught. I caught thirteen geese. As we walked into our home

my sister was putting boxes on the floor for the birds. 

When we lay all the birds, Iirpak and my mom started plucking.

I was so tired that I went straight to bed after bringing 

all the stuff in from the boat.

After following my brother for the first time, made me want to 

go out hunting more often with him. 

My birthday gift

The day was June, 4 2014,

The day of the week was wednesday,

The gift was a pintail longboard,

The board is made of bamboo,

The color is white, black, and blue,

The brand name is Arbor,

The design has a lot of koi fish,

The tricks are toe and heel slides,

and front and back 180's,

The length is 46 inches,

I am from.

I am from.

living good on the west side.

and falling asleep from long car rides.

from palm trees and summer breeze.

and playing outside with ripped jeans and skinned knees.

I am from

Getting likens from my moms at school

that's what I get when I try to act cool.

From cracking jokes in at resses 

and water fights the neighborhood pool.

I am from

A place where the Marauder flag hangs high.

Where the aloha spirit is shown with pride.

From a block in the projects 

a somewhere where no one cares,

I am from 

The islands of Hawaii.

Where throwing up the shaka means hang loose.

From the city side to the country side,

A little place I call paradise .

Where I'm From

      I am from four-wheelers and snow machines,                          

from gas that is not cheap

I am from the bushes and rivers. 

I am from the house that is always calm.

I am from t.v shows to movies,

from avatar and A Haunting.

I am from the intelligent and the foolish.

I am from the nice and the mean.

I'm from Emma and James's branch.

I am from the caribou and the whale.

I am from Iñupiaq and the Athabascan.

I'm from cultural art and animal clothing.

I am from scars and bruises, 

from rocks and cars.

I'm from aunts and uncle that are deceased, 

from who I love so much.

Arctic Valley short story

The day was simple. Wake up, go to school, eat breakfast, and start class. Took about a 30min drive to get to our destination, I mainly just stood there looking at the hill/mountain we were about to walk up. I was mainly thinking to myself, "Oh my..." when everyone was waiting around. Im sure everyone were thinking the same thing, anyways the day was cloudy with sunlight fighting the clouds but always losing the fight. Barely felt any breeze against my skin because I was wearing a sweater and some heavy shorts, really regret that. Calves were burning in the first 5mins and I swear I leave my mouth open for a second only to have a fly ram itself in there, it was so gross I can remember the taste. I can hear moaning and groaning from everyone, I don't blame them that hill was too much (especially when you're new to hiking!). As we got to the top I sat down and opened my snack pack at a blast of peanuts and chocolate struck my nostrils, it was my overall joy to smell such treats, made the hike a little bit worth it. Saw the trail down and thought, "Mmmm, oh yeah."

Where I'm from

I am from the Heart of Alaska
from cheer and dance
I'm from a family all about basketball and football
I am from everything Christmas

I'm very sassy and bossy
I am mandarin oranges
I have friends all over
from moving so many times

I am Tlingit and Athabascan
I'm from the rivers and ocean
the salmon and seaweed
Family and culture is my everything

I'm the only girl with a family of boys
From "I know Chantz" to "You're native?"
I am from Sesame Street and Arthur
and always having early Saturday morning practice

Arctic Valley

The mountain seemed so tall

compared to us, we're so small

No one wanted to go 

everyone was thinking no

The heat was awful 

but the view was beautiful

I wanted to stop

but we had to get to the top 

Everyone was sweating you could tell

I knew it because of the smell

It was worth it all though

cause we got to see how high we could go

Arctic Valley

Hiking is full of bugs

It's full of sweaty people

Some people out of breath

The fog was coming down the mountain 

The breeze felt chilly but good

The students all made it with motivation 

I smell bug spray to make the bugs to go away

I see people smiling and laughing

I hear the wind blowing over the mountains 

I hear the airplanes flying above

Arctic Valley Poem

As I walk up the mountain,

I can smell the flowers,

I can hear the wind getting stronger,

I can hear birds calling,

As I hear the bells ringing,

I'm the only one singing,

When I walk I can feel the pain in my feet,

This makes me want to go home and go to sleep.

I Am From

I am from the cold waters,

Where fish swim through the chilly waters,

I am from hockey,

Where skating is life.

I am from good times and laughter,

Where friends never leave,

I am from fall off the bone ribs,

Where theres never enough,

I am from Boomerang,

Where CatDog is the best.

I am from Native heritage,

Where fishing is a hobby,

I am from smoked salmon,

Where it tastes heavenly.

I am from never going inside,

Where coming in is not an option,

I am from riding my bike 24/7,

Where energy never runs out.

The Fog Rolls Down the Mountain

The fog rolls down the mountain,
it goes down into the valley.
I can feel the cold wind,
and the mosquitoes buzzing around.
People catching their breath,
enjoying the wonderful view.
Snow on the mountains,
trees make the mountains dark.
There's dead grass mixed with new grass,
smell of grass with a dirt.

I am from the Golden Heart of Alaska

I am from the Golden Heart of Alaska
A town built on mining
Where all my siblings were born
Beginning of my life, one December morning

I am from different backgrounds
Native friends in Nenana
Mixed cultures in North Pole
White culture of Chugiak

I am from Interior and Southeast Alaska
Indian tribes of Tlingit and Athabascan
Villages of Rampart, Tanana, and Angoon
Hunter and gatherers of early Alaska

From watching Pooh Bear and Teletubbies
To saying "Der dah" and "Bot a bish"
Jumping on a trampoline from dusk till dawn
And being scared of bears in the water

The Gift Poem

Today we went fishing,
instead of hiking.
I didn't catch anything,
besides some trees and some rocks.

Sometimes my weight would go down,
or my hook would get caught.
Janely helped me out,
and didn't even complain.

To write this poem,
I needed a pencil.
She let me use hers,
so now I'm able to get credit.

Where I'm From

I'm from the island of American Samoa

but not from the Western Samoa

I live in the village of Nu'uuli

a village that people called it satan

I'm from my dad's strongest right hand 

nobody can stop me when I'm mad

I loved it at Samoa

cause my samoa name is Tai Samoa

I'm from the hood of Manulele Blue

I used to go to Tafuna High School

I love my mom and dad

but I hate it when my attitude is bad 

Im from the family that likes to play volleyball

but also my brothers and I love to play football

I am 17 years old

OH YES.!! I'm ready to be old

I want to join the army

cause I want to fight for the freedom of my people and family

I want my people and family to be safe 

but I don't want to see my people and family become slave

Day 9: Winner Creek and North Face Trails at Alyeska

Today we're going to hear from Chantz and Pausea. Let's start with Chantz's take on the day:

We started off our day by doing another wonderful quickwrite. This time we wrote about our biggest fears. I wrote about my mom. Then we had another long bus ride all the way to Alyeska. There were two groups of hikers. One group went up to the top, all the way to the restaurant, and the other group went on Winner Creek trail. Getting to the trail was probably the worst part of the hike. My calves were burning a lot and everyone else was complaining about it. Halfway through the hike, Kili n' Friends were separated because Kili and Nick. I was stuck pushing Janely up the hill and having to stop every 15 steps for her to take a break. When we got to the top we were able to enjoy the beautiful view. The gift shop was cool and smelled like cinnamon, which smelled so good. Using the tram to go down was a good experience and it showed off the great view of Alyeska. When we got back down we ate some sandwiches and had some vegetables. Then there was a long bus ride back, listening to Janely complain about her missing her hair appointment. We arrived back to the ASD Ed Center around 5:30 and ended the day by cleaning out our backpacks.

Now let's see what Pausea has to say:

Let me start off by saying I wasn't going come today. Long story short, I broke my ankle playing softball the night before. My cousins took me to the ER that same night and I didn't get out till 3. By the next couple of hours I got a call from Barb giving me an ultimatum. Either come to school and get credit or stay home and don't get credit. So I came to school unwillingly, by lunch time it was time for all of us to go on the hike. Unfortunately for me, the day we had to hike Alyeska, I didn't get to go, so I got sent home. To make the situation even worse, it was my turn to blog. As I sat next to the glass doors watching it swing open and close while teachers and students walked in and out and made their way onto the bus, I wished I could have gone. But on the bright side, at least I got to go home and sleep. Now the only thing I got from the hike is pictures and stories from the other students. Kinda made me wish I went even more. I heard Brooke was acting a crazy fool, Fega was singing, and people who were extra salty all week were being nice. It seems like when I'm here nothing happens, but when I'm not everything I've been waiting for, for these whole two weeks happened in one day.  I admit I'm super duper ninja salty that I missed all of that.

Where I'm from

I'm from a wide place.

You can always see a face. The 

mountains are always close, when the 

snow comes they cover them like 

a new white bed sheet.

You'll always have a friend near,

for the people here are very 

sincere. 

Everyone has a sense of

humor, cause someone need a 

good laugh to make them live longer.

 I'm from land of hope.

Wherever you wonder,

you can always "holla",

and you'll always have a caller. 

I'm from Alaska 

Day 8 Bonus: How To Cut Fish

There are many different ways to cut fish. This is the way I do it.

List of things you need.

Uluaq. Tub of water. Hanging rack. Smoke house (to smoke the fish).

Step1: Cut the head off

Step2: Cut the stomach open. Take the guts out.

Step3: Cut from the back, slanting a little all the way through.

(slant the fish or you’ll have bones all over the meat)

         
    

Step4: Rinse the fish in the tub of water.

Step5: hang the fish on the rack inside the smoke house (fish must be hung inside out. Skin facing the rack).

Step6: Make a fire inside the smoke house, so there won’t be any flies, and the fish will dry faster.

It takes about 2 weeks for the fish to dry.

That is my way of working on fish.

 

Arctic Valley Story

         Last week we went on a hiking trip to Arctic Valley.  That was my first time ever hiking before. At first I thought it would be an easy hike but it was more difficult than I thought.  I did not realize how more difficult it can be to hike a mountain or trail.  Although it was my first time hiking, it was actually quite a nice hike. At the top was a beautiful view of Eagle River.  The valley has some beautiful houses. The ground has a cool touch that feels nice as it was cooling your body. As you were resting you can hear the wonderful sound of birds chirping. Another noise was the wind. The wind had a really nice feeling. There really wasn't much of a taste when you got up to the top unless you ate some cranberries from the ground, which I did not do. The smell was nice. It smelled nice because I never really hiked before and how different it was. I enjoyed the hike and I hope I can go there again sometime later in the future.

WHERE I'M FROM

I am from the Islands,
from hula dancing and falling coconuts.
I am from that red dirt road,
dusty, cloudy, and home.

I am from top ramen and hot dogs,
from baths and toys.
I am from tattle-tails and the blaming,
from respect and be quiet!

I am from Laie and Anchorage,
spam musuby and panning for gold.
I am from the father of my grandfather lost to disease.
and the hardships he went through.

In my room was a binder,
telling old stories,
we made up as kids.
I am from that time,
learning from your mistakes,
and loving no matter what.

I am Hekili Foma'i, and I am a Pacific Islander!

The Gift Poem

My Mother's voice,

the calming and soothing 

gift that heals my soul.

Lets me know that I am safe

by the sound of love and discipline,

putting me in a relaxed state of mind.

Eyes kept shut 

so that I may focus on her voice much more clearly.

Thinking about my mother's voice so much

I can feel the love it provides me.

My mother's voice.

where im from

I am from Kodiak,

With the 8ft bears,

And the nice delicious fish,

From the cold hard rain,

To the warm hawt sun,

From longboarding to biking,

A skateboarding fail to broken bones,

My best friends Andy, Jr, and Dylan,

bondfires & fireworks at the beach,

With the sand and waves,

To the buoy swing into the lake,

I am a white Filipino,

I speak english and understand a little Filipino, 

The gr8 Filipino food and family,

With the celebrations and parties, 

Where I'm From

I'm from Anchorage

 With my blanket and bed

Camping in Chitina and Kenai  

Visiting amusement parks in different cities 

I'm tired and bored

Eating vanilla ice cream with strawberries on it

To also pineapple and tomatoes

I'm myself and no one else

From my two annoying sisters 

to my brother and my mom

From moving here from Juneau 

From glasses to contacts

Watching Finding Nemo 

To Track and Field and scars

From bad hiking and I love the

 breeze of the wind in my face 

GIFT POEM

MY DAD BOUGHT ME SOME CLEETS,
AND PUT THEM ON MY FEET.

MY DAD GOT MAD,
BECAUSE I WAS BEING BAD.

MY DAD STOOD NEXT TO ME,
FOR HE'D LOVED ME.

MY DAD IS MY IDOL,
I WANT TO BE LIKE HIM.

Someone who did something for me

Dads protect their little girl, 

carry the world on his shoulders 

to give the whole world just for her.

His number one he wants her to feel 

free to pursue her far-flung dreams.

My dad he did even more than all

of that. He did everything cause he

always  cared about me. My dad went

out of the universe for me. We've been 

through everything. He's reached 

out to me though the darkest places, 

through all the small spaces.

When I feel this heaviness in my 

heart I always went to him,

he would always make me see 

a brighter day. Though all the 

pain and all the hate.

he could always heal,

the pain that makes me feel.

Arctic Valley

Feels cold and very silent and pure.
The wind keeps blowing making
my skin ice cold, making
it difficult to write.

The mountains look endless up here. 

The clouds cover the top of them 

like a blanket sheet on a bumpy bed.

The sound of everyone trying to figure 

out what the assignment is. The bear 

bells jingling as the teachers check up

on everyone. 

I don't taste nature just 

the leftover pieces of 

cashews stuck between 

my teeth. 

the smell of nature is 

undescribable for i can 

only smell my own sweat 

and everyone else
from the hike up.

still it is really windy up here,
and all i can hear is people
who have no idea.

Gift Poem

Strong current running against my small legs,

I didn't expect a sharp, quick pain.

My mind was slowly catching upon what was happening.

Nurse Jason hooked my right cheek like I was a fish.

I guess you could say, I was the catch of the day.

He gently took the source of pain away,

towards the end,

he cured me with his medicine.

I am grateful for his gentle care,

while I quietly weeped of fear. 

Where I'm From

-I am from the island of Maui, 

an endless season of pineapple and mangos.

-I am from television's Cartoon network,
old school and original

-I am from a deck of cards, 

playing solitaire and goldfish.

-I am from East Anchorage High School, 

random laughter and multicultural students

-I am Chase Lealao, 
and I am from my Mother and Father, 

a result of their love and happiness.

Gift Poem 

Kili smuggled Rice Crispy's 

He put them down his pants 

Kili made a Rice Crispy's belt 

He then got on the bus 

Kili sat by me 

He wouldn't give me my Rice Crispy's 

Kili finally made my stomach 

Happy and gave me 

My Rice Crispy's

Where I'm From

I am from the land of the ducks,

now living in the land of the bears.

I am from the dirt and snow hitting my face,

to a soccer ball between my feet.

I am from the "don't do," 

to the "do more."

I am from a "mature quickly" 

to a "don't grow up to fast" family.

I am from a family that lives for the American Dream. 

I am from the "I'm happy"

to "I'm salty." 

I am from the "leave me alone,"

to "stand by me."

I am from the "I give up,"

to "I will prevail."

You wouldn't understand me if you tried, 

but I still sat there and cried. 

I don't like to think about the past,

but I still wear it like a cast.

I am Jazmin Morales-Hernandez, and I am from Anchorage, Ak.

REST.EASY.MY-LOVE

~SHE WAS CARING 

AND LOVING,

FROM HER TEACHING 

AND HER YELLING

~SHE IS BEAUTIFUL

AND MAGICAL,

FROM A BELIEVER

 AND A LYRICAL

~NOW SHE IS RESTING

AND RELAXING

WITH OUR GREAT FATHER, ABOVE

THE MAN WHO BROUGHT US TOGETHER

~I MISS HER DEARLY

EVERY SECOND, EVERY HOUR, AND EVERYDAY OF MY LIFE,

TILL NEXT TIME WE MEET AGAIN

IN THE HEAVENS WITH A VIEW SO CLEARLY.

When Someone Helped Me

The time someone helped me is when I was walking home from school one day and it was really windy so I dropped my binder and all my papers fell out and scattered across the sidewalk. A gail named Theresa helped me with all my papers and after that we walked to her house and I helped her with some yard work at her house... the end, go away now.

ARTIC VALLEY SHORT STORY!!!!!!!!!

There once was an adventurer and his team that heard of an ancient forgotten city of gold here in the old parts of Alaska.  This incredible team had a fearless leader.  He was known as KILI THE GREAT.  He could do anything and everything he wanted.  He was also an fluent in seven different languages.     The first member of his team was an expert on accent cities JANELY.  The second member is an excellent archaeologist CHANTZ.  The third member is a rich girl who is helping to fund the trip, but has a taste for adventure JAZMIN.  The last member is the teams professional guide, and a native to the land ''NACHOS''.  Thats what we call him.  No one really knows his real name.  We just started calling him that because when we found him he was wandering around our camp site stuffing his face with nachos, hence his new name.  Now the story begins: 5 years ago when KILI was with the team, they were wandering around the city of Juneau, in the original town hall. They broke into the town hall searching through old books. When all of a sudden KILI pulls a book off the shelf and a secret passage way door opens and leads to an old hallway.  At the end of the hallway is an ancient native alaskan statue of a part man, part wolf, and part eagle.  This was made out of stone with the most amazing carving skills we'd ever seen.  In the left hand was an ancient scroll.  As KILI reached for it and pulled it out, it set off a booby trap.  The trap caused the hallway to collapse and we were running for our lives.  As were getting away KILI drops the map and tells the crew to keep running.  The walls and the floors around the scroll began to crack and fall the earth beneath. With his amazing skills, he snatched it up and barely made it out of there.  And then their journey began.      

I'm From...

I'm From...

I'm from the sky

I'm always open to new things

I'm always keeping my head up

I'm always there if anyone needs help

I always brighten peoples days

Or make them worse...

When I'm clear of any clouds (problems) I can make peoples days

but if I have a lot of clouds i'll stay hidden 

if the day isn't working out for anyone it'll rain and stay cloudy

There is a lot of people from the sky but everyone has a different point of view to what the sky is to them and a lot of different people think differently about the sky how it makes there day better or how it makes there day worse.

Day 8: Fishing in Hope and Hiking to Gull Rock

Today we went to Hope, where we had the choice to either fish or go hiking. We started our day at the Ed Center, like every other day. It was funny to see how many people brought pillows and blankets for the ride. After everyone changed their shoes, got their backpacks and the bus was loaded up, we got on the bus. We finally started our 2 1/2 hour bus ride to Hope.  The ride seemed like forever because Kili N' Friends (Kili, Nick, Janely, Jasmin and Chantz) were really loud laughing, talking and even singing. You could tell everyone just wanted to sleep.

We finally got there and everyone had to help set everything up. We had lunch then the hikers left, the people fishing got their gear on and went out. People were catching fish left and right. Some people even  maxed out their fishing limit. After awhile of fishing some kids started to clean, fillet and vacuum seal the fish they caught. Everyone came back and started to roast hotdogs for dinner. While people were waiting to eat, a group gathered in a circle and started playing the game "Big Booty" that we learned the first day. Of course someone just had to join in the game, none other than the first Big Booty, our teacher Ben. The circle got bigger and bigger. After dinner everyone started making their s'mores. Not long after it was time to clean everything to pack up and go. It was again a long bus ride back to Anchorage, but the day was finally over and it was good to go home to sleep.

Once the hikers got to the trail we packed up and got ready to go. Once we started the hike I didn't think it was going to be that bad, but it was one little trail so we all had to play follow the leader and hike. The hike was nice, especially when we got to Gull Rock. It was the hike back that killed me because I could feel every nerve in my feet just aching. Even though we had 9 hikers, it was nice and peaceful and quiet. I heard we were the second group to make it all the way and once I heard that I felt accomplished.

I really liked the hike, but the trail got to get steeper and steeper. I mean, one false step and you could be falling a couple stories. We made really good time, too, because we bareley took any breaks. The only breaks we took were just to drink some water and catch our breath. If I were going to hike this again I would bring a tent because we found the perfect camping spot. It was just beautiful, standing there looking out at the ocean. Once we got back we had some hotdogs and s'mores and we got to talk and hangout, but when we packed up and left everyone on the bus just passed out.

Where I'm From

I am from Mom's used-to-be-long hair.
I am from basketball and bat-the-ball.
I am from broken down junk trucks everywhere
        with trashes on the ground.
I am from the hills and the tundra.

I am from lumpy, mecaq roads.
From roasted salmon hearts (I didn't like it at first,
         but learned to like it),
From the Yup'ik food my dad used to feed me.
I'm from fried moose and bird soup.
I'm from akutaq.

I am from tundra tea picked in the summer,
and tree medicine that could help your sickness.
There is a medicine for everything on the tundra.

I am from picking berries.
From traveling by boat and snow machine
        to Nunapitchak, to Napakiak
        to Atmautluak and Bethel.
I am from singspiration.
From hearing drunks every weekend.
From "Bigfoot-am aarpagacungnarqaaquk."

I am from cutting fish and hanging fish.
From the fish racks and the smokehouse.
I am alive and my culture made me who I am.
My culture still goes strong.

Arctic Valley: Short Story

The fresh, clean breeze hits my cold, smooth face. The chilled air I breath in suffocates my lungs. Mosquitoes buzz in my ears like bees. My feet feel heavy. Gray clouds fill the sky around the small city below the mountains. People talk to pass the time. I try to keep quiet. My spit gets thicker and thicker every step I take. Birds are chirping left to right. On top of the mountain is so beautiful. It feels like I'm invincible.

By: Janely

Where I'm From

I am from the Land of Bears,

to where the sun sets on the Sleeping Lady.

I am from where the salmon own the rivers,

and the earthworms rule the land.

I'm from good days 

to the stress days,

from the "I'm tired" 

to the "I'm fine."

I'm from a "mature quickly",

to a "don't grow up too fast" family.

To the "walk in the burning Guatemalan sun",

to the "shovel the driveway."

I'm from the drowning desire to see,

to the blind side of me.

I may not have good sight,

but I do know wrong from right.

I am Janely Lopez, and I am from Anchorage, Ak.

Day 7: South Fork Eagle River

On Tuesday we went on a hike on the South Fork Eagle River trail. In the morning we did our classes, then we had lunch, and we all loaded up onto the bus. We went to another trail where you could see the Arctic Valley path. We started and the view looked just amazing, it was breathtaking, well at least I thought it was. We started onto the path and about ten minutes in I re-rolled my ankle, so I got moved to the slowest science group and I had to walk with them until it was time to turn around. I didn't move very much, maybe a mile and a quarter into the trail. I was the slowest of the slow group. They laughed at me because of it, I thought it was pretty funny. I complained the entire time and I got a new nick name, Hop Along. We went back to the bus and we had a pretty good bus ride. We went back to the Ed. Center and then we all went home.

South Fork Valley had a nice trail. Some was not as bad, but it was mostly a nice long trail. It was Tuesday, a nice and sunny day to go on a trail. I really did not want to hike another day because I was already tired and sore from hiking before South Fork Valley. Walking the trail was actually quite fun. It was fun because I had never been there before and the place was nice and beautiful. Another reason why the trail was fun was because of the other students making jokes and having a nice time. When we got to the end of trail which was the bridge for us because we had little time to rest and refresh. At the bridge I went to the river and washed my hands and face. It was nice and refreshing. The view from the bridge was nice and calming. After a few minutes of resting, we got back up and started heading back to the bus. The bus ride back was nice because of how loud and fun it was.

Where I'm From

I'm from a place you never want to go to,

         especially if you're a girl.

I am from no toilets, I am from honey buckets.

I am from not even a single drop of running water. 

I am from one store, no clothes, just chips and pop

         and sometimes frozen pizza.

I am from "elaii" and "kacaa," 

From "Gat Nangengata Assilrai Anigtuuq."

I'm from Ma and Alii.

I am from cutting fish and setting nets,

From traveling by boat, and plane,

         by cars and trucks,

         by snow-go and four-wheel.

I am from tepiq. 

I am from paasaiq.

I am from moose soup, seal soup, 

         bird soup, caribou soup.

I am from guumlanaq.

I remember me and Amber and Desiree playing out

in diapers in the dirty road.

Even if I never want to go back,

I am glad to be from a native village.

I am from Tuluksak.

ARTIC VALLEY.

ARTIC VALLEY. :)

A BIG BOWL OF PARADISE

THAT SMELLS LIKE FRESH DICED TOMATO,

THE VIEW IS PRICELESS

AND IT MAKES YOU BREATHLESS,

IT SMELLS LIKE FRESH FLOWERS

JUST LIKE ITS BEAUTIFUL POWERS,

I HEAR THE BUZZING OF FLIES

THAT MAKES ME THINK I'M HIGH,

IT TASTES LIKE FREEDOM

WHEN YOU ARE HIT WITH BOREDOM.

Arctic Valley Poem.

by: Say'aah Letuli

Covered with green and patches of snow.

Walking up the trail as I watched the trees blow.

High up in the sky where the birds fly,

and a beautiful scenery lies.

As I looked up from the floor, 

I watched Bald Eagles soar.

Standing and waiting for the breeze to come.

With my arms apart from my body, 

I'm breathing hard, while my heart beats like a drum.

I rested every chance I got.

The relief of success when I got to the top.

By the time I was done,

I can feel my body cry from what these people call "fun".

I AM FROM THE ROCKS>

WHERE IM FROM

~I AM FROM THE ROCKS

FROM CHORES AND LECTURES,

TO MEMORIES OF LOST ONES

AND NEW BORNS

~I AM FROM THE WAVES THAT BRINGS BACK

MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD DAYS,

TO THE KIDS AND ANIMALS

THAT RUNS FREELY 

~I AM FROM THE LAND OF FREEDOM

AND HOPE,

TO THE STREETS

WITH KIDS RUNNING FROM DOPE

~I AM FROM CHURCHES AND CHOIR

WITH SONGS AND LESSONS,

TO THE TEACHING OF A SAVIOR

GOD OUR GREATEST CREATOR

~MY NAME IS ANA MATOKA, AND I AM FROM THE ISLAND OF AMERICA SAMOA.

Day 6: Powerline Pass

On Monday we went hiking on Powerline Pass, near Flattop in Chugach State Park, just East of Anchorage. Flattop is the most climbed mountain in the state and to reach it you have to stop at the parking lot. From the parking lot to the summit you can see a great panoramic view of Anchorage. Once we walked through the trees on the main trail we saw tall, green mountains and without all the city sounds. It was awesome to really connect with nature in the best way possible. It was an awesome experience to walk through the mountains and see how the mountains can change over the years and see what was in the same place thousands of years before today. One day I will go back and climb the mountains and see how Anchorage has changed from today. I had fun the day we went hiking at Flattop.

The weather around Flattop was really nice. Everyone was ready for this nice peaceful hike. Luckily it was just a trail, nothing too steep, just nice and easy. The sun was out and shining on us for guidance so everyone could have fun. I mostly kept taking pictures of the absolutely beautiful view of all the mountains around us. It didn't feel like that long of a hike, but it went by really fast. When everyone finally reached the bridge, we stayed so other students could catch their breath and enjoy the nice breeze next to the little stream. Kids kept dropping leaves to see whose would make it the farthest before it would get caught under the water. After everyone had gotten enough of all the beauty and had gotten done eating their snacks, we started heading back before the bus would leave us. Of course it wouldn't have left us, it just made people move faster, I guess. The way back felt longer than getting to the bridge.

Day 5: Downtown Tour and Biking the Coastal Trail

Today was a nice, and a beautiful day. I got here late, like I always do, I went to the class and everyone was there. After class we had a lunch before we left. After that we started to get ready and loaded into the bus. Kids were talking so loud, chilling with each other and laughing. First we went to the Ghost Tour downtown. We got out of the bus and started to walk to where we should go. While we were walking, I was taking pictures, and when I looked at the other side across the road, I saw an old man wearing a black suit and black hat with some kind of microphone on his ear. He came and started to tell us about the Anchorage Hotel downtown.

While the old man was talking, I was taking pictures, but mostly I didn't hear other things that the old man was talking about. But when he started to talk about the ghost in the hotel, then I stopped taking pictures and focused on what he was telling about the kids that haunted the hotel, and the earthquake that happened there on 4th Avenue. The Ghost Tour was alright, kids were paying attention, I guess, but some kids were just looking around and some are chilling with others. After the Ghost Tour, then we started to walk to Elderberry Park. While we were headed there, we stopped at a hotel to use the restroom. We all went inside, it was nice and beautiful. After that we continued walk to the park again, which is my.....weakness.

After the Ghost Tour, we went to a random park down the street from where the bike place was. We ate lunch at the park, talked, and some people went to play on the playground, because who doesn't like to feel like a kid again? They called us up to get our magical bikes we would be riding on for 10 miles. Everyone was telling me to get the smallest bike there that was for a 3 year old -_- I'm GROWN. Brooke was pretty excited to go biking with her cute helmet on. Joseph didn't go on the bike ride because he was scared to fall. I thought it was pretty funny hahaha. We started biking, me and Chantz were separated from Kili n' Friends, so we tried to catch up. Let me just tell you now, it was a VERY bad day to wear white shorts... The mud puddles made me look like I pooped my pants, but I really didn't... I was pretty upset. A mosquito bit my leg too- it was not cool.

I think bugs just hate me. While everyone was biking we would make multiple stops to catch our breath and rest our legs. Before a big downhill, everyone stopped to wait for everyone else. That big hill was sketchy. I almost fell and people were behind me so I would've probably died... Or just simply broken my legs or arms, but that's not good neither. The last big uphill was SO tiring. Me and BooBoo (Kili), saw that big hill and we knew we weren't about to bike up it. So we got off and started walking with Chase and JayJay. I could feel the burn hardcore. After the hill we made it to Kincaid and waited for everyone to arrive. Eventually everyone did and got on the bus, and headed back. It was a beautiful adventure and a good work out!

Day 4: McHugh Creek and Potter Marsh

Today we'll hear from Marilyn and Jazmin. First we'll hear about Marilyn's day:

On Thursday we hiked from McHugh Creek to Potter Marsh, which was about 3 miles. In the beginning, after we came off the bus, it was pretty windy, cold and slightly cloudy. Everyone gathered by McHugh Creek, patiently waiting and chatting. I was excited to take photos and I wanted capture every moment of the hike. I chose this image because everyone in Write Alaska was gathered and there was a beautiful background. I love this photo!

I was pretty excited to hike, but not everyone was excited as much as I was. It was challenging and I do love walking, but not for such a far distance. I wanted be in front of the group and go at a fast pace and to keep up with students. After a while, I couldn't keep up because I have a bad ankle and a bad knee, so I stayed behind with the other group.

I was pretty much walking alone, but I enjoyed the view of nature and it cleared my mind. I tried catching up with the other group, but I decided to slow my pace and enjoy the hike. 

Trevor notified us that there was a bear and two cubs ahead of us, so we stopped at the overlook location. We did a writing assignment there. Some of the students saw belugas swimming in the inlet. When we continued hiking, we stayed in a big group and made lots of noise. We made it to Potter Marsh and the bus without ever seeing any bears.



Now let's check in with Jazmin:

I arrived late today, but that's a usual routine for me. I live too far to arrive on time, or at least that's my excuse;). This day was different though, the inside of my knee hurt and halfway through the morning, I was limping. I went to see the nurse because I thought he could take the pain away or fix it, do something, but nah' he didn't do anything, so I took measures into my own hands and asked Tavai for ice and her being the nice lady that she is she went to go get me some ice:). Once my bag of ice melted, Ben got me a shakable ice pack and he told me I wouldn't be joining the rest of the group to McHugh Creek, instead I would go to Potter Marsh.

I went with the disabled group. It was embarrassing, but I was kind of glad I didn't have to hike. I went with Ana and walked all around the boardwalk. She bullied me most of the time because of my crippled leg and I was making fun of Ana because of her crippled eye. When we got to the end of the boardwalk we saw a bunch of animals. We saw a moose, eagle, and a squirrel. We also saw the eagle's nest, but all I was hearing was Ben nagging at me to take pictures.

While we were heading to the parking lot, Ana and I started looking at the water and we saw something red moving in the water. Because Ana can't see, I told her there were fish in the water and we just stared at the water until everyone caught up to us. On the other side of the boardwalk there were baby salmon and ducklings with their mama duck. It was cute. Then we got on the bus and headed to the end of the trail to pick up all of the other kids. When we got on the bus I sat with Tala and it was an interesting ride. We have a love/hate relationship. In total, it was a good day. I liked spending it with Ana and bullying each other.

Day 3: Hiking to Gull Rock & Fishing in Hope

First we'll hear from Ana:
Today was a beautiful day with a the sun shining and a long bus ride to our destination. We were heading to Hope for some fishing and hiking. Since all I did was fish, well, I guess I will just write about my adventure with water and people around me. We started off with some sandwiches and something to drink, then we were directed to get our fishing gear. After we got our fishing gear we headed for the water and some adventure to catch some fish. Some caught rocks and some even caught branches. Well, I'm not even gonna lie, I was one of them who caught rocks and branches. One time I caught a rock and my line broke, and I also got my line stuck to a tree. Meanwhile, some people were having fun swimming in the water. Well, it was more like them trying not to get wet, but they ended up in the water anyway. There was a person who was trying to crawl her way out of the water, and then there was one who was stuck with water in his boots. But after all of that and all the wait, I finally caught a fish and that was a funny story. When I caught my fish I was so happy that I literately started jumping and forgot about the fish. And then after that we had to go back to where everyone was at. Then we grilled up some hotdogs and made some s'mores. To end this wild adventure we had a long bus ride back home in the rain.

Now let's hear from Chase:
It was the 3rd day of the week and my 2nd time going hiking. I chose hiking over fishing because I simply don't have the patience for waiting on something to bite. Anyway, the start of the hike was easy, walking up and down small hills and what not. We saw bears, bob-cats, and all kinds of wild things it was so amazing! Totally kidding, literally saw none of those animals, but we were looking at something interesting… Everyone was looking at the floor the majority of the time, just so none of us would fall on our faces.

During the first mile of the trail, random hearts, smiley faces and words of love were drawn with chalk on a bunch of rocks and tree stumps, it was magical. Throughout the whole time everyone was low-key sight seeing, we took multiple breaks (mostly to wait on people in the way back to catch up), but our snack time was very peaceful. Resting on this rocky hill that was mixed in with the trail reminded me of Fred Flintstone's construction sight (If you don't know who that is then well... Your loss). We finally stopped after an hour and a half of hiking to turn right back around, seriously thought we were nearing the end, but we were actually half way done. Walking back seemed way faster than walking in the forest for some reason, it also seemed more exciting since we were leaving. Pretty chill day indeed.

Day 2: Arctic Valley

Today is a new day.  I started with a small breakfast: two bagels and a chocolate milk.  It was alright. Next, we all started going to class in the elevator.  Everyone just seemed to feel drowsy, tired, and wanted to sleep some more.

After class was finished, we got ready and entered the bus.  The ride was mild and not too shabby. Everyone talked and got to know one another. So, we got to Arctic Valley and stepped off the bus and went on the hike.  I guess we had two groups, where I called the people in front the "try hards," and the other group was the rest of us. We were the people who really didn't want to be on this hike half way through it.  For myself, I felt like I was dying because I'm a lot bigger than last year and slower, so I was dragging so bad. Overall, when I finished, I felt relieved that I was able to complete this challenge without quitting.
I think at the start of the hike I thought it was going to be very easy, but I was wrong.  I'm looking forward to the rest of the hikes later on in the program.  This one time, Janely and I were running down the trail and I tripped and almost hit my face. Then I thought to myself to through my hands and hit the floor and it worked.  I felt like a cheetah running.  It was so cool.  The bus ride back was kind of the best part, but I just couldn't wait to get home and sleep.

On tuesday we went to Arctic Valley. We hiked up the mountain, it was really hot. While I was climbing the mountain, I was sweating a lot. All the way up there was a little trail that we followed. I smelled grass and I heard people talking and the wind blowing. I felt sweat rolling down my skin and I felt the cool breeze. I tasted crackers and cheese. I saw trees, rocks, dirt, and water. It was really boring hiking the mountain. I wanted to just turn around and run home. I think today will be really boring again like everyday is. After we hiked the mountain, I ran almost all the way down. When all the students got down we got on the bus and came back to Anchorage. After we came back I changed my shoes, used the bathroom, and got in my taxi and went home.