Emmonak has recently come into the spotlight because of Nicolas Tucker's letter pleading for help for his starving village. This has generated a wide variety of comments, many of them negative.
One person even suggested that natives should leave the bush. If people left all the disaster prone regions of the world, where would they go? It is just not feasible, even if they were inclined to leave the places they call home.
Another response is to criticize their lack of preparedness. Yet, there were famines even in the old days-- before the modern conveniences to which the natives are now accustomed to. And much of what they are now facing is truly beyond their control. Yes, they could have things somewhat easier if they prepared differently. But I am aware as well that preparedness is not just a native problem. There are people everywhere who do not have even a two-weeks' supply of food at home. Who can blame them for being any different?
I do want to encourage being prepared with plenty of simple, healthy food, because I do believe that healthy food is cheaper than junk food. However, I believe that we as a church should also be prepared to help in genuine emergency like this. I would like to see visible aid centers in every village, places they know they can go to in times of need. I don't know how to move in that direction, but God will show us how if it is His will and timing. I just need to be prepared to follow.
Preparing,
Verity
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Thoughts on Emmonak
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1 comment:
I would like to thank you for pointing out what is seemingly obvious. The people who live in these Bush communities were forced to take root where they are now, quite some time ago. The Bureau of Indian Affairs had a lot to do with it, as did missionaries and capitalism. Regardless, they are where they are, and have lived quite nobly off basic subsistence. They hunt and they fish. But the salmon are not running, and because the people live further from the herds now, they need petrol to go hunting. Petrol that is very expensive in the Bush communities.
There are no roads out of these villages. It is not as though they can just pack up their cars and move into Anchorage.
It should also be noted, that people are already making an exodus from the villages into the small urban regions of Alaska. Anchorage and Fairbanks are finding that they are not equipped to accommodate so many people. There are not enough teachers in the schools, the Native hospital and care centers are understaffed. Furthermore, the people in the Bush communities do not hold jobs like urban folk do. They work all the time, but they work collecting, hunting, fishing... When they move to the cities, they have no urban job skills. More often than not, when they come to the cities, they bond with other Natives - and too often the urban Natives that they know are alcoholics, thus perpetuating this dreadful problem that Natives face.
All this is to say, we need to care about the people living in the Bush. It is God's will to care for and about each of his children. It is selfish, and self righteous to say the Native people are at fault - that falling victim to the rapidly changing environment was brought on by their own inane desire to live naturally and off the land.
It is not for us to be judgmental, and condemning. That is not God's way.
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