Heather Lende, with the style and wit of Erma Bombeck, gives an account of life and politics in Haines, Alaska in Of Bears and Ballots. Her normal job of writing the obituaries for the local newspaper does not quite prepare her for the controversial role of she will play as assembly member after she runs and is elected. The organization of her book has an essay on either one aspect of the community or her job followed by a few lines from the agenda of the assembly meeting.
A hint of her writing style comes from this line: “Sometimes, when I’m frustrated with a burly man in work boots and a pro-mining bumper sticker on his truck who says he’s against funding the library, I imagine trouncing him in a bike race. Will I ever grow up?”
A few of her interesting agenda topics were:
· Winterfest was a great success despite the storm-related road and ferry closures and the basketball games conflict.
· Further ways to fund an outhouse without state management will be researched. It was also agreed that if an outhouse is installed, there should be some bear-proof trash cans.
· Education has been cut, and they are asking the ferry system to generate more revenue. Tourism and seafood marketing have been funded to last year’s level.
As seen on the map, the town is accessible to the nearest city, Juneau, only by boat or plane. The population is made up of what Heather refers to as natives and newcomers who now live together in Haines. She gives historical background of the abuse of the natives, Tlinglit people, whose children were taken from them into orphanages, where they were not allowed to speak their native tongue or observe their cultural patterns. She quotes Ernestine Hayes, who wrote a memoir about her own growing up in an old Juneau village, and was asked by a newcomer if he also was loved by this land. She replied, “Yes, the land loves those who love it back.” I particularly liked her analogy for the chapter called “Looking in a Broken Mirror” with a story of using only the small pieces of a broken mirror to find the truth of a long held community secret that needed to be seen.
Threaded through very definite political opinions, she keeps her relationships steady even with those who are politically opposite – a lesson for the times. The city of Haines reflects the political polarization of the times with an exception that we might learn from. She says the city is like a large dysfunctional family that disagrees in the public hearing before sharing a pew at the funeral. The book is both enjoyable and informative. The only downside is that she mentions two more intriguing books to add to my never-ending “To-Read” list.