Tar Baby (that's Robs new name) has taken to taring that roof. Andrew assists and John holds the ladders. Blake measures and nails. Keith cuts, hands up supplies to the roofers and burns the debris in his big fire pit. Also up on the roof are our village friends Issac, Chad and Leonard and a few others that have pitched in throughout 
the project. Even Pinky got up there with the boys-God Bless! Blakealso designed a new ground bell "tower"...until the future bell tower gets rebuilt. Pleep drove us nuts ringing those bells. 
the project. Even Pinky got up there with the boys-God Bless! Blakealso designed a new ground bell "tower"...until the future bell tower gets rebuilt. Pleep drove us nuts ringing those bells. 
In hindsight I think our Team bit off a little too much of a "missions project"-remember we were to come to help repair the tower (as in replace some wood, caulk etc.) not tear down most of a 3 story structure and rebuild a new roof! The boys worked their fannies off...yep 14 hour days. Thank you sunshine in Alaska till 11 pm in the summer. As I mentioned, my job was boots on the ground PRAYING THAT NOBODY WOULD FALL OFF THE ROOF OR MAIM THEMSELVES! Good job Bocahantas. You have no idea how many candles were lit and Jesus prayers were said and promises made to accomplish this. Amen. I just couldn't see me driving that truck home while Keith snoozed in the passenger seat with some lame injury. Rob and Andrew had a clothes burning ceremony Sunday night as there was nothing else to do with those tarred up jeans and shirts. Not Buba. He use hand sanitizer trying to remove his tar. Only making it worse of course. "The Traveling Pants" are now stinking up the car. Will he wear them proudly in Boca? Now it may take a few weeks for the tar to wear off the skin boys.... They did not shingle or paint so WE ARE WISHING, HOPING AND PRAYING (you know I love Dusty Springfield) that our hosts will finish it off. Hello Ty friends, you know I'll be checking up on you.
SENATE PROBES NATIVE CORPS
This was a headline on the front page of the Anchorage Daily News. "An investigation into how Alaska Native Corporations are landing billions in federal contracts found the companies have seen dramatic growth over the past eight years and said the contracting has totaled nearly $24 billion during that period". The total amount of Alaska Native contracting has grown from $508 million in 2000 to $5.2 billion last year. The Native corporations received 19 percent of all Federal contracts awarded to small business while only 1/5th of the work was performed in Alaska. 70% of those contracts were awarded through the Department of Defense through mainly no bid set asides.....hey how much are those execs paid? how many employees are Native? No bid federal contracts meaning no competition? Yikes. Collectively the ANC (Alaska Native Corporations) serve 130,000 disadvantaged individuals and are responsible for providing economic, social and culture benefits in perpetuity. How much of the revenue actually reaches Natives as shareholder dividends? Is this a scam as big biz (big defense contractors partnering with my Natives) reaps most of the benefit....COME ON MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS lets stand up and not stand under those big honking companies...let's do it on our own. Then no beholding to the man, so to speak. I know you're thinking...huh? that right wing republican babe is talking some kinda 60's. You bet. Stand up. Through education, hard work and integrity. Please forgive me if I am coming across too preachy....I love my new friends from the Village. I want the best for you. Stand up and many will stand beside you.
BACK AT THE RANCH
My friends made a great BBQ feast for us on our last day-Sunday. MMMMMMMMM
MM. And as Betty would say "YUM!" Several brought us salmon in a variety of ways....I tried to hide much of it as I did not want to share...but I was caught and no I won't torture you and say "red handed". Pleep also loved the salmon and od'd on the green apples. That darn monkey ate so many that we had to send him to the Clinic...diagnosed with Greenappleitis. Buba had to feed him Malox and Tums for 2 days. My favorite gift was from Chad- one of his personal hats that says NATIVE PRIDE. So that makes Chad my brother from another Mother! I wore it proudly. My bro then played the Drum and sang for us. He had some crazy idea that I was crying about his song and sad to be leaving- oh no I said, " I was crying that you needed voice lessons and I would probably have to pay for them!" Right. Chad was everybody's favorite Indian version of Seinfield. He had us in stitches much of the time. His sister Katherine and Norma opened their hearts to us too- make no mistake this is a very closed "community" and it took some work to get to that relating stuff. We loved our nurse Crystal and the Crystalettes (her big brood)-honey she has a time out (Indian boy facing the wall) that works....never mind she leaves them there a day and 1/2 (just kidding of course). Lindsey our Post Mistress Mama and her 2 precious girls...Keith tried every way to figure out how he could fit them in his suitcase. Issac, who lives in Anchorage, but loves HIS village and worked ceaselessly with the team on that bell tower. And the big kahuna for us was Gwen. We are talking NATIVE PRIDE BABE! Along with her man Leonard and their 2 beautiful Athabaskan Boys (AJ and Tom Tom-toughest feet in the state). Gwen went above and beyond the call of "duty" as President of the Sisterhood. When you first meet her, she pretty much stared right through me...oy did someone tell her about Bocahantas and my bad ways? Gwen has worked her finger to the bone for many months preparing for the our visit. Slowly, slowly, step by step, inch by inch, in this case millimeter by millimeter I did my best to get next to her. It was a tough sell and I found that GWEN HAS A HUGE HEART OF GOLD. I am honored to say she is my friend. May the good Lord continue to bless her and all of her efforts on behalf of the Church and Village-she has a big job in front of her....LEAD THE WAY GWEN. Many are praying for you!
MM. And as Betty would say "YUM!" Several brought us salmon in a variety of ways....I tried to hide much of it as I did not want to share...but I was caught and no I won't torture you and say "red handed". Pleep also loved the salmon and od'd on the green apples. That darn monkey ate so many that we had to send him to the Clinic...diagnosed with Greenappleitis. Buba had to feed him Malox and Tums for 2 days. My favorite gift was from Chad- one of his personal hats that says NATIVE PRIDE. So that makes Chad my brother from another Mother! I wore it proudly. My bro then played the Drum and sang for us. He had some crazy idea that I was crying about his song and sad to be leaving- oh no I said, " I was crying that you needed voice lessons and I would probably have to pay for them!" Right. Chad was everybody's favorite Indian version of Seinfield. He had us in stitches much of the time. His sister Katherine and Norma opened their hearts to us too- make no mistake this is a very closed "community" and it took some work to get to that relating stuff. We loved our nurse Crystal and the Crystalettes (her big brood)-honey she has a time out (Indian boy facing the wall) that works....never mind she leaves them there a day and 1/2 (just kidding of course). Lindsey our Post Mistress Mama and her 2 precious girls...Keith tried every way to figure out how he could fit them in his suitcase. Issac, who lives in Anchorage, but loves HIS village and worked ceaselessly with the team on that bell tower. And the big kahuna for us was Gwen. We are talking NATIVE PRIDE BABE! Along with her man Leonard and their 2 beautiful Athabaskan Boys (AJ and Tom Tom-toughest feet in the state). Gwen went above and beyond the call of "duty" as President of the Sisterhood. When you first meet her, she pretty much stared right through me...oy did someone tell her about Bocahantas and my bad ways? Gwen has worked her finger to the bone for many months preparing for the our visit. Slowly, slowly, step by step, inch by inch, in this case millimeter by millimeter I did my best to get next to her. It was a tough sell and I found that GWEN HAS A HUGE HEART OF GOLD. I am honored to say she is my friend. May the good Lord continue to bless her and all of her efforts on behalf of the Church and Village-she has a big job in front of her....LEAD THE WAY GWEN. Many are praying for you! 
