Changes

January has been month of changes and hardship in Tuluksak. After returning from break, we learned that the Regional School Board had fired our current Superintendent. She had been planning to resign at the end of the school year but a series of questionable actions resulted in her immediate termination. We now have an interim Superintendent, our previous Yupik Curriculum Director, who has been in the district for several years. It is possible she will be offered the position permanently. Many staff in the district are feeling anxious about the uncertain future. 

We also learned that our principal will not be returning next year. This means that next year will be Tuluksak's fourth principal in four years. Administrator turnover like this makes school improvements extra difficult. Every new person has their own ideas about what the school's goals should be and how to achieve them. Regardless of how capable and innovative the new principal might be, the students and teachers suffer from a lack of consistency.

Two weeks ago there was a death in the village. A young man committed suicide. In a community like this, where everyone is related to and reliant on each other, this death has had a devastating effect. The young man was a former student, and the brother or cousin of many current students. At school it has been difficult to find a balance between allowing teachers and students grieve, while still maintaining structure and adhering to the legal limitations teachers have when addressing this tragedy in the classroom. Funerals here combine several Russian Orthodox, Moravian and traditional Shamanism practices. After the funeral, Yupik tradition requires 40 days of feasting to allow the spirit to move on. Unfortunately because of the overwhelming shock and despair people are feeling, heavy drinking is happening during the feast. 

Alaskan Native males from 15-24 have the highest rate of suicide of any demographic in the United States. This study http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4035879/ attempted to identify some of the reasons why this rate is so disproportionate to all other groups. The author believes that some of the contributors to suicide risk factors in rural Alaska are alcohol abuse and loss of traditional ways after statehood. Even though I have only been in the village a short time, I have witnessed how the loss of cultural traditions leads to feelings of hopelessness. I think the next several weeks will be very difficult for many people in Tuluksak and I hope the community here will be able to turn to each other rather than alcohol for support and find some peace.