Stronger Together: Reflecting on the pandemic through literature

Stronger Together, a book that catalogues Nome’s COVID pandemic experience was celebrated by the community that created it last week at the Richard Foster Building.
Dr. Amy Phillips-Chan, former director of the Carrie M. McLain Memorial Museum and editor of the book, returned to Nome to host the event for a group of a couple dozen Nomeites.
Mayor John Handeland gave introductory remarks. Dr. Phillips-Chan spearheaded the effort of the oral history project and worked with RB Smith to record interviews with community members during the pandemic.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with community members and artist across the region. Draw in these really deep roots of culture and history that exists here,” Phillips-Chan spoke of the process of creating the book.
The book opens with a history of pandemics in the Nome and Bering Straits region. A full color picture of a townhall meeting with people packing City Hall as they learned of the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic on March 12, 2020 set the scene of the book and opens the narrative of how Nomeites dealt with the threat to public health.
Shortly after the pandemic began, Nome went into lockdown, but it took a bit longer for the virus to reach western Alaska. The first case didn’t occur in Nome until April 14, 2020. By the fall, 10 interviews were conducted by former Nome Nugget reporter RB Smith. This first set of oral histories is a stark contrast to the 10 conducted later by Carol Gales who spoke to people in spring of 2021, after the pandemic had made its mark in the community.
A big highlight of the book are works created by local artists. Often the art reflected the thoughts and feelings of the artist as they experienced a global pandemic. Twelve artists participated in the project with mediums ranging from mask designs and ivory carvings to beadwork and prints.
“I think the project represents not only a diversity of perspectives and artist but also of mediums and how they worked their medium to respond or reflect on the pandemic,” Phillips-Chan said.
The artwork is now part of the permanent collection at the museum, and all were on display during the event.
Artists who attended the book signing had an opportunity to speak on their contribution. Sylvester Ayek spoke about his masterpiece, Artic Tern Mobile. The Arctic Tern is suspended in the center of a hooped mobile and surrounded by five delicately carved feathers, all carved from walrus ivory. Ayek spoke about how the pandemic gave him an opportunity to explore ideas he hadn’t felt he’d had time for before, like the tern, which he said is rarely seen displayed in carvings.
The event wound down with a light meal in the Katirvik Cultural Center, unmasked. A cake with an icing photo on the book cover was served.
While it’s been over four years since the world was turned upside down by a global virus, moments like that and books like Stronger Together that encourage reflection help people realize how far this community and society has come.