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Out of the Ordinary
Colville River Delta Offers Appealing
Lifestyle
by Teena Helmericks
Have you ever wished you could live somewhere special or do
something out of the ordinary? Well, my family and I do, and not
because we deliberately set out to do so, but because we grew up doing
so, and thought nothing of it.
We live on a three-generation homesite on the northern coast
of Alaska about 60 miles west of Prudhoe Bay. Colville Village, as we
call it, sits on Anachlik Island on the outer edge of the Colville
River Delta. My husband, Jim, is the oldest of three sons raised here
in the Arctic. His parents, Bud and Martha Helmericks, settled in the
Colville River Delta in the early 1950's when Jim was a small boy. They
built up our present homesite beginning with nothing but a wall tent
surrounded by snow blocks for their first home. Now there are modern
two-story homes, a hanger for our planes, power and storage buildings,
greenhouses, ice cellars, guest quarters and many other improvements to
make a self-sufficient community.
Many Endeavors
The Helmericks Homesite became the
family's base of operation for numerous endeavors. A commercial fishing
operation was started to supply Barrow and other villages with fresh
whitefish from the Colville River. A flourishing big-game guiding
operation developed, and later an air taxi came into being because of
the demand for the expert flying skills which both Bud and Jim possess.
The Helmericks became involved in the explosion of the oil industry on
the North Slope, providing consultation and advise about environmental
protective measures and clean-up operations, and in guiding or
instructing the newcomers on the best ways to operate and survive under
arctic conditions. We have kept daily records over all the years of
weather conditions, game seen, and important aspects of arctic life.
These records have become a valuable source of information on our area
of the arctic.
I lived in Barrow during the 1950's when my father, Rev.
William Wartes, was the Presbyterian missionary-pilot for the
whole North Slope. My family and the Helmericks family became close
friends during those years and Jim's and my father often flew their
planes together over the vast stretches of the arctic. My early years
in northern Alaska gave me a fortunate background and profound love for
the Arctic so that when I married Jim and returned to the Helmericks
homesite in 1970, I felt like I was returning home.
It has been natural that Jim and I should continue in the
work and lifestyle that we grew up with. We still carry on the
commercial fishery, operate the air taxi, and guide sportsmen and other
outdoor enthusiasts. We provide support services for many types of
operations including the oil industry, scientists from around the
world, and various government agencies.
Home Taught Kids
And now we are raising our own four
sons in the tradition of these Arctic ways. Being born and raised in
the Arctic, they know no other life, and even more so than their
parents, they take their extraordinary life for granted. Both winter
and summer alike, the outdoors becomes a fascinating playground for
them. And like most children, summer is their favorite time of year,
for school is out and they are free to roam at will. Yes, even here on
the edge of the Arctic Ocean, school can't be shirked. Mother becomes
schoolteacher for half a day, six days a week. I teach the boys their
lessons with a state provided correspondence program. Summer vacation
becomes a blessed relief from the rigors of school for me as well as
the children. Then there is time for many extra projects (work and
play) that usually can't be fitted in during busy school days.
Come September though, the books open again and off we go for
another school year. Our son Derek, who is eleven, will be in the sixth
grade this fall, eight year old Jay will be in fourth grade, five year
old Isaac will be a first grader, and two year old Aaron is in
perpetual mischief. Teaching the children at home by correspondence is
not easy but has definite benefits. We are able to remain year-round at
our long established home, keep the family together, and be in control
of the quality of education and outside influences affecting our
children.
Although correspondence schooling is nothing new for many
Alaskan families living in the "bush," it is certainly unique for the
North Slope. I believe our family and others who have lived here with
us are the only residents on the North Slope who permanently reside
outside any established town. Thus correspondence schooling is the only
way to provide our children's education, and still remain together as a
family.
Not So Remote
Our home used to be considered
isolated back when Barrow was the closest community about 165 miles to
the west of us. But nowadays we have many neighbors. The village of
Nuiqsut was established 22 miles upriver from us, and the many oil
camps and rigs of the Kuparuk Oil Field are 10-18 miles east of us. We
have often had seismic camps working all around us during the winter
months. The twinkle of lights can be seen all around during the dark
days and civilization continues to creep closer each year. It would
hardly seem right to refer to our place as remote any longer.
Of course we never have considered our life one of isolation
or loneliness anyway, even when neighbors were nonexistent, for we have
always had many visitors throughout the years due to our location and
means of livelihood. My guest book, started years ago, has hundreds of
names and address of people from all over the world - people who have
stayed days or weeks with us, or people who have simply dropped in for
coffee and a short visit. We have also had other families or single
individuals living and working here with us at Colville Village over
the years. All in all, loneliness has never been a problem. (Add four
rambunctious boys and it is a "circus" half the time.)
Hard Work
Our life is one of freedom and
independence, but just as in any pioneer lifestyle, there is no end to
the hard work and challenges to be faced. Our lives are much easier
than our parent's lives were in the early days here on the Colville,
yet there is still much to be done the hard way, especially during the
harsh winter months. We heat our spacious home with wood and this means
many hours a week of gathering and cutting wood for the stove. Much of
the wood we burn is drift willow that Jim digs out from under snow
along the river banks and then hauls home by snowmachine and sled. It
takes several large loads of wood each week.
Water-haul chores during the months when outdoor water lines
remain frozen are always time and energy consuming. The water must be
hauled from our nearby freshwater lake in large containers by
snowmachine and sled, and then carried into the house with 5-gallon
buckets and poured into our indoor holding tank. From here, a
battery-operated water pump keeps the indoor water lines pressurized. I
have drains that work all year, but the "honey bucket" must be dumped
by hand in our local landfill. In the summer the water chores are
lessened thanks to a windmill. It pumps water into a large holding tank
atop one of the buildings and from there we have gravity flow water
pressure to all the buildings.
Precious Electricity
Electricity is only a temporary
convenience. We have our own generators for our electrical needs, but
due to the high fuel costs, this is a convenience we allow ourselves
only periodically. It is used for such things as laundry day or
charging the many batteries that run our radios, phone system, and
other electrical equipment. (For instance, the children have a battery
operated TV and computer for educational programs.) Besides, you can't
imagine the peacefulness of true silence away from the racket of
motors, generators, and other noisy equipment. We enjoy this true
quietness most of the time.
Just the mechanics of everyday life here can be a full-time
job, yet there must be time for enjoying the land we live in
also. Camping adventures or river excursions are favorite outings. We
are all avid birders, so watching, studying, or just enjoying birds
when they return to the arctic is another favorite pastime. (Then the
arctic quietness becomes an arctic song.) Jim especially is an expert
on all birds of the Arctic, for he has studied them for over 30
years. The children too have a rare knowledge of both birds and
wildlife of the area, for they have lived and breathed them since
babyhood.
Birds & Animals
This fascination for Arctic wildlife has led us into developing an
interesting and educational museum with many beautiful birds and
animals mounted for display. We also have Arctic relics and artifacts
and an elaborate collection of prehistoric animal bones, mammoth tusks,
and fossil shells. These are always of special interest to any guests
we have.
One of the most unusual aspects of our life in the Arctic has
been the small farm animals we have raised over the past 12 years. We
have built a well insulated barn that has housed dairy goats, rabbits,
laying hens, and various domestic ducks and geese. All of our birds and
animals have wintered well in the barn and thrive outdoors on the
Arctic prairie all summer. Fresh milk and eggs are an appreciated
commodity. We can assuredly boast of having the furthest north small
farm animals in the United States!
Yes, we do realize that we live somewhere special and are
doing something out of the ordinary. The whole Helmericks family has a
lot to be proud of considering what has been accomplished over the
years. There is a lot to show for the many years of hard work and
dedication to this land and home of ours.
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