Wandering about AFN, part 4:* Pilot, artists, activists, war hero and more

This is Hugh Patkotak, Iñupiat, North Slope Borough Search and Rescue pilot. I have been fortunate to tag along with him a few times. Once, we were out during an overcast day on a search for some ladies who got lost on the tundra. It was white above, white below, white straight ahead, white all around.

Hugh and his spotter found the women. They were out of gas and were cold and a bit shook up, but were fine. Back at the airport, when their families came to pick them up, there were hugs and tears.

The lady in front is Desa Jacobson, who has conducted long-term fasts in which she has limited herself to coffee and water. She has fasted for subsistence rights and in an effort to try to bring justice to a man who, in the days that she lay dead and undiscovered, had brought friends by to view the body of a Native woman whom he boasted that he had raped and killed.

He was acquitted. This past year, he was charged with the murder of a female neighbor.

Here, Jacobson holds the petition for which she is gathering signatures in a bid to become Alaska's next governor. She was very pleased with the success of her efforts so far - especially that Ethan Berkowitz, who she expects to run against, had signed her petition.

"I"m going to win, too!" she assured me.

The boy walking past in the background is Josiah Patkotak, Iñupiat of Barrow, who I had earlier interviewed for the project that I am working on. He has jumped into politics, too, and was voted in to be the Arctic Slope youth representative to the First Alaskans Elders and Youth Conference, held on Monday and Tuesday of last week.

My friend, Rose Albert, the first Native woman to run the Iditarod and, as I have stated before, in my opinion, Alaska's best Iditarod artist. 

Jim Barker, one of Alaska's truly great photographers. His book, Always Getting Ready, is the classic work on the life of the Yup'ik of Southwest Alaska. He was the official AFN photographer.

Mark Hoover of the Native Village of Eyak, who has one of the largest collections of blues, rock and roll, folk and other kinds of music that I have ever seen.

He likes to hang out with eagles and ravens. He has rescued a number of injured ravens, restored them to health and then turned them free again.

One time I was riding in his truck with him and a one-eyed raven that he had rescued and was nursing back to health when the raven flapped around a bit and then landed on my head. 

And who is this? Why, it's my own beloved daughter-in-law, Lavina, Navajo, with her friend, Steffers, Iñupiat. Lavina bought the little mukluks for our second grandchild, who still floats in her/his mother's womb. 

Jody Potts, Athabascan, and her son, whose name I forget. Sorry. I first met Jody in 1998 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where she was competing for the title of Miss National Congress of American Indians. She won. Now she lives in the ruggedly beautiful Copper River Valley Community of Kenny Lake.

John Waghiyi had come from Savoonga on St. Lawrence Island to sell ivory and other art work produced both by himself and many other artists in his village. He told me about a great celebration that his village recently hosted with their relatives and friends who came over from Russia.

The gentleman on the left is Walter Sampson, Iñupiat of NANA. The man with him is John Walsh, who grew up in Nome, but now lives in Juneau and is a lobbiest for many rural organizations. 

As for Walter, I once walked the length of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC, with him and he did shed a few quiet tears.

During his own days as a soldier in Vietnam, Sampson saw his best friend get killed. He once set out to climb a hill with 105 men when they got caught in a u-shaped ambush. At the end of the battle, only 24 still stood - the rest having been killed or injured. 

Once, Sampson was sent to help rescue soldiers whose helicopter had been shot down, but he and his men got pinned down in the fire of two machine guns. Sampson worked his way through the fire and took out the machine guns with a grenade.

In another event, Sampson was carrying a radio when his platoon fell into an ambush. Two men manning the platoon machine gun were quickly killed. “So I handed my radio over to my platoon leader and took the machine gun position and stayed on the machine gun all night.  And life was tough, but I managed to get through.”

Sampson was awarded two bronze stars.

After the war, he turned to alcohol and fell into a miserable way of life, but, with the help of his wife and his God, turned it all around.

I once followed George Woods on a caribou hunting trip outside of Nuiqsut - he driving a snowmachine, me riding in the sled behind. On that same trip, I photographed his wedding. Unfortunately, the marriage didn't last. His wife later relocated to Anchorage, along with his children.

George wanted to be with them, so he recently moved to Anchorage. He doesn't really care for city life, but it is worth it, to be with his children.

I found him and his son, Jonathan (right) and his nephew, Daniel, as they were coming out of Penney's Mall and I going in.

Jonathan recently enlisted in the Army and will soon be inducted.

Rex and Meda Snyder. Meda is the daughter of former North Slope Borough Mayor George Ahmaogak and his wife, Maggie. George was also the first whaling captain to let me follow him out onto the ice and it is he who is on the cover of my book, Gift of the Whale.

Meda was still a girl then, but she quickly grew into an exceptionally beautiful young woman. I wondered who would be the lucky young man to wed her and it was Rex. Again - I stress - I AM NOT A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER - but I did photograph their wedding. They have two children, a boy and a girl.

This is the Barrow Dancers, led by Joe Sage. They are doing a whaling dance. The men behind Joe have been paddling the umiak to a whale. Joe now throws the harpoon. 

The whale is killed. They say a prayer.

One of their dances was dedicated to all the women who sewed the skins that cover the umiak skin boats used for the spring hunt. All women who had done so were invited to come up and dance.

*While I gave the post just before this the number 1, I should have numbered it three, as the two previous dance-related posts are actually a part of this series. I will put up at least one more, possibly two.

Comments

[Sylvia]

I have admired Jim Barker's photos and books for years. I had no idea what he looked like. I should have inquired, but gee, so much going on, so many friends, so little time! Thanks for another fine post.

[Glo Chythlook]

Nice! I've never read your website before, but I've checked it several times in the last few days. What a great AFN series.

[Haven Harris]

The man with Walter Sampson is John Walsh. He grew up in Nome, now lives in Juneau and is a lobbiest for many rural organizations.

[Wasilla, Alaska, by 300]

thanks, everybody and Haven, I will put the info into the post for the benefit of anyone who may find this in the future.