VILLAGE TRIP AND HEALTH FAIR IN POINT LAY

I was excited to be flying along with Darlene, the Public Health Nurse Coordinator, to Point Lay on Thursday morning to participate in a Health Fair for the villagers there.  On most of my walks to work and back, I find myself jogging, enjoying the beauty of all I’m seeing as well as the crisp, cold air.  This morning, I had an additional reason to jog, being anxious to get to the clinic and finish packing my boxes and the immunizations I’d be taking.  Near the post office, I saw Darlene walking, so we walked together for a short distance before I invited her to join me going across the lagoon.  I’ve come to love the treks across it and after doing a sweeping search for polar bears or foxes, seeing none, feel as though I enter a different and more wonderful world.  Darlene said that she wanted to walk on the road this morning, so we said good bye and I jogged up and over the berm and onto the snowy ice wondering by how many minutes I would arrive at the Wellness Center, a mile away, before her.  When I entered the door, there she was, already having taken her layers of outer clothing off.  She laughed seeing my amazed expression and then admitted to having accepted a ride.  She said that she couldn’t believe that I was jogging and thought it would be fun to beat me. 

Darlene and I were part of the 15 member group of North Slope Borough employees from various entities who traveled to Point Lay to put on a Health Fair for the villagers that day.  We met the others at the airport at 10:00 am and soon afterwards boarded an Era Beechcraft 1900 for the 40 minute flight taking us to the small village 152 miles southwest of Barrow on the Chukchi Sea.  The flight was beautiful and I was reminded how safe I felt flying with my Dad a number of times while growing up.  Just knowing that he was in the cockpit always gave me a sense that all was right with the world and that he would get us to where we were going safely.  Although Dad is now enjoying sunny days in Arizona, I still feel that same sense of confidence when flying…for me, Dad is still in the cockpit.

We could see the village from where we stood after disembarking from the airplane and on the single road leading to the airport, a police truck followed by several others were making their way to the runway to pick us, our boxes, display boards, bags and totes up.  As I heaved my back pack and bag of immunizations onto the seat before climbing in next to Darlene and another woman, Darlene laughed and said, “what’s in all your bags, Susi?  Old women always carry their jewels with them in big bags when they travel!”  I couldn’t help laughing, this being an ironic statement as I wear very little jewelry and feeling that this was probably somehow good-naturedly related to my jogging off across the lagoon earlier in the day.    

The Inupiat call their village Kali, which means “mound”.  It’s been relocated several times over the years, but is now on a mound overlooking a lagoon.   We rode with an Inupiat woman named Gwen—she told us that everyone called her Apple.  She is the telecommunications officer for Point Lay and asked if we could spare several minutes for a tour of Kali.  We were all grateful for her offer and as she drove up and down the few roads, she pointed out the public works building, the water treatment facility, the fire station, the health clinic, the very small post office and the school that housed all grades before turning to the residential area where the less than 300 villagers live.  Their first and only street sign stood on a rise where two roads crossed.  Apple said that it had been long in coming and that everyone was happy that it was now up.  I don’t think I’ve ever been to a more picturesque community.  The homes are all colorfully painted wood and very well-kept.  I was also impressed by the lack of sound.  Apple told us that the only and few vehicles used were owned by the North Slope Borough.  Along with seeing them we saw one snow machine being used.  Other than that, the small community sat quietly in the sun on the mound overlooking the lagoon inviting us to enjoy our day there.  I found myself thinking that I could live here very easily…several others said that they felt the same way.

Apple said that hunters herd Beluga whales into the lagoon where they are killed and harvested and in order to hunt for Bowhead whale, hunters travel out on the frozen sea ice.  Coastal fish and birds also make up the diet of the traditional subsistence lifestyle of the people here.

With plenty of time before the gym/cafeteria would be available for us to set up for the Health Fair, we ate lunch in the school library and then Darleen, Kerri, the Infant Learning Program Coordinator, and I walked to the clinic for a tour.  I was surprised at how large a facility it is with exam rooms, a good-sized med room, dental and counseling rooms as well as living quarters with a large kitchen and living room and two rooms each containing two twin beds.  Michelle, one of the other public health nurses at the Wellness Center is assigned to Point Lay, so this is where she stays and works for her four week-long visits.  It is similar to the clinics in the other villages and to where I’ll eventually be working in Kaktovik.  Itinerant or community health aides work out of the clinic on a daily basis meeting the emergent medical needs of the people here and itinerant dentists visit throughout the year.      

Among other NSB entities from Barrow who set up tables in the school gym were counselors from AWIC, Arctic Women in Crisis, who provide resources and housing for women and children in homes where there is domestic violence; an officer from Barrow’s Veterinary Clinic, there to talk about rabies in dogs as well as fox; an educator from the Barrow Fire Department, a representative from the Infant Learning Program that offers testing and resources for developmental delays or disabilities in children; a nurse from Samuel Simmons Memorial Hospital, there giving flu shots; a young woman providing information about Ilisagvik College; a woman from WIC, the program that educates parents about infant nutrition and who provide vouchers for dairy and other products. 

The Health Fair was a success and because it was the only activity happening in the village that afternoon, most people attended.  I loved interacting with adults and children and was pleased that there was no reservation when I asked if it was alright if I took their photographs.  Each table was laden with brochures as well as small toys for the many children who attended.  I was impressed that although they lingered in front of the toys, most took only one, some returning later to see if they could trade their original in for another.  A mound of condoms sat near the brochures having to do with sexually transmitted diseases.  I was happy that when a little boy asked me if he could have one, his older sister laughed and said quickly, “they’re for big boys!”

The sense of comradery was high when we packed up and left the school.  Many community members had remained and called their thanks after us as we drove away towards the airport where the Era plane was waiting.  Darlene, who had coordinated the Health Fair, told the pilot when we landed earlier in the day that we were planning to hold the fair until 6:00 pm.  He told her that he would be landing at 5:30 pm and had an Alaska Airlines flight to catch after landing in Barrow, so suggested that if we wanted a ride back, we’d better be there when he was ready to take off shortly after he landed…we were = ). 

When talking with Dad later about the trip to Point Lay, I was trying to describe where things were in relationship to the airport.  This didn’t help much as he said that there was no airport when he did his bush flights there, landing on the sea ice or in between the homes of the villages instead.  It’s fascinating hearing his stories.  I should post his telephone number as hearing them from him is much more interesting and include details that leave one feeling in awe of his adventures as a young man.