Module III: Cultural History

Essential Question:
Is there an "Alaskan" culture? How could it be described?


Yes! I definitely think there is an Alaskan culture. From a broad perspective when I first moved to Juneau, I heard everyone was all about Xtra Tufs and no one ever used umbrellas. Well, I later learned why all this appears to be true. First off, I didn't realize how much rain the Southeast really got, and Xtra Tufs are sold pretty much anywhere and last forever. If you have a hole, I've heard duct tape works great! Secondly, I underestimated the types of rain in the Southeast; umbrellas do NOT withstand 40mph horizontal rains.

During the summer and early fall months, cruise ships bring thousands and thousands of people from around the world to get the real "Alaskan" experience. From a tourist point of view, Alaskan food culture is the amazing crab, salmon, and other seafood. I had a lot of tourists ask me questions about deadliest catch. Some, on the other hand, get to live the experience of traveling by float plane, helicopter, or by boat to make that big catch, or big hunt. I'd have to say most come to Alaska for its shear beauty of mountains, abundance of glaciers, colorful river valleys, and of course, more fishing.

I believe the main part of "Alaskan" culture is understanding the first peoples who inhabited the area. Listening and observing how people have molded around the state of Alaska through their traditions, clothing, tools and weaponry, housing, beliefs, and language will help develop that initial platform. I admired the change in words in one of the readings, asking if Alaska should be viewed more like a salad bowl than of a melting pot. Instead of necessarily melting together, each part stays as its own individual, but contributes to the whole.


Examine Question:
Who and where are the indigenous peoples of Alaska?


From this Module, I was informed of 11 main indigenous peoples that inhabit Alaska. Each of the groups may have multiple dialects and can further be divided. Across the state of Alaska, all cultures rely on subsistence, and we've read and watched videos on how important this type of lifestyle is for Alaskan Natives. Regalia is prominent in all the groups, tunics, headdresses, masks, tattoos as examples. Also, it seems that a majority, if not all the cultures are a matriarchal society. It truly takes a village to raise the young and pass on a culture.  On a quick note, I'm not sure of the best way to inform my readers of all the content that was discussed and absorbed through this module, but I'll try to have a very condensed version of who and where are the people of Alaska.

The Athabascan culture can be found in interior Alaska, the largest portion gaining access to 5 major rivers. Surprisingly, they have 11 different languages, in comparison to others with only one. Having a hunter and gatherer way of life allows for clothing, weapons, means of transportation, and many other essentials to be made out of animal hides, furs and bones. Trading also allows the Athabascan people to obtain necessities they don't have access to.

The southwest has two dialects, Yup'ik and Cup'ik. This marine culture has multiple settlements that support a highly mobile lifestyle. Genders live in separate facilities. Men in a 'qasgiq,' much larger than the living spaces for the women. Qasgiq's size allows the building to be used as community centers for celebrations and gatherings. Yup'ik and Cup'ik society is often lead by successful hunters and assisted or influenced by shamans.

Inupiaq groups live in the northwest, including St. Lawrence Island. I found it interesting to learn about the home structures and accessibility only by underground tunnels. The online article mentioned how these summer homes housed 8-12 individuals and flooded often. In addition, the hunting process amazed me by how involved the community is upon the retrieval of a whale, not only the hunting aspect, but also the butchering process. The Inupiaq people believe in reincarnation. To honor the passed individuals, newborns are given their names.

Aleut and Alutiiq groups inhabit southwestern Alaska, which spans across the Aleutian chain. These seafarers have also adapted to life along the ocean. Homes are built in pits, low to the ground to withstand the harsh weather and camouflaged against the terrain. The single rooms can be accessible by a ladder in the middle of the room. Similar to the Inupiaq's, homes can consist of whale bones for the main structure. Clothing for these groups of people may be dyed, consist of puffin beaks or feathers, and made from skins and furs.

Totem Bight State Park,
Ketchikan 

Chilkat Weaving
by Anna Brown Ehlers

Southeastern Alaska consists of 4 different groups: Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian. Key differences can be seen in how each culture is divided with in. Eyak, Tlingit and Haida are divided into moieties versus Tsimshian phratries. I enjoyed this section because it helped me further understand what my students tell me about their lineage.  Between the 4 groups, each has 3-4 dialects, with Eyak only having one. Similar to other regions, salmon is a huge staple mark in the southeast along with other means of hunting and gathering.  Housing varied, but the one that stood out was that of Tsimshian. It was interesting to read the Alaska History and Culture website that the large, wooden houses were in rows and always faced the water. The southeast is home to the largest number of totem poles and the point of origin for the Chilkat weaving style by the Tsimshian.

Extend Question:
I've been introduced to the Qwich'in tribe and caribou video before so I chose to write my extend question on the Inupiaq whale hunt. The Inupiaq people are dependent on the bowhead whales just like the Qwich'in are of the caribou. Both have built their cultures around the food source. I find in very scary how the Inupiaq people must be so cautious when choosing their pathways across the ice for whale hunts. They must plan escape routes back to land locked ice, if their ice cap happens to break up. It's a group and village effort to catch these whales, pull them ashore, and divvy up the meat. With both the Inupiaq and Qwich'in, they give thanks back to the land and animals through prayers and celebrations.

Evaluation:
I found the interactive maps the most helpful when learning about the cultures and language groups. You can also see what land features, such as mountain ranges, act as a divide between two different groups of people. The Teacher's Domain has some great videos that I think can be useful in the classroom. Some of the videos in this module I have seen before, which is nice to be able to touch on again. Overall, it was a little difficult to try and sum up all the information to answer questions. There is a lot of information and felt my responses might have been too fragmented.

Blog Comments:


I enjoyed reading Claire's blog about how Girdwood is influenced by water. I've only been there 2-3 times and never realized there were that many glaciers in the area. Plus, 650" of snow?! Wow that's a lot! The drive along the inlet is beautiful with all the wildlife and physical features. The colorful sunset on the drive back in to Anchorage is also mesmerizing.

Gary did a great job with the use of Google Earth and map representation. It's amazing how big Alaska is when overlapped with the lower 48 states. Including the Aleutian Islands, it's as wide as the continental United States.

Tina pointed out the changing natural systems in Alaska is continual. After talking to some individuals that have lived in Alaska their whole life, it is shocking to hear how much the glaciers have receded back into the valleys. I'm curious and sad at the same time to how quickly I'm going to be able to identify these changes since my arrival in Alaska.

Module II: Natural History

Essential Questions:
How does the knowledge of natural system inform our understanding of cultural systems?

Knowledge of our natural systems most definitely affects and will increase our understanding of cultural systems. With the state of Alaska sitting on the edge of the ring of fire, the areas are prone to volcanic, earthquake, and tsunami activities. Researchers have to fully understand and calculate inundation lines in order to provide a safe place and altitude for its residents to escape natural disasters, such as tsunamis and floods.

When I lived in Idaho, our small community was along two joining rivers and there were dykes that kept the water away from residential areas, businesses, and farm land. In 1996, the dyke broke in several areas and flooded our town, I think I was around 8 years old at the time. I remember one of the evacuation sites was where my mom worked, and Elementary school which stood at a slightly higher elevation, but could provide shelter to a lot of our residents.  My dad helped build a sandbag wall to protect the downtown businesses, while my mom, sister, and I stayed at the Elementary. It was very sad seeing our friends having to evacuate, and not being able to return to homes for quite some time. In learning the hard way, many thought twice about how and where they would reside. Whether you want the luxury and beauty of living on the water’s edge, and building on stilts, or move to a higher elevation outside of the inundation zone; some stayed put and just rebuilt.

 Residents in Alaska have modified their culture and way of live because disasters, such as flood, to inhabit areas where others might never think about living. Those of us looking in, can distinguish how, for example, Southeast Alaska’s culture is much different than the Artic North, by studying this module. Also, learning how and why plant and animal patterns change due to the fluctuation of the environment, such as ice melts, thawing permafrost, receding glaciers, and increasing water levels, goes hand in hand with the necessary changes people will have to make too.

Examine Questions:

Whittier USGS

How are tectonic forces responsible for earthquakes and tsunamis?

During this module, I really liked the interactive sites with the explanations on how nature disasters, like earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis, occur. In a short explanation, earthquakes and tsunamis are a prime representation of cause and effect. As the plates float on the molten lava, they habitually run into each other.  The stress and tension that builds up between any of these 7 major tectonic plates can result in an earthquake. The Tectonic Plates, Earthquakes, and Volcanoes, provided in this module, is a great little video that highlights all the activities along the ‘Ring of Fire’ and between other plates. Another good, interactive website to check out is on earthquakes.   

Furthermore, it was interesting to learn about the Aleutian Trench and how the Pacific plate is moving under the North American plate at a rate of 2 inches per year. This fault process is called subduction.  Another highly active location is the San Andreas Fault that runs along much of the west coast. This type of fault is considered a strike slip because the North American and Pacific plates collide and slip past one another, causing approximately 10,000 earthquakes per year along this particular fault line.

Tsunamis occur hand in hand with earthquakes. When there is a sudden shift in the Earth’s crust, usually because of a massive earthquake, tiny ripples start from the region of impact. Out in the sea, they look harmless, but that’s because the water is so deep that the sudden water displacement is hard to notice. However, as those ripples make it to shallower waters it greatly intensifies.  For example, the devastating Alaskan 9.2 earthquake that occurred March 27, 1964 created a tsunami that plagued coastal towns and villages.  According to the Alaska Tsunami video, the surges can travel at speeds of 500-600 mph through the water. 

Extend Question:

Describe the geography of the place where you live:

The geography of Juneau is beautiful. Living in a temperate rainforest, I’ve come to the conclusion that you have to like all types of precipitation, especially that of rain, or you’ll go crazy. I never truly appreciated the variations of rain from a light mist to horizontal, drenching showers.  As described on Alaska History and Cultural Studies, Juneau is part of the marine division that encompasses Southeast Alaska. Furthermore, weather systems are obstructed by the high, coastal mountains, causing torrential downpours of snow or rain throughout the year.

A picture I took of a glacier at
Mendenhall Lake

Despite how much rain Southeast Alaska receives, the beauty attracts many to the area. There are multiple glaciers around the region to enjoy, some receding and some still growing. One glacier in particular in Juneau is a hot spot for tourists during the summer and that is the Mendenhall Glacier. This last summer,  I was lucky enough to have several opportunities viewing glaciers just south of Juneau on the Taku River by float planes.  Seeing glaciers and parts of the ice field from the air is spectacular!  I look forward to viewing glaciers by other means of transportation, like the Sawyer Glacier in Tracy Arm by boat. That’s one of my goals for my 2^nd summer season in Juneau.

A picture I took of the East Twin Glacier on the River last summer

Besides the glaciers, there is so much more that composes Juneau’s geography. The highest elevation is approximately  3,800-4,000 feet .  Here’s Alaska Trekker that includes biking, hiking, and leisure trails in the area through our terrain. With being a coastal city, Juneau residents had to adapt to live along the waters edge and still maintain many of the activities and more, from subsistence fishing to whale watching. 

Evaluation:

I really enjoyed this section, especially all the numerical facts. I didn’t know that Alaska provides 1/3 of the U.S.’s fresh water supply. I knew a larger percent of Alaska’s fresh water was in the form of glaciers, but didn’t realize that it was 75% , and 5% of Alaska consists of glaciers. Since living in Alaska for only a year and a half, I’ve gotten to view many glaciers, first around the Prince William Sound and mostly around Juneau. The colors, sound, and magnificence never get old. It is sad, however, talking to individuals who have grown up with the glaciers and mention how much the glaciers have receded, ex. Mendenhall Glacier. Another topic area that I was not familiar with at all was permafrost. Having a very vague idea, I enjoyed reading about the massiveness of the layer of permafrost, spanning over 80% of Alaska and reaching depths of 2000 feet.

I took a lot of notes in this section, not necessarily to help write question responses, but also for my personal knowledge. I plan on relaying these links and resources to some of my colleagues and my mom who teaches a section of Alaska history to her 5^th grade students. 

Blog Comments:

Niki Underwood's extend question in regards to the 'Sleeping Lady'. When I first visited Anchorage, that was one of the first features that was pointed out to me, yet I never knew how this geographical feature received its name. The story link within the blog provided a lovely story, thank you Niki.

I liked in Marg Clabby's Module I responses to the connection between people and place in her community. definitely can relate to the information posted on the the lumber mills. My small community in Idaho relied on logging and we had two plywood mills. I used to work at the Potlatch mill when I was home from college during the summers.

In Peter's blog, I like reading about his extend question with his stay at the military base in Dutch Harbor. Describing the trenches that were still there with barb wire gave me chills. What an experience though to be able to stay at the barracks and see this piece of history before it was demolished.

Module I

Essential Question

How can educators use new media to better reach and teach Alaska’s students?

            I think that media is a key resource in the classroom. The internet provides numerous aides for teachers and students. Websites like the Teacher’s Domain offer great assistance for all ages and in multiple subject areas.  Furthermore, I’ve seen Google Earth used multiple times in the classroom. It gives students a great perception of place and geography. Students can look at weather systems, time lapses, historical areas, ocean features and much more.

As the gizmos and gadgets change with every generation, we should strive to incorporate this technology into the classroom.  The daily devices that students use can be turned into educational tools if we go about it properly. Any of the Apple devices can be used for so much more than music downloads and such. Even YouTube can be used as a tool. At a 2008 Fall Literacy Conference at the University of Idaho, I choose a forum that involved YouTube in the classroom. It made me think of the website in a different light.

There are also gizmos and gadgets that have presented themselves in multiple classrooms. Smart boards have been very beneficial, increasing the interaction between students and the understanding of materials. This correlates with all the new overheads too. Certain models of Kindle’s have modified e-reader features to help students with learning disabilities. The text can be highlighted to help track where the reader last left off. Also, text can be read aloud when highlighted.

This is a great website for other ‘Digital Gadgets’

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/gadgets.html

Examine Question

 How can non-indigenous and indigenous teachers help students to embrace both ways?

           The biggest way non-indigenous and indigenous teachers can help students see both ways is through communication and encouraging a open mindedness.  Being non-indigenous myself and only being in Alaska for a little over a year now, I enjoy learning about the culture that surrounds me. At first, I was a little reluctant to ask questions. Since then, I’ve developed a great relationship with my students and staff, and I am able to communicate on a much deeper level. It just took time.  I enjoy making that connection and being able to exchange stories and culture.    

In one of my other classes, there was an article that mentioned how a teacher would introduce a new science lesson. He approached it by asking the students where would you place a fishing net in a stream and why. After the students explained their answers, the teacher introduced the terms that defined and supported their conclusions. I liked how the teacher was able to introduce completely new information, and the students already had a grasp on the concept because it related to personal experiences. Any individual is able to understand new content material if he or she can relate to the topic at hand. 

The Spirit of Subsistence Living video was a great representation of this examine question. Being able to fully emerge in a culture and learn its practices would help me further embrace the tradition and develop a more culturally rich curriculum. I would like to participate in something like that. 

Extend Question
  What educational cultural connections can you make in your community?

     There a multiple cultural connections that I can make in my community. Some of the connections I’ve been grateful to have already made when I first started in Juneau. One of the first things my principal wanted me to do, as part of my program, was becoming familiar with all the community resources that our students will need connections to. By doing so, I have maintained relationships with individuals who I can count on to pass on cultural values and traditions to our students.

During Elizabeth Peratrovich Day last year, I invited two Tlingit individuals to speak to our students and staff. One is a well-known and respected elder in the community, and the other, an inspirational presenter who many of our youth know. In addition, a gentleman I’ve worked with during the year brought his drumming group to the event and performed. It was great to see some of the students get out of the seat and join the drumming circle and even sing.  Our lunch was then prepared by students and the volunteers who had donated food to make a delicious, traditional meal.

You can never have too many connections. I will always be looking for new and different activities, and look at Juneau’s large cultural network to help me do so.

Evaluation

 This is the first time I’ve been introduced to the Teacher’s Domain. I’ve found it a little overwhelming, just
because there are so many resources. Once I familiarize myself with its entirety, I look forward to using it the
future.

Priest Lake, Idaho

Priest Lake, Idaho

Growing up, I would spend my summer and early fall months driving several hours to my grandparents cabin in northern Idaho. Family reunions, occurring every summer during the July and August week, were something that could never come soon enough for an eager little girl. While family members would relax on the end of the dock, the cousins could be heard throughout our bay hooting and hollering while playing 'tip the raft'. Other days were spent hiking, biking, picking huckleberries, fishing, basking in the sun, playing card/board games, and helping grandma make tonight's desert ...yum!! Nights would often end with a very full belly and the warmth of a bonfire.