My heart is heavy today as I am processing the recent deaths in our communities and the uncertainty and grief we are all experiencing as well with regards to the missing Bering Air flight.
As someone I know who is much wiser than me said, we are all interconnected here in our region, and everyone will be impacted in some way by recent events. Our region is large, but we have deep roots and the web of family and acquaintances stretches from the Bering Strait Region through Nome and Kotzebue and up to the North Slope.
For those who are mourning, I mourn with you, for the loss of our young people and a reminder of the fact that generational trauma is real and still with us. For those of you who are waiting for news, my thoughts and prayers are with you as well.
My time here in Nome has been relatively short, but I have met so many people in so many ways and been changed and touched in ways I never imagined. Every loss ripples through our region - we are very small and every person has an important place in our communities.
Our administrators, counselors, teachers and support staff will ensure students have emotional support and an opportunity to process these events. I pray for comfort and healing for those affected now and in the coming days.
Jamie