Do Mermaids Swim in the Bering Sea?
Life in Kongiganak, Alaska
Tucked along the western shore of Kuskokwim Bay in Alaska's remote Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Kongiganak — known to its own people as Kangirnaq — is home to roughly 500 residents, nearly all of them Central Yup'ik. There are no roads connecting this village to the outside world. Every person, every package, every book arrives by small bush plane, by boat, or — in winter — by snowmobile across the frozen tundra.
Life here still moves with the seasons. Families fish for salmon in the summer, smoking and drying it to last through the long, dark winter. Hunting and gathering fill out the rest of the table. Traditional dance festivals, community bingo nights, and school basketball games knit the village together. The Yup'ik language is still spoken in homes and passed down to children, alongside English.
It's a place of resilience — facing permafrost thaw, brutal winters, and the high cost of simply getting supplies in. And it's a place where a box of books, carried in on a mail plane, can mean something a little different than it does anywhere else: a rare, tangible connection to stories and worlds beyond the tundra's edge.
A Hard Year
In October 2025, the remnants of a Pacific typhoon slammed into the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta with hurricane-force winds and record storm surge. In Kongiganak, three homes were lifted clean off their foundations, and at least one lost its roof. The boardwalk connecting the school — a critical path in a village with no roads — was torn away entirely. The village's water plant was knocked offline. One tribal police officer described the scene as "very disastrous." Another, who had lived in the village his whole life, said simply: "We've never seen this before here in this village."
With no road system, Kongiganak's boardwalks aren't a convenience — they're the only way residents cross the fragile, thawing tundra to reach the school, the store, and each other. Nearly a year later, rebuilding continues, largely on the community's own shoulders, as the state and federal government continue to negotiate over the cost of recovery. Dr. Rennaker has stated that less than 50% of the boardwalks have been repaired, this will severely impact students ability to get to school once the winter weather begins. The school sustained damages through one of the more brutal storms, breaking windows to the library destroying books and supplies.
The school and its building are the heart of the community! Not only providing knowledge, but refuge from the storms when electricity and water are impacted. There have been many a slumber party at the school! Dr. Rennaker herself spent many nights sleeping in her office as a result of damages.
Pack the Packs for Kongiganak!
Please consider participating in our school supply drive, "Pack the Packs for Kongiganak!" In addition to gifting supplies, Mermaid Wishes to Learn will also provide volunteer readers for live read-alouds over Zoom, and offer literacy support and professional development to the school's teachers and staff.
Take a moment to learn a little about this amazing village and its proud members!
How to help: Click on the link for the Pack the Packs for Kongiganak! It will take you to the website to make your purchase to help us gather supplies and have them sent directly to the school! Amazon and Wal-Mart ship right to their building!
Mia the Reading Mermaid has joined forces with Dr. Shannon Rennaker, Principal of Ayagina'ar Elitnaurvik School, located in Kongiganak, Alaska! It is the goal of Mermaid Wishes to Learn to expand our community to include new friends.
It has been a long-standing dream of this mermaid to one day teach in Alaska — and this partnership is my chance to do it without risking her fins getting frostbit!