vegetable oil

Dwindling supplies of oil and instability in the Middle East have caused concerns over how we might transcend our fossil fuel dependency. Where will we find our next source of energy? Experts claim that we will either transition to hydrogen fuel cells, ethanol, or teleportation, but it seems that these "experts" might have overlooked the power of vegetable oil.

While at a stop light in Anchorage, I happened upon the bumper of the car presented to your left. In the event that you are unable to clearly see it, the bumber sticker states, "FUELED BY VEGETABLE OIL". "How great", I exclaimed. For the entire time we sat at the stop light I couldn't help but consider the possibilities while admiring the initiative. Now, as I came upon the vehicle while it was already in a stopped position, I do not know how it actually arrived in its current location. I assumed that it had been driven, but these assumptions were immediately checked when the light turned green, the engine failed to turn, and the vehicle remained still. "Not yet", I exclaimed while passing by, "not yet". But hopefully the day will soon come when we can refuel our vehicles and ourselves with the same cocktail.

Preserving the Culture

Here in Chefornak children are taught in their native language until they reach the third grade. At this point they transition to classes that are spoken entirely in English. The idea is to reenforce the native language and culture so that it does not erode more than it already has. However, the aforementioned plan is undoubtedly causing the Yup'ik children to fall years behind their peers in the lower 48. Thus, the promise of education is not being fulfilled and the traditional language, skills and culture are being lost.

If the village decides to abandon its Yup'ik language curriculum, the children will have a better chance at competing with the rest of the world. However, this option brings with it an even greater likelihood that their culture will be among the others that have been absorbed by the ever expanding and unforgiving monoculture.

Most of us never had to grapple with decisions such as these. Our ancestors made the decision to assimilate long ago. This culture is unique in that the transformation is being presented in such a way so as to provide the community with choice. The decisions they make today will undoubtedly determine whether the villagers of Chefornak will cling to their subsistence mode of living or join the rest of us in the mad dash for cash.

Turn and face the strange....

Ch-Ch-Changes!! David Bowie is indeed a wise man. Today is Ocotober 8th, 2006 and it marks the first day of snowfall here in Chefornak. This event has erased all bets that fall would somehow elude winter and head in to an abnormally early spring. However, it is known by the meteorologists and local experts alike that tomorrow or the day after will find the temperatures approximating the balmy 40 degree seasonal average. Today stands to serve as a reminder that the northerly winds have not forgotten us and has helped me to solidify my knowledge of which way North is.

For some time now I have found it difficult to orient myself. North is not easy to discern here as there are no north/south or east/west roads with which to deduce one's location. Nor does it help that the rising and setting of the sun appears to occur in the same location. Nevertheless, I became intimately aware of the direction we call North or "insta-freeze" as I now refer to it. I assure you it matters not who you are or how long your ancestors have been removed from the land. The instant one of these blasts of winds strikes your face you will know that it could have come from no other place than the polar ice cap.

However, as drastic as it may be,this is not the only change taking place. When I first arrived in Alaska, the sun did not set until after midnight and rose roughly 5 hours later. I sit here now, writing to you all at 8:50pm Alaska time and it is as dark as it will be tomorrow morning at 8:50am. The autumnal equinox has passed and now the effects of less than 12 hours of daylight are becoming more readily apparent. Knowing when to sleep and when to wake is a confusing enough task as it is without mother nature's added deceptive play.