Adventures in Alaska

edited by Peter Hagerty, co-founder of Peace Fleece

(Katy Goodwin is nurse practitioner-nurse midwife as well as Peace Fleece knitter who lives in Alaska)

Peace Fleece and I are waiting for our Cessna 207 wheel plane to visit the Tlingit Native Village of Hoonah on Chichagof Island. Both Hoonah and Chichagof Island are located in the Southeast area of Alaska within the Alexander Archipelago, a chain of islands approximately 250 miles long and bordered on the east by British Columbia.

A Peace Fleece project is always on my needles; a vast array of large and small knittings. Using leftover yarns for the Russian pot holders is a favorite. The small projects travel very well and the Peace Fleece sweaters have had some wonderful adventures also. Winter is always a challenge; cold, clear days with gusty Taku winds or maybe snowy whiteouts. Most of the time, we make the 20 minute flight, 40 miles west of Juneau alright. Sometimes Fog Woman keeps the ceiling too low or the visibility too poor, so we wait. These are the days when we go back to the office for telephone work.

Once in flight, looking about, we share marvelous sights; whales feeding, bald eagles soaring, great brown bears feeding at the mouths of creeks, and the magnificent Fairweather mountains behind Glacier Bay. The sights and colors stir creative energy for the next project.

Once in Hoonah there are babies to immunize, prenatal visits for babies on the way, postpartum checkups for the babies just arrived, school screenings, Head Start Roundup for the 3-4 year olds, and well woman care. Breast and cancer screening, along with wellness education, puts these women in charge of their health. Healthy women will have healthy children. These women work very hard. Timber and fishing plus a subsistence lifestyle contribute to prioritizing their wellness last. As a nurse practitioner-nurse midwife for the State of Alaska, I work in collaboration with the Hoonah Indian Association and Southeast Alaska Regional Health Corporation. Modeling skills and programs based on Public Health concepts provides rural residents health care autonomy.

During quiet moments on longer visits I have helped the ladies brush up on their knitting skills. Out comes the Peace Fleece and the story of how your company started. Small projects are appreciated for Potlach gifts, Peace Fleece stars, bells, trees, pouches, etc. Thankyougifts knitted with Peace Fleece for parent volunteers who assist with school screening are a favorite.

Once in awhile when flying weather is impossible due to snow, wind, or fog, the Alaska Marine Highway ferry may be in Hoonah. These car and passenger ferries negotiate the fjord and island villages of Southeast Alaska with ease. These ferries are comfortable with recreation, dining facilities, and berths on larger ships. They travel between Bellingham, Wash., Prince Rupert, BC, and Skagway AK. The four and a half hour ferry ride from Hoonah to Juneau is always spent with my knitting needles, Peace Fleece, our splendid scenery, and local characters.

During the school year knitting projects are carried along to University of Alaska Southeast. The campus sits beside Auke Lake, with a view of Mendenhall Glacier and the Juneau IceFields as a backdrop. I deliver primary health care to the students at University of Alaska Southeast. This allows me to teach young people concepts of wellness and gives them the skills to take care of their own health. Few prescriptions are written and only occasional referrals are made to other providers. Knitting on lunch hours and helping a few students with their knitting projects brings Peace Fleece into the action again.

When summer arrives, off we go to the fishing villages of Pelican and Port Alexander. Without yearly service for breast and cancer screenings, many years would pass without wellness care for most of these ladies. Distance, cost, and seasonal employment often put this sort of visit at the bottom of `'The list of things to do''. These villages on Baranof and West Chichagof Islands have only float plane or boat access. In Port Alexander, we transform the library into a clinic and the wood stove is stoked for early morning heat. The women in Port Alexander keep very busy with lots of projects, quilting, stained glass, patch work bags, and more. Peace Fleece loves these visits. The ladies remember I knit and always ask to see the latest project. I hope to stir up more interest in knitting in the remote villages.

What a fun way to serve the women and children of Southeast Alaska. I am so blessed to live and work in this very unique part of the world. Thank you, Peace Fleece, for being such a special companion.