Liberty’s first Eskimo graduate reflects on school’s spiritual and professional impact

Enoch Adams Jr. (’84) met Liberty University founder Jerry Falwell Sr. on several occasions while attending Liberty, but there was something special about joining the pastor on the Old Time Gospel Hour, the most prominent Christian live television show in the nation at the time, during Adams’ senior year.

Falwell Sr. occasionally used his program to showcase Liberty students, particularly those with interesting upbringings. Adams Jr. was thrilled to be on live television with the iconic pastor, college chancellor, and Christian visionary — but he was also slightly daunted.

“My experience with Dr. Falwell that day is still vivid to me,” he said. “I was so nervous. …It was incredible, but Dr. Falwell guided me through it.”

As the first Eskimo set to graduate from the then Liberty Baptist College, Adams Jr. told his story of growing up in a rich Inupiat Eskimo culture and discovering and attending a small Bible college in the heart of Virginia.

Adams’ childhood was different from an average American upbringing. The Inupiat Eskimo grew up in Kivalina, Alaska, a small remote hunting village located in the state’s northwestern region. He learned tracking and fishing skills from his father, who was well-known among the locals for his hunting abilities. A sod igloo, void of electricity and sewage systems, served as the family’s residence.

“We have everything available here,” he said of his small, 1.6-square-mile village where he currently lives with his wife and six children. “If you became a prominent hunter like my dad was, you could thrive here as a human being. Anyone can come up here and live.”

Just under 500 people call Kivalina home. A single post office, school, and two churches, among other small buildings, occupy the mainland. The town’s airstrip dominates almost half the town’s territory.

Residents hunt all kinds of migrating animals, both land and water. Bowhead whale, bearded seal, salmon, Arctic Char, and other seasonal marine life are common hunting targets.

A diverse list of land animals scatters the landscape, including caribou, moose, sheep, wolves, foxes, bears, and wolverines. During the warmer season, Eskimos supplement their diets by gathering and eating various greens and berries.

“We have a strong people. We are meat-eaters,” Adams said of his peoples’ dense protein supply. “Here, catching fish is a matter of pride for everybody, not just people in Kivalina.”

Inupiat Eskimos used dog teams to hunt and gather wood. Enoch’s father spent two days hunting, four days gathering wood, and a day to worship God.

“My dad paid so close attention to my spiritual development, because he knew God’s calling on my life for pastor,” he said. “I can see the hand of God in my life, and I can see the hand of God on other peoples’ lives.”

When Adams began grade school, there were only two classrooms — one for elementary and one for middle school. In 1975, he was among the first students in his town to continue his education past the eighth grade and attend the town’s first high school.

Adams’ father encouraged him to pursue college to guarantee a better financial future.

“I knew the best way I could come back home to Kivalina and get a good-paying job would be to become a certified teacher,” said Adams, who sought out a Christian institution with a strong teacher education program.

Adams Jr. chose Liberty and never looked back. When on the Old Time Gospel Hour, he talked about his culture and homeland and his desire to become a teacher in Alaska and to eventually explore ministry opportunities within his community.

“You’re doing what we started our school for,” Falwell told Adams on the show. “We want to send people back home to improve their communities and do what God has called them to do.”

Adams received his teaching certificate, becoming the first certified Inupiat Eskimo instructor in his village; he spent 16 years teaching, 15 of those in his hometown.

Adams now serves his community in a new role as priest of the Kivalina Epiphany Episcopal Church, capping his dream of becoming a preacher.

“I am eternally grateful for Dr. Falwell and Liberty Baptist College. … Dr. Falwell was incredibly smart. He reminded me of my dad,” Adams said. “I love Liberty, and I’m so glad I went there. My oldest son is starting to talk about higher education. He wants to become a pilot, and I told him Liberty has an excellent aviation program. So, I don’t think I’m done with Liberty. I just want to walk around to see what it’s like and to see how much it has changed. All of this … from one man (Falwell Sr.) who was willing to listen to God.”