With "faith" our season has begun = "ukpigun"

Leaving the farm this morning to work at the Starvin' Artist Holiday Gallery, it was a beautiful sight.


One benefit of working the gallery is meeting the people. Here is Maryana Dudih trying on some fur hats made by Kathy Fields.

Arriving at the shop, I saw 2 large planes flying from Fort Greely and heading over town to.............?

Phoebe Horschel shows off a box decorated by Acacia Floral for a donation box for baby Isaiah Peyton John who is a newborn recovering from surgery in Anchorage. Donation boxes can be found at IGA, Texaco, Kelly's Alaska Country Inn, The Hard Wok, The Starvin' Artist Gallery, Mt. McKinley Bank, Silver Fox Roadhouse and Fort Greely Coffee Shop.

Baby Isaiah Peyton John Needs Our Prayers and Help

Monday, November 19, 2007

Help Needed for the John Family

Most of you know that my Alaska brother Reuben John (son of Fred and Linnea John Jr. of Delta Junction) and his wife Rachel (daughter of Dwight and Julia Phillips of Delta Junction) had their baby, Isaiah Peyton John on October 28th, 2007. Isaiah has severe Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension (PPHN) in his heart and lungs. Since birth he has been struggling with his health, he had a surgery last week but has been unable to leave the hospital or breathe on his own since his birth. His family has been unable to hold him due to the various breathing devices he must stay connected to in order to survive. Per doctor’s orders, Rachel has been in Anchorage prior to his birth.

Shortly after Isaiah’s birth, Reuben returned to Fairbanks for work, however, after only two days back at work, Isaiah’s specialist suggested Reuben return to Anchorage due to his precarious situation. Reuben will unlikely be able to leave his family until Isaiah is in a more medically stable condition, which according to his doctors may be at least two months. I'm writing this letter to ask you to consider donating to Reuben and Rachel so that they can continue to be with baby Isaiah at the hospital.

After all this family has been through, they need the support of each other during this difficult time. In addition to the extreme emotional stress caused by Isaiah's medical condition, neither Rachel nor Reuben have been able to work. Now Reuben will be leaving his job and is considering giving up their home in Fairbanks to cut the cost of rent and utilities. I know any assistance we can give them will help reduce their financial related stress and allow them to focus on their son.

Donations can also be sent directly to them by logging onto www.paypal.com and going to Send Money, type in Rachel’s email notmyown557@yahoo.com or phone number 907-590-7376, and enter your email and the donation amount. The donations will automatically be deposited into Reuben and Rachel's Paypal account. You can also send a donation to Delta Christian Center, PO Box 1329, Delta Jct., Alaska , 99737 and they will send them to Rachel and Reuben in Anchorage. Please consider helping this family, and most importantly, remember them in your prayers.

Thanks, Lael R. Echo-Hawk

* Daily updates on Isaiah's condition can be found at the following website www.thestatus.com, you can also send words of encouragement to them via that website.

To log on to www.thestatus.com go to visit a patient page, last name John, password John557

It's a good "day" = "uvluq" in Inupiaq Eskimo

Well, the picture you saw on my last entry was taken at the Silver Fox Roadhouse next to their lifesize bison mount. I had fun with it. My cousin, Jeanie Greene, has run her own tv program for 17 years out of Anchorage: "Heartbeat Alaska"...www.jeaniegreen.com

She visited me as she drove back from the Alaska Federation of Natives Conference (AFN) last month, stopped and shot some video of us out in the bison field. I sent her home with a mosaic bison skull and a bison knit scarf. She was thrilled and I enjoyed sharing our ranch/farm. Dennis, her husband, came along too and was a delight. She will be airing the special for the holidays...I believe the programs run , 1 at 10:30 AM which is her program but alittle different and the other at 11:00 AM on Saturday ...GCI station? Well, I will find out what station it airs on the dish satellite.

Here is a pic of Ray Wonders and his son, Hunter, who came out from Anchorage. They left at 4:30 AM and got their bison before dark. They were a nice father/son duo.

The creations above are some I am creating for the Starvin' Artists Holiday Gallery. Just adding some fiber art to the collection of the wonderful pieces that are already in the gallery. They are created with fabric, homemade paper (thanks to Nancy King for her donation), natural yarn, fabric pens, printed cardstock and of course, my favorite ~ glitter. My inspiration is fireweed, forget-me-nots, and dogwood.

Happy Thanksgiving

"to be dark, of night" = "taaq" in Inupiaq Eskimo

Daylight is minimal, with no full moon~it really seems black. Motion lights are everywhere at our place. I've spent yesterday watching football and working on my bison head pieces. Scott hand tanned these last year and I transfered photos from our animals onto muslin then attached them to the hides. I added beads and artwork with fabric pens. I'm also finishing my birch trees in Alaska's fall...Taking them to the gallery today.

Load 'em up, Head 'em out! RAWHIDE!

59 calves to the home place so far..they look frightened but they'll be well cared for.

Scott will lay grain on top of the hay he rolls out and keep these new calves separated from the 1, 2 & 3 year olds that they share pasture with. I think the mamma's aren't too upset but the babies find comfort in being together. Scott does a top notch job, Kris Alfonsi helps him...........it's a delicate job.

Veterans Day ........... A day for thanks and remembrance

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin
Women Veterans Day. in Alaska, and encourage all Alaskans to join me in saluting all women veterans and show our appreciation for their many contributions ...www.gov.state.ak.us/proclamations.php?id=719 - 22k -

Alaska Job Center Network - Veteran Benefits Timetable
Jobs Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce Development - Veteran Benefits Timetable

Chertoff in Iraq for Veterans Day
Mon, Nov 12, 2007
WASHINGTON (AP) Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff spent Sunday in Iraq, where he participated in a ceremony for 178 foreign-born service members to become U.S. citizens. "I can't think o...

"Starvin" ("kaaksiu" in Inupiaq) Artists Holiday Gallery-Do Drop In

Do Drop In and Browse! We are the 8 artists from Delta....we are located above the Mt. McKinley Bank.............Monday - Saturday, noon - 7 PM

To "Babysit" bison = "pilaaqtuaq" in Inupiaq Eskimo

Scott continues to round up calves to bring them to the home place, we take a break. We had Chuck Taylor for a bison hunt, he did very well. There are also still cow moose hunters and bison hunters with tags from the State meandering around. As I crunch the figures, the herd is increasing but so is the need for feed. With new recommendations for the i.d. system from the state.......I don't know how we can keep up. Fuel costs have increased substantially, as have the GVEA electric costs and now fertilizer is going to increase to an amount that is going to put some farmers/ranchers at risk of closing their businesses. With Mat Maid threatened for resale to possibly anyone which may exclude the dairy industry for Alaska, hay producers will be hit harder again. Where does this leave us? Well, we are in Alaska. We are separated by Canada from the lower'48 states. If we don't hold on to our agricultural land, we will someday pay the price of having no land to support ourselves in an economic manner. Are the statistics that 1% of Alaska is owned by private enterprise? Land Ownership in Alaska
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTMLOther Private Land. Land in private ownership (other than Native land) comprises less than one percent of the total land in. Alaska. Much of the best land ...www.dnr.state.ak.us/mlw/factsht/land_own.pdf

We are not Texas where their state is owned primarily by private individuals. We have very little land for our own use privately. Close down our food sources and also the availability of agricultural productive land and we may never see this land available again. Buy local when you can and look at the Matanuska Valley who in the 1930's - 60's was prime ag land only to now become a bedroom community of Anchorage. I worry, the sacrifices we have made personally may be in vain~I know our family may never go hungry, I also know that as the population of Alaska grows, so will the need to sustain a food source. We can produce what we need here, it will be quality-I don't think we are a hunting and gathering group of individuals anymore and we cannot rely on government jobs to carry us through-that's a dangerous conception. Ruby Hollembaek

Bison "to hurry" away = "sukasaq" in Inupiaq

These are the 6 month old bison calves that Scott has taken away from their mothers and released at the home place. We will grain and hay them throughout most of the winter plus they will have plenty of grasses to eat. With 85 calves, this will be a process that will take about 3 weeks as we are only able to catch about a dozen at a time. We have more grazing ground at the homeplace but it's alittle sad to see them taken away. They never moo like cattle when removed from their mothers but they definitely stick together for support.

Got yer 'tators' yet? Here is Wes & Danny Bannon from the Matanuska Valley. It's been about 18 years since they lived in Delta. Their family used to operate a hog business until the slaughter facilities shut down. Now, Wes & Beth do what they know best.....they raise wonderful Alaskan potatoes. Here Wes is holding a bag with the original logo that his parents, Al & Mary Bannon, first had in the valley many, many years ago. So cool! Buy local whenever you can! They raise Yukon Gold, Red Potatoes and #114's I think it is.

Happy Thanksgiving from Wesley. He was sent some fun art projects from his Aunt Leslie and insisted on doing them immediately!

"To hold an Eskimo dance" = "aggi"

I got word that there will be an Alaskan Native Dance Group performing at Fort Greely, 6PM . To get through the gates, you will need a current vehicle registration, insurance & drivers license.

American Indian & Alaska Native Heritage Month at Gabriel Auditorium

Kicaput Singers and Dancers to Perform at Gabriel Auditorium at Fort Greely, November 2nd at 6 PM

**************************OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY************************

Contact Treva Slaughter, Protocol Officer, Fort Greely Garrison at 873-5234 for more information.