WALTER:  When we were -- we were talking about in relation to health aides and whatnot.  Well, I was -- I've been -- I frequently get calls from health aides out of the blue that I haven't seen for -- for many years, which -- and, you know, probably 2001 I -- in the spring, I got a call from -- from Emmonak, and I hadn't heard from them for 30 or 40 years, really. 

It was from Jake Johnson, the son of Pearlie and Axel Johnson.  Saying that -- that they were opening a clinic dedicated to his mother and that she had asked that I come.  And so I said, sure. 

And went down there, and rather than stay the afternoon, I stayed for a week and stayed with Pearlie, who I discovered then had -- was the same age as myself, within a month, and she had delivered 68 babies, all successfully, herself in the village. 

KAREN:  Wow. 

WALTER:  And she, along with her husband, had given the health care there.  And I could relate many, you know, things that they had taken care of in -- with very innovative methods. 

KAREN:  Can you think of just one example? 

WALTER:  Well, there was an old timer, a Gussuk, a White man there, who had developed urinary obstruction. 

And at a time before, they were in radio contact with -- with the hospital.  Because as I say, there was no BIA school in Kwiguk.  And you know, this, well, it would be fatal. 

And I can remember getting such a call from St. Lawrence Island, and I have to admit that I was at a loss as to what they should do about it. 

And since I would say now that they should just put a needle in, just over, right over the pubic bone, and hopefully they could drain the bladder.  But Axel had taken a willow and used as a catheter and relieved the obstruction. 
And I -- I could never quite envision how he would get the bark of the willow to make a tube that would be inserted.  But while I was sitting with Pearlie, she happened to bring that up and described how he had actually taken the bark off and very carefully rounded the point of this limber willow twig and had used that as a probe to -- to relieve the urinary obstruction. 

And I guess it was used a number of times and -- and years later, O'Connor ended up in the Pioneer Home down in Sitka, and I think lived another 15 years, into his 90s down there.
 
KAREN:  Neat.