Building Relationships in Remote Alaska

07 October 2014

From Capt. Anastasia Wasem

Traveling to locations only accessible by plane or boat, Alaskan Command leadership was able to gain insight on the life and challenges of Alaska Native Tribes as well as build relationships during a trip to several remote villages Oct. 1 to 2.

Lt. Gen. Russ Handy, Alaskan Command commander, Col. Patrick Miller, 11th Air Force vice commander, Chief Master Sgt. Jerry Moore, 11th Air Force command chief, and Dr. Jerome Montague, Alaskan Command Native Affairs and Natural Resource advisor, toured and met with the residents of the native villages of Wales and Shishmaref as well as the Nome Eskimo Community.

"Alaska Natives often live around the places where our military operate and in many cases we're operating adjacent to or on lands important to them. So it's invaluable to visit the Tribal Elders and residents and learn more about their communities and some of the issues they're dealing with," said Handy.

In many locations around the state, including in Wales and Shishmaref, the Alaska Native still rely on subsistence living such as picking greens in the spring, gathering berries in the fall and hunting whales and seals off the coast.

"We learned from our parents how to predict the weather three to five days out for hunts," said Frank Oxereok, a resident of the 160-person village of Wales. "The whaling captain and I have noticed that the winds have changed in the last 10 years. We have prevailing winds from the north and south now preventing good predictions, making the hunts more dangerous and changing the patterns of the animals."

As activity in the Arctic evolves, the need or desire for the Department of Defense in Alaska may change. With a greater capacity to support civil authorities and communities during disasters, it is increasingly important for the military within Alaska to better understand the environment in which they operate.

"We have wonderful people out there living very traditional lives," said Handy about the visit. "As the Arctic environment evolves, however that may be, we'll need to adjust our capabilities commensurate with that. When we have a disaster, like a flood or earthquake, as military members we get called on to help these communities; being able to get out here, walk around the villages and meet with the residents first-hand gives me insight in case we do need to do that sort of mission."

In addition to preserving her native culture despite environmental changes, Anna Oxereok, Native Village of Wales president, also tries to improve life in the village through various town projects and programs. This past summer, she initiated a cleanup of the village landfill as well as implemented a new recycling program in order to keep the land clean for the children of the village.

"It's beneficial for the general to see our way of life here and how close we are to the Air Force's Tin City radar site," stated Anna Oxereok. "We have a very good relationship with the workers at the site. Last year they even helped us repair potholes on our main street."

With villages such as Shishmaref at the forefront of climate change as the land surrounding the town continues to erode, it is vital that Alaska's military and DoD representatives understand the changes and how issues such as security could be effected.

"Anytime we look at DoD activity in the state, we need to be sensitive in anything we consider doing and include the Alaska Natives in the decision process," stated Handy. "So by having met them on this trip, knowing them and building two-way trust is very helpful. And that way, if we do desire to do something in the vicinity, those lines of communication are already open."