Barrow, Alaska (or should that be Brrrrrow, Alaska?? LOL)~

Dear Book of Words~

How are you this cold, dark early morning?  I hope this finds you well!

Sorry for not writing sooner; I have been busy helping Mother take care of Mikisaq, Maki, and the twins (Sammik and Ululik), also helping with the sewing, cooking, other chores to be done.  Hope you understand.

Remember the last time I wrote, when I said that Father and my two oldest brothers (Qisuk and Sorqaq) went on their hunt?  Well, they've returned with food; they got several seals, a whale, and even a polar bear.  When they came back to our village, there was much in the way of dancing, singing, drumming.  Everyone was happy.

We will have enough food for at least several months to come.  We will not starve; I am most happy about this! 

The spirits watched over Father and my brothers, kept them safe.  My prayers have been answered!  :)

School, however, continues to be a struggle.  My grades are still very bad; I know Mother and Father are disappointed in me.  I can't help it; I try so hard; yet reading and writing are still so difficult at best for me!

Teacher tries to help, but all I end up doing is getting more confused than ever!  I hate having the other kids laughing at me, calling me bad names, especially the Dog Children kids!!  It hurts!!

I wish I could go back to the Native kids' school and not to the Dog Child school!  At the other school, they never made fun of me; I was much happier there!

Last night there were some beautiful auroras crisscrossing the Arctic skies.  Tonight promises to be another good night for aurora-watching.  I love them (excepting for when they turn blood-red or deep pink; seems that whenever Aurora changes like that, bad things are expected to happen). 

I see the auroras, and they make me happy; it's like Grandfather Elk, Grandmother Bird Woman, and all my other ancestors who've gone on before me come to pay me a visit, and they dance just for me.

It is a most happy, magical time.

I do have some sadness in my heart; have had it for the past several days.  Earlier this week, there was a bad earthquake in Italy; over 100 people were killed, and thousands were reported injured or missing.  Before that happened, the auroras turned a deep blood red; it frightened me.  I knew deep down in my heart that something bad was going to happen because the red aurora came, and sure enough, it did.

I shall have to pray special healing prayers or comfort prayers to those people in Italy during this sad time in their lives.

Well, I am going to go; am getting sleepy.  As I write this, it's only three in the morning, way too early for little Inuit girls to be out of bed.  If Mother or Father knew I was up, they'd take away my computer privileges, and then I wouldn't be able to write at all!  That would not be good!

I will write in here again soon; until then, may the Great Spirit watch over and protect you, and may he bless you!  This is Aama Qu'urilaaq saying so long for now!

~Aama, aged fourteen winters.  :)  (Or should that now be springs??  LOLOLOL)