Ethics

Ethics – moral principles that govern a person’s behavior or the conducting of an activity or business.

Ethics – the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation they are charged to do.

Good ethical behavior refers to acting in a way that demonstrates good values and moral principles. Practicing good ethical behavior involves showing integrity which aligns with societal standards of honesty, fairness, equality, diversity, etc.

Acting in ways consistent with what society and individuals typically think are good values.    Ethical behavior tends to be good for business and involves demonstrating respect for key moral principles that include honesty, fairness, equality, dignity, diversity and individual rights.

Good Ethics should be our guiding tool for all our governments.

AĠVIQ – The Bowhead Whale

AĠVIQ – The Bowhead Whale

Whaling is the center of our culture and values.

Whaling keeps our community working together and because one person or family alone cannot hunt a whale alone and therefore when problems arise, most are quickly resolved with conflict resolution to keep unity in our community.

It is with Humility that a Captain of a whaling crew earns the respect of his crewmembers, the community and the same with the crewmembers from the Captain. There is also a great respect for the elements we hunt in, the ice conditions could change in minutes.

Before the whalers go out on the ice, there is a church service to ask for blessing and safety for our hunters. Then when a whale is landed, the first thing a crew does is to say a prayer of thanksgiving and again for safety to get the whale distributed. – thus our Spirituality

We share when a whale is caught with the whole community and even with family and friends around the State and Nation. There is also compassion on the widows or families that do not have hunters providing for them and thus the whale is shared.

There is cooperation in the harvest and butchering of the whale where everyone that helps gets a share. It is also a time to learn some Inupiaq Language while there is humor and joy in the air because God has provided us and blessed us with sustenance and we yell YAY HEY HEY!!!!

Our culture and values in a nutshell.

NSB Port Authority

Definition of a port authority (less commonly a port district) is a governmental or quasi-governmental public authority for a special-purpose district usually formed by a legislative body (or bodies) to operate ports and other transportation infrastructure.

§ 4.01.020 – Purpose and boundaries.

(A)
The purpose of the Authority is to plan for, finance, construct, operate and maintain transportation related facilities and activities within the boundaries of the North Slope Borough. These facilities and activities, or Projects, are intended to provide emergency response capability, environmental protection, improved efficiency of local cargo operations, facilitation of resource development, and provision of training and employment opportunities for local residents. These facilities and activities shall be pursuant to the Development Plan.
(B)
The boundaries of the Authority shall be coterminous with the boundaries of the North Slope Borough.

Spirituality – Ukpiqqutiqaġniq

Spirituality – Ukpiqqutiqaġniq

• Knowing that our ancestors were spiritual people
• They knew that there was good and bad
• Our Elders talked about a new thing coming
• They understood it was Christianity
• Understanding the power of prayer
• Always being thankful for what we have
• Knowing that we can never out give God
• Asking for wisdom from God in everything we do.
• Our elders believe that there is Heaven and Hell.
• They believe that we have a choice.

Our parents and grandparents always went to church together when we were growing up. There was no one left home unless you were dying when the church doors opened. My father would have his whaling crew move up from the open lead to honor the sabbath and then return that evening after church.

I believe that because there is no spiritual discipline, our families have broken up, our communities are in turmoil and there is so much depression, division and bitterness. Our families are not involved in the spiritual value of our elders that spring structure and wholeness to their families.

Things to discuss with your family: Talk about the importance of prayer with your children. Talk about the Bible and Jesus with them. There is an eternity to think about.

Going through hard times – Siġġaġniuġapta

Siġġaġniuġapta, niġiunaitchuatigun, qallilaaġuurugut God-mun.
Ivaqłiqtuatun paqinnialiġuugikput qanitquvlugu. Iḷisimasukługu.
Sugaluaġli iñuuniaġniq, suuŋinmatun suna iḷisuuruq, aglaan
paqitchuksiññaqługu God suli iḷitchuġisuurugut iḷaata pigisuktaatigut. Siġġaġniuġutivut qavsukpata, piiguġnatikput suli tutquġnatikput sumun.

It’s usually through our hard times, the unexpected and not-
according-to-plan times, that we experience God in more
intimate ways. We discover an unquenchable longing to know
Him more in those hard times. It’s a passion that isn’t concerned that life fall within certain predictable lines, but a passion that pursues God
and find out that He is relentless in His pursuit of each one of us. When our hard times end, let’s not put Him back on the shelf.

The North Slope and the rest of the Inupiaq Communities should Secede from Alaska?

What does secede mean?

verb (used without object), seceded, seceding. 1. to withdraw formally from an alliance, federation, or association, as from a political union, a religious organization, etc. Origin of secede.

Would the other communities want to create a new State?  As North Alaska?

Some of our leaders have talked about this in the past but no action has ever been started

Why should we Secede?   Because we as bush communities do not receive the same equal service that urban Alaska gets.   Some of our southern villages still use “honey buckets”, they don’t have running water in their homes, we don’t have State government offices within our communities, not even satellite offices.

We have heard from State officials that we don’t even have to sent our criminals to jail because living in the Bush is already punishment enough.

If we were to secede, we will not have to be segregated like we are today.   Look at ASAA for our schools.   Barrow is considered western region and we are no even western, we are north, they might as well say the native region.

I think it’s time to Secede and become our own State.   This needs to come up at AFN or ICC.   All our oil money goes to provide for urban Alaska and then some but no services for us.    If this leadership doesn’t do it, a new leadership that does not sit idle will do it.   Be that generation that does something.    We understand some leadership will not do it because they are comfortable and make enough money to not worry about the things a lot of our people worry about.     Leadership is about serving others that vote you in.   To do it to the best of your ability.

How long did our people fight to organize a Home Rule Government?

It was in the mid to late 60’s that our leaders were talking about creating a borough so they can control and tax whomever came on their homeland.   At that time, we had reindeer herders traveling from the Canadian border to Point Hope.

In the book “Taking Control” the story of self determination, you will read and find the key individuals as they united to chart our history and our future in the north.

Preamble of the North Slope Borough:

We, the people of the North Slope Borough area, in order to form an efficient and economical government with just representation, and in order to provide local government responsive to the will of the people, and to the continuing needs of the communities, do hereby ratify and establish this Home Rule Charter of the North Slope Borough of Alaska.

 

IĻISIMARAKSRAQ North-Slope Borough-kun

Uvagut, iňuuruaguut irrituruam nunaŋani, inillaiňiaġupta savalluataġniaqtuamik kavamamik iluqaisa iňuvut nipiqallasiļugich, suli iňuŋisa nunapta tilikpatigut savaaġitqulugu suna piļļalugu, iglauniksraŋannun nunaaqqillaat, iviġagigikput suli inillakkikput Pitqurriuġumiňaqsivlutalu aŋalatchiyumiňaqsivlutalu uvaptigun tamaani nunaptigni.

*this book “Taking Control” needs to be a required read in our Schools.

Humility – Qiňuiňňiq

  •  Soft spoken

  • not rude or mocking

  • Never try to be noticed

  • not being obnoxious verbal or physically.

  • Respecting others

  • Not trying to be first in everything.

  • Putting others before yourself.

  • Caring for the needs of others.

  • Respecting yourself

  • Dressing modestly, taking care of yourself physically and spiritually.

For family discussion: Taking care of yourself and how to care for others. Talking about how to be treated as a human and treating others how we want to be treated. For instance, if an elder or anyone older needs a chair, offer them a chair even if it is yours.

Respect for Nature – Inupiaq value

Respect for Nature:

Our families can practice respect for nature
• Don’t leave your trash when you are leaving your campsite.
• Learn about the landmarks of each area and their traditional names and how each place got their names.
• Remember that weather changes really quickly and be ready or prepared when you are traveling for change in weather.
• Respect all creatures, great and small
• Don’t mock any living creature

For Family discussion:  Taking care of our land and animals. What can our family do to help take care of our resources?  What are our other resources?

Taking Control – The Story of Self Determination in the Arctic

This will probably be a very interesting blog…so much history that needs to be taught to our children, grandchildren and those that now call the Arctic their home.   This was done during Jeslie Kaleak Sr.’s administration for the NSB.   A very valuable read and history.

Many leaders like Jeslie were sent out for education, leaving home for a long 9 months of the year.   God had a plan for them, a plan to prosper and a plan to succeed in leading their people.

I remember my older siblings as well, leaving for their education.   It was always a short summer for us with them.   They would stay in Barrow while we spent a lot of our summers at our fish camp.

I don’t know what it will take for our NSBSD Board of Education to take this valuable book and use it as curriculum for our students, if it hasn’t been introduced yet.

The book tells of what our leaders went through to get our land claims, our Municipal Home Rule Government in place and our other non-profit agencies along with the Tribes working together for the best interest of our people and our future.

We cannot take it lightly as residents and not just think about today or tomorrow, but let’s think about the future of our grandkids and their grandkids.   Let’s make wise choices.