Mountain Village

He does in his teacher work he works with native groups and southeast using their imagery. And he wanted to use human but he didn't want to just do it he rather would have wanted to have the people who knew whose image it really belongs to approve of it. So we talked about that talked about the dance festival and we got that. So what he did is I sent him pictures of several of the mass in the collection and he picked out about 10 or so that he thought he would like to do. And then and then I sent those 10 pictures out to Andy and I said please review these pictures make sure there's no image in here that's not appropriate use and talk with the elders and ask him not necessarily to select the image but to eliminate ones that were not appropriate or may not be you know because I don't know that that's one. You know what

I did. It sounds when you see it's a lot of things you're in. And I guess I got it. Yeah you did yeah and I said You mean you know. Well the way I've tried to and the Coast to mayors and wanted to approach it was it really should be an exhibit. You pick things put on by you good people. Now obviously there are 600 700 some items and Sheldon Jackson ZM from this area. Obviously we couldn't take everything. So there had to be some way to select what would be appropriate to say. Well I didn't feel I was qualified to do that. I'm not a curator nor do I think a curator who is not your pick would really understand maybe what should go out there. For people to see so it seemed appropriate that we really should have elders involved because it even though the elders out here were

not alive when these things were made they would have been children there would have been their fathers and their grandfathers people they knew who did make these things who knew Sheldon Jackson and maybe had even given things a show. So they were in a better position to remember things about maybe stories about the mass the images why they were used and also the tools and things because they would have used them. And so we felt it was appropriate that they should and and make the selection because there might be stories or mass that they felt would Orton's and items that they felt they would like to see minutes not just for the kids you know the interaction. These are things that they use when they're young. So we wanted them to be able see these things again. And it's an oh yeah. Yeah.

Well the first phase of the project that we had to get funding for was of course to pave the way to find a way to get them to sit in the Alaska And you know so. Planning to do that. I couldn't take every elder but I felt we felt it would be appropriate since at least we knew that they were these artifacts were attributed and you have that the three villages that were closest to that community should participate in the selection that would be mountain village pilot stations. So I asked Andy who coordinate all that and to consult with the elders of those communities and ask them they would select one representative of the bounds to make the selection. And I was hoping that Andy would be selected because I needed any to translate and ordinary. And he was. So that's what we did is it was sort of a representative thing. Andrew I mean yeah yeah yeah.

You know a lot of it. While I was a probably the one point when I get close to being so happy that you won and that was sort of the second phase and once we got the artifacts out here again there may be things that I don't know about and these things should be grouped in a way that only they would know about the particular the masses. So that's what I felt as once they were out here that the elders should also decide how the exhibit should be rains and that's why we flew in and six elders from pilot in the RC elders from here and yes some of the elders from St. Mary's and to basically take the first view when the boxes are open and look at them and at that point

no force expecting them to react to them and talk about and tells them stories and now it's finding them. It's was really good to see. Fortunately from my perspective most of it went on and so I can to some extent I can appreciate what was said at the time but by just seeing reactions. I mean it wasn't a Oh my goodness jump in. Absolute joy but you can see in people's faces the reactions was of wonder I suppose. And you know ultimately our my purpose was to get a decision and I'm somehow that particular And they did that. And that's that's that's you know you are. Yes.

And that's you know that's kind of a hard question to answer. It's a that's it's you know I see that maybe I'm guilty or feel guilty that says you know that you are. It's a win win. Yeah yeah. I don't know part of it may be. Before I moved to St. Mary's I had never when I was going I've never been to live in one place and one very well. So when I moved as soon as I had one of living there longer than I had so it was an unusual experience for me

and I felt that the people in St. Mary's made me feel like I was at home. And I still feel like I'm as well as a mountain is that you can't help organize dance festivals and involve the people without really created someone. And I think that more than anything else because I really want to see I really want to see those places. I want to see them be good communities. We all know and I couldn't help but avoid it when I was the city manager to experience some of the problems that exist with the transition from one culture to another culture and trying to make it to work. I don't know if the answer to those kind of problems is emphasizing the U-Pick aspect of things but we know there are problems here that need to be resolved. There are a range of possibilities

that may help solve those problems may not even know what the causes of the problems but it was clear to me that the elders in those really felt that the culture was important to emphasize because if their children can get a good foundation in that culture even though they're not going dance with masks and more things like that it's still. You're rooted in something so maybe to me having sort of grown up in a rootless sort of thing I felt rooted in saying I was accepted. As I said the other night when I first came there said I should dance and I felt why should I dance and this is a U-Pick tradition but it isn't it isn't. It's a community function. That's what I think I like about you big dance and you don't have to be a professional. You don't have to take training it's really one community with one or another and I was looked upon as a member of the community. And once

I was accepted as that then it wasn't nobody thought it was odd for me. I can't say that but I don't feel anybody nobody ever gave me the impression that it was odd for me to learn how to dance. What is it now. You can't live out here for very long and not have a real respect for what it takes to live as them. I think that bind with the village life which although it has its problems also is probably the high I don't. I had said the highest evolved system for living together but I mean in a way it is and I enjoyed it when I lived there and I think I don't know what it is something just give

you that even though I live in Anchorage and you know I feel like I want to be out here and doing things and this was a way to listen and to do them. I really can't answer that it's just the way it is now. They interview me and you pick and see how well you did. Yeah I know I look at what will be around me and we should probably all get over that it's him.