Participants:
Series Code: OTG
Program Code: OTG000009
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00:01 Alaska, America's last frontier.
00:04 The land of vast beauty and endless miles of open wilderness 00:08 Airplanes are the life blood of Alaska. 00:12 Only aviation can connect communities, 00:14 where there are no roads with violent weather 00:17 and extreme terrains make this 00:20 the most dangerous skies in America. 00:23 Adventist World Aviation has two outposts positioned 00:26 in north and south Alaska. Hauling critical supplies, 00:30 rescue personnel, and the gospel message to the remote villages 00:35 all across the Alaskan region. 00:37 Without aviation these Alaskan villages would be unreachable. 00:44 This is Adventist World Aviation OFF THE GRID 00:49 The people of Alaska endure many harsh realities. 00:53 The weather, the remoteness, basic survival itself, 00:57 are all drastic problems up in America's last frontier. 01:02 Unfortunately, another extreme Alaskans face 01:07 is the suicide rate among their people. 01:09 It is said, that the rate of suicide is 500 times greater 01:14 in Alaska then in the lower forty eight. 01:17 While no one knows the exact reason 01:20 why suicide is so prevalent among the native Alaskans, 01:23 it's a bitter reality that they each face in their lifetime. 01:28 AWA has 2 mission posts in Alaska. 01:32 The missionaries and pilots stationed here are regularly 01:36 faced with the challenging issues of suicide 01:39 among their village members. 01:42 Let's talk about some of the mission work, that is here. 01:47 Tell us about the suicide rate here in Alaska. 01:53 Suicide among young people age 16 to 30 has been on the rise. 01:59 all across the United States for some time. 02:03 But here in Alaska, the rate is about 500 % higher 02:07 than in the lower 48. 02:09 Some of the reasons, which could be affecting that rate 02:19 is the lack of jobs, for young people in a small native village 02:28 where they might only be half a dozen jobs that are available 02:31 through the local school, or the 1 or 2 local stores 02:37 that might be in the village. So high rate of unemployment. 02:42 Everyone has TV, so they see all these images of 02:49 consumerism and materialistic success and it creates a desire 02:55 to have what they think other's have. 02:57 And so there is a wide disparity between what they see 03:02 that they are living with and what they see on TV 03:06 and it creates a disconnect. 03:12 So they question the value of continuing to live. 03:16 Coupled with almost every suicide that we are 03:22 familiar with is the presence of alcohol. 03:25 It seems to push them over the edge in their discouragement, 03:32 and their depression takes over in the presence of alcohol. 03:37 And they take their lives. Young man more frequently, 03:44 than young women, but they are both affected. 03:48 and I think another factor, which impacts this issue 03:54 is theology. 04:01 Because by and large the largest percent of the Alaskan natives 04:08 are Christian, they call themselves Christian 04:11 of one denomination or another. And they've all been taught, 04:16 that when you die, you go to Heaven. 04:18 That is the option that everybody aspires to. 04:25 You go to heaven when you die. Virtually every native person 04:29 is sent there by the preacher - so to speak 04:31 And if their favorite aunt, or uncle, or their grandmother 04:38 if they went to heaven when they died, 04:42 than my life is pretty miserable I think I'll go there too. 04:47 So every funeral, every memorial service 04:51 reinforces this understanding. 04:54 I believe it has some impact on how young people feel. 04:59 We are trying to bring the truth of Scripture to these people. 05:03 The truth about what happens 05:05 when the world is going to come to an end. 05:08 What happens when your life comes to an end. 05:11 What happens to people, who die? Where do they go? What happens? 05:16 We try to bring the truth of the Scripture, because it is 05:19 very much a corrective to what brings on suicide. 05:25 The message that we, Seventh-day Adventist have, 05:29 can bring people hope, it can bring them a reason to live. 05:35 A reason to move forward, pursue education, 05:39 the betterment of the world in which they live. 05:42 The goal of the AWA is to bring the good news of the gospel 05:47 to hurting people all around the world, this includes Alaska, 05:52 where they are making great advances to combat alcoholism, 05:56 depression and suicide rates in their area. 06:00 Most of the outreach that seems to work at this point at least 06:05 is just friendship with the local people, 06:09 in the community and stuff. 06:11 I worked with the school district for about 3 years here 06:16 and made some good friends there I just ran into a lady 06:20 at the post office and she is dealing with some 06:23 pretty serious health issues and stuff, but she is always happy 06:27 to see me, gives me a big hug. She knows that I am a Christian 06:31 so she is free to share what is going on in her life, and knows 06:38 that I am going to pray for her and with her 06:39 and give her a big hug back. And wish her the best. 06:44 I try to just keep track of what is happening with her. 06:46 I think that is the only way that these people are really 06:52 going to be impacted by us, is whether 06:56 we care about them or not. 07:08 Jim and Linda do much more than just friendship evangelism 07:11 to fight alcoholism and suicide rates in their area. 07:14 In fact, they even employ the use of aircraft in this battle. 07:19 They offer their aviation services to help rehabilitate 07:24 native Alaskans by flying them to receive professional help. 07:27 Jim regularly flies clients, supplies and staff to a remote 07:33 facility named "Spud Farm". 07:36 The local social service provider has operated a remote 07:43 drug and alcohol rehabilitation program 07:47 located in a rural setting, about 12 miles from the nearest 07:53 village. It is located by bush runway. 08:00 For the past 3 years, approximately, Adventist World 08:04 Aviation had the responsibility of transporting clients 08:10 to and from. Bringing in supplies of groceries and other 08:15 necessities. And providing transportation for the rotation 08:24 of staff and support people to and from that establishment 08:30 We have also, upon invitation of the staff 08:35 provided music programs on weekends for the benefit 08:41 of the staff and clients. 08:44 They have requested that we come back again and again. 08:49 We have used Adventist World Aviation aircraft 08:53 for support of this effort. 08:55 Hi, my name is Loddy Gaffy Hi, my name is Roy Davis 09:00 We are traditional counselors at Spud 09:04 Spud is a recovery center for 09:08 families and clients for addiction and alcohol. 09:13 Spud is remotely located, so its clients can escape from their 09:18 addictions and truly be surrounded by nature and healing 09:22 In Alaska, most suicides are alcohol related. 09:26 By having a rehab center focused on dealing with addictions, 09:30 the rate of suicide is diminished. 09:34 Spud is a remote place, there is only an airport there 09:40 where we could fly in the clients. 09:44 Spud is located 13 miles out of Shageluk 09:48 We cannot drive from Kotzebue or from many of the other villages 09:53 The most common way to go to Spud is by airport over there. 09:59 Aviation is essential to reach many places in Alaska, 10:04 including the Spud Farm. 10:06 Here in northwest Alaska, they are 400 miles away 10:11 from the closest road system connecting to North America. 10:15 There is no infrastructure connecting the villages together 10:19 All travel must be done in the air. 10:22 So aviation is a vital component 10:26 that keeps the Spud Farm in existence. 10:29 Clients, personnel, counselors and supplies must all be flown 10:34 in and the Kincaid's are happy to help. 10:37 This is just one way that aircraft can be used 10:41 as a powerful mission tool to help fight against 10:44 the highest rates of suicide present in Alaska today. 10:49 It really helps for them to fly us there being religious 10:54 They are good towards clients traveling to Spud. 11:00 The Kincaid's not only use AWA aircraft to fly others 11:04 to the rehab center, they also 11:06 personally get involved themselves. They pack up their 11:10 guitars and hold music programs for the clients. 11:14 Through their songs, they lift the spirits of the patients, 11:18 and the staff. 11:20 When I was there one time, they flew in on a Saturday evening. 11:25 did some singing over there which was really, really, nice. 11:28 to have over there, I really enjoyed it, so did the clients. 11:33 Jim has flown the staff to work so many times that 11:37 he has created a good relationship with them. 11:39 They were real nice towards the clients and the staff 11:42 and we got along pretty good it was real nice for them to 11:48 Picking us up and taking us back. 11:51 We get along with the pilots, we get to know them personally. 11:57 That is good about it, we know each one and... 12:01 As we've gotten close to some of the people that we carry 12:05 back and forth, that are employees, like I was saying 12:09 at the medical, the rehab center just the different villages 12:17 we've gotten so we were on the first name bases 12:19 with those that travel with us frequently and they are 12:23 well aware that we don't fly on Sabbath, and often times 12:29 will adjust their schedule to fly either Sundays, or Friday 12:34 and than Sunday to go back, so they can fly with us. 12:37 They commented, that they liked the service that our pilots give 12:43 The friendliness, the encouragement that our Christian 12:49 pilots give to them, as they fly back and forth and that they 12:53 appreciate our use of experience that the pilots have 12:57 and they like to fly with us. So I think we've established 13:00 the reputation for good service and care for them as a person. 13:10 The area where we live of course is predominantly native American 13:17 Eskimo people and like a lot of those indigenes peoples they're 13:24 struggling very much with alcoholism, and drug related 13:30 addictions. They also have a real challenge, that they are 13:36 trying to live in two different worlds it seems. 13:40 They see things on the internet, and on TV, that are attractive, 13:45 that they want, but they still want to be connected to 13:51 their native heritage and the way that things have been done 13:57 in this area for centuries and that is a very difficult 14:01 thing to do, because once you start bringing in all the 14:06 different toys and electronic things, that lots of other 14:12 people in the world have, then you don't have time to do the 14:16 subsistence life style, or go out and hunt and it is not 14:19 necessary any more. They don't have to do that to survive. 14:23 And so it is very hard for the young people to see the need 14:26 for doing that. So I am challenged personally 14:31 how to reach people to help them see that there are needs 14:34 in their life, when they are trying to fill those needs with 14:38 all the gadgets and toys that other people are using as well. 14:42 The Alaska native people, are faced with many of the same 14:47 issues that emerging cultures around the world are faced with 14:53 today, that their traditional, cultural values are eroding. 14:59 The things that they were used to are suddenly changing 15:03 with the advance of technology and the advance 15:05 of consumer materialism. 15:08 What the native culture specifically in Alaska is faced 15:14 with is a lack of role models, who can help the young people 15:21 that are growing up right now to be able to walk 15:25 in more than one world. 15:27 They will be able to walk in the emerging world of technology. 15:32 And to be able to find purpose for their lives and be able 15:36 to make a contribution as citizens of this world, 15:41 and the world to come. 15:43 And so part of our challenge is to identify people who have a 15:52 who recognize a calling to make a contribution and try 15:59 to give them an opportunity. So we are in the business of 16:03 building people by helping them to pursue their visions. 16:08 There is a huge segment of young people that don't seem to have 16:20 a lot of hope for the future. And the suicide rate in this 16:24 area is very, very high. Higher than the national average 16:29 I think that is very much related to not knowing 16:34 how to fit into the world, and why the depression 16:38 that results from that. 16:40 Jim and Linda recognize the daily challenges of their 16:43 Native American neighbors. 16:44 Especially of those of the young adult population. 16:49 The Kincaid's are actively reaching out to young people 16:52 and encouraging them to flourish and expand their horizons. 16:57 One way they do this is by opening up their office to young 17:01 people and giving them the opportunity to work 17:05 and gain practical work experience. 17:08 We are in the process of trying to meet the challenges of Alaska 17:15 Alaska's native people by searching for young people 17:21 who are looking for an opportunity to advance 17:28 not only in this world, but in the world to come. 17:31 Give them an opportunity to go on a mission trip, to work 17:37 as one of our workers and to advance and go to college 17:43 and do something significant with their lives. 17:46 Because this culture, as many cultures in the world are 17:51 hurting for role models to lead the next generation 17:55 into the future. 17:56 My name is Kaylin Banks, I live in Kotzebue Alaska. I am a local 18:00 student, I have been working since the beginning of the 18:03 summer, 2011. It has helped me a lot. I learned a lot about 18:07 airplanes and how traveling to the different villages works. 18:11 How transporting people to different parts of Alaska 18:15 can really help the people and us. It is important to have 18:20 airplanes as a mode of transportation, because a lot 18:22 of the villages here don't have transportation methods, 18:25 such as cars, or trains that a lot of places in city areas do. 18:29 A lot of the seasons are different as well. 18:33 We don't have more than one transportation method. 18:38 available at all times. So we have to use airplanes 18:41 to make up for it in the future. I believe this has helped a lot. 18:47 I worked with really great people and it's just been really 18:51 humbling activity just seeing all the different people 18:54 that we transport day to day. 18:57 In small villages, there are very limited training 19:00 opportunities or ways to gain hands on experience. 19:03 Jobs and training opportunities are very few. So by opening up 19:09 their office to young adults, they are giving them substantial 19:13 career advancement opportunity. 19:16 Another missionary project that AWA supports is in the very far 19:20 west point of Alaska, on Saint Lawrence Island. 19:24 This post is the most remote one can get in the United States 19:29 in fact the island is only 30 miles away 19:33 from the coast of Russia. 19:35 It's here that Fran and her husband Mike are positioned 19:39 to help fight suicide among the Alaskan Natives. 19:44 I am Fran Hansen, my husband Mike and I are here in Gamble 19:47 Alaska. We work with the children here. 19:50 We've been hired by the Alaska Conference, 19:54 as suicide prevention workers. We work with the smaller 20:00 children mostly. The teens are very, very hard to reach. 20:04 But we feel like, if we start with the younger ones, than we 20:07 can have a chance to bond with them, so by the time they are 20:11 older, we can have more influence in their lives. 20:14 Long term goal is to bond enough with the children, 20:18 so that as they get older, suicide is not a part of 20:23 their thinking process. 20:25 That things will not get so hard on them. They can come talk 20:28 to us, and just know that they are cared for. 20:32 We have an open door policy, where anybody who can come 20:35 who wants to come over and just sit and talk, or for eating, 20:39 They are invited to join us. Sometimes I ask them if they are 20:42 hungry. If they are than I just fix a meal for them. 20:46 Life in Gamble is anything but simple. 20:49 This island is completely reliant on air support. 20:53 Without it, they would have no access to the essentials of life 20:57 AWA has provided support for Fran and her husband. 21:01 The Hanson's effort to reach the young Alaskans and offer them 21:05 other options, other than suicide is something that 21:09 AWA strongly supports. 21:12 Fran dedicates her entire afternoon 21:15 to the village children. She opens her home and gives 21:19 them a safe place to play. In return the children open up 21:24 to her, and she is able to touch their lives with the love of God 21:29 So many issues are involved with suicide. It has to do with the 21:32 breakdown of the family, the breakdown of the subsistence 21:35 economy. They are caught between two worlds. They are caught 21:39 between the white teachers and their elders that give different 21:43 messages to them. It is just so many things that you can't focus 21:48 on one thing. That is why I feel like the younger children 21:51 they just need to be stabilized and to know, 21:55 that they are worth something. That suicide isn't the way 21:59 to solve a problem. 22:01 That there are survival skills that they can use. 22:05 We had all ages come and talk to us and asked us to pray for them 22:10 so we pray with them and for them. 22:15 We pray every day, that there won't be suicide in the village 22:19 that the children will be safe. That people can learn more about 22:25 the hope of heaven and God. 22:27 That there is a better life coming for them. 22:39 Another suicide prevention effort AWA supports is in the 22:43 village of Shungnak, where missionary couple 22:46 Toni and Irene work. The small village is plagued with 22:50 depression, alcoholism which often leads to suicide. 22:54 However, having the mission plant here, has greatly impacted 23:00 the suicide rates. AWA is honored to provide air support, 23:04 financial help, and construction help to this 23:08 worthy cause here in Shungnak. 23:11 My name is pastor Ric Swaningson I am president and CEO 23:14 for Adventist World Aviation. I am here with Toni, one of our 23:17 missionaries that we support at Adventist World Aviation 23:20 here in Alaska. The name of the town that we are in is Shungnak. 23:25 Shungnak Alaska. You know, we've been talking about some of the 23:30 some of the despair. Toni here was just talking about some of 23:34 the amazing cases that you see here. Toni is a medical worker, 23:40 health worker I think is the title that you have 23:42 I am called the Community Health Aid 23:44 a Community Health Aid. 23:45 Toni single handedly, he has three other colleagues 23:50 two other colleagues two other colleagues 23:52 that work with him at this level here, but they take care of 23:58 how many patients, the whole town? 24:00 The whole community. Everybody comes through here first. 24:02 And we see everyone for any and everything. 24:06 Any kind of problem. Every problem. 24:07 That is impressive, they are taking care of drunken 24:13 incidents, accidents, lacerations, trauma and... 24:19 What Toni leaves them with is hope. 24:22 That is the thing that we find at Adventist World Aviation 24:25 throughout the world. We go to a community and we find disease 24:30 despair, discouragement, high suicide rates, alcoholism 24:35 and what we leave them with is the hope, hope in Jesus. 24:39 We give them the Adventist message. 24:41 We fly supplies in, that they need. 24:44 We need to supply Toni and his family with many things. 24:48 Toni has lived in Shungnak for a few years now. 24:51 He has developed close relationships with the people. 24:54 With the opportunity he has as a community health aid, 24:58 he is able to clinically reach the entire village. 25:01 Coupled with his friendships and love for the people, he is able 25:06 to help drive down the rates of suicide here in this village. 25:09 Toni's future plans include receiving a higher level 25:14 of suicide prevention training, so he can help 25:17 his people even more. 25:19 Something, that I have a real bug for right now is getting 25:24 some kind of a trainer's training for suicide prevention. 25:27 That's one of the biggest things that I want to pursue. 25:32 So Toni, we've talked about high rate of suicide in Alaska. 25:37 How many suicides have you had in this village of 250? 25:42 Recently, we've had 3 since Memorial day last May. 25:46 And that's just here in Shungnak in this last year. 25:50 3 people, and all of them were young adults, in their mid 20s. 25:57 It's a big problem, and it's not just in our villages over here, 26:02 but the whole entire region and in lots of the 26:04 native villages of Alaska. It is a real problem! 26:07 So Toni, we've discussed the high rate of suicide in Alaska 26:11 among especially the Alaskan native people. 26:14 What do you think the solutions for this issue are? 26:19 It is a good question, you know. I have some ideas of what 26:23 things might be... Just to recap again, for anybody who doesn't 26:28 know, Alaska got about, I believe about 500% greater 26:34 compared to the national, continental average of suicides. 26:39 Alaska is very high rate of suicide, in fact it's been said 26:43 from the doctors that I work with, that if we were to stretch 26:50 out all the suicides in Alaska over the last year, we would 26:52 have a suicide every 8 days. Every 8 days a suicide and we 26:58 only got about 600,000 people in Alaska. 27:00 And it is much higher among native population, so it is 27:06 a very clear problem at the state level. 27:10 As far as what is the solution? I think ultimately 27:15 it's a relationship with God. And I believe the Seventh-day 27:21 Adventist Church has some special messages for people, 27:24 who have sickness in the hearth. Especially for people, who have 27:31 lost loved ones to suicide, for people, who are thinking about 27:34 who think about hurting themselves. 27:37 In particular the family that I've been studying with 27:41 some of the things that they really really appreciated is... 27:44 I spent about 6 Bible studies, 6 nights of Bible study with 27:49 this family, all on the state of the dead, and hell, 27:53 and the future resurrection. This has been very significant 28:00 to them, because their understanding of God and Heaven 28:04 and hell. Right when you die just instant torment and torture 28:09 Especially for the many loved ones that they have, 28:13 who have committed suicide. 28:15 It's been just... you know that particular message has been 28:19 very significant to them. 28:21 But I believe that the solution to the problem 28:26 is going to be in the home. 28:27 I think finding the way to introduce Jesus to people 28:32 in their real everyday life, home setting. 28:40 And I believe, what you guys are doing in Kotzebue and what 28:46 Adventist World Aviation is doing. 28:49 I believe that the different partnerships that 28:53 are working with us here, 28:55 all play an integral role in helping to provide 29:02 a solution for the problems that are within this village. 29:05 Toni and his wife refuse to give up. Their goal is to love their 29:11 neighbors and to provide them with hope and knowledge 29:15 that there is a better way. 29:18 Their ministry has and will continue to save lives. 29:23 The communities that Adventist World Aviation enter, are 29:26 not communities that you would see on a normal daily basis. 29:30 We enter communities, where #1, they can't be reached 29:33 by normal means, and they are communities 29:36 that have great needs. 29:38 And so when we at Adventist World Aviation go into these 29:41 communities, what we bring them is hope and life and health. 29:45 We deliver many cases of supplies, much needed supplies, 29:49 that you can't get by normal means. 29:51 And so ultimately what we end up leaving them with is, 29:54 the hope of Jesus Christ and His soon return. 29:56 They learn about Jesus and they fall in love with Him. |
Revised 2014-12-17