Here we go!
Commuters, village style.
Sarah James, our guide in the village.
Gwich’in at the village school.
This is the “elders room” at the school where elders can come, pull out students and talk to them at any time.
Where left over lunch food goes in Arctic Village.
View on the way to the caribou hunt.
Back of the snowmachine selfie.
Charlie Swaney can dress out a caribou in about 20 minutes.
One caribou, butchered and in the sled.
Charlie Swaney, caribou hunter
Back at Swaney’s house, his wife Marion was cutting up meat for the freezer. The news is always on.
Caribou ribs
Martha and her sister Marion at work.
People in Arctic Village follow politics closely when it comes to ANWR
The skin for caribou legs is used to make boots.
This is the village’s only store.
At the village store, which has mostly canned and dry goods, things cost three times what they do in Fairbanks. Folgers is $16. Doritos, $10.
Gas for snowmachines costs $10 a gallon.
Arctic Village has no indoor plumbing. There is only one public shower (plus two at the school) for 150 people.
The old Episcopal mission church. Missionaries brought English to the village .
Inside the old Episcopal mission church.
Here is one of the books used to teach English sounds to that people could read a Gwich’in version of the bible written with the English alphabet.
Sarah taking us to the new church. (Which is 30 years old)
Arctic Village cemetery
Nathaniel Wilder, photographer and pal, being super excited to be in the village.
Some sweet local beadwork.
Moon over Arctic Village.
View from the school classroom where I slept. (Thanks Arctic Village school!)
This is a terrible picture of awesome northern lights. I’m just happy they showed up on my iPhone. (Maybe I should start using a camera?)
Heading out of Fort Yukon.
Read the story I wrote while I was here and see more (WAY BETTER) photos here.
