Photo By Chief Petty Officer Shawn Eggert | Petty Officer 1st Class Tim Stamm visits Sergie Ermelof, a village elder in Nikolski,...... read more read more
Subscribe
NIKOLSKI, Alaska - Since the days of Capt. “Roaring Mike” Healy and the crew of the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service vessel Bear, the U.S. Coast Guard has had a strong relationship with the people of Alaska, and today’s Coast Guard crews continue to strengthen this relationship by visiting villages in the remotest regions of The Last Frontier. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter SPAR, a 225-foot buoy tender home-ported in Kodiak, Alaska, visited the village of Nikolski June 20-21, but for one crew member the trip offered more than a chance to carry on a tradition. It was a chance to go home.
The small village of Nikolski is located on the southwest end Umnak Island, nestled beneath the shadow of one of the island’s two volcanoes. Occasionally, hunters and surfers will make their way to the scenic island, but most weeks, the only contact its population of 18 has with the outside world comes from a small plane that transports supplies, mail, groceries and personnel. It was 12 years ago, however, when Timothy Stamm was inspired to join the Coast Guard after spotting the Coast Guard Cutter Storis anchored only a few hundred yards from his home near Nikolski Bay.
Stamm, now a first class petty officer serving aboard the SPAR, helped to anchor the cutter in Nikolski Bay and then joined the crew’s shore party for a tour of the village.
“Life in Nikolski can be challenging, and the people there depend on one another for survival,” said Stamm. “They can go days or weeks without power when barges can’t make it to deliver oil for the generators, and catching fish and gathering seagull eggs is more than a sport or hobby; it’s a way of life.”
Old friends greeted Stamm and his shipmates with warm smiles and led them to a welcome party given in “The Boathouse,” a small wooden building with a tin roof that housed the nine people comfortably. Similar to an outdoor lounge, The Boathouse serves as a place for folks to share a few drinks and talk. Delighted by his return, Stamm’s former neighbors shared childhood stories of past fishing trips and pets that had passed away and, after talking for a while, the shore party climbed into a side-by-side ATV to pay a visit to the one of the village elders, Sergie Ermelof.
“Sergie took me to catch my first halibut on his skiff, an experience I will never forget,” said Stamm. “He taught me many important life lessons and how to live off the land and sea. Growing up, he was one of the people I respected and one of my close friends.”
The Coast Guard places incredible value on the traditional knowledge that Alaskan natives can provide, and Ermelof didn’t disappoint when it came to dishing on local lore. Ermelof regaled the shore party with stories about foxes that were introduced to some of the Aleutian Islands for trapping and the pelt trade, but he also spoke about the decline of the once-large and bountiful crab and fish populations that provided food for the village in his youth.
Bidding Ermelof farewell, Stamm and his shipmates headed to the community building to meet a few more of the residents. There, the crew learned about how a lack of students had resulted in the schoolhouse being turned into a grocery store. Alaska law requires there to be at least 10 students in a school to be supported by the state, leaving available the options of home-schooling or sending children to larger communities like Dutch Harbor.
“It’s hard to keep teachers in Nikolski because of how remote and rugged it is here,” said Stamm. “I was home-schooled while my friends left for Dutch Harbor during large portions of their schooling.”
At the end of the day, the shore party headed to the beach for recovery by the SPAR’s small boat. Their visit provided an opportunity to learn a little about the people and the waters they protect, but it also gave them a rare glimpse into the past of one of their own and a reminder of the value of diverse backgrounds to building a professional and knowledgeable Coast Guard.
“Being in the Coast Guard is something that I take pride in,” Stamm spoke. “The skills and lessons I have learned while in the service are not so far from those in a small close-knit community. You take care of each other and provide for each others’ needs. Going back home and seeing all my closest childhood friends was something I am thankful for. Taking time to visit and learn about the various villages and their way of life is something the Coast Guard is well-known for in Alaska, and it is the reason that I am in the Coast Guard today.”
| Date Taken: | 07.09.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 07.09.2014 19:39 |
| Story ID: | 135675 |
| Location: | NIKOLSKI, AK, US |
| Hometown: | NIKOLSKI, AK, US |
| Web Views: | 334 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT