KAREN:  Now, this teaching you were doing through teleconference, was that a different job position or that was part of your assigned work? 

PAULA:  No, it was -- well, Linda Curda started that in 1980 -- '84 or '85.  And when I -- when Clara and I -- when I became an SI, supervisor instructor, I was asked if I could be facilitator for that. 

So Clara Morgan and I became facilitators.  Each month we took turns like January, she'll do them -- she'll do the research in December and do a presentation on January; and in January, I'll do the research on one thing and do it in February.  Each month, we took turns. 

And one time Sarah Jasper from Akiak, when she was a supervisor, she helped us.  So it kind of give us more time, Clara and I.  So three of us did research on one subject, one topic, and took turns, you know. 
When I retire, nobody would take it.  So it just retire like me. 

KAREN:  After you were gone nobody was interested in taking the class or nobody was interested in teaching? 

PAULA:  Nobody was teaching.  I mean, nobody was interested in teaching besides Clara and myself.  So --

KAREN:  So what kind of things were those topics that you selected?
 
PAULA:  I went from the eyes, ears.  I did one on brain, I think.  Not quite.  What -- but I did some brain -- research on brain and that's how I know neurotransmitters and all that about the brain. 

And then I did digestive system, respiratory system, reproductive system, urinary system, and then I did skeleton, muscle, and what's that other one, circulatory system, and that other, what's that other fluid that flows in our body.  I did that.  Lymph -- lymphatic system, I did that.  Yeah. 

KAREN:  So what was the purpose of these classes? 

PAULA:  So that the health aides will know all about the body systems and learn them so that when the sickness, then I went -- we went through the sicknesses, so that they know what to do.  Like if we're talking about pneumonia and symptoms, treatment, you know, things like that. 

And other things that we did was sniffing gas and alcohol, drug -- alcohol and drug abuse. 

Death and dying.  Death and dying, doctor said we should have it every year.  So we had death and dying every year.  And then we -- we did suicide.  And suicide and death and dying, we did it once a year. 

And that's when all the health aides, everyone that talk about suicides or death and dying, that was a good way of unloading.  And I divide 4 to 8 villages into 12, 12 -- 12 villages, you know. 

KAREN:  So 4 groups? 

PAULA:  4 groups consisting of 12 villages each. 

And so every Friday at ten o'clock in the morning, we have teleconference with Group 1, the next -- next Friday, Group 2, and so on.  And sometimes I used to -- when we first started the death and dying, every Friday I -- well, when I have teleconference, I'd be crying along with the health aides, you know, when they are unloading and crying. 

And then I would think, now next Friday, I won't -- I won't be crying.  Come Friday, different health aides with different incidents, crying, and I cry all over again.  Then I used to take minutes.  And when I typed them, I cry all over again. 

So that was a lot of work.  That's why I always wonder, how did I do it.  I was supervisor instructor, I was teaching with teleconference, researching just about every month, and I enjoyed, and I was taking college courses.
 
KAREN:  Wow. 

PAULA:  Until I get my degree.  So -- and still keep my family in there good, provide them with good care. 

I guess that's why when I retire for two years, I trained myself, I never settled for two years, I just keep on going, going, going, and sometimes I'd find myself doing two or three things at one time. 

And one time I just sit down and I said, what am I hurrying for.  I'm not going to be working tomorrow.  So the third year I kind of relax, start relaxing. 
On the fourth year, sometimes I could sit around doing nothing and not feel guilty at all about, you know, not doing anything. 

KAREN:  Yeah. 

PAULA:  And I've learned to -- but then I -- how did I do other things like making parkas --

KAREN:  Oh. 

PAULA:  -- for my children. 

KAREN:  Would you -- would you and your family go out to fish camp in the summers? 

PAULA:  Uh-hum.  Yeah.  Until people learn that they are supposed to leave me alone when I'm on vacation.  Uh-hum. 

KAREN:  So they would -- when you were out at camp, they'd call you to come in for things? 

PAULA:  No.  I'd just stay out there. 

KAREN:  That's good. 

PAULA:  Yeah.  That's the only time that they would leave me alone.

KAREN:  Yeah.  You need a break. 

PAULA:  Uh-hum (affirmative).