Kalskag, Alaska Info & Stats

Kalskag is a remote Bush Village in the interior of Alaska (meaning there are no roads to Kalskag). One must fly into Aniak (larger village) and take a second 15 minute flight to Kalskag or a 60 minute boat ride (snow machine in the winter) down the Kuskokwim River to reach the village.

Location

Kalskag is 100 miles northeast of the “hub village” of Bethel and about 40 miles west of Aniak.  It is located on the Kuskokwim River that runs east/west through the middle of Alaska.  The village is nestled on the edge of the hills and has trees and mountains.  The vast Alaskan tundra (open flat land with many lakes/rivers) is west toward Bethel.  It is in a beautiful setting.

The Two Villages

There are two different villages.  Kalskag and Lower Kalskag are 3 miles apart and connected by a dirt road.  Each is a different Yup’ik tribe, having separate tribal councils (leaders), post offices, and religions.  Kalskag is mainly Catholic and Lower Kalskag is Russian Orthodox.  Both Villages speak Yup’ik and English.

Population

Kalskag = 231   90% Yupik Eskimo

Lower Kalskag = 281   90% Yupik Eskimo

Apx 500 in both villages.  About 220 are children/students under 18

Schools

All the children from both villages are combined into the 3 schools:  Elementary School grades Preschool through 3^rd, an Intermediate School Grades 4-6 and the High School Grades 7-12.  There is a school bus that runs the children from their bus stops to the different schools.  Kalskag is in the Kuspuk School District (located in Aniak).  Since the poverty level is low every child has free breakfast and lunch at school.  For many children, these are their only meals of the day.

Calvary Mission

Calvary Mission is an interdenominational church.  Rev. Mark Ausdahl has been the Pastor for over 14 years. His father, Martin Ausdahl, started the church in 1959.  Rev. Shelly Blocker helps with special service projects and mid-week Bible Study ("Coffee with Jesus").  This summer Calvary Mission celebrated over 50 years of service in our Jubilee Weekend Celebration.  We have people from different church groups attend, such as Baptist, Lutheran, Assembly of God, Methodist, and other denominations.  Preaching is straight from the Word of God.  We spend time in worship with hymns and choruses and in prayer.  This little Kalskag church can hold about 25 people.  People come from both villages to attend services since this is the only Protestant church.  Recently the Church put up a radio antenna and the translator station KYKD FM 93.7 is on the air!  This is a Christian radio station being aired 24/7 in Kalskag & surrounding Fish Camps!  What a blessing this is to the Villages!

Amenities

The two main stores, Ausdahl Mercantile in Kalskag and Anica in Lower Kalskag, carry groceries and some hardware items.  The items can cost triple what they are in the lower 48 due to the shipping costs to this very remote location. For example, a half gallon of milk is $8, a pound of hamburger is $8, and a gallon of ice cream is $25.  There is a gas pump between the two villages.  Unleaded gas is $6.70 per gallon.  There are no restaurants, banks, coffee shops, video stores, theaters, clothing stores or even thrift shops.

What do people do in Kalskag for recreation?

Depending on the season there are many different activities both inside and outside.  During the long daylight hours of summer/fall, the Eskimos pick berries, hunt and fish, swim in the river and camp in the wilderness or at their fish camps.  They harvest beavers, bears, moose, salmon, birds and other animals to provide food during the winter and skins to keep warm by making mukluks (boots) or molokai’s (hats) or gloves.  Coats are made out of seal skin, beaver fur or other animals such as rabbit, lynx, fox, or martins.

During the winter/spring the Eskimos ice fish, go on snow machine rides out of the village, make fires and have cook outs roasting hot dogs, moose meat & marshmallows over the open flame.  They will pull the children up hills on sleds and slide down the mountain. There is fiddle dancing and native dancing in the village.  People gather together for potlucks, community picnics or feeds.  There are cross country skiing trails which is a favorite way for people to get exercise during our very short daylight in the winter.

Unfortunately alcohol is a problem in the village.  Some people will buy a bottle of liquor for $100 instead of provide their children with necessary adequate clothing or even food.  The drunks can be violent and because there is no police in the village, people fend for themselves and take the law in their own hands.  Children need adequate clothing, shoes, boots, warm coats and a safe place to go when feeling threatened or in danger.  Bingo is another set back with families.  Parents abandoned their children to play bingo.  They lose a lot of money then they drink and the cycle continues. 

What Calvary Missions does to help

In 2012 businesses, schools and churches in Wasilla, Alaska helped with a “Coats for Kalskag” Drive.  They collected over 100 coats and mailed them out to us that we gave away on Halloween.  In Kalskag we called it “Coats and Candy.”  The coats were gone within the first hour.  Weeks later people were still asking for a coat.  A girl scout group from Anchorage collected clothing and boots in January and we handed those out at one of the schools. People from the lower 48 have sent up new socks and shoes, hats and scarves for the children in Kalskag.

We feed the children dinner during “Kids Club”, a weekly Bible Study for children/teens in the village. Last year, 23 children were saved through our Kids Club.  Vacation Bible School is a ministry we do during the summer between fishing and berry picking season.  For adults we offer a Bible Study (called Coffee with Jesus).  The people are hungry for the Word of God that one night a week was not enough and asked to have it two evenings a week. We offer soup or light dinner for the participants.  The food is provided by people who want to donate and send us dry soups to help feed adults and children.  Bibles are also sent out to Kalskag by people wanting to donate to the church.  We can hardly keep the Bibles for a week.  There is always someone who would like one.

Last December we organized & hosted a dinner for the elders of the Villages.  We served native food and hosted it in our church building. In the Spring we had a teacher appreciation dinner for the teachers at the church. Many churches in the lower 48 contributed Teacher supplies that we generously gave to the teachers & staff of the schools.

Our big project again this year…

Christmas in Kalskag

Calvary Mission’s big project this year is to provide a Christmas gift for every child/student in the Villages ages 0-18.  Christmas gifts are hard for parents to get due to finances and having to order everything online.  Many children receive no gifts.  With the help of Larry Hobbs in Louisiana and many people across the states, the children of Kalskag will have a Christmas gift this year!

Thank you for helping us make 220+ children in Kalskag very happy and blessed.  For those who will be buying a gift feel free to write a little note to the child or the parents. You may also want to enclose a Bible or tract in the gift box.

Quyanna!  Thank you!