Back in 1930, Maurluq, Arnaq and I were getting ready for our big adventure on the river. We brought enough food for us to eat, and other stuff that we needed for our trip. We didn't bring too much because we were traveling on a little raft, but we brought enough to survive for two whole weeks or maybe a little longer. Before we left we told our parents that we were going for an adventure ride on our raft. Then we took off on our big trip. We were all really excited because of the many things that could happen out on the river.

While going down the river we saw different kinds of animals, mostly birds, beavers, muskrats, and plenty of fish. At the time we didn't really care what we saw. We just wanted to learn about the living things around us. When evening came we decided to stop and set up our camp. After we had our tent up we went back upstream a little and looked for something to eat besides dryfish. When we saw some muskrats we made little bows and arrows to catch them with. We made them out of willows and used some sinew for the string. We also tied a pretty long piece of sinew to the bow so when we caught a muskrat we would just have to grab the sinew and pull it towards us. Then we would have muskrat for dinner. After catching enough for us to eat we headed back to camp, ate our muskrat and got some rest.

The next day we decided to continue down the river again. Before we took off, Maurluq said that we should learn what the fish did when they traveled upstream to spawn. So while we were going downstream we were watching for fish. We didn't see anything at first and we began to get bored, so we started playing a little game called cat's cradle with some of the extra sinew we had. While Maurluq and I were playing, Arnaq glanced at us then back into the water and told us to look. When we looked into the water we saw so many fish there were too many to count. Before we went any further we landed and quickly put up our tarp as a sail. After that we sailed upstream with the strong wind that was blowing upriver. We didn't find the fish for a long time, but when we caught up to them we followed them all the way upstream until they got to the mouth of a creek. Pretty soon the creek got too small for our raft, so we parked it and started walking along the bank, excitedly watching the fish slowly swim by. After awhile evening came and we wanted to get some rest for the next day. We'd gone the whole day without eating anything but a few snacks, so we were a little hungry by the time we fell asleep.

The next morning we got something to eat, then checked on the fish. We saw some had already laid some eggs, and we watched how the process of egg fertilization worked. But we couldn't stay too long because we were running out of food. Then we decided to go home, but planned to return to the same place once in a while to learn more about what happens after the eggs hatch.

When we got home our parents asked us what we'd been up to, and we told them that we learned a little about what fish did in late spring. We told them a little about our journey and what we experienced out in the country. They asked why we took so long, and we told them that we'd followed a bunch of fish upstream to find out about what they did.

About a week later we planned to check the fish out again to see what they were doing. When we went back to the creek with our raft we saw that some of the adult fish that had been spawning were now dead, and some were eaten by animals. When we saw that some were eaten we thought we'd better be careful because whatever had eaten the fish had pretty big teeth and claws.

While looking at some of the eggs in the water we suddenly heard trees breaking. We all tried to stay calm but Arnaq was the type of girl who came apart when she was scared by something she couldn't see. When she screamed both Maurluq and I told her to be quiet so that whatever was making the noise wouldn't come charging after us. Then I took one of the old dead fish and threw it into the trees where we heard something start eating it. For awhile we could hear the sound of bones cracking and other scary noises, but then we didn't hear any sound at all, only the sound of the wilderness. When that silence came we decided to go back home and return another time.

When we went home we told everyone what happened. They told us we should have left immediately because something bad could have happened to us. We might have been eaten by a bear, they said.

The last time we went up the creek we saw that the eggs had turned into little things with tails on them. We wondered how they would change when they got bigger? Every once in a while we would go up there and check on the little fish and we would always learn something knew about them.

Tatiana Sergie

Many years ago when there were no guns, Eskimos used weapons that they knew of. Many times when people wandered off they would encounter animals.

With bears the people would not make any sudden movements, or run away. Slowly they would leave the premises. If a bear was to charge, since they stronger on their left, the people would jump to their right.

Wolves were also of the animals to take precautions towards. When people carrying no weapons encounter wolves, they would take the grass out of their mukluks and use scent of their feet to ward off the wolf. There was a story of a middle aged woman who encountered a wolf. She tore off pieces of her parka, threw them at the wolf and ran away until she reached safety.

Story by: Theresa Kameroff

Interviewed by: Gary Kameroff

Oh Sea

Oh Sea, Oh Sea,

Please come to me.
Night and day
I
Long for you,
I expect you
To come to me.

Your abundance
Makes me inseparable
From you.
You are the reason why
I am
Here.

Oh Sea, Oh Sea,

Please come to
Me.
I need you with
Me now
And always!

Do not perish,
For I need
You!

By Wanda

OLD
BIRD

STORIES

FROM

SCAMMON BAY

BY Arlene
Tunutmoak

Olga Moxie

Captains log-- July 27, 1953:

After finding the boys on the deserted island I asked Ralph, "Where are the dead bodies of the boys who were killed?"

Ralph started walking toward Castle Rock where Piggy was killed. "The boy we called Piggy was killed here by Roger but the body washed out into the ocean with Simon's body. There are no bodies here on the island. I want to know what you are going to do to the boys that killed them," Ralph asked me.

"We're not leaving this island until we find the bodies of the boys who were killed,' I replied.

"But, we have to go or else Jack's group will kill us all. He's a savage with no heart and soul in his body. You have to listen to me. You don't know how these boys are. They might escape at night and kill some of your soldiers. Can't you see they would have killed me if you hadn't found us on the island," said Ralph.

"There's no worry about that, ah, ah, what's your name?" I asked.

"Ralph!"

"Well, they won't hurt us, Ralph, there's too many soldiers on this island with us," I replied.

"What are you going to do to Jack and Roger?" asked Ralph.

"Who are Jack and Roger and why are you so worried about them? What have they done?" I asked.

"They're the ones that are the killers to worry about because they didn't want to be rescued. They're the ones that are violent. They don't care about anything and get upset if someone gets in their way. They might do anything," said Ralph.

"Just take it easy, Ralph, you can sleep with me and the other soldiers if you're so worried about something happening," I said.

"I'm not worried about that. I just don't trust Jack and Roger being loose. I think you should lock them up. It'll be better that way for all of us," said Ralph.

"Alright, if that will make you calm down, I'll do that," I replied.

As the sun was setting, I walked toward the boys who were tied up as prisoners. Ralph was watching from a distance to see what I would do to the boys. I grabbed Robert then asked Ralph, "Which two are Jack and Roger?"

Ralph walked over to the group of boys, but didn't come too close, and he pointed at Roger and Jack.

"Those two to the left by the boy you have in your hand," Ralph replied. I grabbed them and asked, "These two boys?"

"Yes, you have the two savages," said Ralph.

"Alright, I'll do what you asked me to do," I replied.

"What you mean you're going to do what Ralph asked you to do? What are you going to do to me and Roger?" demanded Jack.

"I'm going to lock you boys up. I hear you two are the ones who killed the two boys," I replied.

"Well, Ralph helped us kill Simon, so why don't you lock him up too?" asked Jack.

"Is that so, Ralph? You are just like the other boys yourself, and you want me to lock them up," I accused.

"Look, Jack and Roger and their group were trying to kill me but you found us. Can't you see, they are the ones that, that . .. . I told you before. Do I have to tell you again? They tried to run me out of the forest with a fire to kill me. Those boys standing by Jack were there when Simon was killed. They helped too," said Ralph.

"Well, I better lock up all of you boys," I said.

"Look, I'm trying to make you understand, Sir, that Jack and Roger are the ones that need to be locked up," said Ralph.

"I'm locking up all you boys now, so shut up and get over with the other boys. Some of you soldiers help me lock them up so we can look for the bodies and get out of here," I ordered.

So the soldiers and I took all the boys over to the helicopter and tied them to a bar. Then we continued to look for the bodies on the island.

"Where might those bodies be anyway?" I asked one of the soldiers. "Didn't one of them boys say they washed out into the ocean," he replied. "Well let's relax then until a search team arrives to look for the bodies," I said.

So I went over to the helicopter and called for a team to look for the bodies around the island we were on. After getting that done I walked over to the soldiers and told them there was a search team coming out and they could soon go home.

"Hey Ralph, this is all your fault," yelled Jack. "I'm gonna get you for this. You just wait till we get home!"

"Ah, shut up!" Ralph yelled back.

Olga is a teacher aide for the Marshall high school. Her employer is the LYSD, and she went through CCC(Computer Curriculum Cooperation) training to get this job. She also has a high school education. Olga works most of the time up in the computer room, which is 6 hours a day and 5 days a week. She doesn't know how long for sure she will be working for the , but she sure likes the job all right.

She works with the kindergarten and first grades most of the time, also the second and third graders. Her boss of course is the principal, Roger Adams.

Her job responsibilities are: supervise during the elementary lunch hour, do monthly student computer gain reports, and supervising students in math and reading on the computers.

The best thing about her job, she says, is helping students learn new things on the computer. In her spare time she also likes doing math on the computer. What Olga dislikes about her job is trying to have patience ALL the time.

Her advice to the younger generation is to "try to do good in math, or spelling, or English."

Olga Soolook
Computer Aide

Olga was born in Bethel, Alaska, in 1965. She grew up here in Marshall and went to school here and at Mt. Edgecumbe. She graduated here in Marshall in 1983.

Olga has been working here since September,1990. She worked as a Special Ed. Aide for about three years and a Computer Aide after that. She plans to work a couple more years. She likes her job most of the time, except when kids don't listen.

Olga was interested in her job because it was better than working at the Co-op store. When she was working as a Special Ed. Aide she needed to take one or two workshops per year. Now she is working as the Computer Aide, she gets on-the-job training by reading manuals or using the phone.

Olga feels that her job keeps her stimulated because she likes working with computers and she likes fixing them when they break down. The best thing about her job is on Mondays when she has math with the kids and on Fridays when we get out of school early. The worst thing about her job is during lunch and when she has outside duty for the elementary students.

Tatiana Sergie

"This summer it was too dry. Whenever we went by boat to pick berries the tundra was very crunchy. The only berries we found were along the river or in the trees. On July 5th we went camping to pick salmon berries. Paul brought me, Ruth, Daisy, Vivian and Bub to our favorite spot. It was hot the next day and Ruth and I didn't go very far. Paul and Daisy came back with lots of berries. The rest of us were waiting for them in the boat. Ruth kept on killing hornets there. I think she killed over 30. The hornets and mosquitoes were very bugging.

A couple of weeks after that, Barbie asked me to go with her on her 4-wheeler, and we took off up the new road they are building for the dump. Lena and Augusta were ahead of us. Near the second creek there were some salmon berries, but across the creek there were more. Good thing the others didn't have rubbers because they couldn't follow me across. As soon as I got across my bucket filled fast. I picked more berries than when I went camping, and only in three hours.

The day the firefighters left, Barbie asked me to go picking on her 4-wheeler again. We went almost to Pilcher's Knee. Guess who our leader was?--Camille and Agnes on a sno-go. They went really fast and they looked like they didn't bounce as much as we did. After a couple of hours we had coffee, roasted meat, dry fish and spam on crackers. It was good. Then we went up even further. The spring time snogo trail was where we found lots of big salmon berries and really big blue berries. Next year I would like to go up there again.

Next year I plan to be even busier because now I have a pressure cooker and more freezer space."

By: Olga Soolook
Interview by: Rose Fitka

"For one thing, I had to worry more about what my kids were going to eat all day. I had to cook more and wash MORE dishes because they were around more. I'm not the kind of person that likes housework. I'd rather be outside all day long or reading a good book when I'm not at work. Maybe on their next school break they will be more helpful. On my week off I went to Bethel to RELAX!! Thank GOD! It was SO good to get away from my family and my stressful job for a while.

We had Christmas dinner at my mother's place. Almost the whole family was there. We had lots of good food to eat that day. My kids' Christmas break was just like any other day for me because I went to work during the weekdays and then came home and went to work again. And, of course, I went to BINGO in the evenings. That's where most adults go to socialize."

Ruth Ann Fitka