Traveling through small Eskimo villages can be a rewarding-and eye-opening-experience. Here are some things to keep in mind when visiting.
The villagers you’ll meet are descended from people who have lived in same places for 10,000 years, so the first thing to remember is that you’re the newcomer. Be a humble guest.
When you land, there may be villagers awaiting the plane. They want to find out who you are and what your agenda is. They’re very friendly, welcoming people, so introduce yourself, ask for a ride into town, and ask permission to walk around their village. If they sense you have good intentions, they’ll call around and people will show up with art, something knitted, something home-cooked. Buy something and use it as excuse to start a conversation.
Find someone to introduce you to elders, who can tell you about the old days and ways. Ask where they used to live, travel to, where they hunt now, how the changing weather is changing their life. They’re delighted to have their picture taken—just ask first.
You’ll see lots of “trash,” unkempt kids, people running around past midnight. But understand that what you see is not how it appears. All that machinery? Spare parts used to fix broken machines. That large coil of cable? It may become a table in someone’s home.
Natives live functional lives, and all of this has functional value; your job is to try to imagine why it’s there and what it will be used for. There is nothing in the cultural values of these communities that prizes an aesthetic environment, nothing that says it’s better to store trash in a landfill than to leave it out front. (In fact, despite the fact that native art is one of the world’s fine art forms, there is not even a word in the native language for “art”!)
If you want to understand the frame of reference of those who live here, go to the grocery store and look at the prices and availability of goods. But don’t think of the people you will visit as poor. Poverty is a state of mind. They may be cut off, isolated from the world, but they don’t feel poor. In fact, the people of these regions are among the most generous anywhere in sharing their harvests and bounty with others.
You will see signs of alcoholism and substance abuse. But don’t dwell on these—look past it. The villagers are all too aware of it, and if you focus on it, it can shame them.
Native Alaskans have a great sense of humor, great dignity, and great grace in their approach to life. Visiting them can be a uniquely rewarding experience. Just treat the people you meet how you would want to be treated in your hometown and you can return with stories, handcrafted art, and a unique perspective on Alaskan life.
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