For the first part of the week we immersed ourselves in learning about the diverse Alaskan Native cultures. In a state that spans the width the lower 48, and is 3-4 times the size of Minnesota, there is room for incredible diversity. From the Southeast corner rainforest to the frozen tundra by the arctic circle. We were blessed with to incredible speakers. It was a cultural awareness workshop and our first look into the sheer grandness and diversity of this land. I tend to forget the role of the Russians in this land and there is still a strong presence in villages and I heard Russian spoken more than once in Anchorage.
There were many powerful messages given to us that day. Loren spoke of his village and how they made a conscientious decision to let go of anger and embrace forgiveness and the difference that it has made for them. They have become a better village for it and share that experience with others. He spoke of the need for respect and openness of spirit. I feel that he made a strong impact on us. We also heard from a woman with a hard history who was able to find a good path and works now to help others find themselves through their traditions. The group made a contribution to her village for their boats. They used to go 40 miles over pack ice by snow machine to the water to hunt. Now there is no pack ice and they have to drive their boats the 40 miles out to hunt, which uses more gasoline.
There is an incredible campus that houses the Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC), and on Tuesday and Wednesday morning we toured the various areas (though Rebekah and I had a sneak peak on Sunday afternoon when I drove her in for a doc to look at her knee). They are doing pretty wonderful things and the buildings were wonderful and filled with an incredible art collection from local native artists. See the slideshow below. Their modality of healing was intuitive and driven by their patients whom they term "customer-owners". Warning - I will stand momentarily on my soap-box. When living beings and relationship are put above profit, the world becomes a better place. That is the only shift we really need to make. Be it in healthcare, government, jobs, mining, industry, relationships...anything really. Okay, stepping back down now. It is truly inspiring to see this in action, and the success they have.
There were many powerful messages given to us that day. Loren spoke of his village and how they made a conscientious decision to let go of anger and embrace forgiveness and the difference that it has made for them. They have become a better village for it and share that experience with others. He spoke of the need for respect and openness of spirit. I feel that he made a strong impact on us. We also heard from a woman with a hard history who was able to find a good path and works now to help others find themselves through their traditions. The group made a contribution to her village for their boats. They used to go 40 miles over pack ice by snow machine to the water to hunt. Now there is no pack ice and they have to drive their boats the 40 miles out to hunt, which uses more gasoline.
There is an incredible campus that houses the Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC), and on Tuesday and Wednesday morning we toured the various areas (though Rebekah and I had a sneak peak on Sunday afternoon when I drove her in for a doc to look at her knee). They are doing pretty wonderful things and the buildings were wonderful and filled with an incredible art collection from local native artists. See the slideshow below. Their modality of healing was intuitive and driven by their patients whom they term "customer-owners". Warning - I will stand momentarily on my soap-box. When living beings and relationship are put above profit, the world becomes a better place. That is the only shift we really need to make. Be it in healthcare, government, jobs, mining, industry, relationships...anything really. Okay, stepping back down now. It is truly inspiring to see this in action, and the success they have.