Going Rogue: An American Life (31 page)

Going

Constitution, which was written in Faitbanks. That was what I wanted to honor that day. Thanks to our state’s simple and concise founding documents, our founding mothers and fathers had provided a level of opportunity and prosperity that othet states, even other countries,

only dteam
oE
I believed then-and still

do now-that in addition to God’s grace, the ctedit for Alaska’s prosperity should be given to our Constitution’s framers. We chose as OUt venue the Carlson Center, the arena where the Nanooks, the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ hockey team, play. Looking up at the team banners hanging overhead, I retnembered the many days I’d spent in this arena, cheering young athletes, keeping score and compiling stats, bandaging bruised bodies, organizing their journeys up north and then home again after the games. During the cetemony, floorboards protected the ice, which was covered with fresh blade marks carved by kids who were full of hope and goals and energy. Instead of a sterile conventional venue, the arena was the perfect place for our inauguration celebration. As the ceremony began, Native dancers and singers,

bagpipes, and my friend Adele Morgan’s beautiful singing moved the crowd to roars of applause; the thunderous and pulsating foot stomping in the arena felt like the low, strong trembles we never quite got used to when another. Alaska earthquake struck. I looked at my family onstage to my left, Grandma Lena on one end, five-year-old Piper on the other. From the podium, I waved to more in the first few rows in front of me: five generations wete tepresented. As I kicked off my speech, I joked that we had all cleaned up pretty. well-I couldn’t spot a Carhartt or a Bunny Boot in the entite bunch!

The ceremony was held around lunchtime to take advanrage of the winter light. It was freezing outside, but I looked up to the rafters and pointed at the students who’d been able to skip school
121

c

SARAH PALIN

that day: “You are whar’s warmed up rhe

you!” Ir

was a magnificenr moment; I was so rhankful for the journey. My campaign staff had traveled such a long way, and, really, their efforts drove me to that stage. I winked at Kris Perry and her family, and saw Frank Bailey and Ivy Frye, the Ketchums, the Menards, my aunt Kate and uncle Tom, who had flown up from Washington. Nick Timurphy and Todd’s relatives had come in from far-flung towns all over the state.

Libby Riddles, the first woman to win the Iditarod, the famed l,lOO-mile sled dog race, had juSt introduced me as the first woman governor of the state. I had specifically invited her to emcee the inauguration in keeping wirh rhe unconventional narure of rhe event.

“It’s more significant than perhaps you rhink, Libby, accepting my invitation to speak here today;’ I said while roars of applause for Libby continued to erupr. I went on ro tell her rhat while other college srudents had had posrers of Metallica or Michael Jordan on their dorm room walls, mine had been plasteted with a
Vogue
magazine sptead of Libby Riddles.

“She was an underdog, a risk taker, kind of an outsider, she was bold and rough;’ I told the ctowd. I felt so proud to share the stage with this genuine trailblazer. “She shattered an ice ceiling, and thank you for plowing the way!”

When the applause died down, I began my first speech as governor of Alaska by honoring the framers of out Constitution, created to guide our state. “It demands that Alaskans come first. It will keep my compass pointed true north. It’s the tool to build Alaska with sttength and with otder.”

I hit on the issues critical to our state: responsible energy resource development, cleaning up corruprion, putting Alaskans to work in good jobs, reforming educarion, and nurruring that most precious resoutce-our childten-because in every one of their lives thete is purpose and destiny.

•

122