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A32 FEATURE
Thursday 12 december 2019
Santa, soldiers bring joy to beleaguered Alaska village

By MARK THIESSEN permafrost — permanently
Associated Press frozen soil — and compro-
NAPAKIAK, Alaska (AP) — mising river banks, accord-
A school employee wear- ing to Brian Brettschneider,
ing a traditional pink Alas- an associate climate re-
ka Native smock called a searcher at the University
kuspuk breezed through of Alaska Fairbanks' Inter-
the hubbub in the cafete- national Arctic Research
ria adorned with murals of Center.
purely Alaska scenes, zig- "You see this at a number
zagging through children of rivers in western Alaska
clutching presents and past where the bank stability is
uniformed soldiers wearing so much less than it used to
Santa caps. be because the warming
"Napakiak is happy today," temperatures are allowing
she proclaimed to principal the banks to just crumble
Sally Benedict. away with even typical riv-
That's a rare emotion of late er flows," he said.
for the 300 or so residents of This year alone, Napakiak's
this western Alaska com- erosion has been respon-
munity. "We're falling into sible for more than 100 feet
the Kuskokwim River," Bene- (30 meters) of lost shoreline.
dict explains, because of In September, the village
erosion that is forcing ev- This Dec. 3, 2019 photo shows Santa Claus arriving in Napakiak, Alaska, on an Alaska National school's 10 fuel tanks were
eryone to move their town Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. relocated by barge across
farther inland. Associated Press the river to the nearby
But for one day this month, town of Bethel after being
the Alaska National Guard of St. Mary's, Alaska, had threatened by aggressive
gave folks a reason to no money to buy children riverbank erosion.
smile, thanks to its "Opera- Christmas presents after Erosion also threatens the
tion Santa Claus" program, flooding severely impacted school, which sits less than
which featured the jolly old hunting and fishing. Since 200 feet (60 meters) feet
elf himself distributing gifts then, Guard members try to from the river. The Lower
to the children. visit at least two rural com- Kuskokwim School District
"This lightens the load," said munities a year, delivering needs to move the school,
Benedict, a former Detroit Christmas gifts and other but local officials say find-
educator who arrived last needed supplies. ing money for a new school
summer. "This is sunshine for They've been to remote has been challenging.
us. It's a brightening of our burgs with names like Koyu- River erosion also threat-
day." kuk, Savoonga, Illiamna, ened Napakiak's firehouse
Now in its 63rd year, Opera- Kwethluk and Tuntuliak. and city garage, so those
tion Santa Claus has be- The visit to Napakiak in- structures were moved in
come a rarity among Na- volved two aircraft: a 400- July.
tional Guard units. Defense mile (644-kilometer) trip in a The village also has applied
officials have shut down the small airplane from Anchor- for permits to relocate the
program everywhere but age, then a five-minute he- boat harbor, which was
Alaska, where the mission licopter ride to the village. destroyed by storms in
survives because the state "We love this, we truly love May. The five-year plan,
is so large and some com- coming here," said Maj. This Dec. 3, 2019, photo shows 6-month-old Rebecca Ilmar hav- Benedict said, is to move
munities are so remote. Gen. Torrence Saxe, the ing her photo taken with Santa Claus in Napakiak, Alaska. everyone to the other side
The program started in adjutant general of the Associated Press of an air strip.
1956 when the residents Alaska National Guard But at least for one day,
who found himself topping "It's a labor of love," said the residents of Napakiak
ice cream sundaes with John Brackenbury, the didn't have to worry about
cherries for the revelers in Alaska divisional com- the erosion creeping ever
Napakiak. "This is a proud mander of The Salvation closer to their homes, and
tradition." Army. instead could focus on the
The Guard isn't the only Climate change is a con- smiles or even smudges of
Santa's helper in the na- tributing factor in the ero- chocolate from the ice
tion's largest state. sion caused by the Kus- cream sundaes on their
The Salvation Army is cele- kokwim, a 700 mile-long children's faces.
brating its 50th year of help- (1,125-kilometers) river that Marcus Billy thought he re-
ing the Guard, collecting becomes an ice highway ceived a basketball, but he
gifts, book bags and other for travelers in the winter, became a little confused
items to be distributed. Ma- has been an ongoing prob- when he saw it was lime
jor corporate sponsors like lem in Napakiak, but the green and not orange. It
Costco and Walmart con- pace has accelerated in was only when all the wrap-
tribute to the program, and the past few years. ping paper was off that he
This Dec. 3, 2019, photo shows Krysta Lexie Kau'aq, left, Michelle Rich Owens for years has It's a dilemma seen in nu- was sure. When asked if he
Nelson, middle and Jessilyn Oscar, right, admire the gifts they provided the ice cream merous Alaska communi- was happy with that, he
got from Santa Claus during his visit to Napakiak, Alaska. from his Tastee Freez res- ties affected by a warm- said, "Yeah!" before running
Associated Press taurant in Anchorage. ing climate that is thawing off to play.q