Rosary Rally
Dear Editor: First of all, thank you to Jesus and Blessed Mother Mary, for giving us the opportunity to hold a rosary rally Saturday, Oct. 14.
Thank you, Father Peter Gorges and Father Andy Sensenig, for your continued and energetic support.
Also, a special thank you to all of those who participated: Virginia Phillips, Charles Horan, Kay Baird, Mike Perensovich, Brenda Bean, Monica Mills, Carol Vorst, Matilda and Ador Carbillon, Isabel Nicolas and Mario Manaois.
Buddy and Adelia Agne, Sitka
Baha’i Celebration
Dear Editor: As Baha’is from all around the world prepare to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Baha’u’llah this coming weekend, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on tidbits of Baha’i history in Sitka.
In 1922 Grace Mayfield moved to Alaska looking for ‘‘work and romance.’’ She worked in Petersburg and while traveling to visit Baranof Warm Springs met Fred Bahovec, who owned a charter fishing boat there. They married, raised fox and mink for their furs and, eventually, switched to making jewelry from precious stones found around Baranof. She learned about the Baha’i Faith while on a trip to Anchorage looking for jade. She later declared, ‘‘I am one of Baha’u’llah’s jewels and he has found me. I came for jade but I have found a priceless jewel.’’
Gail Avery became a Baha’i in 1945 and after hearing the call for Baha’is to pioneer in remote places she decided to move to Sitka in 1954. She worked at Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital and Sitka Community Hospital as an X-ray technician and later worked at the Sitka Pioneers Home until she retired in 1970. There is a great story about her and her daughter Alice rowing groceries to Dove Island in their small rowboat when the boat overturned. After being rescued and rewarmed, Gail went back and recovered all the groceries by diving to the bottom of the sea. She married Albert Davis in 1957 and was later adopted into the tribe and given the honor of receiving a Tlingit name.
I heard the boat story from Alice Machesney but the stories mentioned above were collected by Earl Redmond in a book about 257 Baha’i pioneers who traveled ‘‘where no Baha’i had gone before ...’’ ‘‘and in so doing experienced the greatest adventure of their lives.’’ The book is titled ‘‘The Knights of Baha’u’llah’’ and Galen Insteness, at the Pioneers Home, has a copy if you would like to peruse it.
Many Baha’is have lived in Sitka, some for short periods and some longer ones. Some have moved away, and some are resting at Sitka Memorial Park. When I moved to Sitka 20 years ago, I remember a nice crowd attending our Nah Ruz (Baha’i New Year) celebration at the old Mexican restaurant on Katlian. We sang songs, ate pizza and drank pitchers of soda. We still gather at Pizza Express, every year, on March 20, to celebrate the New Year.
We pray too for the souls of the Baha’is before us and we still communicate with our friends who have moved away.
Elisabeth Sutton,
Sitka Baha’i Community
Indigenous People’s Day
Dear Editor: We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all who made the recent Indigenous Peoples’ Day event at UAS possible. We want to thank the incredible speakers and breakout session hosts, our partner organizations, financial contributors, UAS administration and staff, and most of all the nearly 250 community members who came out for the event.
During this inaugural Indigenous Peoples’ Day event, attendees were able to enjoy venison stew and a potluck dinner; hear remarks from Dionne Brady Howard, Fred Hope, and Harriet Beleal; and be present for a ceremonial signing of the Indigenous Peoples’ Day resolution by City and Borough of Sitka and Sitka Tribe of Alaska. A very special thanks to Lt. Governor Byron Mallott as well for making a visit to Sitka for this historic event and for his memorable speech. Following the opening remarks, participants were able to choose from five breakout sessions all centered around the theme of guwakaan or deer.
Financial contributors to this event included Baranof Island Housing Authority, Shee Atiká Inc., Sitka Tribe of Alaska, Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, and McDonald’s.
Partner organizations included Alaska Native Brotherhood Camp 1, Alaska Native Sisterhood Camp 4, the City and Borough of Sitka, Mt. Edgecumbe High School, Pacific High School, Sitka Conservation Society, Sitka Native Education Program, Sitka Tribe of Alaska, and UAF Cooperative Extension.
We also extend our gratitude to the following individuals and apologize if we have missed anyone: Albert Duncan, Alison Krein, Andrew Thoms, Byron Mallott, Charlie Skultka, Cheryl Stromme, Chris Washko, Chuck Miller, Claire Sanchez, Clarice Johnson, David Felts, Dionne Brady Howard, Don Kluting, Dosy Merculief, Emily Bristol, Emy Roles, Erin Rofkar, Fred Hope, George Ganey, Greg George, Harriet Beleal, Harvey Kitka, Herman Davis, Holley Dennison, Jacqueline Ferro, James Poulson, Jamie Bradley, Jasmine Shaw, Jill Hanson, Joe Liddle, Jon Martin, Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, Jordan Houck, Karen Carey, Karen McIntyre, Kathy Ingallinera, Katie Mulligan, Kevin Knox, Kimberly Davis, Kitty LaBounty, Kolene James, Kristina Cranston, Lakrisha Brady, Lawrence “Woody” Widmark, Lee House, Leslie Gordon, Lillian Young, Liz Zacher, Lucienne Shoemaker, Maggie Gallin, Maite Lorente, Marcia Strand, Mark Sixbey, Math Trafton II, Nancy Douglas, Nels Lawson Jr., Paul Fitzgibbon, Pauline Duncan, Peter Vu, Phil Mooney, Rachel Moreno, Richard Caulfield, Richard Nelson, Robert Potrzuski, Roby Littlefield, Sam Eames, Sarah O’Leary, Sean Mackinson, Shannon Haugland, Sonia Mabalot, Stanley Schoening, Stephen Lawrie, Tommy Joseph, Tony Rosas, Tristan Guevin, Tristian Duncan, Vena Stough, and Zoe Trafton.
We look forward to seeing you at future Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrations and again thank the community of Sitka for your support.
Gunalcheesh.
Crystal Duncan and Amelia Budd,
UAS-Sitka Campus
