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Anchor: Antonia Gonzales
By Jill Fratis, KNBA News
St. George Island is an Alaska Native community that prides itself on its resourcefulness, but was put to the test after its water system failed.
The island is about 200 miles off the coast of Alaska.
Only 35 people live there and they were not able to drink their tap water for almost a month.
“It’s been pretty murky, It’s brown, even boiling it. I don’t trust it to wash my dishes.”
Anatasia Kashevarof says tribes and Native corporations donated supplies of bottled water, which went fast.
The public safety building did have water that could be used for cleaning.
Kashevarof says families had to haul five gallon buckets to their homes to flush toilets and mop the floors.
This went on for several weeks, as crews tried to pinpoint the cause of the problem.
Finally, they tracked it down to a broken water line.
When the city crew dug into the ground, they were shocked at what they found – a clean break in the pipe that was right on top of a huge rock.
The mayor of St. George, Mark Merculief, began to wonder if an earthquake caused the damage.
One had jolted the island a few days before the water ran out.
Although the cause of the break will likely remain a mystery, he says the community learned a lot from the experience.
“You got to know the ins and out of your systems here, and also to be able to, whether it’s federal or state agencies to be able, to explain situations like that.”
The water system was up and running in time for Thanksgiving, but St. George still has to boil its drinking water until the lines are completely flushed out.
By U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola (Yup’ik/D-AK), who won a special election to cover the rest of the term for the late Rep. Don Young, went on to become the first Alaska Native woman elected to Congress.
And, now has become the first Alaska U.S. representative to be elected by ranked choice voting.
Last week, when second choice ballots were counted, Rep. Peltola received enough to win the race and credits the new system of voting to her election.
“So because of ranked voting, there are opportunities for people who may not be the party favorite. They may not be the person the establishment says is their turn to lead. I really think it helps mainstream folks, not from an establishment get their foot in the door.”
Rep. Peltola won with 54% of the vote, about 10 percent more than her Republican challenger, former Governor Sarah Palin.
Proponents of ranked choice voting say the system helps to elect more moderate candidates and minorities.
Rep. Peltola says she’ll focus on Alaska priorities and will try to balance that with efforts to work on the behalf of Native Americans.
She says her election gets her a seat at the table, which puts her in a position to help tribes.
Native American comedian and writer Jana Schmieding (Cheyenne River Sioux) switched gears ahead of her planned visit to the University of Oregon last week.
KLCC’s Brian Bull has more.
Schmieding had planned to do a day full of activities at her alma mater, but tested positive for COVID after landing in Eugene.
“I got it at a Smashing Pumpkins concert at the Hollywood Bowl. So (LAUGHS) we’ll blame the Smashing Pumpkins fans.”
Instead, Schmieding did visits and a “BE INDIGENOUS JOY” campus presentation via Zoom to keep people safe.
She’s a UO alum of the Class of 2005, and has written and acted for two Native-themed series, “Rutherford Falls” and “Reservation Dogs.”
Schmieding assures fans that her COVID case is mild, she’s up on her vaccinations, and she’s resting at her parent’s place.
“I’m not suffering at all. And I’m well-taken care of. My mom and my dad are really showing up for me.”
Schmieding’s relatives, including her brother, grandmother, and a cousin, appeared at the Tuesday event on her behalf.
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