My name is “Banana” as my Yupik teacher calls me since I was a small child and I earned that name from her. I wanted to honor and support my childhood Yupik teacher who taught me our cultural ways, and how to read and write in our language. She has recently been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. She will be in the city for treatment and she is in need of support to help maintain her bills, utilities, and food.

Please help me, help my Yupik teacher to maintain her home and support her every day life while away from home for treatment. Christina (I call her Banana too) is an amazing and beautiful human being who has so much knowledge about our Yupik culture of St. Lawrence Island. She is humble, an amazing seamstress, loving, accepting, and well respected in our community.

A little story on how I earns my naw from her. As far back as I can remember as I child, we called each other Banana. I asked her a few years ago how it started. She said, “When you were a little girl in my class, you always used to ask for banana.” I earned that name from my Banana.

I have so much love and respect for her. She is one of our cultural bearers at home.

Let’s help her please. Igamsiqaayugviikamsi (thank you all)!