http://www.thelutheran.org/article/article_buy.cfm?article_id=1045
Pastor Robert H. Wentzien
Baptized………………….541
Confirmed………………..293
Attendance……………….140
Languages: Inuipiat & English
Pic.#1 Beach/Shishmaref, #2,3 Fourth of July observing foot races-my
husband, Pastor Wentzien
with hat, #4-11 pics of native kids from Shishmaref, Wales, Brevig,
Teller, and Nome, who attended Salmon Lake Bible camp this summer (Shishmaref kids: pics #7,8,10,11) Pics #12,13,14,15 Scenic pictures around Salmon lake 35mi
from Nome. My husband and I flew from Shish. to
‘WEATHERING THE STORMS’
(The Lutheran – December 2004)
Most of the 600 Inupiat Eskimos in Shishmaref, 20 miles south of the
Residents know that before long the entire
island will be under water. So they are
planning a move to the mainland—which they hope to do as a community.
Storage buildings, boats, drying racks
that preserve fish and meat, and one home have been lost. Eighteen houses and the National Guard Armory
were moved inland. The dirt road to the
south end of the island—a connection to essential facilities such as the dump,
airstrip and dozens of meat drying racks used by subsistence households—was
rerouted because the sea swallowed much
of the roadbed.
Following the 1997 storm, Shishmaref was declared a federal disaster
area. The situation is so dire that the
U.S. Government Accounting Office issued a report concluding that Shishmaref and three other coastal villages in western
Other changes are occurring as well. “It used to be cold from October through June.. Now we’re sweating away in June.” Freeze-up used to come in mid October, and now comes the
end of November-early December. These
environmental changes disrupt the subsistence hunting upon which residents
depend for survival. “We hunt oogruk (bearded seals) and walrus. The season is shorter now, a week to 10
days. It used to be more like a month,
observes Tony Weyiouanna, Sr., ,
a hunter and community leader. “The
weather has sure changed. Global
warming—it’s no good for the sea animals.”
By freezing later, the sea ice is thinner. That creates dangers for hunters—from falling
through the ice to being swept out to sea when chunks of ice break off
unexpectedly.
The storms are much worse, hard to move
the elders, no way to evacuate in a raging storm. Lives are at stake during the storms. Nome is 1 hour away by bush plane, 126 miles
of wilderness—perfect for fishing, hunting, caribou and picking wild berries to
preserve for winter—but roadless and shelterless.
Prevailing
Grace among winds-
In a village isolated by land, sea and
air, the church plays a crucial role in the community and in individual
lives. Nearly everyone in the village,
generation after generation, is baptized, confirmed, married and buried at Shishmaref Lutheran, the island’s only church. “There’s the storm outside and the storm of
life. It can be scary, but there’s
always someone with us. We grew up as a
Christian community, so we always have this feeling that there is a stronger
power that watches out for us. The
church helps keep people’s spirits up.
People here do a lot of praying.
Lutheranism’s ‘saved by grace’ is a natural fit for the culture
here. This is such a generous and giving
community. They know what grace is. The essence of the culture is based on
community and family. The
‘outside culture is based on performance, not grace.” -Some of the comments by the
parishioners.
More
comments: “People in Shishmaref
live close to the earth and close to each other. The ministry is a lot about maintaining and
surviving. People support each
other. That tradition is still here from
our parents and grandparents. Don’t ever
say ‘no.’ When
someone dies, people go over to the house to pray and sing hymns all
evening. There is such a tender
caring. The church has been helping from
way back. We’re thankful to all the
people who came to help build the new church…It’s good
to have people care for us. We don’t
want to be moved to another town. We
want to maintain our identity and our subsistence lifestyle. We survive off the ocean and the land. Sometimes it seems like a losing battle, but
we have to keep going forward so we can stay together.”
The men of Shishmaref
use snowmobiles and
the plywood-fiberglass boats they’ve built to hunt seals and walrus. In summer they set nets for salmon and
whitefish. Women preserve berries and
meat. Children play on the edge of the
sea and wonder if they will someday really leave their familiar island.
As each winter approaches, people hope and
pray for mild storms and an early freeze-up to protect the shoreline. Amid this anxiety and uncertainty, the
Lutheran community of faith turns to the Bible, the elders, their Inupiat
traditions and each other to face the future with hope. Fruits of the spirit, peace and joy, shine
through their singing, their welcoming and their thankfulness.
-Ann Dixon,
ITEMS to send:
Gently used:--- flannel shirts, tee shirts, sweaters, blue
jeans, sneakers, boots (low heeled) warm children’s clothing, sock, mittens,
caps, gloves, . large needles, (for sewing pelts),
beads, felt.
Foods: dried mixed fruits, apricots, prunes,
raisins, oatmeal, powdered milk, chocolate, cocoa.
(Place items in basket marked “Shishmaref” in Tower. Will ship by October 8th. )
Flora Weyiouanna
Inupiat Children - Shishmaref