KAREN:  So what made you decide to apply for that alternate job that first time?  Why did you want to do health aide work? 

RITA:  When I was -- I just remembered not too long ago when I graduated from the 8th grade, they used to have the graduates do a little speech.  And I had a real short piece of paper.  There was -- there were just two of us that graduated from the 8th grade and this girl was from the Children's Home. 
But my friend reminded me, Rita, I remember your 8th grade graduation speech, it was real short and all you said was you wanted to finish school and go become a nurse and come back to White Mountain and work. 
And I think that was a dream I always had when I was little, you know, I wanted to help people.  And when that opening came for a health aide, I said, now's my chance, you know.  Maybe I can go from there. 

KAREN:  Now, with your mom having done health aide work before, did she teach you things? 

RITA:  Yeah, she taught me a lot.  She taught me a lot of things, too, that we learned the same, and I know Willa got this from my mom, and my mom always used to tell me to believe people when they tell you something.  You know. 

If somebody tells you they are sick, don't just look at them because you think they are different or you know, every village has people who are high in standing and some who are not, and you have to believe everybody, treat them all equal. 

And I didn't get a chance to work with her as a health aide, but being with her in the radio room and watching her treat people, I knew she really cared.  I mean, that's the biggest thing, I think, being a health care provider is letting people know you care. 

Sometimes all you have to do is listen.  There's a lot of people who come to clinic who just want to talk.  There's really nothing wrong with them, but being a good listener is very important. 

KAREN:  When did your mom pass away? 

RITA:  She died in November of '87.  And I grew up with my mother and my stepfather, and for a long time I was ashamed of it, but we've become more aware of domestic violence and all the stuff that can really make people sick, and we grew up with domestic violence. 

My parents were both alcoholics, and I think that's where my mother's downfall was.  She did real good in training but the community didn't want, you know, a health aide who was still drinking. 

And I know she did try to quit a couple times, but it was my stepfather who was not a very good support system.  And all that stresses over a marriage during alcoholism, I think it was part of stress that killed her. 

KAREN:  If -- in the way people talk about it, you never would have known.

RITA:  Uh-hum.  Yeah. 

KAREN:  Because it sounds like she was an important influence with the health aide community.

RITA:  Uh-hum (affirmative).  She was a very proud and happy woman. 
I remember when she used to go to Golovin to cover for Irene, she always dressed respectfully, they were poor and everything but she always had nice clothes. 

She used to have these white shoes, and white nurse shoes, and she would put them on and walk to the clinic or whatever.  And she really, you know, not only tried to do her job the best she could, but she dressed the part.  She was really proud of that. 

KAREN:  Do you think there are pressures on health aides sort of being role models in the community, and is that sometimes too much for people? 

RITA:  I don't think in some communities they probably don't even think about that.  But it really -- it was important for me.  I don't know if it's because of growing up in White Mountain or going to a high school at Covenant High.  Covenant high was a private Christian school.

KAREN:  Where? 

RITA:  Unalakleet. 

KAREN:  Unalakleet. 

RITA:  It closed in '84, I think.  I really wanted my kids to go to high school there and graduate from it, but it closed because of lack of funding.  And I think it's just based on every community, different communities. 

But my parents were really strict, too, although we grew up with a lot of domestic violence and alcoholism, they were very strict.  Which I'm very glad for. 

Looking back, I don't think I would want to choose any other parents, even though all the hard times we went through.  They provided for us all the important things. 

KAREN:  Uh-hum.