Cecelia Strongheart

Since the crisis about the Yukon Delta came to light I have been blogging and getting food here for the needy families in Nunam Iqua. Many of you have seen my various posts and the stories about my Shopping Trip and Living without Running Water. There have been many questions directed at me asking who I am.

First off, I want to reiterate that I am doing this for my people. I didn’t realize that people would want to know who I am. But since there have been so many questions I thought I would tell a little bit about myself. I hope this satisfies curiosity and maybe helps give a little perspective on my CHOICE to live in Nunam Iqua.

This all started the day I heard about the letter Nicholas Tucker, a man from Emmonak, sent out. I had the radio on and heard about it. I had already seen it, as my husband was at the Fuel Summit where Nick presented it. I had already gone online and researched various organizations and food banks thinking to give that information to the tribes. Then after hearing the radio, I googled Crisis in Emmonak and found themudflats.net. I posted that it wasn’t just Emmonak that was struggling and told about the struggle here in Nunam Iqua and that it was the entire Yukon Delta!

Little did I know that that little statement would turn into this. People immediately asked where to send food to. Being a do’er, meaning when I see something that needs to be done I just do it rather than sitting by and talking about it or waiting to see what happens, I posted the address to the Youth Program that I was directing at the time. Since then the out pour of help/support has been simply amazing. I thought I knew the power of the internet but this grassroots, Internet driven humanitarian effort is simply ASTOUNDING!

Now that my husband has gone back to working 10 and half hours a day with the Water/Sewer project I am a full-time stay at home mom running the food drive during my daughter’s naptime and in the evenings after hubby gets home from work.

Ok now more about me…

Well like y’all know I reside in Nunam Iqua, AK (formerly Sheldon Point) No I was not born here, nor was I raised here. My late mother was born and raised here in Nunam Iqua. I was born and raised near Yakima, Washington. My parents met when my father came to Alaska and ran the cannery here on the lower Yukon. They were married in St. Michael, AK. When my mom became pregnant with me they moved back to my father’s home near Yakima, WA.

After I was born, they came back to the Bush until she became pregnant with my younger brother. Then we moved back to WA again. Unfortunately, their marriage fell apart and my father got custody of both my brother and I. My mother passed away when I was 10 and I never knew that much about her or her family in Nunam Iqua.

I was raised by my father near Yakima and graduated from high school. After high school, I moved to the Portland, OR area and became a certified professional nanny. I worked in the Portland area for two years before I got my courage up and joined the U.S. Navy. I attended basic training in Orlando, FL and then went to Memphis, TN for my specialized training. I was trained to be an Aviation Structural Mechanic (structures). Meaning I worked on the airframes and hydraulics of airplanes and helicopters.

I was then stationed at NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii. I spent four years there, got married and had my oldest daughter. I was due to either reenlist or end my four year naval career shortly after she was born. Since I was scheduled to go to Sea Duty, I chose not to reenlist since I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving my then 3 month old daughter. My then husband was transferred to NAS Lemoore, CA. I became a full-time college student using my Navy College Fund and GI Bill. After two years of college I became pregnant with my son and had to drop out due to pregnancy complications. Shortly, after my son was born, that marriage fell apart and I returned to the Yakima area. After a messy divorce I made the best decision of my life….to move to Nunam Iqua.

My decision to move to Nunam Iqua was based on the life long need/desire to know where my late mother came from and about my Yupik heritage/culture. So that was four and a half years ago. Since then I have met my wonderful husband, Segundo. He was born and raised here in Nunam Iqua. I am unbelievably grateful to him because he has taught me so much. We go hunting, fishing, berry picking and many other Yupik traditional activities.

Moving to Nunam Iqua wasn’t that much of a culture shock for me. I think it is because I was raised hunting, fishing, berry picking and gathering. Ok, I admit the honey bucket took some getting used to.

Like I have mentioned in my posts and blogs, we have a beautiful daughter, Cecelia, Named after my late mother. She is nearly 19 months old and quite a handful. We are passing our Yupik traditions and language on to her. Although I am worried about what her Yupik will sound like because my accent really mutilates the Yupik language. The Yupik language is a very throaty language. And I have come to realize that what I hear isn’t necessarily what comes out of my mouth LOL. Thankfully, my husband is very patient and helps by translating the Yupik language sounds to English ones and helps me learn them. So basically CC and I are learning Yupik together. But I really have to wonder what kind of accent CC will have when she grows up.

I love living in Nunam Iqua, despite its many challenges and struggles. I gladly give up many conveniences for this simple quiet village life. I do miss being able to go out to eat, or being able to run to the 7-11 or go to the movies or the hair salon, but not enough to want to move back to the city. Even now I can’t stand going into Anchorage, there is way too much noise and too many people. I do like being able to shop and not having to pay and arm and a leg for everything, but only on short, infrequent trips.

I had my first “Potlatch” last year and I am now an official “graduated” Yupik Eskimo Dancer. I enjoy going for snow machine rides during the winter and I love going boating in the summer. Last summer my husband taught me how to use a spear and spear thrower to hunt seal. I haven’t caught one yet but I was getting really close. I look forward to this summer so we can go out boating again, and egg hunting and berry picking and gathering with CC.

Well, I think that’s about it. Hope that answers some of your questions without completely boring you with my “entire” life story. So now that your curiosity is partially satisfied lets get back to the issues at hand ;-) and focus on helping our neighbors and fellow Americans keep their homes warm and their tummy’s full this winter.

Sincerely a Proud YUPIK Mom, Ann :-D