Alaska Reflections

Module VI  American Period: Transportation & Communication

Essential Question
What are the issues facing Alaska today related to transportation and communication?
From previous study in this course we have taken a closer look at the relationships between the land, people and culture over time in Alaska. Development in these areas have historically been closely tied to economic development and a combination of natural forces and economic development continue to impact these systems today. Development of transportation and communication are essential for Alaska to continue to be vital in the 21st century. 

Century old whaling boat on the Beaufort Sea Coast in 2007 with
 erosion.  USGS

Alaska's geography continues to present challenges to establish and maintain transportation and communication. Weather, isolation and seasonal nature of work cycles affect cost.  Alaska's extensive coastline continues to be a major supply route with 80% of supplies for Alaska arriving by sea.  Changes in global weather patterns have caused eroding coastlines and port stability, and will  continue to force Alaska to prepare for these changes.    






 Location of Alaska for maritime travel is advantageous as Northwest passage routes increase, as will the needed ports for fuel and supplies on northern points of the Alaska coast. Global warming and changes in permafrost are impacting stability of road beds.  The high cost of maintenance in Alaska is a major issue today and is being debated in the legislature as questions of priorities are deliberated.    Anchorage airport is a  major source of worldwide cargo airline traffic. In the rapidly changing world of communication, Alaska faces the question of equity in rural versus urban access to resources.  Broadband Internet communication has expanded but is not yet available in all areas of Alaska. This mode of communication has become increasingly important in education and economic development, and access to these resources allow is critical to remain 

Ina Bouker, Yupik Native and teacher.  "The salmon always run 

but if their habitat is destroyed, they will not come back." 

Michael Melford (photo), National Geographic 

The photo to the left illustrates an issue faced by Alaska Natives today in the face of the development of the Pebble Mine in the Bristol Bay region.  
Mine developers promote the benefits in economic development,  including transportation and communication.  The local residents continue to debate the impacts of a mine on the environment in this important location cultural heritage and salmon producing region.










Examine Question
What were the factors that prompted the growth of communication systems in Alaska?


The Alaska communications system evolved it's uses for personal and commercial purposes in 1938, the system was named ACS or Alaska Communication Systems.   Local telephones service in the late 1800's transitioned to long distance service developing for non-military purposes.  World War II led to rapid expansion in telecommunications   enhanced with underwater cable systems. Radio, television, phone and satellite transmissions increased Alaskans the ability to communicate between large geographic  regions.  Air service establishment in Alaska in the beginning in the  1920's increased the possibility of more rapid communication from location to location, especially in rural locales without telegraph. Privatization of radio and television allowed commercial and public communication to the general population for news and entertainment. 

The question asks "What prompted growth in communication systems in Alaska?" and this begs a look at not only  the technological advances, but the rapid changes in the indigenous cultures of Alaska affected by communication advances. Traditional communication was primarily oral and communication between villages and tribes was face to face or through messaging along trade routes. Following first contact with the Russians, the Native people were swept into a broader and more complex communication system, with laws and rules stated and recorded in written form.   Native civil rights was highly dependent on communication. Review of the resources in this module consistently weaved the importance of communication for Native Alaskans to assert their civil rights from the first Russian contacts.

Alaska Natives Fight for Civil Rights, on the Alaska History and Cultural Studies website,  early communication played a role in this battle.  Language barriers and the need to communicate across cultures was needed to have an organized effort and unified "voice."  Adaptation and resilience  was pointed out in our  readings as necessary for survival.   Access to Western documents, such as laws, petitions, and maps required Natives to enter this system and document and assert their rights. The role of the Russian Orthodox Church in assistance with asserting Native rights of the Aleut people through communication systems was also highlighted. 
  

This clip from the video Aleut Story, allows the communication of a people's history through the use of modern communication-broadband Internet communications.  A teaching resource is available with lesson plans to hear the voices and voices of ancestors through stories of hardships with first contacts.  This may lead to a nice link for students to consider the link between these stories, civil rights and the need to continued use of communication technology.. 




Extend Question

What essential questions would you include in this module? Why?  

I continue to consider the possibilities of preservation of culture and the use of advancing communication technology to allow increased access, preservation and education efforts.  An essential question might be:  


How can advances in communication technology be used to preserve and perpetuate Native Alaskan culture and language? What role do educators play in preparing students to combine communication technology and knowledge of their own culture?


The consistent thread of communication as vital to the preservation of culture and rights as are the possibilities for it's future uses.  Examples of  where communication technology is being used to preserve and perpetuate knowledge and use of Alaska Native Languages:


ANKN
Sealaska Heritage Institute
Alaska Native Language Archive, UAF
Talking Alaska

Colleague's Blogs


Learned more about current issues facing the Kuskokwim region in Dancing Light through  her very thorough extend question. 


Lane's blog had a great photo of his moving to Alaska and in my head compared it to all the archive photos of the Klondike era with miners surround by their piles of supplies.  I was also struck with the photo and mention of the Exxon Valdez as part of Alaska's dependence on oil and our need to protect and develop natural resources. 


Crystal pointed out local development surrounding mining in her area on her well organized blog.  It is interesting to visit communities through other's blogs as see the common threads within current issues that Alaska faces.  


Reflection

This week I embedded my first video into this blog and felt more confident with the blogging process.   Then went to embed a few more pictures in my final editing and sadly lost most of my blog entries.  I feel I am gaining a great deal of information, resources and connections in this class which I struggle to reflect in my writing due to the time I spend dealing with formatting issues.  


The parallels of the forces that impact development over time in Alaska continue to be striking and I find myself seeing these relationships more easily.  As we looked closer at communication, I felt the need for more information regarding written and symbolic communication of Native groups in Alaska pre-contact.