Spring in Kotzebue

Sunrise over the Tundra in Kotzebue.

Sometime between the end of March and the beginning of April, spring arrives in the Northwest Arctic. The temperatures hover in the single digits and the daylight becomes everyone's best friend again. We went from near total darkness just before Christmas to more than 15 hours of daylight in the span of three months.

A visitor might wonder what's different about this Eskimo village now that the sun has returned. Many things remain the same. The temperatures continue to fall below zero degrees at night. The snow melts and refreezes, brought on by climate change and a hint of warmer weather. The snow glitters like diamonds and falls so gently on the frozen earth. However, many things are different. The light welcomes us in the morning and stays with us long after many have retired for the night.

Our bodies are adjusting to the additional light. We show our hardiness to the cold by casting aside our snow pants. Some of the youth wear capri pants or thin fleece jackets when their parents let them. Sunglasses or goggles are worn to protect our eyes from snow blindness. We stay up later and our bodies require less sleep. The youth play out at night. The drone of snow machines can be heard from our living room until the late hours.

Sunset over the tundra outside of Kotzebue.

What is most interesting is the location of the sun. The sun skips around the sky throughout the year rising in an area for a short period time before occupying another space on the horizon. The sunsets change their escape from the sky along the horizon in many places. This fireball clings to the horizon when it begins its ascent into the small sky. Its long stretch above the horizon distorts the round shape of the orange sphere.

The sun throws color into the sky announcing its presence around 7 am each morning. When Rick and I head off to work at 8, the sun hangs in the sky as though it were nearly noon. Long after our return from work, the sun washes the small sky with fushia, orange and yellow. Between those times, the sun consumes the sky and the earth of this Eskimo village. The flatness of the earth on this gravel spit makes the sky appear as though it were hugging the horizon on all sides, especially during the winter.

Cemetery Hill outside of Kotzebue.

There is much beauty in this city located above the Arctic Circle. The sun brings color to the sky, and the snow glitters in its light. The low lying brush of the tundra is covered by deep snow, only occasionally showing its dried branches laced with white. The frozen waterways make travel to the other villages easy with snow machines or dog sleds. This shroud of white brings a simplicity to the landscape.

With all this daylight, some of us are sprouting flower seeds and preparing our indoor gardens for another growing season. Recently I attended a seed planting workshop at the Senior Center. We are growing flowers for the elders in a large window at the club. During the summer months, raised beds will create a garden experience for the elders living at this home for the elders in the community. Others will grow short-season crops in outdoor beds at their homes. Some will even make their own compost.

We are all happy that spring is here. The sun is back. The orange orb shines with a brightness that is native to this place. In another few months, the ice will recede from the land and the Kotzebue Sound. Another winter has passed.