Home And Far Away

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or a century, life in Metlakatla has followed a pattern -- one that each generation embraces and eagerly continues. Fishermen and women tie their nets in the same musty wood storeroom and haul salmon from the same salty blue waters. They sing and dance the same Tsimshian songs.

And they play basketball.

Metlakatla's basketball obsession is partly geographic. It is located in a southern extremity of Alaska, the only town on Annette Island, and the only Native American reservation in Alaska. The indoor sport is a reprieve from the soggy darkness of winter, a unifying event for isolated people.

This remoteness, although cherished by residents, makes competing in sports difficult. It can take up to two days, one way, for the Metlakatla High School boys' basketball team to compete within their league. The draining effects of travel are a routine part of the game. To make the most of their time on the "road," Metlakatla teams play twice on consecutive nights before heading back home.

The paths traveled by the basketball team trace the routes their Tsimshian ancestors traveled when warring and trading with other coastal natives. Instead of paddling cedar canoes, players ride planes and ferries to their games. When traveling, players have the opportunity to do and see things unavailable in Metlakatla, like Chinese food and movie theatres. The main incentive for playing basketball, though, is at home.

In Metlakatla, basketball is the only show in town. People begin their Saturdays at 8 a.m. at the old town hall for little league games before shifting to the high school gymnasium to watch the Chiefs battle until 9 p.m. Many of those sitting in the packed bleachers played for the Chiefs or Miss Chiefs themselves, and young children dream of when it will be their turn to represent their home. The legacy of the Chiefs matters little outside Annette Island, but inside, it is a key to life.