Module VII: American Period: Society

Essential Question—To what degree is there distinctiveness in the art, literature, science, recreation, and cultural institutions of Alaska? In what way do these contribute to, or reflect, a unique Alaska identity?  

Mt. McKinley (Denali) from the North

Art-There is great distinctiveness in art throughout Alaska. Early art was been categorized in 3 ways, documentary art (people & places), market art (woven baskets, carvings, etc) and landscape art (paintings). Many travelers recorded their visit to Alaska especially those that came up during the Klondike Gold Rush. Construction of the Alaskan Railroad was also another big project that was documented. Some of the Native art that went to markets were carvings, beadwork, dolls, moccasins, sewn skins, etc. Currently, you can still find much of this artwork in local shops or at events. Many Athabascan women and girls still enjoy sewing and beading to a great extent. I did my first beading project when I was visiting the village of Hughes; I made a suncatcher. All of the women and children gathered a couple times a week for sewing nights. It was always a big hit! Landscape painters, as you can imagine, had no problem finding subjects. Mt. McKinley (Denali) still seems to be a favorite among today’s artists. Modern art began after WWII with newly established art departments within colleges.

The Call of the Wild

Literature-To me, literature is an art form as well and has great distinctiveness in Alaska. There has been no shortage of books, magazines, and newspapers published over the last decade. I’ve read several Native biographies from those around the Interior telling about growing up with frigid temperatures, living a subsistence lifestyle. I’ve always found those to be so interesting. It really opens your eyes to how good we have things now. Likewise, many travelers have written about their accounts in Alaska, some fiction and some nonfiction. Some of the most popular writers have been Jack London and Robert Service. After living up here for a couple of years now, I’ve developed a great appreciation for their work.

Alaska Summer Research Academy

Science-Science is all over Alaska. From the formation of the mountains and rivers to the extreme amount of sunlight and darkness, science surrounds Alaska. From the wildlife to the plants to the minerals, there is no way to get around this concept. The Alaska Summer Research Academy at UAF offers wonderful field experiences to give students a real-life glimpse into the scientific realm of the state. No matter what type of science you may be interested in, Alaska serves as a great outdoor laboratory.

Recreation-see “examine question”

Morris Thompson Cultural Center

Cultural Institutions-When I think of cultural institutions, I think of the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage. I have yet to go there but plan to in August during Father Oleksa’s multi-cultural class. I have heard it is a wonderful place to learn about the different languages, cultures, and traditions found around Alaska. I am really looking forward to my visit there. I also think about the Morris Thompson Cultural Center in Fairbanks where they have cultural workshops, daily films, traditional dancing, etc. I’ve been lucky enough to do some pretty extensive travel since I’ve been in Alaska. There are many cultural institutions that showcase what traditions our state is founded upon. Some other great ones I’ve stumbled across and enjoyed were the Kenai Visitors & Cultural Center and the Denali Park Visitors Center.

Examine Question— Describe various forms of recreation in Alaska. Explain whether or not there is a particular Alaska “variant” of these types of recreation.

Alpine Skiier

Alpine (Downhill) Skiing--Anchorage and Girdwood are home to some pretty adventurous ski areas. For a more daring experience, some Alaskans try backcountry or heli-skiing for more untouched powder and spectacular views.

Cross Country Skiing—(classic & skating). XC skiing is more specific to Alaska than alpine skiing. Northern Europe, Canada, and Alaska are very active in this sport because of the large snowfields. In Fairbanks, UAF has a wonderful trail system that’s suited for both skate and classic skiing. I enjoy skate skiing along these routes.

Traditional Snowshoe

Snowshoeing—This sport isn’t specific just to Alaska though it is really neat to see the traditional snowshoes that the Natives use compares to the modern snowshoes. The shoes help you stay on the snow better with less sinking. There are many snowshoe races in Alaska.

Riding snowmachines—This sport is popular in many states with large amounts of snow though people in the lower 48 usually refer to these as snowmobiles. Arctic man is an event specific to Alaska where riders pull skiers or boarders up and down hills in the mountains going anywhere from 70-90 MPH. I’ve never been to Arctic Man but I’ve heard it’s an interesting experience. 



The Last Great Race



Dog mushing—Popular primarily in Alaska, Canada, and Northern Europe. It is the state sport of Alaska. The Iditarod is an event specific to Alaska where mushers start in Willow and ride across the state to the finish line in Nome. Another popular race in Alaska is the Yukon Quest where mushers ride 1000 miles from Fairbanks to Whitehorse. There are many other dog races in Alaska, some state-wide and some smaller community races. In the village I lived in, they had the Minto 90 where mushers rode from Minto to Old Minto and back, two days in a row. This race always draws a good crowd.

Hiking/Backpacking--A favorite summer sport of many Alaskans. From a couple hours to a couple weeks, there are trails all over the state to suit everybody. I have checked out many of the interior trails and plan to do a lot more this summer.

Canoeing/Kayaking—Another favorite summer sport for Alaskans. Like hiking trails, there are many, many places to canoe and kayak. Rivers, lakes, oceans, you name it! The Chena River is a very popular route for us adventurers in Fairbanks.

Fishing—Who doesn’t love fresh salmon or halibut? Fishing is very popular in Alaska whether you go out on your own or with a charter. Salmon, halibut, rockfish, trout, pike, etc. are just a few things you can find in the waters up here. I’m hoping to go out on a charter this summer and fill up my freezer for the winter.



Nushagak Guides



Hunting—Alaskans hunt sheep, bear, moose, wolf, caribou, etc. You can do this on a charter or on your own but make sure you are following the rules and regulations of the Department of Fish and Game.

Other activities—bicycling, skijoring, basketball, rock/ice climbing, camping, Aurora watching, gold mining, animal watching tours/cruises, clam digging, enjoying & participating in the arts. Alaska’s activities are really infinite.

Extend Question—What type of education system(s) are in your area?



Yukon Koyukuk School District



Where I live, Fairbanks North Star Borough is the largest, public K-12 school district in the area. FNSBSD consists of 21 elementary schools, 11 secondary schools and 1 correspondence school. My district, Yukon-Koyukuk, is also based out of Fairbanks. Our district office and correspondence school (Raven) is located in town. However, our 9 (all K-12) village schools are located along the Yukon, Koyukuk and Tanana Rivers encompassing 65,000 square miles of territory. There are a few other (statewide) correspondence schools located in Fairbanks; IDEA (Galena School District), Cyberlynx (Nenana School District), and Chugach Homeschool Extension (Chugach School District). Finally, there are 12 private schools located in our town, many Christian or Catholic based. The majority is PK-12 but a few are elementary or secondary only.

Modules I’ve visited—

Heather's Alaskan Exploration-- Heather has good, thorough reviews of the railroads in Alaska. I, myself, have been on the Alaska railroad and thought it was a beautiful ride. I'm definitely glad that it is around for tourists to enjoy!

Investigate Alaska-- Betty’s overview of the 'near disaster' in Nome this fall really is eye opening. It makes you realize how dependent this state is on our sources of transportation (air, barge, rail).

Alaska-Learning the Culture & Natural History--Christy gave nice insight into her community. I was very surprised to hear that they had over 2000 miles of roads. Very unlike many other communities near Prince of Wales.

Evaluation—

This blog was interesting to me, particularly the part on Alaskan recreation. This last year I’ve been able to try out many new activities (some which have become hobbies). Coming from Georgia, most of these activities are brand new to me considering we normally do not get snow. I’ve never been XC skiing, snowshoeing, or ice skating until I moved up here. Alaska has definitely opened up a lot of doors for me for which I’m much appreciative! I also enjoyed learning about the history of education and how much of an impact the church played in the earlier years. I sure didn’t realize how great of an impact they had on our schools.

Resources--Alaska's Heritage