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sue of environment and life working together," he said," as sea mammals effect the economy and the way of life. Knowles said he felt concern about persistent organic pollutants threatening the arctic indigenous peoples by getting into the food chain and traveling from vital plankton to sea mammals to mothers' milk to the first-born. He scored the current administration and Congress for not ratifying environmental treaties.
During the meeting, village residents underscored the idea that they desperately need a solution to erosion.
"We have only three to four foot bluffs with no permafrost," said one man.
"Once those are gone, you might as well write us off."
Weyiouanna stressed again that the village wanted to continue to live together. We have voted and spoken as one," he said.
When the village moves to a new site, she would like to see geothermal or other renewable energy developed there, Eningowuk said. "It makes sense for health."
Knowles swore he would work toward solving Shishmaref's situation and toward more solid local infrastructure throughout the nation.
Additionally, residents brought up cutting out municipal revenue sharing, formerly a means to put state money into local coffers.
Under false pretenses of cutting government they have double-crossed Alaskans," Knowles said. "They didn't cut state government. They cut local government. That is shifting responsibility."
In Brevig Mission situated on Grantley Harbor, 65 folks met with Knowles at the community center. Questions from the assembly showed an interest in basic survival issues -- jobs, subsistence, No Child Left Behind, Longevity Bonus for Elders, the Permanent Fund Dividend, a larger health clinic and revenue sharing.
"It puts the city in a terrible position to provide services. We are having a hard time without that state revenue," Brevig Mission Mayor Elton Olanna told Knowles.
A table of women spoke out against the testing requirements of the Department of Education's No Child Left Behind. "We're so busy meeting the standards and all that, the child is being left behind," a parent declared.
No Child Left Behind is a nightmare, Knowles agreed. We need to take education back from the feds."
Johnny Weyanna Sr. told Knowles that Elders in Brevig Mission need their Longevity Bonus restored.
"That's a shabby way to treat seniors who have done so much for us when they were younger," Knowles said. It puts an undue burden on Elders who were meeting their cash needs with the Longevity Bonus. It should be reversed."
Back in Nome, Knowles met with the faithful at the Mini-Convention Center over a buffet supper before he scooted away to appear on Richard Beneville's weekly TV show, "Hello Central."
As Knowles prepared to resonate his thoughts, Erin Lillie urged him if elected to the Senate not to waste time in Washington D. C. on the gay marriage issue.
Any rights protected by the Constitution should not be an issue, Knowles said.
"We need to keep the government out of our books and bedrooms with threats to our freedom that are so severe," he said, and took off on most of what was dear to the current administration.
Choice:
"You shouldn't put a bureaucrat or a politician between a woman, her doctor and her choice," he said.
Privacy and safety:
"We need to make reforms to the Patriot Act to preserve our Bill of Rights against illegal searches and seizures."
Energy:
"The energy policy was partisan, secret and full of pork. It fell under its own weight of pork."
War:
"We went to war on false information. We had no plan to keep the peace. We had no exit plan and still don't. Men and women are dying and we sent them there. Everybody is paying billions."
But if we are there, troops should have the best training and equipment, Knowles said.
"As a Vietnam vet, I am very pro defense, but these are dangerous times."
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