Darkness starts to fall

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Flag of United States  , Alaska,
Thursday, November 15, 2007

The atmosphere is changing in the village.  The cold has settled in and it is now dropping more often to 20 below zero.  It does not get much higher than 1 degree and the snow falls more often.  The snow is so dry that it is fluffy and can be swept away with a broom but it is piles of it that you sweep away.  People are dressing warmer and digging in. They are preparing for the real cold that is on the way.  Pipes are starting to freeze and flights are starting to get canceled.  It is so big here and so untouched that it can actually make you feel closed in and trapped instead of lost in wide open spaces.  The sun is "setting" at about 3:00 pm now and "rising" at about 9:00 am.  It will get darker until Christmas.  Life continues and you almost don't notice it unless you really think about it or head outside for a walk at 4:00 and realize it is getting to dark to soon.  The moon and sun are often in the sky together and both only move a bit.  Not the up down cycle we are used to in lower 48 Moon Over Arctic Village
Moon Over Arctic Village
 .  People are seen walking with warm drinks in their hands.  Not hot because once they walk outside the drink cools down rapidly.  It is a blessing not to deal with cars and driving.  It will get so cold here that you wont drink on the way from building to building.  There was a story of a man in the Arctic in 50 below temps that opened a flask of whiskey to take a nip for warmth. He swigged it back and dropped dead because his throat froze shut.  Spit will freeze before it hits the ground in that kind of weather.  It still has a cozy feeling.  People turn up the heat, cook hot chocolate, and settle in with a book.  It is Dividend time here and Native Festivals are taking place in Fairbanks so those who do not want to huddle up take trips and party it up.  Alcohol is making its appearance  in the village as people return and bootleg it in.  There is such a paradox that happens in the village.  The old ways are still so close because they did not change until the mid 1900s but the resistance to alcohol, drugs and money is non-existent.  This is the first generation of Natives that have discretionary income.  Prior to this it was staples only and before that subsistence living.  My family and I are observing a shift in culture and thinking that most will never witness.  It is so sad in many ways but also almost scientific.  Will these people be able to adapt?  Will they make that cultural shift and be able to live in the White world and hold on to their tradition? Many think not.   Much of the language is being lost as well as the skills that used to be  passed down as they become more dependent on government checks and dividends.  Some try to pass tradition on and much is being written down so maybe there is hope that the transition will be made.  As we wait and watch there is one thing that does not change.  The cold comes and the dark comes and we watch the snow fall and the ice form.  I look forward to the Northern Lights and the dog sledding that I will experience.   Christmas here should be beautiful but I expect to be homesick.  Its all part of traveling and experiencing other ways of life.  A paradigm shift if you will.
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