It’s Time to Get a Better Idea of Alaska
To know Alaska is to love Alaska. While places like Antarctica, Siberia and the state of Alaska generally rank low on the tourist agenda, due to the infamous weather and unforgiving winter temperatures, there is a wealth of activities and historical artifacts to be seen. Whether you're looking for the freshest salmon, a glimpse of "Babe," the ox frozen in ice, a lumberjack song & dance, a dog sled race, a polar bear swim, towering totem poles or the playful sea otters, you won't leave disappointed. There is truly something for everyone in this breathtaking state, but before you make your journey, first consider the rich historical context of Alaska so you can fully appreciate and understand what you're seeing. The first Alaskans were thought to have crossed the Bering Strait between 60,000 and 50,000 BC. By the mid 1700s, there were 60-80,000 Indians, Aleuts and Eskimos living in Alaska. The Indians of Alaska included the Tlingits and Haidas in the Southeast, and the Athabaskans of the Interior Passage; together, they numbered about 20,000 strong. The 15,000 Aleuts inhabited the Aleutian Islands and a Southwest portion of the Alaska Peninsula. Lastly, 30,000 Eskimos lived along the Alaskan coast from the Arctic Ocean to Yakutat, stretching to the Kodiak Island, the Alaska Peninsula and Prince William Sound. The early inhabitants of the state of Alaska lived in a hunter-gatherer society and used every part of the beasts they hunted, making long houses, tools, igloos, weapons, clothing, blankets, jewelry, dishes and canoes. Shamans battled for good and evil, with some providing spiritual healing, while others cast curses. Wealth was shared through ceremonies, like Tlingit potlatches, Athabaskan festivals, Eskimo messenger feasts, and Aleut theatrical performances. For thousands of years, these indigenous groups would be the only population on the Alaskan frontier, but that changed and the Alaska native became just 15% of the total population.
Tourists can visit many museums, towns and tours to get a better idea of Alaska and its rich cultural background. The Alaska Native Heritage Center is a popular stop where people can look deeper into the indigenous tribes of the state, as is the Inupiat Heritage Center in Barrow. People can learn about the farming industry in the Mat-Su Valley or ride on the White Pass & Yukon Railroad to peer back into the 1890s gold rush time period. Arranging an Alaskan cruise is also an ideal way to maximize the cultural experience.
Northern Lights of Alaska (Aurora Borealis)  Music by Alexa Sunshine Rose... this video shows how the Northern Lights come to be as seen from the sun, space and Earth. Live footage and 3-D ...www.youtube.com The Late Late Show - Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin  Alaska makes Craig an honorary citizen. The Governor of Alaska (now John McCain's 2008 running mate) sends Craig Ferguson a personal video ...www.youtube.com |
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Despite small European encounters, it was the
Russian and Scandinavian influences that dominated much of
the Alaskan territories. Peter the Great's empire sent
Captain Vitus Bering to acquire the lands in 1725, just
before Tsar Peter's death. However, the Tlingit Indians
fought hard to hold onto the original Russian settlement
of Sitka and the Yakutat Peninsula, decimating early
Russian expatriates. The Aleuts waged similar attacks on
early Russian settlements in the Kodiak region. Despite
the bloody battles, there are still many Russian Orthodox
churches, people and cultural influences in places like
Petersburg, Sitka and Kodiak.
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