Lifted by the song; darkness coming on - for awhile, anyway

Back in the days before I broke my airplane and I would be somewhere in rural Alaska where the people had been singing - be it traditional musice accompanied by skin drums, gospel, fiddle or whatever, when I would finally leave and fly away, I would still hear the music in my head.

It would seem to me that it was not the flow of air against my wings that lifted up my plane to hold me in the air, but rather the flow and spirit of the music.

This is John Tagarook, performing in the singspiration that took place last night in conjunction with the Healthy Communities Summit.

Even though I was on the ground last night and not in my airplane, I got that same feeling again, as the people played and sang. I got the feeling that I could again sit in the cockpit of my own airplane, Alaska beneath my wings, kept aloft by the spirit of the people among whom I have been so fortunate to roam.

That would include Stephanie Aishanna, who, as you can see, sings with strong feeling.

Readers of yesterday's post would surely have noticed that winter has set in for good up here in the Far North. Elsie Itta, who here sings next to her husband, North Slope Borough Mayor Edward Itta, spoke of how hard this time of year can be on the spirit, when we know that the light is going and soon it will dark and cold all though the day.

Last year, the time of darkness was expecially hard on Elsie, as her mother passed away on the very day that the sun briefly rose for the last time that season and then slipped below the horizon for the next 63 days straight.

It was hard, she said. That was a long 63 days. But the sun did come back. No matter how dark it gets, the sun always comes back, Elsie said.

Here, she and those who sing with her, including Ada Lincoln, the Reverend Mary Ann Warden and Mabel Smith, perfom "Precious Memories... how they linger..."

This is Tiffany Kayotuk of Kaktovik with baby Calleigh Gordon, who is visiting from Anaktuvuk Pass.

The man pictured on the wall is Tom Gordon, who I once went moose hunting with in Anaktuvuk Pass, where he had lived for awhile. From that day forward, whenever I would see Tom, he would greet me with genuine warmth and love. He even used the word, "love."

In time, he moved from Anaktuvuk Pass back here to Kaktovik, his native village. 

In the summer of 2008, he was out hunting with his son, Simon, when a powerful storm hit. They were on land - a spit, I believe, when Tom slipped and fell into the water wearing his heavy hunting gear. Simon grabbed him and tried to pull him in, but wound up going out with him instead.

Both men drowned.

This past summer, Kaktovik, still grieving for this man who made everybody here feel just as he made me feel, and his son, staged a huge memorial Gospel celebration, for which they painted and decorated the cummunity center.

Since that time, nobody has wanted to take down the decorations and they are still there.

If I had known about that celebration, I would surely have come, but I first learned about it yesterday, when I walked into the hall and saw how it had been painted and decorated.

Singing beneath the portrait is Tiffany and Courtney Kayotuk.

Yesterday, I briefly mentioned the young guys who have come to the village from Utah. This is one them, Zac, who caught me off guard as I was eating and he suddenly broke out in break dance.

And this is Flora Rexford, who Eskimo dances in pure beauty, with her nephew, Colin. There will be an Eskimo dance tomorrow. I will make a point to show you.

A scene from the Healthy Communities Summit, early yesterday. 

Kids at play.

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