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.