Canku Ota

(Many Paths)

An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America

December 14, 2002 - Issue 76

Soldier Santa Visits Arctic Village Kids

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Arctic Village, AK - Children in Arctic Village aren't likely to believe Santa Claus really fits all those presents into a dinky sled, not when they see Santa arrive every year via a beefy C-130 transport.

This Christmas tradition in their tiny Athabaskan community, nestled in the snowy southern slopes of the Brooks Range, started in 1967 when a forest fire steered migrating caribou away from Arctic Village. Elmendorf Air Force Base's 17th Transport Squadron flew hunters to the herd, returning with meat.

That Air Force group -- now the 517th Airlift Squadron -- has returned every year since, accompanied by energetic spouses who pour hours into fund-raising and gift-wrapping. Every child in the village receives presents amid a festive holiday celebration that draws out the entire village.

On Tuesday, Santa spent most of his day in a big chair at the Arctic Village community center with one kid after another in his lap. The long cozy room was warmed by barrel stoves, a welcome retreat from sub-zero temperatures outside. Christmas tunes pumped through enormous speakers. A long table soon filled with steaming pots of caribou meat and slabs of white fish and salmon.

For the children, though, the day's highlight was the presents.

"Mom, look!" said Athena Chilcote, 7, tearing wrapping paper off an Easy Bake oven kit.

"She's wanted that," said her mom, Maybeleen Chilcote, 26. "She's seen that in commercials. She cried last night because her brother kept waking her up and she was so worried about missing Santa."

Maybeleen Chilcote's son, James, ran up clutching the "Spider-Man" DVD.

"And I got a skateboard!" said James, 5.

Of Arctic Village's roughly 130 residents, about 70 are 18 and younger, village chief Evon Peter said.

"They get so excited that these visitors come up, and Santa is one of them," said Peter, 26.

In the old days, when the village's airstrip wasn't big enough for the C-130, Santa still came through, said Bertha Ross, 47.

"They'd just fly over and Santa would wave, and they'd parachute the Christmas presents out," Ross said.

This year's bounty included 40 fur coats donated by Alaska Fur Gallery, plus equipment from Office Depot. The spouses of the 517th Squadron raised $13,000. About $3,000 went to meat for the village, while the rest bought gifts for the kids -- everything from sleds to stuffed animals to scooters.

Village residents started cooking days in advance. Kids crafted cards and offered the Air Force visitors gifts like beaded leather picture frames and caribou antlers.

Beyond material presents was straightforward hospitality. Teenagers spent all night Monday stoking the community center stoves. The youngest students sang "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" in their Native language for their guests. Older children obediently carried in crates of food or zipped off on snowmachines to fetch guests from the airstrip.

As the day wound down, everyone crowded together for a gigantic group photo.

And Santa boomed into a microphone, "Merry Christmas, everyone! Merry Christmas!"

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