Who is The People from Teaching a Stone to Talk and what is their importance?

Annie refers to the congregation in "An Expedition to the Pole" as the people. These people include the Wildflowers performers, the priest, and the baby, Oswaldo, who is baptized. The congregation gathers each week, and their actions often strike Annie as humorous. During the service, they sing a number of songs and participate in the baby's baptism. Annie imagines that many of them are on the ice floe with her at the end of the story.