Day 57

July 25,2017

Slow moving this AM, 55 degrees, rain so big breakfast then a drive to the Alaska Native Heritage Center.  

We first watched a dance performance of dances and songs from some of the eleven cultures found in Alaska including islands offshore.  The regalia worn by the performers were different to represent their cultural background.  

A walk around the lake behind the center showed the various ways that the houses were built, some of huge wood logs, some underground, some on stilts depending on the geography of the region.

All the cultures have ten universal values:

Show respect to others (Each person has a special gift)

Share what you have (Giving makes you richer)

Know who you are (You are a reflection on your family)

Accept what life brings (You cannot control many things)

Have patience (Some things cannot be rushed)

Live carefully (What you do will come back to you)

Take care of others (You cannot live without them)

Honor your elders (They show you the way in life)

Pray for guidance (Many things are not known)

See connections (All things are related)

Leaving the native center we drove downtown to Simon & Seafort’s, a very nice restaurant featuring seafood, located in a building with a view of the results of the 1964 earthquake and Cook Inlet, low tide so mud flats and a little water.  The food was outstanding.  This was another recommendation by Marianne and David.  (Thanks).  

Back to the Unity and this was laundry day so Iris cleaned house while Bob battled the women for washing machines and dryers.  When this was done it was time for happy hour and we watched live TV, different from when we lived here in the 1970’s.  Then TV was recorded on tape in Seattle, put on the ferry to Alaska and, after several days days of travel, broadcast in Alaska.