Once upon a time there were a couple kids in Kevin's house. There were Charlie, Fred, Donald, and Kevin. They were planning to to go camping in the woods. They brought food, a flash light, matches, sleeping bags, tent, cooking stuff, and a snack like chips, pop, cookies, and donuts.

They left about 1 p.m., heading for Mount Pilcher. They walked all day for 20 miles. Before it got dark out they put up their tent and made a fire. When they were finished making the fire, their stomach was growling, so they had a late supper. When they were done, they took out their flashlights and went in the tent to fix their bedding. After that they started telling scary stories. While they were telling scary stories, they ate their snack.

In the morning, since Kevin was the first one to get up, he made the fire. Then the rest of the boys got up. The first thing they did was have breakfast. Then they went for a walk to check what was in the woods. While they were walking, they saw lots of birds, like robins, grosbeaks, and other birds. Just before they started back to their camping place they saw an eagle in the sky. While the eagle was flying around them, they took pictures of it. Then they went back to their camp. After they got back, they made a fire and had their lunch. Then they packed up and left for home.

While they were going home they got lost. They forgot which way they had come. Then they started getting scared. But a couple of hours later, the same eagle came back and started flying around. When the boys stopped to watch it the eagle flew away. It was about 5:30 P.M., and their legs were so tired of walking they couldn't walk anymore. So they stopped where they were and made a fire. Then they made supper and set their tent up. It was just getting dark out when they started making their bed.

The next morning they all got up at the same time. After making a fire and eating their breakfast, they packed up and took off for home. Before they left, the same eagle came around again and lead them home. And from then on, every time they went camping, the same eagle always led the four boys home.

Grade 8

One day there were two people that went out to look for something to hunt. They saw a Bald eagle flying above them. The eagle kept flying close to them, and they knew there was probably a nest nearby. They kept on walking and finally they saw a big eagle nest. It was on the ground on top of a tall pile of sticks. They were so amazed they wanted to tell their friends.

So they went home really fast and told all their relatives about it. Some of them even came back with them to visit the nest. Some kids went ahead to check the nest and they found an eagle on it. The eagle flew way up into the air and then all of a sudden it swooped downreally fast and flew up right in front of them. This scared them so much they ran home as fast as they could.

After a while some other people checked the nest, but the eagles did nothing. So they went home and never came back to visit the nest again.

Eagle Story!!!

It was a great day to go do our experiments. MJ. and I climbed a mountain to do our experiments on eagles. We went to a mountain called Mt. Whitney in California.

I had no idea we would have to climb on big cliffs just to do experiments on Bald eagles. Two hours went by and M.J. and I were almost at the spot where we were to do our experiments.

As we were walking I saw some pretty flowers and decided to pick some. Suddenly M.J. hollered, "SOPHIE ANN, get down!!" And as I ducked down this big eagle flew above me. I thought it was extraordinarily cool, but M.J. was laughing. She started laughing at me because she thought the eagle's claws would hit my butt.

After that happened I had to put up our tent while M.J. did the cooking. We were camping at the spot where I saw those flowers. That night after we ate, M.J. thought that she should build a fire so no animals could come close to us while we were sleeping. So when we were done I went to bed. M.J. was still up when all of a sudden she heard something in the trees moving. She ran over to me and started to wake me up. "WHATS WRONG?" I asked her in a sleepy voice, and she pointed over there. "Something is moving around in the trees." So I decided to go check it out. M.J. said, "Take a stick or some rocks, okay!" (But I just ignored her and went to check it out.) "HOLY_ _ _ _! A snake, M.J.! Run!!" But M.J. didn't run. She grabbed a long stick and went behind it and put pressure on it and then jumped on it till it died.

That night M.J. stayed up all night watching for another snake. When the morning came we went over to the cliffs where we were doing our studies. When we got to the right spot we sat down and started to talk about the birds and how they never bother us but we always bothered them. We then thought we should go back to Alaska where we belonged.

So M.J. and I later packed up our stuff, went down to our truck and drove back to Alaska. But that trip has left memories for me and M.J. We will both remember the eagle that almost hit my butt.

"During the summer vacation we had no curfew and sometimes there was nothing to do for young teens. One hot day after returning from the sandbar and getting ourselves clean, Muffy, Richard, Mikey, Jeanetta, Fuddy and I hung around the Post Office until it got really really boring. After just hanging around doing nothing, we started to carry logs up the beach to Muffy's gram's maqi house. Then Muffy said, "Hey, you guys want to go canoeing?" Everyone wanted to, so Muffy got her auntie's canoe and we went down below where the old Coop used to be and put the canoe in the water. At first, nobody wanted to get in because there was a swift current around the boats that were tied to the bank.

Finally, Muffy and I climbed into the canoe, and when we paddled out into the river we teased our other friends for being scared. Of course, they ignored the name calling, but we only hung around the boats for awhile because we were scared that we might get taken away by the current. We finally got brave and went out a little further where I started to fool around and scare Muffy. She eventually hollered at me, and I stopped. We canoed around for a while until one of the boys hollered, "Look at that beaver!" We then landed the canoe and ran after it. After it got away, Richard and Mikey jumped into the canoe and started to canoe around the bank. Not long al we all got tired of canoeing and decided to go home and get some rest. So we put canoe away and went home to bed.

I wish I had my own canoe!"

"A long time ago when my husband John Boots was alive, our kids and the Isaac family and I went out spring camping at Johnson Creek. We were planning to move to the mouth of Johnson Creek that leads into the Johnson River. We started hooking up our dogs to the boat so they could pull it, and when we were ready to go my husband John hollered for the dogs to go. They took off, but we had to walk along side the dogs to keep them going in the right direction. As we were walking the dogs came to a sudden halt, and at first, we didn't know what was keeping them from going forward. But when we looked in front of the dogs, we saw a huge bull moose standing there. To me thing's didn't seem quite right because usually the dogs would bark very hard, but they were just laying low. We didn't know what to do because it was not open season and besides, during the spring moose still smell stinky. So we scared the moose away by firing our gun up into the air. When the moose finally ran away we started going again, and we traveled all day until we got to our fish camp. All summer long we never saw another moose or even a black bear until moose hunting season was open."

By: Theresa Boots

Editorial Page

Why don't people from the city support Native Sovereignty? Well, they live in the city, that's the problem. They don't understand what it is like being a Native living in the bush. Living in the bush is a lot different than living in the city. City life is easy because all the people have to do is live and follow the rules. It's so big that they don't need to worry about laws like the one against importation of alcoholic beverages. Villages are small, and people depend on each other. They have to work together and live together closely. If they don't, the village will be a big disaster.

I don't agree or disagree with the Native sovereignty issue, but I do believe that people should do what they think is right, whether it is the desire for sovereignty by Native villages, or doing things the way the state wants them done.

If you have lived in a village for a long time and know everything about it, you might see how some villages would be better off governing themselves. It would help the community run better and keep the people living there happy because they would be able to choose what they need themselves. People in these villages think this way because it has been hard for them to get what they need since their community is so small and their "voices" are rarely ever heard. And when they are, it's hard to get people on the outside to really listen to what they have to say.

Some people say that the government came and took over the land and made Native people follow government rules-- do as they say or go to jail! It wasn't really fair to the people who didn't understand what was happening or how it would affect their lives in the future. If Natives were as educated then as they are now it wouldn't be such a cat and dog fight today.

If you think like someone who lives in the city, there is a much different outlook on this issue. If everyone follows the same rules as set down by the state, everyone would be equal and everyone should be happy, right? No one has any reason to complain. Everything kind of fits into place in a big community and in one way or another they have the same pattern of thinking no matter how diverse they are. Some city people don't really think that it's fair for Native villages to be granted sovereignty because, since they live by the State Constitution they think everyone else should too. Sometimes it's hard for people in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau to understand how things are in small villages. I'm not saying that city people should move out to the village for a year or two, I'm just saying that they have a different outlook and that therefore, no one can blame them for being ignorant of what Natives think is the best way to keep their community together and running like it should.

So, no matter where you're from, what culture you belong to, or how big your community is, you will have a different point of view on this sovereignty issue about the Alaska Constitution and on how Native villages desperately want to be unique and show people that they can run their community by themselves. It's been good that the government is letting people express their thoughts and say what they think is best for the Alaskan people. And it is good to see people stand up for what they believe and show their support for what they think is right.

Charlotte Alstrom

Some say, "Oh, I will never use drugs or alcohol." Well, what happens if they do? I know from experience that a person who drinks and abuses alcohol will become an alcoholic. I myself have an alcohol-related background. I grew up with relatives who drank, and I even have relatives who have died because of drug and alcohol abuse. And I have to face the troubles of our loss today. I do not use drugs or alcohol myself because it was my choice and I know the effects they can have on a person.

Some people used to say that if a child grows up with an alcoholic background the child has a fifty-fifty chance of being an alcoholic when he/she is older and on their own. They are wrong. It is the child's own choice when they get older to decide whether he/she wants to use drugs or not. In some cases a child might later blame his or her parents for their habit of drinking. But it's really their own fault that they used drugs and alcohol because they had that choice. They probably knew that alcohol could be very dangerous and deadly, causing accidents, family separation, and so on.

When you read the newspaper just find the Matter of Record page if you want to see the names of the people who were involved with drugs and alcohol. There is a lot of killing today is this area and most of it has to do with drugs and alcohol. A person who does something stupid like this is sent to a prison for who knows how long! And during that time they have to face the consequences and suffer a lifetime of guilt from drinking and then taking a life.

People who drink can become very aggressive or depressed. And if they are in this condition, they may have an accident, commit suicide, destroy a friendship, or even destroy their family life. People who think that drugs and alcohol can solve all their problems are wrong. If you are depressed or angry about something, go talk to someone you trust, a counselor, or a priest, or a good friend.

So what's your choice? Do you want to be on the safe side, or on the opposite side and face the consequences? Remember this, that no one will ever care as much about you as you do about yourself, and the decisions you make about using or not using drugs and alcohol will affect you for the rest of your life.

Tassie Fitka

What do you do to have fun on weekends? If you have read a newspaper lately there have been many articles on inhalant abuse, mainly gas sniffing that young people do to "have a good time." But if that is what they call entertaining themselves, it does not sound very cool to me. Inhaling substances is not a good idea at all, and people who do it could lose their friends and family in addition to getting permanent brain damage. Besides, there are plenty of other interesting things to do other than getting high.

One scary thought about inhaling is how it makes people look and what it does to your body. I, personally, have seen and spoke with a chronic sniffer. This person had pimples all over her face, dark bags underneath her eyes, had very slow response time, and really didn't take care of herself. This person did not look like a basket of satisfactory fruit. Another frightening outlook on inhaling is that it causes brain damage or death through sudden heart attacks if people overdose with sniffing. Sorry, but I prefer clearheaded people.

Besides making you look terrible, sniffing can lead to loss of friends and family. Truthfully, would you want to hang out with someone who you don't understand at all? Most of the time inhalers are so high from the fumes even the simplest things don't make sense to them. Their mood swings and bad tempers drive everybody up the wall. I've read that some parents don't want their children around because the get too abusive and uncontrollable. So the parents end up either kicking their kids out of the house or sending them away to a treatment center. The last place I would want to end up is someplace where I don't know anybody.

Rather than looking bad and feeling rejected, wouldn't you much rather feel part of the "in crowd"? I sure would. And there are tons of things to do rather than inhale. Getting involved in sports is a great way to stay healthy and keep away from bad habits. I would rather play basketball instead of doing something that could harm my body. Wouldn't you? Other options are fishing, hunting, camping, walking, or getting involved with what's happening in your community. It really isn't that hard to find something to do once you set your mind to it.

So if you want to look gross, act dumb, and feel rejected maybe inhaling substances are for you. But if you are like any other person I know and want to be liked and accepted by people, then staying away from those dangerous inhalants is the best idea. I know I'm never going to get seduced by any harmful fumes, and anybody with a little common sense won't either.

How important is giving good education to rural Alaskans? Well, if you live out here in one of the villages, you would say that it is very important to have a good education, because the world is changing so fast you couldn't possibly live successfully without a high school diploma. But people in Juneau don't seem to realize the significance of education here in rural Alaska. They have proposed Senate Bill 36 which would give $23 million dollars of rural education funding to Anchorage and Fairbanks. Even though they did take out a 4% income tax that only people working in REAA's would have paid, there is still a big issue about the amount of money the state is going to take away from the rural schools. Students in rural areas would still be learning, but they wouldn't be getting a quality education because the schools in these districts wouldn't be getting enough money to hire enough teachers or buy the appropriate materials necessary for learning.

If SB 36 passes, the Lower Yukon School District will be losing $1.5 million to urban schools. Who could call that fair? That's a lot of money that could be used on books and other learning tools for our schools. Right now you hear students in Marshall School asking teachers why the school can't get this or that? The teachers all have the same answers for the students, "The school doesn't have enough money," or, "The district doesn't have enough money." How is it going to be when the LYSD doesn't get the additional $1 .5 million the state is going to take away? It's like this bill is telling us that urban students are more important to educate than the students in rural Alaska. I would call this discriminating against rural schools! I think that all people are equally important to educate. We all deserve as good an education as everybody else.

If the State Legislature has its way, it is going to be hard on all the schools in the Lower Yukon School District, and it is going to be hard on the students. They might even have to travel to Anchorage or Fairbanks to get a quality education. And It could be hard for some families to send their kids away to school because they need all the help they can get around the house, or they just don't have enough money. Even though the students would still be learning if they stayed in rural Alaska, it's hard to tell if staying here for school would be worth it. Rural schools probably wouldn't have enough money to pay for enough teachers and other things, like maintenance, to keep the schools in good shape and provide for an efficient learning environment.

This bill is on the floor of the Senate right now, and nobody knows what is going to happen to it. If you really care about your own education or your children's education, you should write to your senators or representatives and tell them what you think. The more negative responses to this bill, the better. If the Senate does pass this bill, it is going to be really different here in the L.Y.S.D., as well as in all the other rural Alaskan school districts.

It is hard to understand why the Senate is considering this bill. It is also hard to understand who would have the heart to think up something like this. From living in the village all these years, it is easy for me to conclude that the people who thought up this bill were people from the cities, because they don't know what it is like living out in rural Alaska.

Charlotte Alstrom

When you think about sales tax in a small community like Marshall it sounds pretty strange to some people because groceries and merchandise bought in the stores of a rural village are much more expensive than those bought in a larger community like Bethel or Anchorage. In bigger communities sales tax is more normal because things aren't as money guzzling in the first place. But sales tax can help a village community in many different ways.

A general sales tax is an extra charge on the sale of goods and other items. The sales tax is always at a fixed percentage rate but some people say that it takes money from their pockets that could be used for something else. Other people think that it is no big deal and wouldn't mind it.

Now that Marshall is getting a new dump site they will have the choice of paying for the garbage services through sales tax or an extra charge on their water and sewer bill.

A sales tax would be more convenient for Marshall because the village would be able to make more money when people from other communities come in during events like the annual dog races, Fourth of July festivities, or other events. During the Marshall races there are always a lot of people in town. And everyone knows that people like to go to the store to buy things when they are in other places. This would provide revenue for Marshall from nonresidents as well as from the people in the village.

The community would probably even have money left over from the sales tax after paying for the garbage bill. For instance, it could help pay for water and sewer projects and therefore reduce the water and sewer rates. It could also help pay for fuel for the community buildings, help pay cash matches on grants that were made to the city, and other public related activities.

So even though a sales tax might not sound like it's made for a small village, it can be very helpful to the community. As Marshall grows, money will be harder and harder to get from the legislature, and a sales tax would be one easy way for the community to get some revenue to pay its bills. When you think of the sales tax you have to think of its advantages as well as the disadvantages.

Charlotte Alstrom

Guest Editorial

How do you think children with FAS/FAE (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effect) feel? They know they are different from the other children around them because they are always getting teased for the way they look or because they can't do a simple problem in school. They also know their parents are responsible for their problem.

Children with this disorder should not be teased. They should be treated just like other children that surround them. They should also get the same amount of attention from their teachers and other adults around them, especially their parents.

To prevent this problem in the first place, women who use alcohol and tobacco should stop drinking and using tobacco. They should also plan ahead so that they will be ready to take on the responsibilities of parenthood. If they don't think they are ready they should forget about having children. It is very important for parents to realize what could happen to their children if they drink while the mother is pregnant. Parents should always think ahead about the child they are going to have. Mothers especially should think about what kind of future they would like for their children, one that does not include FAS.

Everyone knows that this problem can be prevented but many people don't seem to care. As long as there are some people who don't really care about the problem, it won't be solved. In some cases of FAS the woman might be a prostitute who is high on drugs or alcohol and may not know she is pregnant. So she will keep on drinking. But in most cases the woman knows that she is pregnant but is too careless to watch out for what she does.

Women should remember that their fetus is really sensitive and will get damaged whenever the mother drinks. Even one glass of wine can effect the unborn child. Pregnant mothers and expectant fathers should not get carried away and forget about their still unborn child.

If parents don't care and drink before conceiving or after pregnancy, someday when their children get older they will be sad to find out that they are different from their playmates. And they will hold it against their parents. So to prevent this sad thing from happening, parents should stay away from all drugs, including alcohol both before and after they conceive their children. Like they say, "if you get drunk while you're pregnant, your child will have a hangover for a lifetime." Think about that!