Kodadiak Island Summary

From what Mary described in her stories to Joanne about how the Russian market economy and alcoholism has affected the Kodiak island, the poem represents how for one to maintain and learn tradition, he/she will have to work hard to acquire it. The market economy has made it difficult to continue tradition because people have changed their ways when it comes to helping people who need it. Mary states, “They [white people] tried to make money out of us, make us buy and sell” (Mulcahy, 80). People in the villages began to become greedy with money and would forget to help the others as tradition would have it. The relentless economy would hurt elders and traditionalists with children who were now more obsessed with video games than helping out their parents and learning the traditions of their Alutiiq culture. Mary states that even the mothers would get into the video games and neglect their duties and traditional values (Mulcahy, 122). In order for the tradition to be learned by future generations, Mary says, parents need to learn from their parents and children need to learn from theirs. With the distraction of the market economy, people lose their incentive to uphold the

Mary explains to Joanne that in 1980, the religious and cultural traditions Mary grew up with were losing their importance in the younger generation (Mulcahy, 79). The escalating alcohol use was disrupting the way of traditional life in Akhiok, as people began to drink in high numbers during the day. 7 years later, 90% of the adult population in Akhiok were classified as alcoholics. Eventually, the community found that an alcohol anonymous group and centers for cultural heritage education (such as museums) were built in the community to help establish and remind the people and others of the group’s core