RVN - Alaskan Spirit | Issue 12 | Digital Edition

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THE MAGAZINE OF RAVNAIR GROUP AND RURAL ALASKA

MARCH / APRIL 2020

MARCH MADNESS ALASKA

Power of Alaska Basketball

RENAISSANCE Alaska Art In This Century

SHEEFISH Tarpon of The North

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On The Cover Our love of basketball is universal in rural Alaska— our teams, our community, our legacy. This month we feature the two weeks of March Madness Alaska, the state basketball tournaments in Anchorage. On our cover 3L^HUUL )YV^LY VM )HYYV^ drives against Katrina Kanrilak of Tununak and the Galena 3HK` /H^RZ K\YPUN [OL tournament. More starting on WHNL 7OV[V JV\Y[LZ` (SHZRH School Activities Association.

Welcome to RavnAir Group Welcome aboard! We appreciate your business HUK ^HU[ [V THRL `V\Y ÅPNO[ and time with us enjoyable, comfortable and safe. In Alaskan Spirit, we celebrate our people who live, work and play here—who contribute to the rich fabric of Alaska

through their many talents— [OL ÄZOLYTLU HUK I\PSKLYZ hunters and artists, educators and Olympic athletes. Our stories are about our people and communities— these places that we love and connect and bring to life in the pages of this magazine.

At RavnAir Group, we enjoy (SHZRH HUK HSS P[ OHZ [V VɈLY We enjoy the people—our friends and neighbors—who call this place home. And we want you to enjoy Alaska and its people as well. Thank you for traveling with us today at RavnAir Group.

Contents

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14 Passion for the game With the ASAA State Basketball Tournaments descending on Anchorage, March Madness Alaska is in full swing. Read about why the sport is so beloved in our state and how you can watch the best talent compete for a coveted championship.

Native artistic renaissance From salmon skin tuxedos to choreographed rap blending traditional chants, Alaska Native artists are producing groundbreaking works as part of a cultural renaissance in art. See how these innovative talents are bringing Native heritage to the masses both in Alaska and around the globe. By Eric Lucas

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Small but mighty The Izembek National Wildlife Refuge near Cold Bay is the smallest national wildlife refuge in Alaska but features no shortage of activities. Read more about the refuge and its vital importance to migratory birds. By Clark Fair

32 A real hero 24 Tarpon of the Tundra 18 A natural artist Gertrude Svarny, of Unalaska, likes that she can express an idea into something ZOL Ă„UKZ VU [OL ILHJO 9LHK TVYL about the Unangan crafter, who was honored by the Rasmuson Foundation with a Distinguished Artist Award. By Dawnell Smith

;OL ZOLLĂ„ZO PZ H THNUPĂ„JLU[ HYJ[PJ ZWLJPTLU WYV]PKPUN L_JLW[PVUHS Ă„ZOPUN HJ[PVU HUK [HZ[` Ă„SSL[Z 3LHYU TVYL HIV\[ PJL Ă„ZOPUN MVY [OL ZWLJPLZ ^OPJO can push 60 pounds in the Kotzebue Sound region. By Paul Atkins

Nanook “Nookie� Swift is a husky who was rescued as a puppy and has returned the favor by rescuing multiple hikers in the Alaska mountains.

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Alaskan Spirit is published by Fireweed Strategies LLC. Publisher and Advertising: 3LL 3LZJOWLY -PYL^LLK :[YH[LNPLZ 33* 7V[[LY *YLZ[ *PYJSL (UJOVYHNL (2 3LL 3LZJOWLY'-PYL^LLK:[YH[LNPLZ JVT Editorial: >PSS 3LZJOWLY Design and Production: Southfork Graphic Services Contributors: 7H\S ([RPUZ 7H\SH )YHKPZVU Clark Fair Susie Jenkins-Brito ,YPJ 3\JHZ Dawnell Smith 3HPUL >LSJO RavnAir Group Corporate Headquarters: RavnAir Alaska 6SK 0U[LYUH[PVUHS (PYWVY[ 9VHK (UJOVYHNL (2 7OVUL! -H_! Statewide Reservations: /V\YZ! +HPS` ! HT [V ! WT 7OVUL! PU Z[H[L -H_! Group Travel Desk: Flyravn.com/group-travel 4VUKH` -YPKH` H T W T 7OVUL! -H_! ,THPS! NYV\W [YH]LS'Ã… `YH]U JVT

RavnAir Group

Our RavnAir vision Connecting our passengers with friends, MHTPS` HUK HSS [OH[ (SHZRH OHZ [V VɈ LY RavnAir Group is the state’s largest YLNPVUHS HPYSPUL ^P[O TVYL [OHU Ã… PNO[Z H KH` ZLY]PUN JP[PLZ HUK ]PSSHNLZ HJYVZZ [OL [O Z[H[L RavnAir is Alaska’s homegrown airline providing safe, reliable and friendly service delivered by our Alaskan LTWSV`LLZ·HSS VM \Z We travel to the farthest reaches of the largest state in the union—from Kodiak to Kaktovik, and St. Mary’s to Savoonga— transporting more than 800,000 passengers annually. Committed to exceptional service, we are also dedicated to supporting the JVTT\UP[PLZ ^L ZLY]L 7HY[ VM 9H]U(PY»Z corporate focus is to give back through the sponsorship of hundreds of local

JOHYP[PLZ HUK UVUWYVÄ [ VYNHUPaH[PVUZ supporting groups that contribute to the betterment and advancement of Alaska’s people and communities. We recognize that it is an honor to connect people, cultures, vital cargo and even the daily mail as we strive to bring the very best in essential services to and from our state’s major hubs, while providing connectivity to the most remote locations. As you travel throughout this great state, RavnAir pledges to deliver the same warmth and comfort in the air that you’ll Ä UK MYVT (SHZRHUZ ^OLYL]LY `V\ SHUK Whether we’re transporting a group of climbers to Denali, a family back to their village, or a sports team to their next big game, we are here to provide a safe and friendly experience during your travels. We appreciate your patronage.

Charters: /V\YZ! 4VUKH` -YPKH` H T W T 7OVUL! ,THPS! JOHY[LYZ'Å `YH]U JVT FlyAway Rewards Program: Flyravn.com/rewards 7OVUL! PU (UJOVYHNL *VUZ\TLY (Ɉ HPYZ! Flyravn.com/askravn ,THPS! JVUZ\TLY'Å `YH]U JVT RavnAir Alaska Air Cargo: 6SK 0U[LYUH[PVUHS (PYWVY[ 9VHK Anchorage FlyRavn.com/cargo 7OVUL! (UJOVYHNL *LU[YHS 6ɉ JL Corporate Sales: 7OVUL! -H_! ,THPS! JVYWVYH[L ZHSLZ'Å `YH]U JVT

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Photo courtesy Alaska School Activities Association

From the CEO

Alaska basketball unites and inspires us /PNO ZJOVVS OVVWZ No other sport L_JLW[ WLYOHWZ [OL 0KP[HYVK JHU IYPUN together rural and urban communities like girls and boys high school basketball. While urban communities including Anchorage, Kenai, Soldotna, Fairbanks and Kodiak have football teams, basketball is quite simply the top dog in rural Alaska. CEOs of Alaska’s successful Native regional corporations serve as head JVHJOLZ PU ZTHSS JVTT\UP[PLZ VM people. The entire community supports the teams through local fundraisers. In “Bush� Alaska, compared to communities connected by the road

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system, traveling to a game isn’t as simple as loading your team into a bus and heading to your destination. Inevitably, travel in rural Alaska involves connecting communities by air travel. (SHZRH OHZ H ]HYPL[` VM JSHZZPÄJH[PVUZ MVY schools ranging from the largest urban school to the smallest high school in the state. This ensures that the conferences are weighted more equally in terms of school size and population. Basketball games and tournaments in smaller Alaska communities is our gathering place, a place where we network, see local leaders and families, and enjoy the community spirit that good competition provides. Many Alaska leaders had their beginnings VU [OL IHZRL[IHSS JV\Y[Z VM [OL [O state. Former state Sen. Steve Frank of Fairbanks, won a high school state

JOHTWPVUZOPW H[ 3H[OYVW /PNO :JOVVS PU HUK ^LU[ VU [V WSH` H[ [OL <UP]LYZP[` of Alaska Fairbanks where he was YLJVNUPaLK HZ VUL VM [OL [VW WSH`LYZ PU [OL ZJOVVSÂťZ OPZ[VY` /PZ YLJVYK HZ VUL VM the all-time rebounding leaders at UAF still stands. A topnotch player from Northwest Alaska, )\[JO 3PUJVSU SLK OPZ OPNO ZJOVVS [LHT from Kotzebue to a state championship PU [OL ( KP]PZPVU HUK ^HZ [^PJL UHTLK [V [OL (SS :[H[L ;LHT /L ILJHTL [OL Ă„YZ[ (SHZRH 5H[P]L WSH`LY [V YLJLP]L H M\SS scholarship to the University of Alaska Anchorage, playing all four years. ;OL WOLUVTLUH ^HZ K\IILK “Mr. Role Modelâ€? by teammates and JVHJOLZ 3PUJVSU ^VYRLK [V OH]L ZVTL home games played in rural Alaska. When UAA played in his community of 2V[aLI\L [OL N`T ^HZ WHJRLK ^P[O fans, there to enjoy college hoops and

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ZHS\[L 3PUJVSU HZ OPZ OPNO ZJOVVS QLYZL` U\TILY ^HZ YL[PYLK /L UV^ ZLY]LZ HZ ,_LJ\[P]L =PJL 7YLZPKLU[ HUK *OPLM 6WLYH[PUN 6ɉ JLY MVY [OL (YJ[PJ :SVWL Regional Corporation, Alaska’s only -VY[\UL JVTWHU` The state has also produced some standout players who have made a mark at the national level. Names like Mario Chalmers, who played in Anchorage and then the University of Kansas before moving to the NBA. Chalmers set scoring records wherever he played and played in JHYLLY WSH`VɈ NHTLZ TVYL [OHU HU` other Alaskan. And Chalmers competition ^HZ Ä LYJL 6[OLY Z[HUKV\[Z PUJS\KL ;YHQHU 3HUNKVU ^OV WSH`LK H[ +\RL [OLU with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Carlos Boozer, a Juneau player who helped Duke win a national championship his freshman year, then played for a number of NBA teams including stints with the Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls.

The WNBA has been home to Jessica Moore, a player who lit up the boards in 7HSTLY WSH`PUN MVY *VSVU` /PNO :JOVVS :OL HUK OLY [LHT YLHJOLK [OL Z[H[L Ä UHSZ four times, winning twice. She was also voted Alaska’s Athlete of the Year her junior and senior years of high school. A multi-talented volleyball player as well, Moore chose to continue with basketball after high school, and selected the University of Connecticut. The team won three national championships with Moore

Many Alaska leaders had their beginnings on the basketball courts of the 49th state.

as a leader, and her senior year in the JOHTWPVUZOPW NHTL ZOL ZJVYLK WVPU[Z KLZWP[L WSH`PUN ^P[O H [VYU (*3 [OH[ ^V\SK later require surgery. And now the next generation is beginning to make its mark. One of Alaska’s UVY[OLYUTVZ[ Z[HUKV\[Z 2HTHRH /LWH from Utqiagvik is playing at the University of Texas, after a high school career that included two state championships, and ILPUN UHTLK [OL .H[VYHKL (SHZRH 7SH`LY VM [OL @LHY PU HUK Alaska loves the hardwood court and the players who represent the heart of a community. RavnAir enjoys being a part of the connection between communities as we help bring players to and from games and tournaments, and back home again. We are excited to continue watching Alaska players take the game to the next level here at home, as well as on the national stage.

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March, April and May

What’s Happening in RavnAir Country

World Ice Art Championships Ongoing through March Fairbanks

The frosty spectacle – with origins dating back to the 1930s – includes more than 100 ice artists, representing nearly a dozen countries and, many states of the United States. In past years, artists from 45 countries have competed in the World Ice Art Championships. The result will be more than 100 competition sculptures and exhibition pieces, and the everexpanding playful ice attractions in the Kids Park.

Ski Train 2020

Festival of Native Arts

ComFish Alaska

March 14 Anchorage

March 19-21 University of Alaska Fairbanks

March 26-28 Kodiak

Enjoy Alaska’s beauty on the Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage’s Ski Train. Ride the rails with a train full of fellow skiers for a full day of awesome fun with friends old and new in Alaska’s remote backcountry. The four-hour ride is a great time to relax and enjoy the scenery, share games and picnic with friends and family. www.anchoragenordicski.com

www.icealaska.org

The festival provides cultural education and sharing through traditional Native dance, music and arts. The theme this year is “Resilient We Stand.” The Festival continues the University of Alaska Fairbanks student-led tradition that began in 1973 of bringing together artists, performers, and performance groups in a celebration of Native cultures. People of all cultures are welcome, regardless of whether they’re Native or non-Native, as all cultures have something valuable to learn from each other.

This long-running trade show brings together gear vendors, government agencies, and nonprofits working in every aspect of commercial fishing. This year’s theme is “Sea What Matters in 2020.” Forums on relevant topics also are organized every year for the purpose of sharing ideas and fishing information with the public. www.kodiakchamber.org/ comfish

fna.community.uaf.edu

ASAA State Basketball Tournaments (1A) March 18-21 (2A) March 19-21 (3A/4A) March 26-28 Alaska Airlines Center, Anchorage

Iditarod March 7-8 Anchorage and Willow

The Last Great Race kicks off March 7 with its ceremonial beginning in Anchorage, followed by the official restart March 8 in Willow, depending on weather and snow conditions. Peter Kaiser, of Bethel, will look to retain his crown in this year’s race, with a winner expected to finish the 1,000-mile trek to Nome in roughly nine days.. www.iditarod.com

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Alaska’s best boys and girls high school basketball teams gather on the hardwood to crown multiple new champions during March Madness Alaska. See more about the event in this issue and what basketball means to the entire state of Alaska. Visit the ASAA website for tournament information, participating teams and brackets, as well as more information about planning a trip to catch all the exciting action. www.ASAA.org

Alaska Miners Association Spring Biennial Conference Cama-i Dance Festival March 20-22 Bethel

Held each Spring, the Cama-i Dance Festival is a three-day event celebrating dance, culture and community. Since 1989, the festival has brought thousands of people together to share their traditions, stories, and of course, their dance. This year’s theme is Yurarturciqukut (Resilence Through Dance). camai.org

March 30-April 4 Fairbanks

The conference centers around technical sessions, field trips to local mines, educational programs and a trade show. Conference week includes many networking events including with representatives from operating mines and potential mining development projects in Alaska, and educational short courses. The theme for the conference is Next Generation: Our Future. www.alaskaminers.org

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aviation, experimental, commercial, corporate, military and even drones. A special kids’ section and interactive displays will guarantee even the youngest members of the family will enjoy this aircraft extravaganza.

North x North Summit & Festival April 13-19 Anchorage Museum

Great Alaska Sportsman Show April 3-5 Sullivan Arena and Ben Boeke Arena, Anchorage

More than 400 vendors share everything there is to do outdoors this summer in Alaska - from fishing and hunting to camping, boating, flight seeing, hiking and more. This is Alaska’s largest trade show, filling the Sullivan and Boeke Arenas. You’ll find something for everyone. Hourly seminars on where to find fish and how to catch them to float hunting or skinning a brown bear. Let the kids fish in the Kid’s Trout Pond or play the Bear Aware Scavenger Hunt.

The North x North Summit & Festival celebrates connection and culture across the North. The third-annual event features five days of conversations, workshops, exhibitions, performances, presentations, music, dance, installations, food, film and experiences highlighting Northern people, landscapes and cultures. Participants build relationships and knowledge. www.anchoragemuseum.org

NYO Senior Games

www.greatalaskaaviationgathering.org

April 23-25 Alaska Airlines Center, Anchorage

Hundreds of athletes from across Alaska will compete in the annual NYO Games, which celebrates Alaska’s rich diversity and is open to students of all backgrounds. The Senior Games are open to all Alaska students in grades 7–12. Participation is limited to one boy and one girl athlete per event, per team. Athletic events include the Kneel Jump, Wrist Carry, Eskimo Stick Pull, Scissor Broad Jump, One-Hand Reach, Two-Foot High Kick, Indian Stick Pull, One-Foot High Kick, Alaskan High Kick and Seal Hop. Activities include musical and dance performances, the Pilot Bread Recipe Contest and the Opportunities Expo featuring businesses to help prepare young athletes for future success. citci.org/partnerships-events/ nyo-games

Valdez Fly-In and Air Show May 8-10 Pioneer Field, Valdez

The largest gathering, competition and show of iconic Alaska aircraft, the Fly-In allows the best of Alaska’s bush pilots to show off their flying skills. This includes the STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) competition and beach landings. The event also features multiple days of air shows and airplane rides, with vendors providing a variety of food and shopping options. ValdezFlyIn.com

greatalaskasportsmanshow.com

Alyeska Spring Carnival and Slush Cup

Like what you see here? Want to have your event included in future issues of Alaskan Spirit? Email information and photos to admin@ fireweedstrategies.com, subject line: “Around RavnAir Country,” at least 60 days before your event.

April 17-19 Alyeska Resort, Girdwood

With one of the longest ski seasons in North America, Alyeska Resort embraces spring in typical Alaskan fashion. Spring Carnival takes advantage of the long days with extended hours of lift operations, great spring-skiing conditions, and Alyeska’s largest and most popular winter event, Slush Cup, where competitors dressed in zany costumes attempt to skim across a 90-foot long pool of freezing water. Other activities include the moutain bike race, Idiot Swim, Dummy Downhill, XTRATUF Pull Tug-of-War, live music, and more!

Great Alaska Aviation Gathering May 2-3 FedEx Hangar, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport

Now in its 23rd year, the event is the largest free-entry aviation trade show in America with nearly 25,000 attendees annually. Hundreds of exhibitors will showcase state-ofthe-art aviation technology, products, safety, innovations and more. The show will feature more than 70 indoor and outdoor static displays of a wide range of aircraft, including sport, general

Kodiak Crab Festival May 23

The festival, which has been a Memorial Day weekend staple for more than 50 years, is a time to celebrate abundant natural resources from the sea. its abundant resources from the sea and the summer season. The five-day event includes a variety of activities for the whole family, including a parade, an arts and craft market and live music. www.kodiakchamber.org

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March 2020

Editor’s picks With March here, there are nothing I\[ NYLH[ KH`Z ILMVYL \Z 3VUNLY KH`Z warmer temperatures, more light! And the promise of another glorious spring and summer in Alaska.

PACK LEADER OR RED LANTERN.

But in the meantime, there’s lots to JLSLIYH[L /LYL»Z ^OH[ ^L ^PSS IL KVPUN this month.

Our Customers Are Always Number One.

Fur Rondy

Northrim Bank roots for all Alaskans’ success. We commend the participants of this year’s Iditarod, and look forward to seeing you at the finish line.

Anchorage’s annual winter celebration harkens back to the rendezvous that brought trappers and traders each year [V Z^HW M\YZ HUK Z[VYPLZ HUK ISV^ VɈ H little steam. Today this week of fun and frolic has something for every Alaskan. What’s not to love? With ice sculpture and dog mushing, fur traders and running with reindeer, and the start of this year’s Iditarod. And unique food everywhere! The 2020 edition runs through March 8. Furrondy.net. $

March Madness )HZRL[IHSS PZ [OL 5V ZWVY[ PU Y\YHS Alaska. It’s not just sport, but tradition, OPZ[VY` HUK ÄLYJL SVJHS WYPKL ;OPZ TVU[O dozens of teams, hundreds of boys and girls, and thousands of their fans and MHTPS` ^PSS ÅVJR [V (UJOVYHNL HUK [OL University of Alaska for two weeks of tournament action culminating with state championships. It’s some of the best basketball in America! Follow the action at ASAA.org if you can’t attend. Cama-i The Cama-i Dance Festival is one of the largest Native dance and history events in the country, this year March 20-22. Dance groups from Alaska and beyond will showcase their art and traditions, while celebrating this year’s theme Resilience Through Dance. camai.org.

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Bethel Station

RavnAir’s gateway to western Alaska RavnAir Group’s Alaska-wide network of Å PNO[Z ZLY]LZ TVYL [OHU JVTT\UP[PLZ [OYV\NO O\I HPYWVY[Z LHJO VM [OLT serving a number of villages.

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The busiest of these is Bethel in western Alaska.

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“What I like about working with RavnAir is getting to meet new people every day from many of the villages. I also enjoy getting [V ^VYR ^P[O KPɈ LYLU[ WLVWSL :VTL VM V\Y employees in Bethel are born and raised here, others come out here following their parent or spouse who get a job in Bethel. We are a station that keeps pushing to get better daily and I enjoy the fast-paced environment,� said Victor Mercado.

delivering hundreds of thousands of families to and from the rest of the state and world.

in and out of Bethel, including Dash-8 HUK :HHI [\YIVWYVWZ *HYH]HUZ HUK Z Mercado is station manager for Bethel Station and oversees the vast team that connects more than two dozen villages MYVT )L[OLS ^P[O 9H]U(PY Ă… PNO[Z -VY TVZ[ [OLZL Ă… PNO[Z HYL SP[LYHSS` [OL only connection to the rest of Alaska and the world.

0[ÂťZ H I\Z` HPYWVY[ (IV\[ 9H]U(PY Ă… PNO[Z WLY KH` HYYP]L HUK KLWHY[ MYVT Bethel. “And more if we have good weather!â€? Victor laughed. Challenging weather makes keeping \W [OH[ OLH]` [YHɉ J SVHK HUK WHJL HU ongoing challenge. “The dynamics of our weather is always challenging,â€? Victor said. “There’s just a lot VM ^LH[OLY HUK H SV[ VM Ă… PNO[ KLTHUKZ (UK that’s just our passenger and cargo service, UV[ PUJS\KPUN [OL THU` JOHY[LYZ ^L Ă… ` š Cargo and bypass mail are just as big a part VM [OL 9H]U(PY [YHɉ J PU HUK V\[ VM )L[OLS Photos by Lee Leschper

9H]U(PYÂťZ )L[OLS :[H[PVU PZ H RL` SPUR [V TVYL [OHU ^LZ[LYU (SHZRH ]PSSHNLZ ^P[O TVYL [OHU Ă… PNO[Z HUK WV\UKZ VM I`WHZZ THPS HUK JHYNV H KH` 4HU` VM [OL 9H]U(PY WPSV[Z ^LYL IVYU HUK YHPZLK PU [OL ]PSSHNLZ [OL` UV^ Ă… ` [V L]LY` KH` ,]LY` HPYJYHM[ PU [OL 9H]U(PY HUK 7LU(PY Ă… LL[ Ă… PLZ PU HUK V\[ VM )L[OLS

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Bypass mail is a term that really belies the variety and volume of goods that RavnAir Ă… PNO[Z HUK WPSV[Z KLSP]LY [V [OVZL ]PSSHNLZ from Bethel. “All the villages depend on our mail service,â€? Victor said. “But it’s everything—groceries, supplies, everything that they depend on. We carry as much or more mail than people.â€? That mail is a big part of the Bethel station. ¸6\Y MHJPSP[` PZ HISL [V OVSK WV\UKZ [V WV\UKZ VM THPS >LÂť]L had new racks installed to hold more mail. It’s coming and going all the time and we want to get as much out as we can. “Our goal is to get out 20,000 pounds of THPS H KH` >L JHU W\ZO P[ V\[ [V on a good day.â€? Victor brings a lifetime of aviation experience to his role in Bethel. “I oversee all employees and village agents. “I have been in the aviation industry ZPUJL 0 ^HZ 0 ZWLU[ `LHYZ ^P[O /VYPaVU PU ZL]LYHS YVSLZ TVZ[ YLJLU[S` Station Manager in Bozeman, Mont. My two-year anniversary with the company is March 22. “My most recent job before RavnAir was Southwest Airlines in Seattle which I spent a year as a ramp supervisor before leaving to come to Ravn. I grew up in Vashon, Wash. My wife is a teacher here and relocated to Bethel with me.â€? Teamwork, as everywhere in RavnAir’s network, is everything.

ramp, learning everything, start on the ground, then move to pilot positions.â€? At any one time there are a shift of about 9H]U(PY WPSV[Z Ă… `PUN MYVT )L[OLS There are two shifts, each working two weeks on and two weeks on, living in RavnAir housing when they’re not in the air, not unlike oil industry workers on the North Slope. “We employ a lot of people here. Bethel is a regional hub and we have a lot of people coming out from the village for everything from going to see the doctor to teachers headed out to teach in the villages to students coming to attend the vocational school here.â€? The total RavnAir team in Bethel including WPSV[Z TLJOHUPJZ HNLU[Z HUK YHTW Z[HɈ [V[HSZ WLVWSL “I’d say 80% of them are from here,â€? Victor said. “A lot of the pilots and TLJOHUPJZ HYL MYVT [OL 3V^LY 6\Y mechanics are based here, similar to our WPSV[Z ^VYR [^V VU HUK [^V VɈ Z :VTL HYL MYVT [OL 3V^LY HUK Ă… ` PU HUK many live here.â€? Surprisingly, the long summer days of endless sunlight create their own challenges. “The challenges in summer are just keeping enough aircraft to meet our operational needs. We have a lot of need from our charter customers, especially Ă„ ZO JHTWZ OH\SPUN MYLPNO[ [V HUK MYVT Ă„ ZO JHTWZ /H\SPUN Ă„ ZO NLHY MVVK L]LY`[OPUN they need. These are customers that need and expect their freight every week.

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“Our challenge is this is also when we have the most tourist travelers.â€? Tourist into Bethel translates into sport Ă„ ZOLYTLU OLHKLK MVY WYLTP\T Ă„ ZOPUN camps throughout the region. The relationship between Bethel Station, the RavnAir employees and the villages and people they serve is something ZWLJPHS MHY IL`VUK ^OH[ `V\ÂťK Ă„ UK PU almost any airport anywhere else in the world. “It’s a special relationship,â€? Victor said. “For a lot of our people, there’s a lot of family we service. Almost every employee is related to somebody in a village we serve. The people coming in VU V\Y Ă… PNO[Z `V\ RUV^ ^OV [OL` HYL There are just a lot of relationships with our employees. “And we treat them all like family, ILJH\ZL [OH[ÂťZ KLĂ„ UP[LS` ^OV [OL` HYL

“We have a great team of both local and young pilots,â€? Victor said. “A number of our local home-grown pilots are guys [OH[ OH]L ILLU Ă… `PUN MVY \Z OLYL `LHYZ VY TVYL ( 3V[ VM [OVZL N\`Z NV [V Ă… PNO[ ZJOVVS HUK [OLU JVTL OVTL [V Ă… ` They’re family here.â€? “There are also a lot of young pilots who come out here to train. They start on the

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“Usually somebody here knows every person on each plane. Even people outside, say even if they are a state trooper, they’ve been so long we know them. 9H]U(PY OHZ L_WHUKLK JHYNV MHJPSP[PLZ PU )L[OLS [V OHUKSL [OL IPN ]VS\TL VM JHYNV HUK I`WHZZ THPS [OL Z[H[PVU OHUKSLZ KHPS`

January / February 2020

¸;OPZ PZ H ]LY` KPɈ LYLU[ IHSS NHTL You can’t understand it until you experience it.â€?

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Cama-i: March 20-22, 2020

Yurarturciqukut: Resilence Through Dance Each spring the Cam-I Dance Festival brings thousands of dancers, spectators, friends and families together in Bethel for three days celebrating dance, culture and community. It is a chance for Native people throughout Alaska and beyond to reconnect, share traditions, stories and dance. 3LHYU TVYL H[ Camai.org. Photo by John Wallace

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Ready to Rondy? -\Y 9VUK` PZ [OL UH[PVU»Z WYLTPLY ^PU[LY MLZ[P]HS :PUJL 9VUK` OHZ WYV\KS` YLWYLZLU[LK [OL WPVULLYPUN ZWPYP[ VM (SHZRHUZ VɈLYPUN ^PSK and wacky fun for all ages. The 2020 edition runs through March 8 in downtown Anchorage. 0U (UJOVYHNL ^HZ Q\Z[ H ZTHSS [V^U VM HIV\[ WLVWSL [OH[ Z[YL[JOLK IL[^LLU 7HYR :[YPW HUK :OPW *YLLR ^OLU =LYU 1VOUZVU [OL MH[OLY VM -\Y 9LUKLa]V\Z LZ[HISPZOLK H KH` ^PU[LY MLZ[P]HS [OH[ ^V\SK coincide with the time that miners and trappers came to town with their yield. Since then, the Fur Rendezvous has earned international notoriety. Visitors from throughout the world descend on Anchorage every -LIY\HY` [V H[[LUK [OL KH` MLZ[P]HS PUJS\KPUN [OL 6ɉJPHS 9VUK` -\Y Auction, the Blanket Toss and the World Championship Sled Dog Race. 6[OLY JYV^K WSLHZPUN L]LU[Z PUJS\KL [OL 9VUK` *HYUP]HS .YHUK 7HYHKL Outhouse Races, Snowshoe Softball and Running of the Reindeer. For a complete calendar and more, see FurRondy.net.

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March Madness Alaska ASAA State Tournaments is back bring our best teams to Anchorage

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Basketball isn’t simply just a game in Alaska. It’s a deeply ingrained tradition that has become a vital part of our culture It’s also a labor of love for coaches and players, and the places they call home. The passion for the pursuit has been passed down through generations, uniting our communities and villages behind a common goal. As with most other facets of life in Alaska, basketball comes with plenty of obstacles. Scheduling and getting players to games can involve multiple modes of transportation over many hours or even days. It’s not \UJVTTVU MVY [LHTZ [V Å ` TVYL [OHU miles to face an opponent on the hardwood. Getting practice in much of the year also includes shoveling snow from a driveway to free up room to dribble or to simply make it out to get to a gym—if there’s one nearby—while extended periods of darkness bring added challenges of securing a steady light source.

Despite numerous hurdles, basketball in Alaska has gained notoriety elsewhere, and MVY NVVK YLHZVU ( ML^ `LHYZ HNV ,:75Z MVY ZLYPLZ JOYVUPJSLK [OL @\WPR ZL[[SLTLU[ VM ;VRZVVR )H` PU H ZOVY[ Ä ST detailing the importance of basketball in the remote stretches of our state, spotlighting how the sport can become the spiritual and emotional lifeblood of a village. Other major media outlets also have shined a spotlight on the importance of the game, helping to WYV]PKL [OL 3V^LY ^P[O H SVVR PU[V ^O` ^L love the sport and what it means to us. RavnAir Group is proud to support basketball in Alaska and we’re honored to help coaches, players and their families and friends with their travel needs. Basketball has touched the lives of our many employees and we stand ready to cheer on teams from across our great state. Good luck and safe travels. Everyone at Ravn is looking forward to more great games for years to come!

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Photos from 2019 State

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Tournaments co ur

tesy of Alaska Sc

hool Activities As

sociation

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ASAA State Basketball Tournaments ( 4HYJO c ( 4HYJO c ( ( 4HYJO Alaska Airlines Center, Anchorage Visit www.ASAA365.com for tournament schedules, ticket information and results from previous years.

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The path to bone deep Unangan artist draws on natural objects to inspire cultural expression By Dawnell Smith | Special to Alaskan Spirit magazine Photos courtesy Sharo Svarny-Livingston and the Rasmuson Foundation

After many long days of preparing wood, stone and bone sculptures for an art show in Anchorage, Gertrude Svarny took a break—a vacation, she called it—to get some work done.

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purpose as much as her path—a journey that always draws her home to Unalaska, the house where she grew up, her Unangan way of life.

.VPUN IHJR [V Ä UK MVY^HYK

Many people now know Svarny as an

Svarny has no shortage of ideas, but at 88, she knows she must act on some, let go of others. She also knows what she does and doesn’t like.

She returned to Unalaska with her daughter, Wendy. The blueberries looked plump HUK YLHK` ZOL ZHPK +\YPUN OLY [PTL VɈ she mowed the lawn, cleaned the house, prepared for winter and picked berries.

artist and culture bearer, and a teacher,

“My ideas are bothering me while I’m on vacation,” Svarny admitted,” but I’m going to ignore them for a while.”

-LKLYH[PVU VM 5H[P]LZ 7YLZPKLU[»Z (^HYK MVY

The act of imagining what to make next threads through her daily life whether she ^HU[Z P[ [V VY UV[ I\[ P[ KVLZ UV[ KLÄ UL OLY

she talks of dust, the weight of stone,

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She talks about how the work feels in her body, how it reveals itself as she shapes and turns the stone.

leader and guide who sits on boards HUK JVTTP[[LLZ 0U ZOL YLJLP]LK a Distinguished Artist Award from the Rasmuson Foundation and an Alaska her work in the arts. Yet when she speaks of making art, the grinding of ochre, the shaving of whalebone.

She likes working with the fragments of home, living things and earth — stone, bone, wood, grass and fur. She likes that she can express an idea into something ZOL Ä UKZ VU [OL ILHJO :OL SPRLZ [OH[ ZVTL[PTLZ ^OH[ ZOL Ä UKZ VU [OL ILHJO inspires the idea. She likes her robotic vacuum, too.

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herself to weave with the help of a book. :OL ^HZ :OL ZHPK OLY KH\NO[LYZ ^LYL disappointed that she couldn’t weave, so she learned. “I’m a middle-of-the-road weaver,� she said.

No, she loves her robotic vacuum. She is less fond of doing interviews. She has told her story of becoming a working HY[PZ[ H[ [OL HNL VM THU` [PTLZ :OL has recounted how she picked up a bone, made something of it, and hatched an art career.

She comes from a family of makers who Z\WWVY[ LHJO V[OLYÂťZ ^VYR /LY WHYLU[Z HUK grandparents made boats, clothes, baskets HUK [VVSZ /LY JOPSKYLU HUK NYHUKJOPSKYLU are accomplished artists.

Truth is, though, that she always loved creating things, even when very young. It’s just that the work of tending children and making a life required her attention, labor and time. She still managed to carve out moments to create.

/LY O\ZIHUK ^V\SK Ă„_ [OL LX\PWTLU[ THRL the boxes for sending artwork, and help order, track and move materials and art.

/LY O\ZIHUK :HT ZH^ [OH[ ZOL SPRLK [V WHPU[ HUK RLW[ OLY PU Z\WWSPLZ /L QVPULK her in her path just as she joined him. ;OL [^V THYYPLK PU <UHSHZRH PU when she was 20 years old. An Army man for decades, Sam’s work meant moving around a bit. They lived in Seattle for a while and later in Anchorage, where he opened a business servicing radiological equipment for hospitals. They visited Unalaska when they could. After one of those trips, she recounted, she ZHPK [V OPT ¸3L[ÂťZ TV]L IHJR [V <UHSHZRH š /L \UKLYZ[VVK [OL W\SS ;OL` TV]LK PU[V OLY JOPSKOVVK OVTL PU ;OL Ă„YZ[ OVTLJVTPUN Svarny called her upbringing in Alaska a good one. They spent time outside playing, doing chores, picking berries. They knew their way. ;OLU [OL IVTIPUNZ JHTL HUK Unangan people were evacuated to an internment camp in Southeast Alaska during World War II.

Svarny recalled the excitement she and other children felt when stepping on the steam ship leaving the island. She recalled, too, the thrill of going home after the war ended. Those who returned found their homes burned and looted, possessions destroyed, and friends and loved ones lost to time, KPZ[HUJL NYPLM HUK KLH[O 0[ ^HZ KPɉJ\S[ for people to hold onto their language and traditions when severed from family and elders. Many decades later, after moving back to the island with Sam, Svarny picked up that beach bone that really turned her into an HY[PZ[ H[ :OL MHZOPVULK P[ PU[V Ă„N\YLZ ^P[O H \[PSP[` RUPML HUK TLSVU IHSSLY 7LVWSL admired and bought them. “I have to admit that what kind of spurred me on was the cost of living up here,â€? she said. “I decided that I could make some things and help bring in more money.â€? Steadily, she kept making things, sending them to buyers, showing them at art exhibits, selecting more materials and impressing her ideas into wood, bone and stone. Always, she said, “When I am working, I am thinking of my culture.â€? Bone deep

¸/L Ă„_LK TL \W ^P[O H UPJL Z[\KPV VUL room for dirty stone, another room for ^OH[L]LY š ZOL ZHPK ¸/L ^HZ H NYLH[ WHY[ of my work. My bookkeeper, my cook, he ordered my materials.â€? (M[LY OLY JHYLLY [VVR VɈ ZOL HUK OLY daughter, Wendy, bought Sam a boat with money they had made selling art. Svarny SVZ[ :HT PU HM[LY `LHYZ [VNL[OLY Svarny spent many days on the water with him. On one trip, she found a piece of volcanic pumice rounded by the river. Now it forms the head of a sculptural piece JHSSLK ¸7LVWSL VM 4HR\ZOPUš ^P[O [^V MHJLZ an ochre headband with feathers, timeless expressions—another fragment of earth transformed by water, time and her hands.

About the Foundation The Rasmuson Foundation was created under a declaration of trust in May of I` 1LUU` 9HZT\ZVU [V OVUVY OLY SH[L O\ZIHUK , ( 9HZT\ZVU ;OL Rasmusons’ vision for the Foundation is to support projects of lasting impact to ILULÄ[ (SHZRHUZ About the Series The Rasmuson Foundation has JVSSHIVYH[LK ^P[O >YP[LYZ HU (SHZRH UVUWYVÄ[ VYNHUPaH[PVU HZ WHY[ VM HU ongoing series highlighting the lives of Alaskan artists.

Before she took up carving, Svarny taught

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+H RH _LLU 4LOULY Some photos by NativeArtsandCultures.org

Alaska Native art renaissance

Artists breaking new ground By Eric Lucas

Joel Isaak did not set out to transform an ancient Alaska Native JYHM[ PU[V H TVKLYU HY[ MVYT /L Q\Z[ OHWWLULK [V SPRL ZHSTVU HUK the skin proved a handy medium. Alison Warden did not initially intend to blend Inupiaq chant and YHW T\ZPJ·I\[ P[ KLÄUP[LS` OLSWZ OLY YLHJO ZJOVVS HNL H\KPLUJLZ with her message of care for the future. Susie Silook just wanted to take up the ivory-carving traditions VM OLY MH[OLY HUK NYHUKMH[OLY I\[ [OLU Z[ *LU[\Y` WVSP[PJHS winds thrust her into a role as advocate for the Yupik subsistence lifestyle. Da-ka-xeen Mehner didn’t set out to blend humor, performance, technology and photography—but his unique style eventually yielded one of the best-known contemporary Native artworks, and more recently a performance piece that deliberately upended the western story of Alaska history. And Kathleen Carlo-Kendall had no idea she wanted to carve masks. This ancient art form just happened to be the topic of the KH` ZOL ÄYZ[ ^HUKLYLK PU[V HU HY[ ^VYRZOVW “That’s what was going on, and the approach was traditional,” *HYSV 2LUKHSS YLJHSSZ )\[ [OH[ ^HZ Q\Z[ [OL ÄYZ[ Z[LW PU HU HY[PZ[PJ path that has led her to create some of the most mesmerizing, challenging and memorable contemporary art in the United States.

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most embrace their ancestral pasts in wildly imaginative ways

2H[OSLLU *HYSV 2LUKHSS

:\ZPL :PSVVR

Carlo’s masks—which hang in public collections across Alaska and the United States, and in private collections around the world. @V\ TH` ÄUK LSLTLU[Z YHUNPUN MYVT feathers to shells to tacks to bullet casings in a Carlo-Kendall mask, with wood the usual foundation. This bends the ancient mask-making art in many directions— Carlo-Kendall is Koyukon, an Athabaskan people with little mask-making heritage. Wood carving was traditionally reserved for male artists. And wood and feathers are usually the only tried-and-true traditional materials in a Carlo-Kendall piece. “I guess the only thing truly traditional is, they are masks,” Carlo-Kendall said, laughing. Carlo-Kendall’s life and work exemplify [OL Z[H[L VM (SHZRH 5H[P]L HY[ ^OPJO ÄYZ[ underwent a revival in the second half of the 20th Century, and then leaped forward into a dynamic modern art form during the

WHZ[ `LHYZ 4VKLYU (SHZRH 5H[P]L HY[ PZ found in corporate collections, museums and galleries across North America. It is colorful, vivid, thought-provoking, successful and sought-after. Native artists are all the above, as well as carriers of their heritage in innovative ways. Though a few resist the label “Native artist,” most embrace their ancestral pasts in wildly imaginative ways. Mehner, for instance, describes his heritage HZ ;SPUNP[ 5PZNH»H HUK /PWW` (TLYPJHU and he is a master carver and director of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Native Art Center. But he himself is the canvas in his best-known works, such as a photo series called “Reinterpretation” in which he inserted himself into a set of early 20th century pictures taken of a Tlingit chief or shaman. 0U OL WSHJLK H ZL[ VM ;SPUNP[ ^HYYPVY knives around an Anchorage statue of Captain James Cook, who sailed to Alaska PU VU OPZ [OPYK ]V`HNL VM ¸KPZJV]LY` ¹

Mehner held a sign declaring “I Was Not Discovered” and documented the occasion photographically, observing to his surprise that almost none of that day’s visitors to 9LZVS\[PVU 7HYR ZHPK HU`[OPUN [V OPT L]LU though he would have cheerfully chatted with anyone. “I like using humor to point out things,” Mehner said. “I’m having fun here.” So is Allison Warden, an Inupiaq artist and performer who, among many other roles, appears as an outlandishly costumed rap artist blending hip-hop and traditional chant under the stage name AKU-MATU. She may appear as a polar bear in “Oh, Where Did All the Ice Go?” She may be a very modern auntie, to use a classic indigenous term, who tells her young audiences about their obligation to the planet we all share: “I am your ancestor from the future, and I rap.” Rap? Really? continued on next page >>

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1VLS 0ZHHR

Art renaissance JVU[PU\LK MYVT WHNL

¸7HY[ VM [OL YLHZVU 0 SLHYULK [V YHW PZ [V instigate with young people—to send them a message in a language they understand,” >HYKLU L_WSHPUZ ¸;OL HY[Z JHU VɈLY H ^H` to look at something that’s hard to look at otherwise.” While Mehner, Warden and Carlo’s innovations represent the leading edge of Alaska Native art, a close look reveals the underlying cultural foundation. The KPɈLYLUJL IL[^LLU YHW HUK [YHKP[PVUHS Inupiaq chant is not as large as it may ÄYZ[ ZLLT·WLYOHWZ [OLYL PZ HJ[\HSS` UV KPɈLYLUJL H[ HSS ZH]L SHUN\HNL :VTL Native artists do hew more closely to tradition, such as Athabaskan beadwork doyenne Dixie Alexander, whose Fairbanks shop, studio and teaching center are housed at the Morris Thompson Visitor Center. Alexander is a master of ancient techniques such as caribou fur tufting, an intricate process that requires near-surgical skill with scissors. Despite the fact she has ILLU WYHJ[PJPUN [OPZ HY[ ZPUJL ZOL ^HZ years old—“I learned from my grandmother, who learned from her mother”—Alexander still delights in it. “Even after all this time, if I am obsessed with a piece, I may well stay up all night working on it,” she said. Some artists practice a sort of shapeshifting that turns tradition sideways, even upside down. Isaak, for example, grew up with salmon an almost daily part of life. So he transformed an ancient craft practiced

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by his female Athabaskan ancestors— making leather from salmon skin—into a UL^ HY[ MVYT /L THRLZ ZHSTVU ZRPU PU[V masks, boots, aprons, dresses, hangings, ÄN\YPULZ HUK L]LU H [\_LKV

have banned walrus ivory possession,

¸0[ [VVR TL H `LHY VM YLZLHYJO [V ÄN\YL V\[ how to do it,” he said.

MH[OLY HUK \UJSL PU [OL [PU` :[ 3H^YLUJL

One of his mentors was Mehner. After that, OL YLÄULK H ^H` [V JYLH[L NSHZZ ^VYRZ that mimic his salmon-skin originals, thus shifting his art into an entirely new dimension.

whalebone dolls that, like so many other

All these artists not only produce works [OH[ YHUNL MYVT HWWLHSPUN [V THNUPÄJLU[ [OL` YLÅLJ[ [OL K`UHTPJ UH[\YL VM indigenous culture today—especially in Alaska, whose three dozen or so distinct ethnic groups are almost all thriving. Yes, there are problems such as addiction and domestic abuse. But Alaska Natives are also riding their cultural backgrounds to the top of the creative, commercial and political worlds. And once there, the artists who have won their own success often welcome roles as advocates, such as in the performance art of Mehner and Warden. A conspicuous recent example is Yupik/ Inupiat ivory carver Susie Silook, who is helping lead a campaign to preserve the Arctic peoples’ heritage of subsistence walrus hunting. Walrus ivory has been swept up in the prohibition against elephant ivory harvest; some U.S. states

L]LU [OV\NO P[ PZ ZWLJPÄJHSS` HSSV^LK \UKLY federal law, and walrus populations are healthy. Silook, who learned carving from her Island village of Gambell, carves ivory and 5H[P]L HY[PZ[Z ISLUK [YHKP[PVU ^P[O Z[ Century innovation—in the past, men were the carvers, and their work almost always featured Arctic animals, while Silook’s dolls may represent angels, women with caribou antlers or even victims of domestic violence. But no matter how much she may wrest tradition to her own vision, she is an ardent advocate of the Bering Sea indigenous lifestyle that feeds her fellow people and provides her raw material. “This is probably the strongest remaining subsistence lifestyle in the United States,” she said. “It’s been this way for centuries, and picking on indigenous people in the name of conservation is wrongheaded. “We’ve been caring for our lands for millennia, and we can certainly do so for years to come.” That sounds like a perfect prescription for Alaska Native art, too. Frequent Alaska correspondent Eric Lucas is based on San Juan Island in Washington State.

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More March Madness!

Sheefish provide hot fishing action on the ice By Paul D. Atkins

AA

fter pulling on my bunny boots, I stepped through the kunnichuck, HYJ[PJ LU[Y` HUK V\[ VU[V [OL KLJR overlooking Kotzebue Sound. The frozen ice that led down the road from my house into the Chukchi Sea looked slick but still solid. The sun was out, too, creating patches of fog that bounced their way along the horizon in the cold March air. That old, familiar “wetâ€? smell that’s so common to the arctic this time of year could be detected in the breeze. “What a glorious day it was going to be,â€? I thought [V T`ZLSM LZWLJPHSS` MVY PJL Ă„ ZOPUN

,_JP[LTLU[ HUK M\U JHU ZVTL[PTLZ IL [V\NO [V JVTL I` PU 4HYJO I\[ PM `V\ OH]L HJJLZZ [V Ă„ ZOPUN SPRL [OPZ VY ^OLYL]LY `V\ÂťYL SVJH[LK [OLU NYHI HU H\NLY H Ă„ ZOPUN SPUL HUK NV NP]L P[ H [Y`

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6]LY [OL `LHYZ 0 OH]LUÂť[ Ă„ N\YLK V\[ ^OH[ÂťZ TVYL L_JP[PUN Âś [OL Ă„ ZOPUN P[ZLSM VY all the planning it takes to get ready. You need a snow machine, of course, and a sled packed with all the necessities an PJL Ă„ ZOPUN HK]LU[\YL Z\JO HZ [OPZ ^V\SK YLX\PYL 5PRZPRZ ,ZRPTV MVY Ă„ ZOPUN QPNZ made of willow branches and caribou horn are a must. You also need the essentials including rods, reels, tip-ups, extra line, lures, pliers, extra gloves, H Ă„ SSL[ RUPML [YHZO IHN MVY [OL TLH[ H ;OLYTVZ M\SS VM JVɈ LL HUK MVVK (U PJL hut also is a necessity most days.

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0M [OLYLÂťZ VUL X\HYY` ^VY[O HSS [OPZ LɈVY[ P[ÂťZ JLY[HPUS` [OL ZOLLĂ„ZO ;OPZ PUJYLKPISL species can only be found in the arctic and subarctic areas of Alaska, and are sometimes referred to as the “Tarpon VM [OL ;\UKYH š ;OL`ÂťYL H ILH\[PM\S Ă„ZO silver in color, with a dark bluish sheen along the top of their back. They’re big Ă„NO[LYZ [VV [OYHZOPUN HUK JYHZOPUN VUJL the hook is set, and especially so once they’re pulled from the water. /LYL PU [OL 5VY[O^LZ[ (YJ[PJ [OL` HYL most commonly found in the Selawik and Kobuk river drainages of Kotzebue :V\UK ;OLZL Ă„ZO JHU NL[ IPN ^LPNOPUN up to 60 pounds and are commonly found in deep, cold water where the current is the swiftest. Their tremendous size and meat quality make them one of the most \UPX\L HUK ILZ[ [HZ[PUN Ă„ZO PU 5VY[O America. >OLU PJL Ă„ZOPUN MVY [OLZL TVUZ[LYZ P[ requires a relatively simple approach. @V\ Ă„YZ[ T\Z[ Ă„UK ^OLYL [OL J\YYLU[ PZ leaving one of the river channels and then cut your holes accordingly nearby. <USLZZ `V\ÂťYL S\JR` LUV\NO [V Ă„UK H OVSL [OH[ OHZ HSYLHK` ILLU J\[ HUK Ă„ZOLK [OPZ will be toughest part. The ice gets thick during the winter months in and around the Kotzebue Sound, reaching 6 to 8 feet in some places and usually between HUK MLL[ PU [OL THPU JOHUULS 4VZ[ people who venture onto the ice will usually start in one place, cut a few holes, Ă„ZO [OLT HUK [OLU TV]L [V HUV[OLY PM one isn’t producing. In my experience, ZOLLĂ„ZO [`WPJHSS` ^PSS TV]L HM[LY H ML^ days, usually closer to town. >OLU P[ JVTLZ [V THRPUN OVSLZ [V Ă„ZO 0 must say the gas-powered ice auger is one of the greatest inventions by man. For many years I used a hand-operated auger, and if it wasn’t for the promise of JH[JOPUN H IPN Ă„ZO [OH[ ^V\SK WYV]PKL H great meal, I would rather have chosen to do something else with my time. It ^HZ OHYK ^VYR HUK NL[[PUN [OYV\NO VY 6 feet of ice was a burden on the back. ;OL KPɈLYLUJL HSZV PZ [PTL ^P[O H NHZ

WV^LYLK H\NLY HSSV^PUN `V\ [V IL ÄZOPUN in a matter of minutes instead of resting after working up a good sweat. ;OL ÄYZ[ [PTL V\[ VU [OL PJL SVVRPUN MVY ZOLLÄZO PZ HS^H`Z ZWLJPHS OVSKPUN [OL promise of surprise and suspense. For H ÄYZ[ [PTLY [OLYL PZ UV[OPUN X\P[L SPRL it, and if you’re an old hand, you know well the feeling of past experiences. The [OV\NO[ VM W\SSPUN VUL VM [OLZL IPN ÄZO through the ice is a life-changing event like no other. That may sound a little over [OL [VW I\[ P[Z [Y\L /VVRPUN PU[V H IPN ÄZO N\PKPUN P[ \W [OYV\NO [OL OVSL HUK [OLU NYHIIPUN H NPSS MVY [OH[ ÄUHS W\SS PZ among my favorite things to do here in the arctic. >OLU `V\ KV OVVR H ÄZO [OL JOVYL VM getting it up through the hole becomes the main concern though eagerness and excitement in trying to land one quickly could result in a slipped hook and a SVZ[ ÄZO 7H[PLUJL JVTIPULK ^P[O H SP[[SL T\ZJSL HUK ÄULZZL PZ [OL [PJRL[ [V W\SSPUN H PUJO ÄZO MYVT [OL PJ` KLW[OZ ILSV^ When you do, it’s certainly a surreal experience!

3PRL HSS PJL Ă„ZOPUN P[ YLX\PYLZ NL[[PUN [OYV\NO [OL PJL ZVTL[PTLZ THU` MLL[ [OPJR LZWLJPHSS` OLYL PU [OL (YJ[PJ 0[ KVLZ [HRL [PTL HUK ^VYR WS\Z `V\ OH]L [V ^H[JO HUK THRL Z\YL `V\ KVUÂť[ NL[ H IVV[ M\SS VM ^H[LY

When you’ve had success hauling in [OLZL ÄZO K\YPUN [OL ZWYPUN ^P[O MYPLUKZ and family, there’s no greater joy, unless P[Z [OL HJJVTWHU`PUN ÄZO MY` ;OH[Z [OL one exceptional facet about the arctic: it never disappoints and always provides. 0U [OL JHZL VM [OL ZOLLÄZO PU [OPZ THQLZ[PJ locale, it’s the thrill of a lifetime! Paul Atkins is an outdoor writer living in Kotzebue.

The “Tarpon of the Tundraâ€? ;OL ZOLLĂ„ZO PZ H TLTILY VM [OL ^OP[LĂ„ZO MHTPS` I\[ PZ KPZ[PUN\PZOHISL MYVT [OL TVYL JVTTVU ^OP[LĂ„ZO I` [OL Z[YVUN L_[LUKLK SV^LY QH^ ;OL IVK` WYVĂ„SL PZ Z[YLHTSPULK HUK [OL JVSVY PZ ZPS]LY` ^P[O H KHYRLY JVSVYH[PVU VU the dorsal surface. It often displays a phosphorescent purple sheen when taken from the water. Males and females are similar, but females live longer HUK H[[HPU NYLH[LY ZPaL :OLLĂ„ZO PU [OL :LSH^PR 2VI\R HYLH TH` ^LPNO \W [V WV\UKZ ^OPSL PU 0U[LYPVY (SHZRH [OL` ZLSKVT L_JLLK WV\UKZ >OLU [OL ^VYK ¸ZOLLš PZ TLU[PVULK [V ]L[LYHU ZOLLĂ„ZO Ă„ZOLYZ [OL Selawik-Kobuk country comes to mind. There, north of the Arctic Circle, [OL SHYNLZ[ ZOLLĂ„ZO HYL MV\UK :OLLĂ„ZO JHU IL [HRLU VU TLKP\T HJ[PVU ZWPUUPUN VY IHP[ JHZ[PUN NLHY \ZPUN VY WV\UK SPUL +\YPUN [OLPY MLLKPUN WLYPVKZ ZOLLĂ„ZO JHU IL JH\NO[ JSVZL [V [OL Z\YMHJL \ZPUN H Ă…` :OLLĂ„ZO JHU HSZV IL [HRLU [OYV\NO [OL PJL PU :LSH^PR 3HRL HUK /V[OHT Inlet during April and May using a lure attached to a short jigging stick with heavy line. Source: Alaska Department of Fish and Game

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Alaska Smoked Herring Deviled Eggs Recipe and photo by Susie Jenkins-Brito, Set the Net (U VM[LU \UKLYYH[LK Ä ZO OLYYPUN PZ WYVSPÄ J PU )YPZ[VS )H` :V\[OLHZ[ (SHZRH [OYV\NOV\[ [OL .\SM HUK PU[V [OL )LYPUN :LH ( ZWLJPLZ WYPTHYPS` Ä ZOLK MVY P[Z `LSSV^ KLSLJ[HISL YVL [OL Ã… LZO PZ H KLSPJPV\Z ZUHJR ^OLU ZTVRLK HUK JHUULK 4HU` ZTHSS WYVJLZZVYZ PU Alaska have become hip to this treat and have begun small-batch smoking and canning this otherwise overlooked catch. As the OLYYPUN Ä ZOPUN ZLHZVU ILNPUZ [V YVSS HYV\UK ^P[O LNN KPZOLZ SPUPUN ,HZ[LY [HISLZ THRL H ZWSHZO ^P[O [OLZL To make: You’ll need: à ® J\WZ YVSSLK VH[Z à ® J\WZ Ã… HRLK \UZ^LL[LULK coconut à ® J\WZ JOVWWLK WLJHUZ à ® J\W ZSPJLK HSTVUKZ à ® J\W OLTW ZLLKZ à ® [LHZWVVU JPUUHTVU à ® [LHZWVVU U\[TLN à ® [LHZWVVU JVHYZL ZLH ZHS[ VY kosher salt à ® ;HISLZWVVUZ VSP]L VPS à ® J\W THWSL Z`Y\W

Once cooled, peel and split each egg in half longwise, remove yolks into a

à ® SHYNL LNN ^OP[LZ

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Start by hard-boiling eggs. My fail-proof method is to place eggs in a heavy bottomed stock pot and cover them with at least 2 inches of cold water, ensuring each egg has its own wiggle room and never stacking them. Add a hefty pinch of salt to the water and bring to a boil. Once the water has hit a rolling boil, turn VɈ [OL OLH[ PTTLKPH[LS` JV]LY WV[ ^P[O H [PNO[ Ä [[PUN SPK HUK HSSV^ [V YLTHPU VU [OL Z[V]L MVY TPU\[LZ >OLU TPU\[LZ is up, remove pot from stove and place in the sink. Turn on cold water and allow to run until the eggs are submersed in a JVSK IH[O *OPSS MVY TPU\[LZ ILMVYL attempting to peel.

medium size bowl and mash with a fork. Add smoked herring, mayonnaise, T\Z[HYK JY\ZOLK NHYSPJ Ä ZO ZH\JL ZHS[ and pepper to yolks and either mix well with a fork or for a pipe-able, creamy, KL]PSLK LNN Ä SSPUN \ZL HU PTTLYZPVU blender to whip yolk mixture smooth. Fill halved eggs’ hollowed centers with the yolk mixture and garnish each with a sprinkling of smoked paprika. :LY]L LNNZ YPNO[ H^H` VY JOPSS \W [V hours before serving for best results. For HU L_[YH VVTWO VM Ä ZO Å H]VY [VW LNNZ with more smoked herring, cured herring roe or Tobiko. For a zingy twist, try a bit of sauerkraut on the side. If you’re in Alaska, check out Evie’s Brinery for the best ZLHZVUHS Å H]VYZ

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From the freezer

appear, unless you’re blessed with a boat on Kachemak Bay to pursue those lovely winter king salmon. Spring hunts for small game and ptarmigan and grouse are the near promise for fresh meat.

For most us, these are the bottom of the freezer months.

)\[ HZ ^L»YL ^YP[PUN [OPZ ^L Q\Z[ ÄUPZOLK the last pot of caribou chili for the season. We try to have a fat cow caribou in the freezer by Labor Day each year. All the choice cuts were grilled or roasted or stewed or sous vided (the best of all) long ago. But it’s still the best chili on earth.

We’re living and cooking from what remains in the freezer (and canned on the shelves) from last summer’s bounty of ÄZO HUK NHTL HUK NHYKLUZ HUK OPSSZPKLZ There’s no doubt fresh is best. No meal more glorious than a fat king salmon ÄSSL[ ZPaaSPUN VU [OL NYPSS Q\Z[ OV\YZ HM[LY P[ came from the water, or any game animal OHY]LZ[LK HUK JVVRLK V]LY HU VWLU ÄYL the same day. But that’s not this month. It’s still weeks VY TVU[OZ ILMVYL [OL ÄYZ[ RPUN ZHSTVU

like a SLT (Salmon Lettuce and Tomato) Sandwich! -VY V\Y WHY[ ^L Q\Z[ KPZJV]LYLK H ML^ packages of lingcod from last year’s 40-pounder! There’ll be some lingcod tacos for supper!

In our freezer, there’s still lots of Kenai sockeyes, and silvers and kings from Ship *YLLR YVJRÄZO I\[ UV OHSPI\[ HUK WSLU[` of venison. It’s time to be creative from the freezer, with those favorite recipes like ;OHP *\YY` 9VJRÄZO :V\W VY 9LK 7VaVSL with that feral hog that came from the Texas hunt, or new smoked salmon ideas

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( ^L[ I\[ ZJLUPJ Z[YVSS HSVUN *HWL .SHaLUHW H[ 0aLTILR 3HNVVU Photo by Kristine Sowl, courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Views from Izembek

A tiny jewel in Alaska’s immense national wildlife refuge system By Clark Fair

The Izembek National Wildlife Refuge—at HJYLZ HUK TVYL [OHU [^PJL [OL size of New York City—is the smallest national wildlife refuge in Alaska. Despite its size, it is internationally recognized as vitally important for migratory waterfowl and it has been the subject of controversy and legal battles in recent years. Izembek National Wildlife Refuge sits just north of its headquarters in Cold Bay and thus between the Gulf of Alaska and the easternmost edge of the Bering Sea. 0[Z OLHY[¡SP[LYHSS` HUK Ă„N\YH[P]LS`¡PZ 0aLTILR 3HNVVU H ZX\HYL TPSL

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coastal ecosystem and protected wilderness that contains one of the world’s largest beds of eelgrass. Brant geese love eelgrass, and each H\[\TU [OL` ÅVJR [OLYL I` [OL [LUZ VM thousands to rest and feed. So do many other species of migratory waterfowl, raising the number of birds taking advantage of the lagoon’s abundance into the hundreds of thousands.

has been recognized globally as a crucial international staging and feeding area MVY TPNYH[VY` ^H[LYMV^S 0[ ^HZ [OL Ă„YZ[ site in the United States to be named a “Wetland of International Importanceâ€? I` [OL 9HTZHY *VU]LU[PVU PU 0U [OL (TLYPJHU )PYK *VUZLY]HUJ` KLZPNUH[LK 0aLTILR 3HNVVU HUK HKQHJLU[ 4VɈL[ 3HNVVU HZ H ¸.SVIHSS` 0TWVY[HU[ Bird Area.â€?

The lagoon itself and its associated Alaska-owned tidal lands have been WYV[LJ[LK I` [OL Z[H[L ZPUJL HUK MVY TVYL [OHU `LHYZ [OL LU[PYL Z`Z[LT

Even with all the recognition and these state and federal protections in place, the wilderness aspects of the refuge have been challenged in recent years.

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The strongest such challenge has come from the residents of King Cove, a city of ULHYS` ZV\[OLHZ[ VM [OL JVTT\UP[` of Cold Bay and across the bay itself. King Cove has an FAA-approved gravel runway that allows it to be connected to Cold Bay by air as well as by sea, but YLZPKLU[Z OH]L ZV\NO[ [V I\PSK H TPSL road through the Izembek Wilderness Area between the two communities. Cold Bay, despite a population of just V]LY OHZ H JVTTLYJPHS HPYWVY[ ^P[O H MVV[ WH]LK Y\U^H` I\PS[ VYPNPUHSS` by the Air Force during World War II. As such, Cold Bay is a transportation hub MVY [OL (SHZRH 7LUPUZ\SH (U H[[LTW[LK land transfer in exchange for construction of the proposed road was opposed by environmentalists and blocked by the < : +LWHY[TLU[ VM [OL 0U[LYPVY PU ( four-year environmental impact statement commissioned by the DOT determined that the road was unnecessary and would PYYL]LYZPIS` KHTHNL [OL YLM\NL 0U the Trump administration proposed a new land transfer to allow the road, but in [OH[ WYVWVZHS [VV ^HZ Z[Y\JR KV^U this time by the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. ;OL YLM\NL NV[ P[Z Z[HY[ VU +LJ when it was designated as the Izembek National Wildlife Range to protect the waterfowl breeding grounds and all other MVYTZ VM ^PSKSPML PU [OL HYLH 0U [OL Z[H[L \ZLK [OL (SHZRH :\ITLYNLK 3HUKZ Act to establish the Izembek State Game 9LM\NL PUJS\KPUN 0aLTILR 3HNVVU 0U [OL (SHZRH 5H[PVUHS 0U[LYLZ[ 3HUKZ *VUZLY]H[PVU (J[ (503*( JOHUNLK the area’s designation to the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and created a ^PSKLYULZZ HYLH VM HWWYV_PTH[LS` acres within the refuge. 7YV[LJ[LK I` [OL < : -PZO >PSKSPML :LY]PJL ^P[OPU [OL YLM\NL HYL Ä]L species of salmon; furbearers such as wolves, foxes and wolverines; large mammals including caribou, moose and brown bears; shorebird and seabirds, and migratory waterfowl; and marine

Map courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

mammals such as harbor seals, sea otters, walrus, sea lions, orcas and three species of whales. The refuge, dotted with ponds and lakes and laced with streams, is devoid of trees that cannot withstand cool temperatures, strong winds, shallow acidic soils and a short growing season. As a result, 7HJPÄJ JVHZ[HS WSHU[Z HUK HYJ[PJ ZWLJPLZ WYLKVTPUH[L /V^L]LY PU HKKP[PVU [V HSS the lowlands and tundra just above sea level are more dramatic landforms— 7H]SVM HUK :OPZOHSKPU ]VSJHUVLZ -YVZ[` 7LHR HUK [OL (NOPSLLU 7PUUHJSLZ· YLHJOPUN IL`VUK MLL[ PU LSL]H[PVU All this rich and varied terrain means that recreational opportunities abound for hardy adventurists. Brown bear hunting in the area is considered world-class, as the density of bears during salmonspawning season can be as many as six WLY TPSL HSVUN ZVTL Z[YLHTZ /\U[LYZ can also take advantage of the refuge’s healthy caribou herd and, of course, its incredible abundance of birds—ducks and geese and, for upland game hunters, ptarmigan—that live there year round.

(U HYJ[PJ NYV\UK ZX\PYYLS UPIISLZ H TLHS Photo by Kristine Sowl, courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Fishing can also be excellent, including the annual silver salmon derby held every 3HIVY +H` ^LLRLUK PU *VSK )H` ([ [OL right times of year, anglers can also ply the waters of the refuge for char and steelhead. story continues >>

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Izembek continued from previous page

1

Visitors can also enjoy wildlife photography and viewing; environmental LK\JH[PVU ^P[O YLM\NL Z[HɈ" RH`HRPUN rafting and canoeing; hiking, climbing and backpacking; and interpretive opportunities in the refuge’s observation I\PSKPUN JVUZ[Y\J[LK H[ .YHU[ 7VPU[ Traveling to Izembek National Wildlife Refuge has logistical challenges akin to those of many remote refuges, parks and preserves throughout Alaska. Most visitors to Izembek begin by traveling to Cold Bay, which is served seasonally by the Alaska Marine Ferry System HUK I` YLN\SHY JVTTLYJPHS Ă…PNO[Z MYVT Anchorage. In Cold Bay, the refuge HKTPUPZ[YH[P]L VɉJL PZ located about a half-mile northeast of the airport terminal, where rental vehicles are available. From Cold Bay there are Ă„]L WYPTHY` NYH]LS VY KPY[ YVHKZ¡[V[HSPUN HIV\[ TPSLZ¡[OH[ WYV]PKL ZVTL vehicular access to the refuge. Since no maintained trails exist within the refuge and since terrain can be rugged, the best means of seeing more remote sections of the refuge are by boat or aircraft, and local air taxi operators and boat charters are limited.

2

3

4

If You Go 7SHU HOLHK! =PZP[VYZ ZOV\SK IL aware of the hazards of traveling in bear country and remember the ^LH[OLY VU [OL (SHZRH 7LUPUZ\SH JHU change suddenly. Clothing should be able to withstand prolonged wet and windy conditions, and extra food should be packed in case transportation home is delayed.

5

More information: www.fws.gov/refuge/izembek

Clark Fair, a Kenai Peninsula resident for more than 50 years, is a lifetime Alaskan who lived for several years in Dillingham. All photos this page by Kristine Sowl, courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

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(S[OV\NO [OL -PZOLY *HSKLYH VU <UPTHR 0ZSHUK PZ WHY[ VM [OL (SHZRH 4HYP[PTL 5H[PVUHS >PSKSPML 9LM\NL P[ PZ THUHNLK I` [OL Z[HɈ H[ 0aLTILR 5H[PVUHS >PSKSPML 9LM\NL Photo by Doug Damberg, courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

OPPOSITE PAGE: ;OL 1VZO\H .YLLU HYLH YPZLZ KYHTH[PJHSS` MYVT [OL SV^SHUKZ PU [OL 0aLTILR >PSKLYULZZ 2H`HRPUN PU 0aLTILR 3HNVVU PZ VUL VM THU` YLJYLH[PVUHS HJ[P]P[PLZ WVZZPISL ^P[OPU [OL YLM\NL 4VVUYPZL H[ 0aLTILR 5H[PVUHS >PSKSPML 9LM\NL ( YLK MV_ RP[ [HRLZ H WLLR HYV\UK /HYIVY ZLHSZ YLSH_ H[ 0aLTILR 3HNVVU

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Heroic husky Nanook lives to rescue

Photos courtesy Scott Swift

Seven years ago, Scott Swift was looking MVY H UL^ W\WW` /L ZL[[SLK VU H ^OP[L husky he rescued from a shelter. /L UHTLK [OL W\W 5HUVVR ^OPJO X\PJRS` got shortened to Nookie, and the two became fast friends. ¸/LÂťZ HS^H`Z ILLU ]LY` SV`HS T` JVUZ[HU[ I\KK` š :JV[[ YLĂ… LJ[LK YLJLU[S` -YVT Scott’s home at the end of Crow Creek Mine Road in Girdwood, Nookie had endless trails and mountains. Scott is an avid outdoorsman and it seemed Nookie shared that love of the outdoors. ¸/LÂťK SV]L [V YVHT HUK ZVTL[PTLZ IL gone for days,â€? Scott laughed. “I always wondered what he was up to, only to learn he was out rescuing people!â€?

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(SHZRH OVUVYLK OPT ^P[O P[Z 9LHS /LYVLZ >PSKLYULZZ 9LZJ\L (^HYK PU 0U 1\UL (TLSPH 4PSSPUN ^HZ OPRPUN HSVUL VU [OL Y\NNLK *YV^ 7HZZ ;YHPS HIV]L .PYK^VVK ([ ZOL PZ H MYLX\LU[ ZVSV hiker, despite being deaf. Suddenly her trekking pole broke and she fell down a long slope, sliding 600 feet before slamming into a rock and injuring herself. Speaking through an interpreter with sign language, she describes what happened next. “I just closed my eyes and hit the rock. I was laying there in shock. I looked left and right and then suddenly Nookie showed \W /L ^HZ ZV OHWW` OHK H OHWW` ]PIL and was wagging his tail, so friendly, that it distracted me from my own pain.�

For it seems Nookie never forgot the meaning of being rescued and in his own way returned that favor by rescuing others.

She decided to camp there for the night, assuming that [OL KVN ^V\SK NV VɈ HUK KV his own thing. But he was still there the next morning.

And for that the American Red Cross of

“It’s like he wasn’t going to rest until he was sure I was good.�

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(TLSPH 4PSSPUN HUK 5VVRPL

Continuing on her trek, Amelia was crossing a swift river when she lost her footing and was swept away and under water by the current. “I was having a hard time breathing and the water was pulling me down very quickly. That’s when Nookie came running across and grabbed the strap on my backpack HUK OLSWLK TL V\[ VM [OL ^H[LY 0 NV[ PU[V my sleeping bag. I think I was hypothermic. Nookie kept licking my face and I think that gave me the motivation to keep going.� Amelia was able to use an emergency locator beacon to call for help and was eventually evacuated by Alaska Troopers by helicopter, with Nookie. On board she and the troopers, who’d assumed Nookie was hers, noticed his collar: “Nanook, Crow Creek Guide Dog.� But that’s not the end of the story. After news of the rescue began to spread, Scott began to get other calls, from other hikers who’d encountered Nookie and his heroic ways on the trails. “Out of nowhere I started hearing these

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stories of him saving people,� he said, still amazed.

“If he wasn’t out there that day, I don’t think I’d be here.�

3PUKZL` /VULTHUU ^HZ HUV[OLY OPRLY ^OV says Nookie came to her rescue.

The bond between Amelia and Nookie remains strong. She returned to Alaska in HUK ^P[O :JV[[ÂťZ WLYTPZZPVU 5VVRPL accompanied her to complete her hike of the entire trail successfully and safely.

3PUKZL` ^HZ ZUV^ZOVLPUN ^P[O MYPLUKZ PU *YV^ 7HZZ HUK 5VVRPL Z\KKLUS` HWWLHYLK and joined them, tagging along, often forging ahead and looking back, as though keeping a watchful eye on them. “I was walking along the trail by the waterfall and all of a sudden I slipped on a rock and started sliding down the hill. All I could hear was my friend screaming my UHTL (SS 0 JV\SK ZLL ^HZ [OL JSPɈ JVTPUN up faster and faster and there was nothing I could do. My only thought was ‘this is how I’m going to die.’

:JV[[ PZ YLĂ… LJ[P]L HUK O\TISLK I` [OL idea that the dog he rescued has taken to rescuing others. “Knowing what Nookie has done for others OHZ HɈ LJ[LK TL NYLH[S` š OL ZHPK ¸/LÂťZ ZH]LK WLVWSLÂťZ SP]LZ /L OHZ YLHSS` THKL me appreciate that there are really good things in life.â€? “It’s really mind-boggling to think how we were able to rescue him, and the irony is that we rescued each other.â€?

“All of sudden Nanook grabbed me.â€? The powerful dog was able to stop 3PUKZL`ÂťZ ZSPKL ZV ZOL JV\SK JSPTI IHJR [V the trail and safety.

You can read and hear more of Nookie’s story on his Facebook page: Nanook “Nookie� Swift.

American Red Cross Real Heroes Breakfast RavnAir Group is proud to support the Red Cross of Alaska Editor’s note: Beginning with this PZZ\L ^L ^PSS WYVÄ SL H YLHS (SHZRHU Hero, honored through the American Red Cross of Alaska’s Real Heroes annual program.

WYV[VJVSZ HUK YLĂ„ UPUN RUV^SLKNL in order to save as many lives as possible.

;OPZ `LHYÂťZ 9LHS /LYVLZ )YLHRMHZ[ PZ (WYPS H T ;OPZ ^PSS IL [OL The American Red Cross of Alaska Z[ HUU\HS 9LHS /LYVLZ )YLHRMHZ[ honors outstanding individuals who to celebrate these “unsungâ€? heroes make a positive impact on the lives of the past year. These heroes are VM V[OLYZ K\YPUN [OL 9LHS /LYVLZ nominated on a continuing basis Breakfast each April, hosted at the throughout the year by fellow /V[LS *HW[HPU *VVR PU (UJOVYHNL Alaskans for exceptional acts of /VUVYLLZ HYL YLHS OLYVLZ ZOV^PUN \Z IYH]LY` X\PJR [OPURPUN ZLSĂ… LZZULZZ and skill. [OH[ HU`VUL JHU THRL H KPɈ LYLUJL! either by saving a life one day or ( JVTTP[[LL VM HIV\[ 9LK *YVZZ tirelessly working each and every IVHYK TLTILYZ 9LK *YVZZ Z[HɈ KH` MVY [OL ILULĂ„ [Z VM (SHZRH and volunteers, as well as donors, communities. Over the previous past heroes and community partners year, they have faced challenging meet in mid-January to determine the ZP[\H[PVUZ HUK THKL [OL ZLSĂ… LZZ award recipients. decision to help someone in need, (Z THU` HZ N\LZ[Z WH` [YPI\[L [V or were a part of a program that TVYL [OHU OLYVLZ PU JH[LNVYPLZ has improved the overall safety of our state through constantly honing during the event.

The ceremony spotlights each hero’s story and they are awarded an American Red Cross hero medal: ŕ Ž ŕ Ž ŕ Ž ŕ Ž ŕ Ž ŕ Ž ŕ Ž ŕ Ž ŕ Ž ŕ Ž

(K\S[ .VVK :HTHYP[HU @V\[O .VVK :HTHYP[HU >VYRWSHJL :SVWL :HML[` ;YHUZWVY[H[PVU :HML[` >PSKLYULZZ 9LZJ\L -PYL 9LZJ\L 4LKPJHS 9LZJ\L 4HYPUL 9LZJ\L 4PSP[HY` 3H^ ,UMVYJLTLU[ 9LZJ\L (SHZRH :HML[`

:LL TVYL PUJS\KPUN HSS V\Y /LYVLZ H[! www.redcross.org/local/ alaska/about-us/news-and-events/ events/real-heroes-breakfast.html

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Continued success

Invest in the future of your workforce By Paula Bradison

This past year was rigorous for many Alaska business owners. With a lot of buzz around resource development and federal projects, particularly in Fairbanks, the business community seems to OH]L H UL^ ZLUZL VM OVWL /V^L]LY Z[Y\NNSLZ PU Ă„UKPUN HUK YL[HPUPUN X\HSP[` employees does not seem to be improving. Furthermore, this seems to be an industry agnostic concern.

state, this can be a challenge when some businesses have locations spread out from )HYYV^ [V /VTLY 6UL THQVY X\LZ[PVU employers should ask themselves and focus on is how do we create continuity in leadership and culture?

Recently, a poll of highly talented and X\HSPÄLK HWWSPJHU[Z ^HZ JVUK\J[LK [V narrow what shapes their decisions to leave one position for another. According to the JSPLU[ WVVS ^L JVU[PU\L [V ÄUK WVZP[PVUZ PU health care, IT and professional services— particularly civil engineering—extremely KPɉJ\S[ [V ÄSS (JJVYKPUN [V .SHZZKVVY unemployment recently hit an all-time low PU [OL 3V^LY KPWWPUN [V THRPUN P[ that much more challenging to attract talent MYVT [OL SV^LY

Organizations with a better recruiting record also recognize that the best recruitment happens when their own employees spread the word when there is an opportunity to join the team. This shift in recruitment practices means that managers and owners need to step up their game and compete for the best hires. Simply saying “we’re the best� no longer works when trying to attract and retain high-quality talent. When your own team is engaged and working in its strengths, the new applicant can see that what you sell online is precisely what is being delivered onsite, and existing employees know the employer cares about their well-being.

More than ever, our workforce wants to know that employers have a vested interest in their future and an interest in the community. In Alaska, the largest

Do you say you’re a collaborative business? If you are, then how does that translate to new employees or even clients for that matter?

With a busy and more competitive LU]PYVUTLU[ P[ JHU IL KPɉJ\S[ [V WYPVYP[PaL continued learning as part of the budget. /V^L]LY ^P[O KPNP[HS [YHUZWHYLUJ` HUK such an ever-changing and dynamic workforce, it is well known that supporting and reinforcing values and culture is more important than ever. By investing in your team and providing growth opportunities, managers reinforce that employees matter. These opportunities should be tied back to production and values, thereby reinforcing the employer-employee commitment to mission and outcomes. By bringing your team together, focusing on team strengthening, problem solving and planning, managers inspire creativity and ingenuity, and increase accountability. We have found that employees who report higher than average job satisfaction are those often called upon for cross training or special projects. These opportunities, when properly delegated, can lead to an opportunity to advance or recognize strengths individually and as a team. In theory, the more engaged employers are in the recruitment and retention of their employees, the more engaged their workforce is and the more committed they are to the organization’s success. 7YPVYP[PaPUN LTWSV`LL LUNHNLTLU[ continues to predict key performance outcomes that improve your bottom line. Paula Bradison is owner of Alaska Executive Search and has spent several decades helping Alaska business and Alaskans succeed. She is a regular contributor to Alaskan Spirit on Alaska employment, jobs and recruitment topics.

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March / April 2020

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It’s a busy spring for Alaska high school sports and activities Basketball teams aren’t the only ones putting in work this time of year with eyes set on being the best in their ZWVY[ HUK ÄLSK VM PU[LYLZ[ ;OL (SHZRH :JOVVS (J[P]P[PLZ (ZZVJPH[PVU (:(( PZ [OL YLN\SH[PUN IVK` MVY (SHZRH OPNO school interscholastic activities. (:(( PZ YLZWVUZPISL MVY ZHUJ[PVUPUN HJ[P]P[PLZ YHUNPUN from fall, winter and spring sports, to music, art, drama, debate, language and student government. ASAA sets competitive seasons, sponsors state competitions, regulates ZWVY[Z VɉJPHSZ HUK WYV]PKLZ LSPNPIPSP[` JYP[LYPH MVY Z[\KLU[Z /LYL»Z H SVVR H[ PTWVY[HU[ \WJVTPUN KH[LZ MVY ZWYPUN ZWVY[Z and activities: MARCH MADNESS ALASKA 2020 ASAA/ FIRST NATIONAL BANK ALASKA CHEER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITION 4HYJO Alaska Airlines Center, Anchorage 2020 ASAA/FIRST NATIONAL BANK ALASKA SOLO & ENSEMBLE MUSIC FESTIVAL 4H` <(( ,HZ[ /PNO :JOVVS (UJOVYHNL

SOCCER STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS 4H` ,HNSL 9P]LY :LY]PJL >LZ[ /PNO :JOVVSZ Anchorage TRACK AND FIELD STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS 4H` +PTVUK /PNO :JOVVS (UJOVYHNL

BASEBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS 1\UL Mulcahy Stadium, Anchorage

SOFTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS 1\UL South Davis Complex, Fairbanks Photos courtesy Alaska School Activities Association

March / April 2020

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Alaska fishermen preparing for another big salmon season Laine Welch / Fish Factor The overall commercial season holds plenty of promise for a number of ÄZOLYPLZ ^P[O ZVTL·PUJS\KPUN [OL MHTLK )YPZ[VS )H` ZVJRL`L ÄZOLY`·L_WLJ[LK [V L_JLLK [OLPY SVUN [LYT YL[\YUZ /V^L]LY V[OLYZ Z\JO HZ [OL 7HJPÄJ JVK ÄZOLY` TH` UV[ MHYL HZ ^LSS The 2020 forecast from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) PZ I\SSPZO MVY )YPZ[VS )H` LZ[PTH[PUN HU overall run of almost 49 million sockeye ZHSTVU ;OH[ ÄN\YL PZ HIV\[ SHYNLY [OHU [OL YLJLU[ `LHY H]LYHNL VM )YPZ[VS )H` Y\UZ TPSSPVU HUK SHYNLY [OHU [OL SVUN [LYT ¶ H]LYHNL VM TPSSPVU (+- . PZ WYVQLJ[PUN H )YPZ[VS )H` OHY]LZ[ VM Q\Z[ V]LY TPSSPVU YLKZ ^OPJO PZ ^LSS HIV]L [OL MVYLJHZ[ VM YV\NOS` TPSSPVU ^OLU JVTTLYJPHS HUNSLYZ PU MHJ[ OHY]LZ[LK TPSSPVU ÄZO· [OL ZLJVUK SHYNLZ[ OHY]LZ[ VU YLJVYK ;OL TPSSPVU OHY]LZ[ VM ZHSTVU ZWLJPLZ V]LYHSS PU ^HZ [OL ZLJVUK SHYNLZ[ PU [OL OPZ[VY` VM [OL )YPZ[VS )H` ÄZOLY` ILOPUK [OL TPSSPVU ÄZO OHY]LZ[ PU HJJVYKPUN [V (+- .

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More Information: ^^^ HKMN HSHZRH NV]

Artwork by Cambryn McKay, Grade 4, Winner of AK Fish Heritage contest, 2019. Courtesy of Wildlife Forever

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Ravn supports welding program

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March / April 2020

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Flying with RavnAir

Passenger Guide 40 Travel in Rural Alaska / Airport Maps 41 Customer Service 42 FlyAway Rewards / Menu 43 Route Map 44 Our Fleet

www.FlyRavn.com

March / April 2019

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RavnAir Alaska Tips

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ALASKAN SPIRIT

AlaskanSpirit_Mar2020_.indd 40

Gate C

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March / April 2020

2/14/20 8:42 AM

We’re here to help

Customer Service The lowest fare

Special needs passengers

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RavnAir Group

Route Map

(SHZRH PZ H IPN WSHJL 9H]U(PY .YV\W ZLY]LZ TVYL [OHU JVTT\UP[PLZ Z[H[L^PKL >L VWLYH[L KPYLJ[ Ã…PNO[Z IL[^LLU (UJOVYHNL HUK JP[PLZ SPRL -HPYIHURZ /VTLY HUK )L[OLS I\[ TVZ[ VM V\Y KLZ[PUH[PVUZ HYL ZTHSSLY ]PSSHNLZ [OH[ YLS` VU 9H]U(PY MVY LZZLU[PHS KLSP]LYPLZ HUK TLKPJHS ZLY]PJLZ HZ ^LSS HZ YV\[PUL [YH]LS HUK JVTT\[PUN

March / April 2020

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ALASKAN SPIRIT

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2/14/20 8:42 AM

Our Fleet

The number of passengers may vary based on length of flight, amount of luggage, and flight operations. Aircraft specifications listed are actual. Maximum payloads and size of shipment may be reduced due to weather, distance, size, and weight of the shipment.

DeHavilland DHC-8-100 Max passengers: 29 - 37 Max payload: 8,100 pounds

Saab 2000 Max passengers: 45 Max payload: 12,120 pounds

Beechcraft B1900C Max passengers: 19 Max payload: 3,800 pounds Max cargo length: 14 feet

Max cargo width: 54 inches Max cargo height: 57 inches

B1900 Cargo Max passengers: N/A Max payload: 5,000 pounds Max cargo length: 25 feet

Max cargo width: 54 inches Max cargo height: 57 inches

Piper PA31 Chieftain Max passengers: 7 Max payload: 1,500 pounds Max cargo length: 8.5 feet

Max cargo width: 40.5 inches Max cargo height: 41.5 inches

Cessna C208 Caravan Max passengers: 9 Max payload: 2,200 pounds Max cargo length: 14 feet

Max cargo width: 60 inches Max cargo height: 54 inches

Cessna C207 Skywagon

44

Max passengers: 5 Max payload: 900 pounds Max cargo length: 8 feet

Max cargo width: 39 inches Max cargo height: 39 inches

ALASKAN SPIRIT

March / April 2020

AlaskanSpirit_Mar2020_.indd 44

5V[L! KPTLUZPVUZ HYL PU[LYPVY

2/14/20 8:42 AM

RavnAir Alaska

Puzzle page (Answers on page 47)

Across 1 Able was I ere I saw --5 The Paris subway 10 4 qts. 13 Underhand political revelation 14 Relating to birds 15 Set of three 16 Isinglass 17 Hunters’ cabin 18 Radicals 19 Hard durable wood 20 Birthday party essential 21 Said to photographers 23 Inclination 25 G M builder Alfred P --26 Scarcely 28 First Gospel 31 Usual type of switch 32 “I miss my ---, my --- miss misses me” © 2016 Crosswordsite.com Ltd.

34 “Halt! --- fire!” 35 Burden 36 Some embers 37 Former Georgia senator Sam --38 Great weight 39 Legion 40 Oater baddie chasers 41 Firefighter’s water source

Down 1 Tickle Me toy

29 Physicist --- Mach

2 Star Wars princess

30 Fermented grape juices

3 Aural atmosphere creator in films

32 Varieties

4 Alias

33 Bundle

5 Affliction

36 Topographical outlines

43 Captivates

6 Summon

37 Cosmic bang

44 Paws

39 Hell --- no fury like a woman scorned

45 Russian prison camp

7 “There is a --- in the affairs of men ...” (Shakespeare: “Julius Caesar”)

40 Tab

46 South American cowboy

8 Syncopated piano piece

42 Haystacks

48 Little Dickens heroine

9 With uniform service throughout

43 Top dogs

10 E.g. methane and water vapor

45 Arrangement

52 Twice-baked bread

11 Supports

46 Suitcase

53 Come together

12 Fail to win

47 Migraine feature

55 Chop-chop

15 Hallowe’en option

48 Pleasant

56 Tennessee state flower

20 Bovine baby

50 Collection of facts

57 Happen again

22 Strong attraction

51 Pole at sea

58 Greek goat’s cheese

24 Sports officials (Abbr.)

54 Butterfly catcher

59 Lobbying gp.

25 Look happy

55 Astern

60 Measures

26 Kiosk

61 Old Russian ruler

27 Bug

49 Plugs

March / April 2020

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ALASKAN SPIRIT

45

2/14/20 8:42 AM

THE MAGAZ

INE OF RAVN

AIR GROUP

AND RURAL

ALASK A

SEPTEM BER

2019

Alaskan Spirit Magazine Telling the stories of rural Alaska and the communities we serve.

CULTURE OUR ART IN

Native Art and Artists

ALASKA FED OF NATIVES ERATION

2019 Fairbanks

H I S T O R Y • A D V E N T U R E • C U LT U R E • P E O P L E

Convention

SEASON OF GAT

HERING Hunting and SubsistencAND L ALASK A P e RURA AIR GROU

JULY 2019

• ART • FOOD

RAVN

ZINE OF ANC HORAGE

THE MAGA

Living The Big

Wild Life

YS! BEST DA mer Alaska Sum Exploring

INSULA KENAI PEN round Alaska’s Playg

COMING IN MAY 2020:

D CAINES HEAen Historic Treasure Seward’s Hidd

ALASKANS CREATIVE ners, Creators Artists, Desig

THE MAGAZIN

E OF RAVNAIR

GROUP AND

RUR AL ALASKA

JANUARY / FEBR

UARY 2020

OUR HISTORY

Alaska’s Great Mus eums

THE MAG

AZIN E

OF RAV

N AIR GRO

UP AND

RUR AL

ALASKA

MARCH

Celebrating 50 Years of Alaska State Parks!

2019

CAs MA-I EL’S the Age BEnceTH Through Da

THE MAGA

DELTA YUKONthe Yup’ik

ZINE OF RAVN

Land of

AIR GROU

P AND RURA

L ALASK A

JANUARY

2019

S MADNES r MARCH all feve Alaska

basketb

There’s no place like

NOME WINTER IS RACE SEA SON

Iditarod Iron Dog Yukon Ques t

HOME IN NOME

Life Among Mus kox

BRIDGE TO PA ST

Bering Land Brid ge National Preserve

Alaskan Spirit is the one magazine on RavnAir and PenAir flights throughout Alaska, connecting the 120 communities we serve daily.

GOT ICE?

Valdez Ice

Fest

And online 24/7 at www.FlyRavn.com. We can connect you with these communities and the 800,000 passengers who fly with us each year.

Call or email to get started. Lee Leschper | 907-957-6025 Lee.Leschper@FireweedStrategies.com

AlaskanSpirit_Mar2020_.indd 46

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Daniel Vetsch JVU[PU\LK MYVT WHNL just loved the experience! I have always been very mechanically inclined. I grew up VU H MHYT ^OLYL ^L Ă„ _LK ^OH[L]LY IYVRL “I knew when I went into school that I ^HU[LK [V IL PU [OL THPU[LUHUJL Ă„ LSK Being around airplanes really hooked me, so I decided to put those two together. 0 NV[ [V Ă… ` H ]HYPL[` VM WSHJLZ HUK YLHSS` enjoyed it.â€? 2LLWPUN H Ă… LL[ VM HPYJYHM[ PU [VW ZOHWL [V Ă… ` PU HSS [OH[ (SHZRH JHU KPZO V\[ PZ HS^H`Z H JOHSSLUNL OL YLĂ… LJ[LK “The biggest challenge is always just operating aircraft in such a challenging environment. The cold, wet, snow and such remote locations.â€? That all requires that aircraft be in superior JVUKP[PVU JVTWHYLK [V 3V^LY VWLYH[PVUZ “There are not as many resources, so you OH]L [V Ă„ UK V[OLY ZVS\[PVUZ [V IL ZHML and get the job done. Our airplanes come IHJR [V (UJOVYHNL L]LY` UPNO[ I\[ NV HSS over the state every day. When we release a plane, we have to make sure it does not have issues.â€? Because RavnAir Alaska has been operating Dash-8 aircraft in Alaska for many years, the RavnAir Alaska team has unique skills for maintaining them, he said.

¸;OL `LHYZ 0Âť]L ILLU H[ 9H]U 0Âť]L YLHSS` enjoyed all the people I’ve worked with. It’s really a team that works well together to accomplish our mission. I’ve always enjoyed that.â€? /L ^HU[Z 9H]U(PY (SHZRH HUK 7LU(PY passengers to know how seriously his team takes that responsibility. “That is our mission, to provide a safe and reliable aircraft all over the state. We have to play at a higher level.â€?

“We just have a ton of experience. Many of our mechanics have been here since we Z[HY[LK Ă… `PUN [OLT ;OL` RUV^ [OL WSHULZ very well and have learned a lot. We’ve changed the way we treat the airplanes, to enhance them beyond what the manufacturer recommends. That keeps our planes more reliable.â€? “Teamwork is huge for me. The core of this position is communication and teamwork because that’s why I’m here. Good communication to operations as well as working on planes, diagnosing issues and timelines and what operations need to ZJOLK\SL Ă… PNO[Z HUK RLLWPUN [OPUNZ VU [PTL as best you can.

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ALASKAN SPIRIT

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2/14/20 8:43 AM

Daniel Vetsch

Living on extremes to set a higher standard Daniel Vetsch has always pushed the edge of the envelope.

older, our priorities changed. We have four young kids now.

Whether racing the Iditarod as a teenager or riding his bike to work at 20 degrees below zero, he’s always lived for challenges.

“I’m not too involved in mushing now. My SHZ[ YHJL ^HZ

Daniel is maintenance control supervisor for RavnAir Alaska, overseeing the work and mechanics that keep RavnAir Alaska’s ÅHNZOPW +HZO HPYJYHM[ PU [VW JVUKP[PVU /L NYL^ \W PU UVY[OLYU *HUHKH HUK YLTHPUZ H *HUHKPHU JP[PaLU /L Z[HY[LK HZ an aviation mechanic in Canada and then [YHUZMLYYLK OPZ JLY[PÄJH[PVU [V (SHZRH But his connections with Alaska go back to his teenage years and his love of dog mushing.

“I moved up with my wife, who’s a citizen who grew up here. I grew up on a farm V\[ZPKL .YHUK 7YHPYPL PU UVY[OLYU (SILY[H ULHY [OL Z[HY[ VM [OL (SHZRH /PNO^H` š /L Z[HY[LK HZ H TLJOHUPJ I\[ [OLZL KH`Z his time is devoted to managing people and aircraft, rather than working on planes himself.

¸0 OHK ILLU OLYL THU` [PTLZ 0 Ă„YZ[ JHTL \W ^OLU 0 ^HZ [V KYP]L H KVN [Y\JR HUK handle dogs for guys who were mushing. 3H[LY 0 V^ULK H ZSLK KVN RLUULS HUK [YHPULK dogs for other mushers. That is what got me back and forth to Alaska more times. I trained for a couple of Iditarod mushers.

Because all Dash-8 aircraft are based in Anchorage, he’s able to work primarily with the mechanics who maintain those planes 6U [OL YHYL VJJHZPVUZ ^OLU HU PZZ\L arises with a Dash-8 at one of the hub airports, he coordinates with mechanics based there to resolve any issues.

+HUPLS YHU HUK Ă„UPZOLK [OL 0KP[HYVK HZ HU `LHY VSK PU

¸4` WYPVYP[` PZ [V RLLW V\Y HPYJYHM[ Ă…`PUN to make sure they continue to be able to complete their missions.

¸0 YHU +V\N :^PUNSL`ÂťZ `LHYSPUN [LHT HUK Ă„UPZOLK YK š OL YLĂ…LJ[LK MVUKS` ¸0 ZWLU[ days on the trail. It was a good experience. “I met my wife through sled dogs, too. We both grew up with sled dogs but as we got

48

“I started as a mechanic at Ravn more than `LHYZ HNV š OL ZHPK ¸;OLU 0 TV]LK PU[V the role of lead mechanic, and when this position opened up, I moved into this role.

ALASKAN SPIRIT

AlaskanSpirit_Mar2020_.indd 48

“If any issue arises, the pilot or dispatch center calls me. We gather information and decide what is the best way to resolve it. I [HSR ^P[O V\Y TLJOHUPJZ HUK HYYHUNL [V Ă„_ P[ 6\YZ PZ KLĂ„UP[LS` H OV\Y ZOVW š

“I still have my toolbox in the hangar—it’s always there and I still enjoy it. I mechanic H SV[ VU T` VɈ [PTL š 3PRL TVZ[ WHYLU[Z VM ZTHSS JOPSKYLU +HUPLS devotes every free minute to his three ZVUZ HUK HUK KH\NO[LY 3PRL many Alaska families, he and his wife homeschool their children. “We like to be active. And our kids are picking up on that. We mostly are mountain biking and hiking. “I use a bike to get to work year-round. I ride a bike to work every day. I have NLULYHSS` Ă„N\YLK V\[ OV^ [V KYLZZ HUK [V stay warm. Relatively speaking, it’s a lot easier to get out and about here versus getting out in Yellowknife, where it’s ILSV^ MVY TVU[OZ H[ H [PTL š “For my wife, her love is running, and she does a lot of the mountain races. She loves [OL SVUNLY KPZ[HUJLZ SPRL *YV^ 7HZZ š Daniel’s interest in aviation also harkens back to his early years as a musher. “It actually goes back to the Iditarod,â€? he ZHPK ¸0 ^HZ HUK YHU P[ Z[YHPNO[ V\[ VM high school. The next year I followed the YHJL VU ZUV^ THJOPUL ^P[O H Ă„ST JYL^ for a website. I had a great time on the trail, and a couple of times got to switch ZWV[Z HUK Ă…` PU H ZPUNSL LUNPUL 6[[LY 0 continued on page 47

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