Twin Hills Cultural Fair
What comes to your
mind when you think of getting up in the morning to go ice-fishing? Perhaps
you think of Saturdays or Christmas vacation. For the students of Twin
Hills School, however, smelting was a school activity to kick off a five
day celebration of traditional and current Yup’ik customs. Sewing, cooking,
storytelling, and dance were all a part of the busy week that was designed
to help students understand and appreciate their unique cultural heritage.
The activities were part of a social studies unit about ANCSA.
Monday was wet and
rainy, but that did not dampen the enthusiasm of the 16 students as they
headed to the mouth of the Togiak River. They eagerly chopped holes and
tried their muscles with a hand auger, but after the first few feet of
ice, were happy to relinquish the duties to Don Winkelman, who volunteered
his power auger. Eight holes were dug in record time, and the students
happily munched on ham sandwiches and waited for the smelt to bite. They
munched on potato chips and waited some more, but, despite 2 hours of concentrated
efforts, no fish were caught. Back to school they went, where they recorded
their adventures in journals along with estimates of weight
and length of smelt. Although it would have been preferable have actual
fish on hand, they were able to check their estimates via the Internet
and encyclopedia.
When students arrived at school on Tuesday
morning, the gym had been transformed into a home economics room. Darlene
Triplett, SRS School to Work Coordinator and sewing expert, had arrived
to help with the creation of a kuspuk for each child. Students practiced
using the sewing machines, then cut out their choice of material in the
maroon, gold, and black school colors. While waiting for chances to use
the sewing machines, they made dance fans under the supervision of aide
Agnes Gamechuk and volunteer elder Mary Kuku. The students were so excited
about their sewing projects that they all returned to school at 5:00 to
continue their efforts. It was 10:00 p.m. when the last sewers were sent
reluctantly home.
Wednesday was storytelling
day, but there was still much work to be done on the kuspuks, so storytelling
was interspersed with the fast-pace hum of sewing machines. Students watched
videos of master Yup’ik storytellers from the Bethel area, and recreated
the stories through skits and and writing. Sewing continued at a furious
pace, with the combined efforts of the students and Darlene Triplett, along
with staff members Jessica Mark, Priscilla McIntyre, Agnes Gamechuk and
Kathy Yahr. Student teacher Susan Alexie was a tremendous help as she experienced
thematic teaching and learning in full force.
Although the dancers
and instructor scheduled to arrive Thursday were unable to make it to Twin
Hills, the students were eager to have a Yup’ik dance of their own. In
cooperative groups, they generated lists of school activities, put
them into sentences, and created dance moves for each line. Jessica Mark,
aide and secretary at the school, found herself being called on to sing
after the song was translated into Yup’ik. It was Friday morning before
the kuspuks were finally finished and time was found to practice the dance.
Friday was also cooking
day, and Susan Alexie brought a variety of berries to add to sugar and
shortening to make akutaq. Using the natural vegetation of the tundra was
a great way to bring together the Alaska studies theme with the impending
investigation of plants. The students thought that using their hands to
mix and squish was the best way to thoroughly blend the mixture, and
taste tests confirmed their success.
After the aqutaq was set on the back porch
to cool, the students changed into their newly made kuspuks for a quick
dress rehearsal, and went upstairs to wait for the community to arrive.
As the gym filled up, excitement and anticipation sparkled in the student’s
eyes. They quietly lined up outside of the gym, then walked in to the beat
of Joseph Henry’s drum. As they took their places in front of the audience,
Jessica sang loud and clear as the students danced the routine they had
developed. The words to their song are as follows:
(English translation:
Twin Hills School people are the best.
We like to wrestle, make kuspuks, and speak Yupik.
We have tournaments, Battle of the Books, and kindness in our school.
We always exercise, cook and sew)
When the dance was over, everyone applauded enthusiastically and lined up for a spaghetti luncheon. Spaghetti may not be an old Yup’ik tradition, but it’s always a favorite at Twin Hills School, and provided a tasty ending to a memorable week.