As I was entering my journal onto this web site, reading over what I'd written, I was surprised to see that I heard and saw some noisy gulls on my first morning in Anchorage. I'd forgotten about that. It all makes perfect sense now, that the wildlife welcomed me when I arrived and bid me adieux as I prepared to leave. It's their home. It was before humans came, and it will be after humans leave.
Athabaskans came here. They fished. They hunted. They faded away.
Russians came here. They trapped. They traded. They moved on.
Americans came here. They panned. They drilled. They stayed.
I came here. I listen. I wonder. I dream of coming back.(7/1/2003, Fox Island)
Featured image from Alaska Native Knowledge Network