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.