beyond words.

this afternoon, we filled the tiny airport with laughter. and joy. and dancing. and hugs. as we offered our thank yous and goodbyes in multiple languages. with hopes of greeting each other again. perhaps on the other side of the bering strait next time.

a mere week ago, we met in the same space. in an atmosphere of silence and uncertainty. none of us knew what to expect. or even how to interact. yet through the exchange of cultures, of personalities, of experiences, we grew into a diverse family. as we celebrated our differences. and discovered common ground.

eleven youth and three adults from new chaplino and provideniya, russia were able to visit nome this past week through a grant the community center received from the national park service. the purpose was to connect people in the beringia region, who live in different countries and speak different languages, but share many similar lifestyle practices and traditions.

the group that visited consisted of siberian yupik dancers. and ecology students. during the week, the students had the opportunity to share their gifts with the community. and we did our best to show them around nome. yet regardless of what we did. or didn't do. simply being in one another's presence. and honouring one another's origins. inherently taught us more that can be expressed in words. the whole experience transcended language, really.

and i was reminded of the beauty. of soul connections. of shared experiences. that go beyond words. of the creative ways people can interact. and reach common understanding. when language barriers are present. yet in its absence, i was also reminded of the depth that language allows us to converse in. and how we often overlook its potential to understand one another more intimately. and how often we shy away from depth. and maintain safe words. that merely float on the surface of something greater.

one of the most vibrant illustrations of transcendent connections happened during a community dance performance. eskimo dancers from both new chaplino and king island shared their talents. and though new chaplino's dances were sung in siberian yupik. and king island's in inupiaq, the movements went beyond words. and some of the most beautiful moments were during welcome or invitational songs where dancers and community members from both sides danced and drummed and sang together. finding a certain cultual harmony. and the image of people of such similar heritage with a history of such political division uniting in music and movement was profound. perhaps what this was all supposed to be about.

the youth from russia seemed deeply connected to their roots. to their traditions. to where they come from. much more so than i have observed with young folks in nome. and i admired that in them. yet i also observed them very much in tune with modern culture. with mp3 players. and shopping. and rap music. and i wondered how they make sense of it all. these different worlds. that they are apart of. that are apart of them. but i couldn't really ask. couldn't find the words.

i offer tremendous thanks. that my journey merged with the journeys of such beautiful, interesting people. that we were able to learn more from each other than we can express. that we journey on with changed perspectives. and that we journey on with hopes that our paths might cross again.