Five of the six intermediate and secondary students and their teacher from Dena'ina School in Pedro Bay, Alaska, took time during their excursion to Oahu on May 21 to meet with Hawaiian Immersion program students at Kahuku High and share one of their treats — smoked salmon mixed with blueberries, sugar and Crisco™ shortening. They said they normally use seal fat in the mixture.

Jason Bickling, secondary teacher, said the two-room school — located about 200 miles southwest of Anchorage on Lake Illiama —has a total of 13 students. "You can only get there by plane," he said, explaining the students raised money for the trip over the past two years, "partly for fun" and also to experience Polynesian culture. "A person in our village also knows Fran [Corcoran, Kahuku Public & School Library Branch Manager], and we wanted to do a presentation on their culture and background on what their life is like to another native group."

Bickling also said the group had stayed at Camp Erdman in Mokuleia, planned to visit the Polynesian Cultural Center, and spent several days in Waikiki. "It was good for our kids to see another culture here," he added.

Corcoran reported the Alaskan students come from a very small town. "In talking of their town, they said there are no paved roads leading to it. Bears wander the streets but people know how to avoid an encounter with them. Most people use ATVs [all-terrain vehicles] — 'bikes' — although in the pictures we saw bikes with rough terrain tires as well."

"When asked what they liked about Hawaii, they all said, 'the heat,' and they were dressed in slippers and tee shirts; but back home they said snow is still evident," Corcoran continued. "Four of the five kids are related and are from a native Indian group. They spoke some words to us, but said none of them were fluent in the language of their grandparents."

Corcoran also said the students had recently competed in the Native Youth Olympics, and demonstrated the "wrist carry" and "high jump ball kick. We also saw a slide show of their area where hunting is a major occupation. One of the kids showed his pelts of lynx, marten, fox and wolverine, as well as pictures of a whole family framed by one rack of moose horns."

Bickling said he would encourage students from other small schools in their area to consider visiting Hawaii; "and I'd like to get some cross-cultural dialog going on with the students, maybe through email or a blog, where they can interact with each other and learn more about each other's cultures."

Alaska students meet Hawaiian Immersion students at Kahuku

The Dena'ina School students and their teacher (right)
from Alaska held an exchange with Hawaiian Immersion
students in the Kahuku Library