Somebody's Secrets

Editor’s Note

Editor’s Note

Sitka is a beautiful city, as the characters say repeatedly throughout this book. I was privileged to live there years ago. Although the setting is real, this book is a work of fiction. Its events are drawn from a number of towns across the state — as well as throughout the country — that are confronting issues of racism and policing. Alaska has unique problems given the isolation of many of its communities, but the role of police in the community needs to be examined by us all.

For some communities, the issues go beyond a few bad apples. When the corruption and racism starts at the top, it will contaminate the whole department, and harm the entire community.

The Sitka in this book doesn’t exist. For instance, although during my time there was a 3 1/2 Mile Club, it’s no longer there. The first class Shee Atika restaurant is also gone. Things change. And they will continue to change. But the beauty of Sitka lingers, so it seemed fitting that it’s the town Paul Kitka calls home.

This book is dedicated to Black Lives Matter with the hope that it will also improve the relationship between police and Native Americans who statistically fare even worse at the hands of law enforcement in this country.