About Us

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We are the students at the Innoko River High School, living in the last village on the Innoko River in the western Interior of Alaska.

Jamie Hamilton

Interests: Hunting, fishing and working on engines.

Hobbies: Basketball, snowboarding, snowmachining, and dirtbiking.

Favorite Native food: Willow grouse.

Reaction to being told we were going to SOUTH AFRICA:
At first I was speechless, and to this day I can not believe we were chosen to go.

Jamie

Jamie
ALISON Shadow data

Our GLOBE Research

We have been a GLOBE school since 1998. Different classes of students have set up different study sites over the years but in 2005 our local research on our environment took on a different twist when lightening struck behind our village and burned a 15-acre area of land dangerously close to local homes.

The Alaska State Forestry Department hired the Shageluk Emergency Fire Fighting crew and the EFF crew from Nikolai to assist in putting out the fire. The fire lasted just two weeks but has provided us with long-term data on regrowth in a Boreal forest that has made us think about climate change and how it effects our cultural traditions and survival as the Deg Hitan people!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Jamie: Sunday, June 28, Departure Day #2

Today we got up and took the buses back to the airport. We got to the airport and had to stay in line for about 8 hours because they were having computer problems. Once we got our luggage checked in we went through security again and got on the plan to Dakar. The flight was about 9 hours, then after the plane was searched in Dakar we went to New York which took another 8-9 hours. Between Dakar and Cape Town there is a 2-hour time difference. Between Cape Town and New York there is a 6-hour time difference. Cape Town is 10-hours faster than Alaska's time. During this trip we went over the Rocky Mountains, flew over the Columbia River. 3-hours from Seattle to Anchorage, flying over Vancouver, Canada.

Jack: Sunday, June 29, Departure Day #2

Today after I woke up I had to bring my bags to the bottom floor of the hotel while we waited for the bus to leave to go back to the airport. We had to wait for Joy and Rudy to come down, too. When we got to the airport we had to wait in line. It was crazy! we were standing in line for almost 8 hours. Just when we were almost getting our plane ticket we heard someone sayig that the Cape Town to Dakar plane is now boarding and I guess we were in luck, we made it on the plane. I had to sit in the back of the plane where it was pretty bumpy.

Everett: Sunday, June 29, Departure Day #2 (including Shageluk travel)

We all went to the airport and waited in line for a couple of hours and got our tickets to Dakar and New York. We went to our plane after they checked our bags and we got on the plane. I had to switch places with Jamie because I couldn't sit by the Exit row seat (I'm too young still). AFter that long rlight we waited inoru seats while they checked the plane and they switched crews and pilots. I fell asleep after they passed me and woke up and we were int he air to New York. While we were in New York we tok a subway to our check in and waited on a long line for a couple of hours. After that we went through security and got breakfast. After that we went to our gates and waited to board our plane. I looked at my ticket and realized I had First Class from New York to Seattle Finally, after awhile we went on the plane and I sat in First Class. First thing I sat down they asked if I wanted anything and I asked for orange juice. When we got in the air they asked if I wanted eggs or cereal so I asked for cereal and they gave it to me. There was lots of fruit and a smoothie. After breakfast I gave them my tray and went to sleep. I woke up and they asked if I wanted any more orange juice and I said, "Yeah." I finished it and went back to bed. After we got to Seattle I looked out the window and saw the Space Needle and we landed. We asked for directions and we got a ride to the subway. We had to go to Alaska Airlines and get our tickets, after that we sat around and waited to board our flight to Anchorage. We got in line and we were looking around for Jamie because he was looking around in the stores. I had to sit by Jack and he went to sleep. I kept bothering him but he wouldn't wake up so I went to sleep, to. When I woke up we were almost to Anchorage. I had to use the bathroom really bad. We finally landed and I got off and told back to hold my bag and I ran to the bathroom. Joy went to rent a car and we all picked up our baggage and went to a hotel and we all fell asleep. When we woke up we dropped off Jack at his mom's and we left to go to stores and other places. After that we went back to the hotel and I couldn't sleep all night. I was almost sleeping but Rudy knocked on the door and we went to a couple of more places and we went to the airport and waited for our plane. Then we went to Aniak and then, HOME!

Jamie: Saturday, June 28, Departure Day #1

Today our plane leaves at 6:00 p.m. so until then, we got to run around Cape Town. We got all our bags and checked out of the dorms. First we went to the W and A Waterfront Mall, which is one of the biggest malls in the world. Right when we got to the Mall, I walked across the street and stood beside the ocean to watch the surf come in. When we got done at the Mall we headed back to the dorms to get our baggage so we could get to the airport a little early. Once we got to the airport we were told our Pilot got food poisoning so our flight was canceled. They brought all of us to hotel rooms and drove us there in a bus. When we got there we ate dinner and I went to look at their outdoor pool before it got too late.

Jack: Saturday, June 28, Departure Day #1

After I had breakfast I went to my room to pack more of my stuff. I was done by 9:30 so laid around for awhile until Joy or Rudy wanted us to bring our bags out of our rooms into a room upstairs. We had to check out of our room then we got to run around Cape Town for awhile. First we went to Cape Town's Harley Davidson so Rudy could give the owner something from Alaska's Harley Davidson and right before we were going to leave he said we could get something free and I chose a hat, so did Everett and Jamie did also and I don't know what Joy and Rudy got but soon as we got done we had to leave to the big Mall for a couple of hours to have lunch at Pik and Pay.

Everett: Saturday, June 28, Departure Day #1

After breakfast we called for a cab and went to a Haley Davidson store and Rudy gave the boss two t-shirts because he said that was is tradition. They talked for awhile and he said all of us can pick out a hat for a souvenir and a soda. After that we went to the W and A Waterfront Mall that had lots of stuff in there. Jamie wanted to look at the beach and me and Jack had to go with him. Jamie was taking pictures of the big waves and he gave the camera to Jack and he took a picture of Jamie by the ocean and we left back. We got to the store and we saw some people from Holland that we knew but we never talked to them. We met up with Rudy and Joy and bought some food for lunch and Jack only bought two hams. We looked around for somewhere to sit down. We ate our food and left back to the dorms. We all went up stairs and sat around and waited for our ride to go to the airport. We waited for a long time and we finally left to the airport. We got our tickets and everyone got First Class except for me. We went through security and then took two cans of pop out of Jack's bag and Jack tried to waste out time and drink them but Joy said to just throw it, we had to go. We waited for a long time for our flight by all the stores in the airport because our flight number didn't show a gate number on the overhead screen. Someone told us our gate number and we went down there and they checked our bags one more time and waited in line. Someone came gave us a message: the Captain had gotten food poisoning so we got a hotel room and went to bed.

Jamie: Friday, June 27, Closing Day

Today was the last day of the conference. We went up to Jameson Hall and started off all the speeches. A few of the older people gave thanks for all the help, then Rudy started his speech. When Rudy was done everyone clapped for about 10-minutes because they enjoyed it so much. Right after the speeches they gave us time to talk and get each other's email addresses. I filled up a couple of pages with email address of everyone I met from all over the world. Eventually we took a bus back down to the Lower Campus to drop off our backpacks before we went out to dinner. The place we ate was an outdoor diner, with candlelight and African dancing. It was, by far, the nicest place I have ever eaten. After dinner one of the GLOBE managers asked everyone to be qiet because he has a surprise for us. Next thing I know thy had a massive Cheetah on stage. We got to look at it and listen to it's deep purr for about 15-minutes. After dinner and everything we took the buses back to the dorms so we could pack. As soon as we got back we were told the woman with the cheetah drives around Cape Town with it all the time because it's very tame.

Jack: Friday, June 27, Closing Day

After I woke up and ate some breakfast we jumped on one of the Jammie Shuttle buses to Jameson Hall to hear more Cultural Presentations and people talking about things during the Closing Ceremony. After lunch we heard Rudy's presentation and it was better than ours. Ours, as in Jamie, Everett and I. After we got done at Jameson Hall we went to Leslie Hall to have lunch. The lunch we had was fantastic, the bed I had ever tasted. It was all their harvest vegetables with squash and corn. We went back to Jameson Hall to hear more people talking about different things with the climate and environment. At about 4:20 we went back to Gracha Mashel (our dorms) and had to change our clothes. We had very little time for that. Then we jumped back on another bus to to go out for dinner at a very special place. We had a really good day.

Everett: Friday, June 27, Closing Day

After breakfast we went to the Jameson Hall to listen to more of the Cultural presentations. Most of them danced and let anyone join them to dance. One of them gave everyone a quiz about Holland's history. They passed out a green paper and a red paper. The first question they asked I got wrong and had to sit down. They kept asking questions and if you got it wrong you had to sit down, the last one standing won a prize from them. After that a couple more Cultural presentations went on. After a little while they put out snacks in the back and everyone got a snack. After lunch Rudy gave his Closing Presentation. He talked about our village, traditions and a little about his family. After his presentation everyone got up and started clapping. After that we took the shuttles back to the dorms and we changed our clothes and took the buses to a restaurant to a place called "Moyo's". It took awhile to get there but they had good food there. We had to get up and get our own food, though. I grabbed a bunch of different meat, grapes and ice cream. We had to be quiet for a little while and someone brought on the stage a cheetah. When everyone got done eating we left back to the dorms.

Jamie: Thursday, June 26, Field Day #2

No blog from Jamie for Thursday.

Jack: Thursday, June 26, Field Day #2

After I woke up I had to eat breakfast, then we went to our field trip tour group for the day, to be more specific, "My Rocket Pincushion". First we went to the Wetlands. We got to climb a little hill, talk about what was growing there and investigate. They said it was winter there so hardly anything was growing and many leaves were falling off. Our group was asked to sketch a plant that still had leaves on it and it took me quite awhile because I had to give a lot of detail. Everyday since I have been in South Africa I have been meeting new friends from all over the world including many from South Africa. It is cool to meet new friends!

Everett: Thursday, June 26, Field Day #2

After breakfast and everything we all took buses to the Wetlands. They had all kinds of different plants ther. We all ahd to sketch and write about the plants there. After that, my friend from Madagascar showed me a plant that he uses at High School and told me how to use it. He said you can inhale it or boil it inhot water and drink it. He said it will help you with sore throats, stomach ache and headaches. After everything was done at the wetlands we to to Tyger Mountain. We saw 5 deer on the hills. We set up a little site that was 4x4 meters and found out the percent of grass and woody bushes. After that we had to do math to figure out how much carbons were in the grass and woody bushes. After we figured it we walked up the mountain to the top and looked around for awhile. First thing we got up there we had to walk down fast because our bus was leaving in 15-minutes so we took off down the hill. Everyone got on the bus and we took off back to the dorms. When we got back we had dinner really quick and went to Jameson Hall. We all got there and the place looked really fancy because of all the candles and table cloths, it was cool. We all ate dinner and had games and dance and a bunch of fun. After everything we all went back to the dorms and went to bed.