Colony Days: Small town inclusion

PALMER— Colony Days went off without a hitch this year, pulling in hefty crowds and an array of events under the bright summer sun. This annual event envelops the whole weekend and celebrates Palmer’s colonial roots as one of the biggest gatherings in the Valley.

Miss Alaska 2018, Angelina Klapperich made, what was essentially, her last public appearance as Miss Alaska at Colony Days. She said that she saw countless familiar faces throughout the day.

“I’m thankful I get to celebrate such a wonderful year with people I’ve known my whole life,” Klapperich said.

Klapperich travelled all over the state in her year wearing the crown, going as far as Barrow. She’s been to well over 400 places this year, according her mother, Linda. Linda also noted that her daughter visited at least 75 different schools and has been a keynote speaker at several dozen events. From the Iditarod to her home school’s graduation, Klapperich covered a lot of ground to spread her message of compassion and understanding.

Klapperich’s reign has been all-consuming. She said that she’s been immersed in her role as Miss Alaska.

Klapperich said that the Palmer Chamber was her first appearance. Colony Days is sponsored by the Chamber, so Klapperich essentially came full circle by making it her final appearance. She said it felt like an appropriate way to conclude. As she waved at the crowd atop her float, it was for the final time under a crown. She will crown the next Miss Alaska next week.

“She’s planted the seeds of compassion everywhere she went,” Linda said.

The theme of Colony Days centers on the legacy left behind by the colonists. The land was originally settled in 1935 but there were people here long before they showed up. The Mat-Su Valley is a home to the Athabascan nation. There are dozens of assorted Alaska Native tribes across the state, each with their own culture, languages, and history. As of 2018, it’s apparent that most of the various native backgrounds are on the same team, supporting Alaskans as a whole, according to Native Youth Olympics (NYO) coach, Albert Wood Jr. Most people call him Junior.

“The public is starting to realize, ‘oh there’s a village that’s not too far from Palmer!’” said Selena Ortega-Chiolero, Cultural Development Assistant at the Chickaloon Village Traditional Council.

The Chickaloon Tribal Council sanctioned NYO demonstrations at the Palmer Museum the first day of Colony Days. Several volunteers demonstrated the traditional Alaska Native games seen in the NYO. The most iconic activity from NYO is undoubtedly the Alaskan High Kick, where the athlete kicks a ball at an elevated height. The High Kick and all the other NYO games correlate with traditional hunting and gathering activities.

“Kids, they always enjoy it,” Ortega-Chiolero said.

Wood said that anyone can enter the NYO and being Alaska Native is not a requirement. It’s an all-inclusive sport that’s built on supporting each other, he said. He noted that like other sports, it teaches confidence and brings people together. That is why they were at Colony Days, to educate the community. They played games with curious attendees who laughed and took pictures. Some children even signed up for the NYO that day.

According to Junior, the games reflect a time when villages had to train for endurance and train for survival. Now, survival doesn’t just mean having food and shelter. Now, survival, for some, is human connection, understanding and compassion; people from across the community getting together to enjoy a cozy and common place.

“Everyone picks each other up. We are all trying to survive,” Wood said.

The parade is certainly one of the most iconic displays from Colony Days and many of people at the event said the parade was their favorite part. The streets of downtown Palmer filled to the brim with people as a lengthy line of floats and walkers made their way by. From churches and politicians to baseball teams and the Monday Market, there seemed to be a slice all walks of life in the parade.

This year’s parade was a milestone for Mat-Su NOW. This was their first year walking the Pride March to advocate for equal rights in the LGBTQ community. The rainbow colored marchers made history this year. Mat-Su NOW has already been involved with the Pridefest in Anchorage, but this was all new territory.

Shyan Horner, a Mat-Su College (MSC) student and Mat-Su NOW volunteer, said that the Palmer Chamber was very welcoming and accommodating to the parade newcomers.

“Diversity is a good thing,” Horner said.