Just down the road, on the out skirts of Cantwell Alaska, you will find the local cemetery. It might not be what you would expect, with the yellow, blue, and white spirit houses resting quietly on the hill.
If you want to read more about Alaska Native spirit houses check out this article from NPR, In Alaskan Cemetery, Native and Orthodox Rites Mix.
This is the quote that speaks loudest to me, "But when we converted to Orthodoxy, the church forbid us from cremating human remains," he says. "And as a result, we constructed these spirit houses, where the spirits would have a place to go — and not bother the living until they made that final journey."
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