Memorial Day in Haines

Memorial Day in Haines

The next morning, I get up early and head back down there to catch pictures of some white flowers I had seen and some wild roses.  There is a woman getting ready to launch her kayak.  She works for one of the tribes as a financial planner.  The tribe has 400 members.  She came from Maine originally, spent six years in the mid west, then two months in Anchorage (too big!) and has been working here for three years.  She said the job was rewarding but frustrating in that she expected the Indians would be eager to become economically self sufficient, but they show little initiative. The money she has been helping them with comes from stimulus money and grants.  She expects both sources to dry up soon, and they need to come up with a plan, but there is a lack of motivation.  She said she knew the Caucasians had created the dependence, but she had been optimistic about their future.  Also, since they live in the community and not on a reservation, there is a lot of intermarrying with other tribes and nationalities, which dilutes the percentage of native blood needed to remain a member of the tribe.  And that was also causing problems.  Just then her kayaking companion came along, and they were off with the tide to go to Glacier Point, which is below the Dickenson Glacier.

The two little children from the night before are playing along the water, running through the grass and climbing on the rocks in the sun.  Even though the boy looks to be a little older, they are getting along wonderfully, and it is so nice to see children playing by themselves, not under the strict observation of an adult.  They are making up games, picking up rocks,

 John catches up with me and gets some pictures of the glaciers.  After we leave the camp, we go into Haines for some serious grocery shopping.  It is Memorial Day, and we are thinking about our friends who will be marching in the Kensington Parade at home.  It is the 100^th anniversary of our community and so it’s a special year for the Memorial Day festivities!  Suddenly, we see the Haines Parade.  It is a guy on a motorcycle with four flags on the back!  He goes by four times and we waved at him (or I did – I love to wave at people!)   We donated to a fund in the grocery store and got two red poppies from the Veterans.  It’s been a longtime since I’ve seen these poppies.    As I cross the street, two Indians in a beat up pick up with two mangy dogs in the back fly through the intersection and almost run me over. It was a four way stop, but I guess I counted as a car, not a pedestrian!

We take a brief tour through Ft. Stewart which was the first army post in Alaska, and which is now being refurbished into homes, bed and breakfasts, and condos. A beautiful area and the typical stately white, uniform houses that you expect to see on an Army installation.   This was the first Army post in the Alaska territory.  The first troops arrived in 1904 and it was deactivated in 1947.  Some veterans bought it, but their business venture failed, and now it has been converted into homes and businesses.  It still has that wonderful old fort feel, however, with an impressive parade ground and has been nicely done. 

Downtown we spot this sign for two of my favorite things - all in one spot!  Nice!