Letters & Email:
On Faith Fjeld
A great voice for research, preservation of knowledge and goodwill between the Alaskan
and Sami descendants of the Reindeer Project is gone.
Through her involvement in the Baiki Journal and her outreach work in Alaska, the Sami and Alaska Inupiat and Yupik international connection was strengthened. Her studies have shown that two distinct and different peoples can work together and still do despite distance and language barriers. There has never been any hostilities or dissension between us.
Faith showed that despite maneuvers by my government to divide and distance our peoples through changing regulations during the formative years, their determination to rise above the politics, has kept the Reindeer Project alive. To this day, Western Alaska is still reaping the benefits through the Reindeer Herders’ Association with eleven active reindeer herds which are studied and innoculated against disease by the University of Alaska. We have a reindeer meat and by-products industry. The University of Alaska Fairbanks and Northwest Campus in Nome have studies on reindeer husbandry, teaching classes on tanning reindeer hides and creating reindeer leather goods. And descendants, researchers and visitors from Norway, Sweden and Finland arrive yearly to connect to their past. We will always remember her as the force and guiding light that elevated the work and dreams of our ancestors - the teachers and students. I personally am so grateful for her influence in my life and the respect and love she had for my people.
Pearl Johnson
November 12, 2014
I am visiting Finland now and I
am sending this email from the Vuotso School where we are looking
at the Baiki Website and wÌsh you all well from here. My
Sami grandmother Johanna Alariesto migrated to Minnesota in the
early 1900s. I grew up in Minnesota and migrated to Australia
in 1969. I currently live in Palmerston ACT Australia. I have
really enjoyed my visit to Samiland. I would encourage all Sami
descendants to come to the Sami Film Festival that is held in
Inari in late January every year. Ellet dearvan (live in good
health).
Ed Oberg
Hi there. I just found out last
year when I went back to Norway to visit my dad, that our family
are part Sami. My dad's family came from Alta, with the last name
of Alta. I'm now living outside Vancouver. I was wondering if
you know of any Sami people living in British Columbia? I want
to learn more about my own people and culture, and have searched
the net, where I found your site.
Kristin Halvorsen
Greetings from Norway:) I represent �rran - lulesami
centre in Norway. It was great to discover your website. I made
a link to your site on our webpage. Regards,
Egil Sk�lltje Olsen, IS-manager
How interesting it was to find your
page. I enjoyed to read about my Sami heritage, and did not know
that there was so many Samis in USA. I enjoyed it a lot.
Anki Jensen, Sweden
I like the web site, just now had time to really
visit.
Jennifer Hope Hyypi�
Hello... I am a Saami (descendant)... Every now
and then I get over your way and I thought I would drop in and
talk to you. Thank you for having such a nice website. I am sending
you a check for your publication, ASAP.
Barbara Byington
I took a quick look at the Baiki
website late last week, and my initial impression was favorable.
Eric Bergland, Blue River, OR
My name is Ralph Sara, my grandfather was Clement
Sara. A friend emailed me your web site, and I think it is
great... Thank you so much.
Ralph Sara
Thank you very much for sending me copies of
the Baiki Journal! A lot of interesting reading...
Frode Fjellheim, Jersey City, NJ
I took a quick look at the new Baiki
page...great! I love the indigenous article!!!
Barb Eckels, Kalispell, MT |
