The villages she visits range in size from 300 to 1,000 persons and vary in character from a small suburb to a country village to an inner-city neighborhood. Only one of the villages has running water in each household. We use this water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, sponge baths and laundry. You suddenly become acutely aware of resources. Grabowski has been invited to villagers' steam houses-small structures outside some homes that provide saunas.
Water is poured over rocks piled on a wood stove in the steam house to create heat and moisture.
Families or groups of men or women often take steam baths together. It's a cleansing method the villagers use three or four times per week. Life near the Bering Sea means placing orders for food that is shipped in large quantities from Anchorage or Seattle. Perishables such as fresh fruits and vegetables are a rarity, and all groceries are expensive, Grabowski says. Although they frequent village stores, locals gather most of their food by hunting and fishing in the spring, summer and fall, she explains.