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Hannah Anderson, |
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| MARLA: And I was wondering, too, what -- what was it like living in the same village where you were treating people? Was that difficult or was it -- HANNAH: It was -- we -- I live in a village where it's not total, like, Allakaket is total Native village. MARLA: Right. HANNAH: I am a mixed village. MARLA: Right. HANNAH: But I grew up that way. We called them Old-Timers. Yeah. I think Bill English would verify that because he grew up the same way. MARLA: In Wiseman? HANNAH: Yeah. And I grew up with Old-Timers and -- and us, and Athabascan. Eskimos, Athabaskans, and White people. But we never called them White people, we called them Old-Timers. MARLA: Okay. HANNAH: Because they were a lot of them from the Old Country. Spoke broken English and stuff like that. MARLA: Right. HANNAH: And we, I think Rosie and I, my younger sister and I, growing up around them, we kind of talked that way for a long time. We would say, you bet yer life. You know. And let's see, which other one. Yumpin' yimminy, you bet you. MARLA: So then was it -- so having this -- having a mixed village, was it -- did you have any language issues with anybody? Like was anybody -- was everyone -- was everyone speaking English or -- HANNAH: I speak Eskimo. MARLA: Okay. And Athabascan? HANNAH: I understand Athabascan, use only a few words. That was not a problem with me there. But I have a problem with English. You know, I had a hard time even in training English. But see, I read and write. So I understand everything I read. So I think that's what got me through a health aide because whenever they are talking, giving a lecture, I understood what they were saying. I guess that comes from growing up in two different cultures. MARLA: Yeah. And did -- HANNAH: And so that pulled me through health aide more than anything. Not knowing how to spell things was a problem, you know -- MARLA: Right. HANNAH: -- for me. MARLA: Like Latin. HANNAH: Yeah. MARLA: Especially medical phrases, I would imagine, medical terms. HANNAH: And so medical terms was a problem for me. I didn't use them. I just used plain English. And a lot of times when I'm describing medicine, I spell it to the doctor, what's on the boxes. MARLA: Was it ever difficult talking with doctors because you felt like there was a little bit of -- HANNAH: No, they understood us. MARLA: Yeah. HANNAH: Yeah. They always said, you are -- what, you are our eyes, ears, and instruments out there. You know. So they knew how to talk to us, the doctors. They know how to understand us. MARLA: And did you find it hard describing sometimes the -- the symptoms that a patient was experiencing or -- HANNAH: I -- I -- I can't say that I had really a hard time with that. They -- the doctors, when you start to describe something, they know how to ask you. They know what -- what to ask because I guess they kind of have a feel or know what you're heading toward or whatever. MARLA: Right. That's pretty important. HANNAH: Yeah. MARLA: And also to feel that trust. HANNAH: Yeah. What do you see. How does it look. What's the -- let's see, is he pale? Is he, you know, sweaty. They -- a lot of things I guess they -- they want to see if we are we're seeing if they are going into shock or if they are that far along in a situation or whatever. So I think the health aides learn to talk to their doctors. They trust the doctors. MARLA: Yeah. HANNAH: I know I do. I trust them, I rely on them, and I just, you know, believe in them, so -- and the nurses and the pharmacies. Marla was one of my favorite. Let me talk to Marla. Because you know, she always -- she takes time. MARLA: Not me Marla. HANNAH: You do, too. She -- she always took time with the health aides. I think she understood our situation. MARLA: Yeah. HANNAH: Our problem. MARLA: Yeah. HANNAH: Our not knowing -- not knowing a lot of stuff. MARLA: And so I think -- HANNAH: I think my -- I think my big thing, my holdback a lot is I'm not a professional. I'm not a doctor or a nurse or a technician, I'm not those. I can't be in that, you know. So you have to separate yourself from that and listen to -- to them. MARLA: Right. HANNAH: Uh-hum. MARLA: But you are their instrument. HANNAH: Yeah. Uh-hum. The health aides are. MARLA: Yeah. HANNAH: Uh-hum. MARLA: And without having all the training you're doing -- HANNAH: Uh-hum. MARLA: -- all the -- HANNAH: Yeah. MARLA: -- all the work necessary to save people. HANNAH: Yeah. Yeah. I guess we can say that we -- don't expect that from us. I mean, let me not expect that from me. MARLA: Right. HANNAH: Just listen and do what -- you know, what you are trained to do. MARLA: Right. I think that's pretty good advice -- HANNAH: Yeah. MARLA: -- for anybody who wants to be a health aide. HANNAH: Yeah. Uh-hum. | |
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Last updated 11-4-06
Last updated 11-4-06