Yesterday we went to visit Uyaana's ahna. Ahna is the Inupiaq word for grandmother. Ahna lives year round out at camp on a slough on the Noatak River. She lives out there alone but has lots of visitors to check on her and bring her things that she needs. Yesterday we went out there to visit and get her some wood for her wood stove.
Ahna's cabin is surrounded by huge snow drifts.
Uyaana had a great time climbing all over this one.
Uyaana likes to follow to go get wood because he loveds to play in the trees.
Problem is this year we have had so much snow that he kept sinking in up to his hips.
He asked to try the snowshoes that we brought.
I thought for sure that he was going to fall over and not be able to get up.
I wasn't looking forward to postholing over to him to help him up when he fell.
He wobbled a couple times when he crossed the backs of the snowshoes together, but he never did fall.
He took to it like a natural.
He had a great time following the rabbit tracks all over.
He did so well that I told him I would get him his own snowshoes for next winter.
Here is the shelter that Uyaana boult for the animals. He said "See mom, just like Survivorman". He thought maybe a wolf might take a nap in it. If you look carefully you can see uyaana inside of it.
In the end we brought home two loads of wood for ahna.
The weather was warm (about 18F degrees) and we had a great time playing out in the trees.
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12 comments:
I love this post.
CD
I love ahna's house!
He is so great...what a great deal that you are his mom and let him see and appreciate so much about his culture....You are totally awesome...thanks for the pics.
Uyaana is a natural on the snowshoes...my first time, I fell flat on my face.
Love his animal shelter!
He appears to be a sweet, kind-hearted young man...I taught first grade for 27 years and he looks like a student I would enjoy!!!
Kit
ps...I always enjoy your language lessons!
Gives new meaning to that old ditty, "Over hills and through the woods...to Grandmother's house we go..."
=)
Hey Cath! Wow! So good to see Aana, Maasak was glad to see her too. We sure enjoyed the lil videos too. When Maasak saw Uyaana, she said "look, my cousin!"
Glad we finally got on to see all these pix. Taikuu!
Saumik and kids in Noatak
Every time you think, well, that was interesting,the next day there is soon some other completely insane new aspect of life in Alaska on show. I'm not overly fond of my neighbors but I'm not going to be in line to apply to homestead the back 40,000 acres in Alaska anytime soon. Amazing stuff.
Uyaana gets more grown up every picture you post of him!
and ahna is adorable!!!
dr.Laura wpold be proud of you
wonderful post. thanks so much for sharing this way of life
Is that a solar panel on the side of the cabin?
Yep, that's a solar panel. It charges the big battery that runs the camp cell phone (like a base unit cell that you plug a regular phone into) and the VHF radio.
And to the person who asked earleir....in the summer we get to ahna by boat.
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