Module 10- Timeline

The Dillingham economy is based on fishing and it is a hub
for many of the outlying villages. The management of the Fish and Game, Togiak Wildlife Refuge and Southwest

Dillingham Harbor by Sue Rose

Region Schools  is in Dillingham. The Russians came to the area for fur trading but when Alaska was sold to the United States, Americans were more interested in fishing. Today Dillingham is populated by people from diverse backgrounds, especially in the summer.  School is made up of predominately Native students, but there are many students of European and Russian descent.

The following are some important events in the history of Dillingham:

N.Dance(1776) Painting of Captain Cook

1778 Captain Cook expedition and first known contact in Southwest Alaska  between Natives Europeans.  There is evidence that Native peoples lived in the area as much as 2000 years ago and perhaps even 4,000 to 5,000 years ago .

The Natives were Yup'ik Eskimos, Athabaskans and Aleuts. The coastal Native people called the Agulrmiut(Yup'ik speaking) were constantly at war with the Natives who lived on Kuskokwim River.

Sea Otter from Captain Cook's Journals UAA website

1818 Alexandrovski Redoubt Post was built by Russians as a fur trading center. It was built on a bluff with views of the river and Bristol Bay. There was an abundance of fish on the beaches and waters below the Redoubt as well as many fur-bearing animals in the area.



There were many goods traded at this center such as

Americanizing the Russian Fur Trade: The Alaska Commercial Company

tobacco, knives, needles, cooking ware, mirrors, jewelry and clothing.  To get the Natives interested in trading their furs at the post the Russians hired individual Natives they called toyons whom they rewarded with medals and gifts.  The toyon tried to encourage the other natives from his village to bring furs to the Alexandrovsi Redoubt Post, it was not always so successful.

The Alexandrovski Redoubt was built across the river from where Dillingham now lies at the small village of Nushagak. Many years after the Redoubt was closed,the Nushagak River channel changed and it began to erode around Nushagak so the people who were living there relocated to where Dillingham now stands.

Russian Orthodox Church

1837 Russian Orthodox Mission church was built in Nushagak. By 1948 there were about 1000 Natives who were part of the mission.

Nushagak cannery 1900

1883  Alaska Commercial Company opens the first cannery in Nushagak.  The company used very little local labor, most came from Europe or elsewhere and left after the fishing season.

Check for $7.2 million used to purchase Alaska from the Russians

1886  United States buys Alaska from the Russians. Although unpopular at the time, the purchase of Alaska which was championed by Secretary of State William Seward proved to be profitable and a good move by the Americans.






                                                    1889 Congress passes

Salmon fishing on the Nushagak 1912  Univ. of Washington Library

legislation to prohibit barricades in the rivers.  This was an attempt to help regulate the practice of setting barricades and traps across the river which made fishing easier but less sustainable. 






1917-1918 flu epidemic. A Russian Orthodox priest brought the flu to Bristol Bay when he came to attend Easter Ceremonies. Within days of contracting the illness, death came to many, especially babies and older people. Only 500

Winter Scene at Kanakanak Hospital photo by Elizabeth Pearch

residents were left.  There was an orphanage built at Kanakanak where the Dillingham hospital now stands. Many orphans from other regions of Alaska came to the area and then later settled in Dillingham.

1920's aviation arrival to Alaska.  It made everything quicker and faster-paced.   Before that dog sled was the preferred method of travel.

1941-1943  World War II During World War II a DC-3 made a

The Bennett-Rodebaugh Company was a bush-flying outfit in 1920s Alaska.

forced landing in the Dillingham area, an airstrip was built so that the plane could fly out. In 1944 the  airstrip was extended so   
that it could be used by  the public.

CAUSE AND EFFECT STATEMENTS


1.The arrival of the Russians helped to diversify the population of Dillingham in some interesting ways. When the Alexandrovski Redoubt was built, the Native peoples intermingled with other Natives and the Russians. Because of this intermixing, relations between the Native populations became more hospitable and the warring Agulrmiut and natives of the Kukokwim tolerated each other.  So much so that the Agulrmiut were able to hunt in the interior without fear of being killed.  The Agulrmuit population grew and they began to learn Russian, some were baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church.(Readings from Southwest Alaska)

 The Russian Orthodox Church was built in 1837 a Russian Orthodox priest came to the Easter services in 1917 and unfortunately brought the flu with him. There was hope that the area, because of its isolation and remoteness,  would avoid the flu epidemic. However, the population was virtually wiped out by the epidemic, only 500 residents remained.  The orphanage that was built to house the flu survivors brought flu survivors from other areas who later settled in Dillingham which further contributed to a diversified population.

2. When the United States bought Alaska, the fishing industry flourished because the Americans were interested in the fish rather than the furs of the Russians.
With the advent of  World War II there was an increased demand for fish and the fishing industry in Bristol Bay once again prospered. During the 1920's  the fishing industry had been in a slump because of over-fishing.  In the long run, the increased demand for fish contributed to the decline of fish by  exacerbating the already poorly managed fisheries. (Alaska at War) Also because of World War II more local Natives were hired to work in the canneries.



 3. Pilots first started flying into Dillingham in the 1920's. World War II contributed to the development of  the aviation industry all over Alaska.  In Dillingham during the war, a DC-3 had to make a forced landing.  An airstrip had to be built so that the plane could fly out.  The airstrip was improved in 1944 so that the general public could benefit from it.  This led to cargo and passenger airline travel to and from Dillingham.

 REFERENCES

Readings from Southwest Alaska, edited by John Branson, published by Alaska Natural History Association (1998)

US Fish and Wildlife, Togiak National Wildlife Refuge ( 2011 ) retrieved from http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/History.cfm?ID=74535

The Last of Yesterday, the History of Dillingham and Nushagak Bay, Dillingham High Alaskan History Class, 1972-73

Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation, BBAHC 90/30 Celebration(2012) retrieved from http://www.bbahc.org/history.html 

Alaska at War,edited by Fern Chandonnet , The Salmon Industry at War by Bob King (1995) Alaska War Committee

Module 9-Alaska Governance and Contemporary Issues

Essential: Pick one contemporary issue from your region and discuss - explain the issue, identify the major players and their positions.

A few days ago there was a vote in Dillingham on a proposed "fish tax" as well as the annexation of the fishing waters around Dillingham.  Lots of emotions and opinions were in the air.  My first response was against additional taxation.  However on closer examination the issue did not seem so black and white.

Proposed Dillingham Annexation

The City of Dillingham proposed an annexation of the commercial fishing waters around Dillingham, about 396 square miles of water and 3 square miles of land as well as a 2.5% fish tax.  This tax would help the City of Dillingham pay for the costs of supporting the fisheries in the Nushagak Bay.  It will help the city to recover some of the lost revenue "from non-Alaskan fishermen in Nushagak Bay, and, from Nushagak Bay fish that are processed outside the Bay."(July 2010 Frequently Asked Questions about Dillingham’s Proposed Annexation)

Only 20% of fisherman in 2008 in the Nushagak Bay were  Dillingham residents while 42% were other Alaskans and 38% were non-Alaskans.

Sunrise by Jayne Bennet, City of Dillingham web site

The fish tax would include taxation on where the fish is sold and where it is taken out of the water.  Many fish from the Dillingham area are processed elsewhere so Dillingham has not benefited from state fish-processing taxes.

Dillingham doubles in size during the summer and needs the extra revenue to help maintain and make improvements in the services and facilities of the harbor and boat dock, including bathrooms and trash services. 

Dock photo by Cindra Barrett City of Dillingham web site

The Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation was against the fish tax and annexation because of the high cost to fisherman.  They would like to encourage more people to get into fishing, but the cost is prohibitive.  Just the fishing permits alone cost around $125,000, while a boat costs at least that much.  A fish tax would be one more added expense.

Dave Piazzi, Superintendent of Southwest Region Schools, is against the fish tax because of the detrimental effect it would have on student enrollment.  New families would not be motivated to get into the fishing industries and villages would lose population and perhaps even close down.

Kim Williams , executive director of Nunamata Aulueskal is against the tax because it is beneficial only to Dillingham, whereas the fisheries in the area are regional and so all of the outlying villages should also benefit.(Nielsen, M.)

The Dillingham City Council could have annexed the land on their own without putting it up for a vote, but they wanted the communities' input.  They also plan to look into helping lower-income fishermen with the additional costs.

The 2.5% fish tax and the annexation of the Nushagak Fishing District and the Wood River fishing area into the City of Dillingham were approved by a narrow margin on April 13, 2012. This is supposed to bring an additional $700,000 for the city.  In addition to boat harbor and dock maintenance, the extra revenue will be used for roads, library and the schools.

Examine:

1. Identify the Alaska Senate and House Districts in which you live (Use current, not pending, letter and number.) Identify the name  and political party of your state senator and representative.  Identify the type of local government you have (city? borough? what class?)  Identify the tribal government, if any, in your area, and if possible find out if it is an IRA or traditional council. 

City of Dillingham

Alaska Senate-S
House Districts-37
State senator-Lyman K. Hoffart, Democrat
Representative-Bob Herron, Democrat
Dillingham is a first class city with a city council 
Tribal government-Curyung Tribal Council(an IRA) 
 

2. The state has a Model Borough Boundary Study to eventually divide the unorganized borough into several distinct boroughs so that everyone in AK will be in a borough. ( Map available for download - go to publications list at Borough Incorporation.) Review the powers of boroughs. What is your opinion about this? Can rural Alaska support another layer of local government?  What are potential tax bases for these boroughs? If you had to create one borough from the unorganized borough, where would it be? Explain your choice of boundaries.

One option that was proposed during the fish tax /annexation debates in Dillingham was to create the Dillingham-Nushagak-Togiak Borough. This would create, according to some, a fairer distribution of taxes collected among the outlying villages and Dillingham. 

Boroughs have many of the same powers as cities in regulating education, land use and tax collection.  The difference is that the power would be regional power rather than city.  To become a borough the region must have common interests and a common geographical location. 

The types of boroughs are unified home rule,non-unified home rule, first class, second class and third class boroughs.  The difference between a first class and second class borough is that the first class can adopt an ordinance to exercise power while a second class must have a vote.  A third class borough has only two powers, regional education and taxation.  In Alaska there are no first class boroughs, 7 second class, 1 third class, 3 unified home rule and 5 non-unified home rule.(Bockhurst, Don)

Boroughs can exercise greater control over education and taxation in an area., which I believe is a good thing.  The residents of any area know more about what their community and schools need than anyone outside of the area.  A borough could also contribute to the preservation of the culture and way of life of Native peoples in outlying villages.

I support the proposition that Dillingham and near-by villages  become a borough so that those villages could benefit from extra taxation to improve their qualitiy of life.  Perhaps there will be more disagreement about how to use funds because the interests of the villages might be different than those of Dillingham.

A colleague of mine whose family has fished in the area for many years told me that there are quality issues with the fishing industry in the Dillingham area.  These could be helped with extra monies. The revenue could be used to refurbish fishing boats so they could get cleaner,less damaged fish to the canneries in a shorter amount of time, all of which would improve the quality of the fish and help fishermen to realize a greater return.

I don't believe that the creation of a borough in this area is off the table.  But it will take some time since it seems to be a fairly complicated and involved process.

References:

Nielsen, Misty Annexation opponents unveil Bristol Bay borough study (2012) retrieved from http://www.thebristolbaytimes.com/article/1214annexation_opponents_unveil_bristol_bay

Alaska News Nightly: April 13, 2012 retrieved from http://www.alaskapublic.org

 City of Dillingham, Why is Dillingham proposing this? (2012)  retrieved from http://ci.dillingham.ak.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={3104A52B-8880-41E1-AB32-19C0F13720F8}

Bockhurst, Don, Borough Government in Alaska (2012)retrieved from: http://commerce.alaska.gov/dca/LOGON/muni/muni-boroinc.htm 

Evaluation:

This was a very large module, but I really appreciated looking into issues in my area and understanding a bit about the government, wow its complicated! I have a lot to learn but this entire course has peaked my interest in many areas and I do feel more knowledgeable than when I began.

Blogs I have visited:

  Shannon writes about the Alaska Native Claims Act and how it wasn't all good for the Natives.  She also is starting to introduce government to her kindergartners, its never too early!

Robin has finished her time line !  I was interested in what she brought up about the inter-relationship between culture and language.  

I enjoyed reading about the natural resources on Prince of Wales Island in Christy's blog.  What a beautiful place

Module 8-World War II 1939-1945 A turning Point in Alaska

Essential Question:  Explain how Alaska's location was considered 'strategic' during World War II.  What were the war activities/events that supported the perspective of 'strategic' Alaska? 

Alaska's location was considered strategic during World War II because of its proximity to Japan and  its central location in the Great Circle Route connecting North America to Asia by sea and air. It also became an important stopover for shipments, by both water and air, in the lend/lease program with Russia and the war with Nazi Germany.


 Alaska was primarily seen as the first line of defense against

Japanese Empire

Japanese empire building.  Japan had successfully extended its reach into China, Malaya and Thailand. It wanted to go further into the Pacific and Australia. After the attack on Pearl Harbor the United States, Japanese strategists felt they could further weaken the American fleet by diverting American attention to the Aleutians. There was competition between the United States and Japan over the Asian markets, especially trade with China.  They were also both interested in having Russia as an ally. 


There was a fear of Japan cutting off coastal shipping ad blocking war shipments to Russia in the lend-lease program. 

Alaska became a great stopover for aircraft going through Alaska and Siberia to fight the war with Nazi Germany.  Naval bases were built in Kodiak, Sitka and Dutch Harbor.   Air force bases were built in Fairbanks and Anchorage. 

Alaska-Siberia World War II Air route

Aircraft were beginning to be seen as military weapons and in 1920 it was shown that a plane could fly easily from Alaska to the United States and the United States to Alaska. As Alaska's Heritage says, Alaska is a "central location on global air routes."

Although, according to the Alaska Historical Society "the Japanese threat to mainland Alaska and to its coastal shipping never became that dire", the defensive build-up in Alaska actually helped the Americans to fight the war in Europe against Nazi Germany.  The airways and waterways were kept open so that American troops could be sent via Alaska to join with our Russian allies in fighting.

 

 Examine: Describe the major events in the Aleutian Campaign of World War II.

Aleutian Islands 1942-43 

June 1942 Japan attacked and occupied Attu and Kiska Attu, the furthermost point on the Aleutian Islands is only about 650 miles from Japan, an advantageous location for both sides.  The weather is so extreme and unpredictable on Attu that many people did not believe it was useful as a base or likely that the Japanese would ever attack there.

However, others believed it was a strategic move by the Japanese to divert American attention away from the Pacific. The occupation was also seen as a way to keep Americans from invading Japan.

This was the first and only occupation of American soil during World War II by a foreign invader.  Although it was believed that this could be a first step by the Japanese in occupying the United States, American troops were slow to respond.  The Japanese learned to acclimate themselves to the harsh weather and conditions of the islands

Clearing Weather in Adak where Americans first landed

May 1943 Americans land on Attu.  Because of the extreme weather conditions on Attu, the Americans, who were ill-prepared, suffered from a a lack of food as well as from frostbite and other weather-related illnesses.  What was supposed to take only a few days took two weeks until the Japanese finally surrendered. Many American lives were lost in this battle, the casualties were just "second to those at Iwo Jima"

. 

Troops hauling supplies to fight Japanese Chichagof area

Americans were better prepared with supplies and clothing, for the battle at Kiska.  However when they arrived, "the weather was strangely clear and the seas quiet". The Japanese had left under a fog that had enveloped the island. This Japanese evacuation had occurred, according to the Military history brochure,"almost three weeks before the Allied landing."


In August of 1943 the island was declared secure. This had a great affect on American morale since the Japanese no longer had a foothold in the Western Hemisphere.

 

Extend:  How did World War II affect Dillingham?

Dillingham was affected by World War II in a number of ways.  First, Japanese-American fisherman were sent to interment camps to wait out the war. Many had married Native women and felt betrayed by their country.  As Sylvia K. Kobayashi in I Remember What I Want to Forget said they were "herded like cattle" and had a "feeling of total rejection" ( p. 285 Alaska at War) Some of the younger Japanese-American men signed up to fight for the United States, even though they were not granted full citzenship.

Another affect on the Dillingham area was that the Japanese were barred from entering Alaska and so could not work in the canneries, leaving those jobs open to Alaska Natives.  Hiring of Natives in canneries in Bristol Bay doubled during the war.(from The Salmon Industry at War by Bob King,p. 212, Alaska at War)

Natives were also recruited in this area as lookouts for the U.S. military.  They were trained as observers and soldiers.  The Natives helped the other soldiers by teaching them how to survive in the woods, catching food and making snowshoes. Buck Delkettie in An Alaskan Scout Remembers (p. 43, Alaska at War), talks about going to Dillingham for rest and relaxation, "dancing and having fun."  Dillingham must have been more of a central location for entertainment back then with dance halls and a movie theater.

An air force base was built on King Salmon, not far from Dillingham.  So Dillingham, although not directly involved in the war, probably had a lot of people coming through.  Remnants of military paraphernalia have been found on the beaches in the area.

Resources: 

 Alaska at War, edited by Fern Chandonnet, 1995, Alaska War committee.

Aleutian Islands, U. S. Army brochure, 2012, retrieved from http://www.history.army.mil/brochures/aleut/aleut.htm

Battle of the Aleutian Islands, 2012, retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/battle-of-the-aleutian-islands

Alaska's Heritage, Chapter 4-7: Alaskans and the World,  2012, retrieved from, http://www.akhistorycourse.org/articles/article.php? artID=172 How did World War II affect Alaska?, Alaska Historical  Society, 2012  retrieved from http://www.alaskahistoricalsociety.org/index.cfm/ discover-alaska/FAQs/12

 Evaluation:

 I had heard of the war in the Aleutians, but not much about removing the Aleuts from their homes or putting Japanese-Americans in interment camps,  although I had read  Heart Mountain by Gretel Erlich, about an internment camp in Wyoming.  There is a lot about war that is not very heroic or inspiring.

I enjoyed the resources in this module, there is a lot written about World War II.  I would like to read the two books about the teachers in Attu.

  Blogs I have visited:

Brenda in her blog, talks about trip she took on a mail carrier boat across the Katchemak Bay to the small village of  Little Tutka, a community of only four permanent residents.  She contemplated the danger and expense of delivering the mail.

 Niki  in her Explore Alaska Blog, wrote about the relationship of transportation and the economy.  She also wrote about Sheldon Jackson and his contribution to education in Alaska.

Heather related the sad treatment of Natives in boarding schools and in Alaskan education in general  which had as its goal the obliteration of Alaska Native culture.

Module 7-American Period:Society

Essential: How have settlement patterns been a reflection of  natural landscape, distance, resources, and the economy?

 Most of Alaska is very sparsely populated, less than one person for every square mile (see Alaska's Census Profile) In 2010, the entire state had only about three quarters of a million people in it.  The population is centered around Fairbanks in central Alaska, Anchorage and the Kenai Penninsula in the southcentral, Juneau and other towns in southeast  and some other small concentrations of population are in Nome, Bethel, Dillingham, Bristol Bay area and some parts of the Aleutian Islands in the north and northwest part of the state.

Natural resources and landscape dictated where the first Alaskans settled. They presumably came across the Bering Strait from Asia and fished and hunted as they traveled and settled along the coast of Alaska.
  

Dip-netting in the Kenai

Fishing in the Kenai, Southeast and  Southwest Alaska helped to settle and populate these areas. The timber industry in Southeast Alaska also brought many people to the area. Gold, copper and coal mining started many towns all over Alaska, some of which were only short-lived, once the resources were gone, they moved on. 

Trapping for furs replaced some of the mining in the interior of Alaska, although the industry had its ups and downs in the market.

Oil, of course, had a huge impact on the population by bringing people to work in the oil fields and on the pipeline. The discovery of oil in the Kenai and Prudhoe Bay led to doubling of the population during the 1970's. Many people came to Alaska seeing it as the land of opportunity. Goods and services, including schools, developed in relation to the population growth.

In this way the economy also brought more population.  Where there was work, people came, which in turn brought more work.

 Anchorage began as  a construction camp for the railroad.    It grew in population as a center where jobs and goods and services were available.

Many areas in Alaska have a seasonal population.  For example Dillingham almost doubles in size when the fishing season starts.  It has not only commercial, but subsistence and sport fishing.

Skagway in the Summer

Many towns in Southeast Alaska during the summer also are much larger in population because of the tourist trade as well as fishing .  My husband spent some winters in Skagway which he described as living in a ghost town, in contrast to the summer when the town came alive and was bustling with activity, much as in the days of the Gold Rush.


Distance and proximity to transportation routes helped populate areas of Alaska.

The Russians and later the Americans settled along the coasts of Alaska as well as some interior communities accessible by rivers, for greater access to transportation and trade.  Sitka  became the Russian center for trade and commerce, and was where many Americans were initially sent by the government.   

Later when the Gold Rush and mining activities began, railroads and roads were built so that communities sprang up en-route.

There were towns such as Cordova and Seward which started because of their location as port towns.  Copper was transported by rail to Cordova and from there to southern ports.  

Airports and air travel helped communities to grow in population because more remote places suddenly became accessible.


World War II brought the military to places such as Kodiak, Sitka, Unalaska, Fairbanks and Anchorage which helped these areas to grow. (from Alaska history course,)(Alaska's Heritage)

At first, landscape was the main contributor to settlement patterns in Alaska.  Natural resources and the economy that grew from these resources were strongly tied to the landscape.  Distance to ports where goods could be delivered and shipped also contributed to settlement patterns.


 

Examine: What are the reasons for Alaska population trends?(identify reasons for increases and decreases)

According to J. Gregory Williams in Alaska Population Trends the population is projected to grow modestly by 2018, with the greatest areas of growth in the Anchorage and Mat-Su region and some growth in northern and southwestern regions. However, there is  decline in population expected in some Southeast Alaska towns.  There is also an expected increase in school age children and in older adults as the population stabilizes and is not as subject to boom and bust cycles.

Boom and bust cycles in the exploitation of natural resources contributed greatly to the increase and decrease of population in Alaska.   Oil is probably the greatest contributor to an unstable economy.  Many people, including the military, came here for temporary jobs and then left.  Although some who came in the 1970's and 1980's stayed and made their homes here. Slower oil production is having an affect on population growth.


Today the population is getting older and becoming more stable according to the Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska Anchorage.  Most people are concentrated in Juneau, Anchorage and Fairbanks where there are more jobs and access to goods and services.  Alaska has a growing Native population, the most of any state, probably in part because of better access to health care.

Government projects also contribute to fluctuations in population.  In Dillingham there are road and bridge building projects which bring many temporary workers in the summer. These workers and the influx of fisherman makes  housing scarce.  It is questionable whether or not this will last.


The main reasons for decreases and increases in population in Alaska have to do with the availability of jobs.  Salaries in Alaska used to be quite a bit higher than the national average, however now they seem to be leveling out,  particularly in education.  The economic downturn in the lower 48 has brought a lot of people to Alaska seeking work. Better transportation systems have made living in Alaska easier, prices aren't quite as high(except in Dillingham!) and most goods are available.  The Internet and satellite TV have also made living in Alaska almost like living anywhere in the United States.


Extend:  What is the history of your school district?

Old School Snag Point, Dillingham

A woman told me that when she was a little girl and lived near Wood River in Dillingham, her mother would bundle her up and sit her on a dogsled which would take her the three miles to school in Snag Point(now Dillingham)  The dogs would wait outside all day and then take her home, even during blinding snow storms.  Most students today in Dillingham go to school by car or bus like most other American school children.  Unlike other schools though, Dillingham students are predominately Native and there are a number of Native teachers and staff.

There isn't  much information on the history of the Dillingham School District. I found one book in the library which was written by the Dillingham high school class of 1972/73 from stories told by elders.(The Last of Yesterday...)  They said the school began in 1910, but I couldn't find anything about who started it.  The Moravian Church came to Nushagak (a few miles up river from Snag Point, now considered part of Dillingham) in 1884 to start a school, but they found that there was already an active Russian Orthodox mission school so the Moravians went further north.  The school in Nushagak was later closed because of erosion and the students were sent to the school in Snag Point.

  The school continued to grow and its name was changed to Dillingham Schools.  The town applied to the government to establish a post office and a visiting Judge decided to name the town Dillingham after another visiting official a U.S. Senator from Vermont. (Alaska History Course) (I wonder if the Natives had any say in the name chosen for their town.)


In 1949 the first senior class graduated from Snag Point, before that high school students had to go to the city to finish high school.

It was interesting that the school received its power from a wind generator which was later abandoned when diesel generators took over.  Today there are a number of wind generators around town because the Dillingham branch of the University of Alaska is testing their efficacy.


Today not many students come to school by dog sled, however there are a number of students who come by "snow-go".  The school has grown to about 450 students with a separate high/middle school and elementary school.  There is a bilingual class offered once a week to all students to teach students about their culture.

Reference:
The Last of Yesterday:  The History of Dillingham and Nushagak Bay, John Parker,editor.  Dillingham City Schools, 1974

Evaluation:
This was a fun module for me because I enjoyed getting information and speaking to some of my Native colleagues.  That took me in lots of directions, but I am still enjoying reading stories from the area.
Also population trends are very interesting, however there is so much information its difficult to narrow it down.  I envy those people who have their blogs done by Thursday.  I can't seem to get it all together before Sunday.  I do appreciate the deadlines, otherwise I would be moving much more slowly.

Please note:  my pictures are linked to their sources, it seemed the easiest way to get all the information in.
 
Blogs I have visited:

Peter's Alaska Blog tells of personal experiences when better communication systems came to Alaska, like night and day!  He also talks about river and ocean transportation and how the original pipeline was designed to go through the Northwest Passage.
Dancing Light Blog says that oil is the center of the Alaska economy.  She also talks about the positive aspects of the proposed Donlin Gold Mine in  the lower Kuskokwim valley, namely jobs and vocational/technical training.
Heather talks about the boom/bust cycle of mining.  Is there such a thing as sustainable mining?

Module 6-American Period: Transportation and Communication

Essential:  What are issues facing Alaskans today related to transportation and communication?

from http://www.oil-electric.com/2012/01/renda-has-landed.html

The valiant delivery of much needed heating oil to Nome, Alaska earlier this year exemplifies some of the transportation and communication problems faced by Alaskans. 

Nome, like many towns and villages in Alaska, is dependent on ocean barges to deliver supplies for the winter.  Because of a big fall storm the original American tanker was unable to make its pre-winter delivery of heating oil to Nome. 

Nome, Alaska. Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Peggy Fagerstrom)

Residents of Nome were forced to look for another way to get the oil delivered. Because there are not many American ships capable of breaking through the thick ice, they had to rely on a private Russian tanker.
 A waiver of the Jones Act, which doesn't allow foreign vessels to bring cargo between U.S. ports, had to be given so that the tanker could go through.   Television cameras followed the U.S. Coast Guard boat which cleared the ice for the Russian Tanker to successfully deliver the fuel. (from Alaska Dispatch)

Aerial view of the village of Kake in Southeast, Alaska

There are almost 280 small villages scattered throughout

Alaska some ranging in size from 30 to 6,000 residents and

nearly all of them are accessible only by plane or water.(from Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation)  Extreme weather can directly affect whether or not Alaskan residents receive supplies for the winter.

 Many residents depend on fishing and hunting throughout the year, but they also need other things to sustain them such as heating fuel, fresh and canned food, building materials,etc.  Many of these supplies come by barge during the summer months and then by plane throughout the year.  During the winter, plane travel is much more limited and unreliable. Costs for fuel, food and other supplies are very high in these isolated places. 

 Alaska is part of but not connected to of the United States which contributes to its isolation.  Although Alaska is rich in  oil and gas deposits, it must be shipped out to be refined and then shipped back in, an expensive process.  The feasibility of building a refinery in Alaska makes it unlikely because of costs and potential environmental damage from the disposal of bi-products. 
   

Examine :  Identify the three major railroads in Alaska history - where? when? why? ownership?current status?

The White Pass/Yukon Railroad
 from http://www.wpyr.com/index.html

The three major railroads are the "White Pass and Yukon
Railway running from Skagway to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory; the Alaska Railroad running from Seward to Fairbanks; and the Copper River and Northwestern Railway, running from Cordova to the Kennecott Copper Mines in the Wrangell Mountains."(from Alaska's Heritage, chapter 4-11) 

The White Pass/ Yukon Railroad
from http://www.wpyr.com/index.html

The White Pass and Yukon Railway was an engineering marvel built from 1898 to 1900 during the gold rush to transport miners from Skagway to Whitehorse.  When gold rush fervor died down, the railroad stayed afloat by delivering  tourists and supplies to Skagway from Whitehorse.  During World War II the government leased the railroad from the owners to deliver war supplies. In the 1980's the railroad was shut down due to lack of funds. The Canadian railroad was re-opened in 1988 to take tourists on the awe-inspiring ride from Skagway to Whitehorse which endures profitably today from May to September.

from http://byways.org/explore/byways/12399/travel.html

The Alaska Railroad was begun in1900 by John E. Ballaine, a Seattle  real-estate developer and journalist, who dreamed of connecting the coast of Alaska with the interior. He was interested in all of the natural resources that Alaska had to offer.  The railroad began in Seward and went as far as Turnagain Arm before the company was forced to stop construction for financial reasons.





  Later it was bought by the federal government and construction continued to Fairbanks.  Financial difficulties persisted for the railroad. However, there was a brief reprieve during World War II when war supplies were transported from Seward to the interior of Alaska. After the war, the railroad was again in financial trouble and a drain on the U.S. Treasury.  Finally in 1968, the State of Alaska bought the railroad.  The railroad, which has been supported through government grants through the years, survives today by operating a tourist passenger service and transporting oil, timber and coal.  

from http://www.alaskagold.com/copper/mcarthy/mcarthy.html

The Copper River and Northwestern Railway was originally constructed to carry copper 196 miles from the mines near Kennecott Glacier to the coast at Cordova.  Amazingly, 95 miles of this railroad were built over bridges and trestles, another feat of engineering.  Except for a little activity during World War II, the railroad all but shut down in 1938.  The railroad is now defunct and Cordova is only accessible by sea or air.

Extend:  Transportation and communication issues in my community

from http://www.city-data.com/city/Dillingham-Alaska.html

Dillingham is a community which depends on air and sea  to bring in supplies. Although planes frequently fly in and out of Dillingham, they are expensive.





There are no roads connecting to Anchorage but one 25 mile road which connects to Alegnigik Lake community.  There is a road out to the hospital, airport,  and some minor subdivisions.    All of the roads, thanks to stimulus funds, have been recently paved with added bike paths. 

Peter Pan Cannery photo by Elzabeth Tilden

Vegetables and fruit are very expensive and often times old and not very appetizing.  However, there is an organic fruit and vegetable co-op which makes air deliveries to Dillingham.  The deliveries, though often delayed, especially in the winter, are greatly anticipated each week. Fish, especially salmon is readily available, fresh in the summer months and frozen and canned in the winter.



Communication has greatly increased with a new Internet and cell phone provider.  Cable TV has been here for a few years.  The availability of newspapers is somewhat lacking, although one grocery store does carry the Anchorage Daily News.  NPR and a few other radio stations have been here for a number of years.



This community, like many other Alaskan communities, is very dependent on the post office for communication with the outside world as well as for shipment of goods.  Sometimes boxes come a little broken up, but otherwise the mail service works surprisingly well.  Parcels can be shipped by other means, but have to be picked up at the airport.


Evaluation:  
 This posting seemed a little easier to me.  My blogs sometimes inexplicably double space.  The only way I found to remedy this was to revert the font size back to normal, then again to large font, and then the double spacing  disappeared!  There is probably a better way, but whatever works!


Communication and transportation are all interconnected and it seems like small changes could have a huge impact on communities.  What was it like before radio and TV in these small Alaskan villages?  The effect on children and families had to have been dramatic!  Was it all good or all bad?( which I suppose depends on your perspective.)  I also wonder what the long term affects of the Internet will be. It is seems great for education, but what about for families in Alaska?


I am looking forward to the next module which includes education.  Schools have brought enormous change to Alaskan Natives. 


Blogs I have visited:

In Gary's Alaska Blog Gary uses pictures to answer questions in a effective yet direct and simple manner.  I thought the oil industry was a higher percentage of the Alaska economy.
Tim is trying to catch-up in his blog.  He lives at the end of the end of the Aleutians island and often has to deal with Internet difficulties.  He wants to help his students broaden their sense of place. 
In Heather's Alaskan Exploration, Heather weaves the economy in with the history of Alaska, illustrating some cause and effect relationships we need to be aware of.