IRS Names

The locals refer to their non-Yup'ik names as their IRS names. The non-Yup'ik names (Paul, John, etc.) were given to the Native Alaskans when the IRS came to all the villages to count them. I haven't felt or seen too much resentment toward the Kussaqs, non-natives, (sounds like Gussucks). What I did learn is that the Kussaqs are not supposed to call the locals by their Yup'ik names. We can call them by their Yup'ik nicknames, but not by their actual Yup'ik name. I think it has something to do with their preservation of culture, but I'm not sure. I'll keep you posted. The people of Kipnuk also seem to have an exorbitant amount of saliva. I am not saying that to be mean, but my roommates and I have been talking about it and brought it up to the other teachers here to have some light shed on the subject. One teacher thinks it has to do with the climate, maybe the frequency in which they steam, and a few others think it has to do with the way they speak because they use a lot of guttural, throaty sounds. In the classroom, my students blow bubbles with their saliva, and I had one girl who just drooled on the table and stood up to get in line for lunch. When I made her clean it up she looked at me like I was crazy. Some of my students go to the trash can to spit. Many of the adults make this sound with their mouths when they suck back the extra spit that has collected - it's similar to the obnoxious sound some people make when they are sipping soup. As I'm writing this I think about how unpleasant it sounds...and it is, it really is. I mentioned that the locals steam just about every night. The men steam with the men and young men; the women with the women and young ladies. It is a substitute for a bath. The men use the steam first, and then the women use it, then the women clean it. When you walk into the steam, there is a little foyer area where you undress and fill a bucket of water. I was told to take two towels with me, one to sit on and one to use for drying off. After you have your bucket of water, you go through the little tiny door that leads you into the steam. You find a spot on the floor and sit on one of your towels (this is to ensure your own personal safety, because if you go to a steam that is not cleaned properly, you could end up with a boil - don't worry though, I only intend on steaming with people who I know have a clean steam). After you steam, usually about 20 or 30 minutes depending on how long winded your hosts are, you soap and shampoo up. The bucket of water you brought into the steam is nice and hot by that point, so you won't be dumping a bucket of freezing water on yourself. They steam all through the winter and the spring (when there is still lots of snow on the ground) so if we run out of water in the village, let's hope I have a steady invite to a steam so that I can "shower" every night! That was just a quick run-down of the procedure of steaming. We had some of the other teachers over last night so we were talking about all sorts of things. I learned that if we are out walking in the village and see a Mammoth tusk (yes, there have been Mammoth tusks found in the village), ivory, or anything else lying on the ground, we are not supposed to pick it up - we are supposed to find a native and tell him/her where it is. Usually, if a Kussaq finds something, the native they told will give them a piece or something as a thank you. If anyone has any questions or wants me to find something in particular out - let me know! Post a comment or send me an email!