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Majik_Imaje Registered: Feb 04, 2008 Total Posts: 264 Country: United States |
Well your continued interest simply amazes me, with a feeling that I cannot put into words, cept to say. 15,880 VIEWS Some pretty sneaky arraingments had to be made to get Brian out of the village without anyone seeing him. a chartered plane would have to come far outside of the village hearing to approach the airport. he would have had to have been waiting there. somehow some way they got him out of the village. People were very upset. We don't want your electricty. stop the job. get all of these construction workers out of town. It took a few weeks for things to calm down, Brian bussell died in the early 90's He overdosed on drugs. No love lost there. It was Jan of 89 when clara finally came to here senses and said.. what are we doing here? Lets go back to Boston. I was to leave first, get back to work, find a place and send for her and the kids which now stood at four (sisamut). January of 89 was a month no one up here will ever forget. ![]() WINDS IN EXCESS of 120 mph, actual temp of 89 below zero. Planes could not make it into the village the entire month. The village store was running out of food. One of the reasons clara didn't like boston was the manner in which people would make fun of her. (race). hey lady, want an eskimo pie ? Insults like this were common in Dorchester. clara refused to ever go outside up to the store. I was surprised that she wanted to go back, but I think looking back, this was her way of getting rid of me... It didin't work, obviously ! I was back to work in two days time as a high voltage cable splicer 15,000 volt Paper & lead cable.l huge paychecks. I thought everything was going to work out fine. 4 weeks later I got THE CALL from Clara when I was visitng my mothers house. I'm pregnant (again) don't come back up here, I am keeping the kids. I liteally dropped my tools, got rid of the truck I had just purchased from the company and was on the next plane back to the arctic. I got as far as Kotzebue, and was stranded there four days due to storms, planes could not fly up to the village. I was staying at some friends house in Kotz. that was not a problem. I wanted to be with my children. This four days was like four weeks. A lot of phone calls were made, usually with the results of Clara hanging up on me. I will not let this happen. I have already lost one daughter. My X wife divorced me when I was stuck in the village. Oct of 81.. Just start walking she said. 800 miles ? over three mountain ranges ? Oh you can do it.. just start walking. ha ha ha.. no concept of reality was always her biggest flaw. |
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bobl Registered: Sep 08, 2003 Total Posts: 2424 Country: United States |
Yes indeed, January '89 was a month to remember! Actually all of '89 was a year to remember. I was living in North Pole, which is about 15 miles from Fairbanks, and in January we had twenty-five (25) days in a row when the HIGH temperature for the day did not get above MINUS 55. Then March rolls around and the Hazelwood guys runs his ship aground on Bligh Reef. Then September rolls in and on the first Thursday, don't remember the "number" of the day, the Fairbanks/North Pole area gets hammered with over forty-six inches of snow in twenty-four hours. That snow was still on the ground the following May when Break-up finally got to town. |
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Majik_Imaje Registered: Feb 04, 2008 Total Posts: 264 Country: United States |
I finally made it back to point Hope in March of 89. huge trouble is awaiting me, Clara informs me, she wants a divorce, again, I am totally against that concept. ![]() Now this is how people dress when it is 50-70 below with vicious winds, sometimes you have to walk "backwards" That wind will cut you up literally. Back in point hope dealing with the daily hassles from Clara was somewhat easy to put up with, sorta.. One day, her momma came over the house. Irma Oktollik showed up and asked Clara, what's this I hear?? you kids are going to divorce ? she spoke to Clara only.. and her answers to her mother shocked me. she looked clara in the eye up close and said.. why the divorce? he be funny to you ? (mean)? Oh no! Momma he treats me really nice all the time. then why the divorce Irma asked?? You know how it is ma, she said.. I am young, I want to drink & fool around ! her mother never blinked one bit.. what about the kids she said to her daughter? I don't want them she replied. Irma shook her head,turned around and walked out Unlike :the real world, In this villages and some others, You cannot tell someone else what to do.. "It is none of your buisness" !! That is the mindset. . I said you got your divorce clara. but only if you give me these four boys, then you will get your divorce. She agreed! This was in August of 89. The divorce became final in Jan 30 of 90 We celebrated our anniversary (23) & divorce (30) in the same week. clara moved out of Point Hope to Kotzebue. I told clara, you know, who I am going after.. Clara insisted she never had loved me, she only married me to save my life. she had overhead people plotting my death and she felt sorry and that was the only reason she married me. .or so she had said. ![]() I showed you this house before, but behind it is Joe's house. that is where we moved next, Each of these "houses" (for lack of a better word), had no running water, and the entire village still was with out "flush" toilets I was going to make my move, and write a letter to Elizabeth.. I had seen her plenty of times in the village but I had never ever spoken to her, never got that close. I have an impossible task in front of me, to raise four boys by myself. I know flat out I have no possible chance of ever getting Elizabeth to even acknowledge me, but I ?? I just gotta try .. to make a fool out of myself if necessary. I am not interested to have her raise my children, no ! absolutely not, Clara was never a mother to these children in any sense of the word. ![]() for what ?? Love is a very strange "thing" I cannot understand, why, but.. My boss in boston said to me, when he found out I was "dropping my tools" and hopping on th every next plane back to Alaska said to me, David, you can't even take care of yourself, how are you going to ever take on 4 boys? Just choose two of them, and stay here. That is the dumbest statement I have ever heard of, how do I choose which two boys live and which two boys die, in that village with no supervision? Two boys will grow up with an education, .. and two will end up in jail by the time they are 12 being a rapist / drug addict ?? I can't make that choice ! I have to go back, .. to save them all. and I ended up back in Point Hope, I cannot raise my children in this village, nope no way, somehow, someway I have to take them out of here. I am broke, no $$ How many calls were made to social services , in Kotzebue, to "frame" me, I have no idea, but 3 times, caseworkers came up to review the situation. some one wants me in trouble and some people are doing their best to advance that mind -set. He don't know how to take care of them four boys, He ain't no electrician. ha ha.. There was a knock on the door one day, I said come in, two women walked in that were not from the village of Point Hope. At first they looked very serous but then smiled and said , were sorry, were in the wrong house. Oh I replied whose home ar you looking for? they said my name.. Oh I said.. your in the right house. I am he . A strange look of bewilderment crept over their faces as they looked at one another, then at me and said.. did someone just clean your house ? I laughed and said no. I had a very strict up bringing with a Jewish step mother, I am well equipped to clean and cook and do any chores necessary. My house was spotless, unlike the other homes in the village. dishes do not get washed until ALL of the dishes, are in the sink, or need to be washed. Children are paid handsome amonuts of money to do the dishes for some familes. As in 15 bux for a ten year old to wash them for you. I was living in a brand new 4 bedroom house at the time. My home. which I had to give up when I left the village. It is approaching the month of August, - year 1989 - things are really getting way out of hand. (and I have to bring this to an end & post images). |
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Majik_Imaje Registered: Feb 04, 2008 Total Posts: 264 Country: United States |
then I saw her "face" was a popular song, by a R&R group - the Monkies. When I saw Elizabeth, in the village, she took my breath away. ![]() Red fox, any fox, is only used on womens parky's. there are many different types of foxes in the Arctic. there are the four legged type and the two legged female type, but seriously, white fox, red fox, blue fox, cross fox, silver fox & grey fox . I am more of an expert on the two legged type. All of the four leg type, have rabies. stay away, don't go near them. and never feed them. In prudhoe bay , it is an instant "fire" if you are caught feeding any animals anyplace, no questions asked, your history.- no rehire ever. ![]() I don't fool around, I know it is wrong. I was determined to try and make this marriage work, but alas, Clara had been pregnant six times, from her different "boyfriends". She walked around the village bragging about it to her sister(s). but in each and every instance, .. .. I was blessed, because she had a miscarriage. all six. whew.!! (what are odds for that After 8 years with clara, it was time to call it quits for the kids sake. her Alcohol abuse was too much for me to put up with. I have never been drunk in my life. I had seen too much growing up. I do not want to look like that, I do not want to smell like that, I do not want to sound like that, I do not want to puke like that. and I certainly do not want to walk or ever "drive" like that ever ! yeah we get "drunk" drivers occasionally in the village. Everyone goes about their business and that is none of their business. that is the mindset. The two police ossifers, (no I didn't spell it wrong, that's what I call them Yes Ossifer.). That made up word of mine, always gets a wierd look in response to it.!! ![]() In any family, I have seen it every place and in every village. The children tell the parents what to do, and the parents obey! No child ever goes to sleep, until the parents go to sleep, you cannot tell a child to go to sleep, they will crash when they crash. There is virtually no discipline.. and the proverb is true and it shows all over the place. ".. .. .. .. "A child left to himself shall come to utter ruin." I can easily name well over 150 names, of children in jail at a very early age, It is very sad to see such children come to such ruin at such a young age. The sex offender page on the internet is "packed" with people I have to work with and interact with on a daily basis and that is / was extremly difficult for me. In boston we don' t keep our mouth shut !! but up here I have to;. but something has to change. I love this place, I love these people, I just do not like some of the things that are happening. These same issues are prevalant in any society. Up here,.. .. everyone knows, everything about everybody. This community still functions as one, and that is amazing. beyond anything you would ever expect. People get along no matter who they are or what they have done. No one holds a grudge. ![]() That is Willies wife on the back of the honda. she sure doesn't look 50 does she ? !! The driver is 55. Willy Nashookpuk .. my across the street neighbor. Look it up. a lot of the names I have used here.. are listed.! ol willie was my forman. .ha ha ha ha.. carpenter forman.. I got fired.!! .. .. "you are the worst electricain I have ever worked with". Those were willys words to me.. after screaming at me for connecting a water heater the wrong way. furp. ! there's only two wires plus ground, it is impossible to conneect it wrong.!! Ol willie wanted me to put a "switch" on it.. furp.. willie has burnt out 3 water heaters in the village utilizing this "trick" of his !! Willie Nashookpuk.. 3 time convicted sex offender.. He got arrested and taken out of the village two years ago.. for the THIRD TIME.. .. .. he only got 4 years ! (that's what they say.). Most of the residents of all of the villages, & beyond prefer, to smoke. The economy of these villages, is based on the cost of a "gram" of pot. $40 bux a "gram" ! In other words, if someone (20 familes) bring a pound into the village. It is gone in a matter of a two days or sooner.. That person just made $16,000 ! 2 toothpick type joints = a gram. This is where ALL the money in the villages goes. to pot. This is why these children need major help. The parents spend all of their money (if they have some) on pot. The children do not get what they need / or want. and they are sick and tired of seeing this go on year after year, after year. and they don't get anything, there is not enough food in the house, and if that family doesn't have the money, then they will sell what ever to obtain whatever little they can get. ![]() The Police actually want pot to be in the village, it keeps everyone happy and mellow & calm. but when there is alcohol. well that means major trouble. and people get hurt and die on a regular basis. They will arrest anyone they catch attempting to bring it into the village. alcohol or pot, hard drugs are not a problem in the villages with the exception of Barrow, I have never seen any sign of this. but Meth is a major problem they say in this village. I have never seen any sign or heard of it. and I don't want to. Three year old children in this village.. .. are allowed to "smoke" !! I have seen it in too many households. time and time again, I am stunned. shocked and dismayed at the lack of any type of discipline here in any of these villages. The first boyer I met was Howard Stone Jr. he came into the tent. wanting my lghter and someone to fill his pipe.!!! I used to have images of this three year old, with a buzz and acting perfectly normal!! doing his job ! I was speechless and shocked.!! I am no saint.. I don't pretend to be. In `90 after the divorce was final, I was not allowed to work any longer, Even though the village despertly needed an electrician, nope. we will go with out one, and Luke & Angie Koonuk (elders) went 7 months with no electricity. and I was told, stay away, no you can't fix it. The person in charge with this respnsiblity was later relieved of all his duties two years after the fact. The police came up to me and said. what are you ever going to do to support those four boys now ?? I smiled and said.. well I guess I will have to just go with the flow and sell pot.!! The stern look on their faces and they harsh words they belted out said it all. DON'T TRY IT DAVE. we will arrest you. I laughed and said.. ha ! you can't arrest me because you don't know how to think, you think like a cop. (they posess absolutely no imagination). I have proved this numerous times*. . ![]() I told them flat out. I will never ever lie to you. you asked me what I am going to do and I answered you.!! I hoped on a plane to Kotzebue. to see a friend, and purchased some stash to sell. In Kotzebue they don't sell grams. they sell what you call 1/8th for 100 bucks. I purchased 5.- $500 bucks. I can easily turn this over into 2,000 in a matter of a few hours. I didn't want to deal dope, too much of a hassle, and people just won't leave your house when they think or know you have something. I just wanted to get out of this village, things were tottally out of hand and the entire village was against me for going after Elizabeth.!! I got the living crap beat, kicked, punched out of me by that woman. On 5 different occasions. The David & Elizabeth show was the talk of the village on everyone's lips for much too long.!! Everyone in the village was involved in .. .. "here-say" and it got out of hand and rumors were abounding. ![]() A 7 dollar bottle of R & R or Vodka in the village sells for $150 bux. It flows like a river and too many children are being destroyed over this crap. How anyone can "sleep" after selling this stuph to people only to see them die or get hurt really bad is beyond my comprehension or understanding. Yet cases and cases get by the police who are attempting in vain to stop the flow of alcohol into these "dry" villages. ![]() I know of a sweet young girl in the village of Kivalina, (sob).. so sad. she bought a bottle of Ever-clear 150 proof. 150 bux. dead in less than six hours. Elizabeth Elizabeth !! gosh how I loved the sound of her name, I always said it twice. I was struggling in Augst of 89 to write her a letter, a short letter, brief and to the point, and I hope for the best. but to tell the truth. I am petrified & scared. I finally got up the nerve after wrestling with the idea for many months and I finaly wrote this letter and mailed it. whew. I am so nervous now. he he he he.. I am scared, really, I told her, "there is only one way for me to know, how you are going to respond to this letter. when I see you, your either gonna walk up to me and slap me right across the face, or your gonna.. .. .. .. smile ! and.. as the days went by, I was afraid to go out, and when I did.. when I least Xpected it.. I saw her, and she smiled !1 whoa !!! I am on cloud 9 zillion.. but it was very short lived. We never got a chance to speak with each other. She was walking through the village one day, and her closest girl-friends saw her smiling oh so big. so big.. she has the nicest smile of anyone in the village. everyone comments on her lovely smile.. her girl-friends wanted to know why are ou smiling like that ?? she was on cloud nine.. I had heard a few times from other women who were talking to other women.. and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time to overhear this statement.. Elizabeth sure wants to settle down and meet someone "nice'. that statement is what gave me the "guts" to go out on a limb and write.. and hope. & pray ! she came crashing down very hard, her two closest girl-friends convinced her,. .. he is just doing this to make clara jealous! I had expected to hear, I am not interested, I expected to hear, I have a boy-friend, I never expected to hear... .. your lying !! Oh ! No !!! In the Arctic, houses do not sit on the ground. buildings are set on foundations that leave a few feet under the building for the wind to blow through. The same is true in all villages, they have learned the hard way, even in Prudhoe Bay. None of the buildings are set on the ground. The wind must be allowed to blow under every building, if not, then huge drifts will mount up and bury that building. the umiaq's in the village are also stored above the ground. so that children and or animals will not interfere with them. It requires a tremendous amount of work to "skin" an umiaq, six ugruk skins are needed. that's a lot of hunting and getting darn lucky. One of these "monsters" weights well over 1000 pounds, and that's a lot of work ![]() Preparing the skins for the umiaq is a lot of work and it takes many weeks to get it to the correct "textrue". this is no easy task, lots of daily adjustments to keep it wet and stretched in the correct manner. ![]() *later |
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juberisk2 Registered: Sep 16, 2005 Total Posts: 378 Country: United States |
very interesting post. the compelling photos show a stark and simple world of friendship, family, and community, of a degree not appreciated by most. Whereas the stories illustrate a terribly sad reality that is even more difficult to fathom. |
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MarianneDoidge Registered: Aug 29, 2007 Total Posts: 293 Country: Canada |
I have not closed this thread in 3 days.... I have kept the window open so when I had a minute (or more) I could sit and read. |
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Majik_Imaje Registered: Feb 04, 2008 Total Posts: 264 Country: United States |
Thank you so much for your comments and I promise you the most bizarre and unbelievable portion is about to be posted. |
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Majik_Imaje Registered: Feb 04, 2008 Total Posts: 264 Country: United States |
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TNshooter Registered: Aug 13, 2005 Total Posts: 894 Country: United States |
Majik_Imaje wrote: |
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Brian Lingle Registered: Aug 13, 2005 Total Posts: 2304 Country: United States |
David, |
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Majik_Imaje Registered: Feb 04, 2008 Total Posts: 264 Country: United States |
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Majik_Imaje Registered: Feb 04, 2008 Total Posts: 264 Country: United States |
The person, that is drunk, walkinig down the street is someone I haven't seen since 1983. Allan Lane the person who saved my life, when I fell off that snowmachine up in those mountains. |
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Brian Lingle Registered: Aug 13, 2005 Total Posts: 2304 Country: United States |
Good story. Great gesture! Wow! |
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Majik_Imaje Registered: Feb 04, 2008 Total Posts: 264 Country: United States |
it turned out. Allan did not have a drivers license. We sorta adopted Allan and took very good care of him.. .. for the next 5 months. |
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Majik_Imaje Registered: Feb 04, 2008 Total Posts: 264 Country: United States |
IT IS A VERY CRUEL world we live in.. I have posted my stories and photographs |
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Majik_Imaje Registered: Feb 04, 2008 Total Posts: 264 Country: United States |
I am seriouly thinking about giving up all of my collection. |
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Majik_Imaje Registered: Feb 04, 2008 Total Posts: 264 Country: United States |
It is a wonderful day here in Barrow today.. My son Mark is coming home from Arctic grocery. 21 below zero.. ![]() 20 below sounds very cold, and it is.. where you are.. .. but in the Arctic, it is so dry. that this is just a wonderful day. |
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Majik_Imaje Registered: Feb 04, 2008 Total Posts: 264 Country: United States |
The boys are going to be in the news !! |
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Brian Lingle Registered: Aug 13, 2005 Total Posts: 2304 Country: United States |
Wow! Your thread is still going. I haven't been on FM much until the last couple of days. Beautiful bracelet. Good luck with the computer and people issues. |
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Majik_Imaje Registered: Feb 04, 2008 Total Posts: 264 Country: United States |
My first post in 98 days here Brian !! |
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Majik_Imaje Registered: Feb 04, 2008 Total Posts: 264 Country: United States |
i HAVE SOME great surprises for you .. ever hear of trees in the arctic.. such as palm trees.. we got some up here !! (chuckle) |
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DannyG Registered: Jan 02, 2008 Total Posts: 849 Country: United States |
I thought I was the only one with snow in the yard still. Great shot of the 'trees'! |
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Majik_Imaje Registered: Feb 04, 2008 Total Posts: 264 Country: United States |
We are still miles out on the ocean ice, harvesting whales for the village. |
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EVining Registered: May 08, 2008 Total Posts: 116 Country: United States |
What an interesting thread! I loved the images that you shared here and the stories that went with each one of them. I found the way you get fresh water from the ice interesting. Thank you for sharing. |