Yu'pik Days

This week has gone by pretty fast. I can't believe that I have only two weeks left!

This week was the first week back from spring break. The days are getting longer, it's light out about 930am, and it stays that way until about 10pm.

I started my reading intervention groups to get the kids working on extra skills and knowledge for the big state standardized test that takes place starting on April 1st. I work with two different groups ranging from 3rd grade to 6th grade. They are a bunch of great kids with their own personalities and it's been great to get to know them and learn from them. I know the 3rd graders from being their substitute, but I haven't had much interaction with the older kids.

On Thursday was the start of Yu'pik days. Yu'pik days has been a tradition for 38 years for the village to celebrate the St. Lawrence Island Yu'pik Culture. It started on Thursday when they had a reindeer stew feast for the entire village and they had mantauk.

Whale blubber and skin, the Yu'piks love it! 

Reindeer stew! Smelled very good!

Atuq is traditional Yu'pik drumming and dancing

On Thursday evening I helped dish up the reindeer stew, and I tried a piece of whale. I did not like it. But I tried it, and it is something that I will not try again. They say it's better fresh, but I will leave the whale to those that will enjoy it.

Friday morning I went to school early to help cook breakfast for the Elders. I cooked the bacon and scrambled eggs for the Elders before I went to the elementary class. It was fun to work with the other staff who was there to help out.

In the morning they had an assembly, mostly in Yu'pik, introducing the elders, introducing the kids who came over for Savoonga because they also had a basketball tournament for the Little Dribblers and the Middle School teams. They also had dancing. The elementary classes went back to their classes and to have lunch, while the MS and HS went to one of three classes and listened to elders tell stories.

I went and listened to two elders. I loved listening to them talk about the past. One elder talked about the traditional Yu'pik values and how the students and young people of today need to respect their elders, teachers, and parents as well as the community. She was a great speaker and talked about her job translating the Bible into Yu'pik.

One of the student's traditional boots

In the afternoon they had a fashion show for traditional Yu'pik dress, and some of the students went all out in their outfits. Some of them were amazing. One of the students made a traditional rain coat out of intestines and fur with her grandmother.

Then there were the Native Youth Olympic games. The kids had a lot of fun doing them, and it kept them busy for most of the afternoon. A few days before, the principal and the school bought a walrus skin for a blanket toss. This skin is from just ONE walrus. They split the skin down the middle to make it this large.

Walrus skin for the blanket toss! This is one walrus!

Video of the blanket toss!  There is video of the blanket toss that they did. The kids had a great time, and some of them got pretty high up. They even let grown ups go and do the blanket toss. I didn't do it because they stopped after the guys started getting blisters on their hands.

Friday night and most of Saturday were basketball games. All day long. Then on Saturday there was Yu'pik drumming and dancing. It was fun to watch and see the culture. I got to ask a few of the women who work at the school about the dances and learn more about the culture. I also helped out with the raffle for the door prizes.

As I was leaving on Saturday night, the covered ramp from the gym to the outside had melted and frozen over. I slipped and fell. Hitting my elbow pretty hard and jarring my neck and back. I had a headache most of Sunday.

It was a pretty fun weekend learning more about the culture in the village.