Alaska Native Heritage

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• published: 30 Jun 2011
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From The Alaska Experience Travel Guide : http://www.Videosource.com for stock footage and complete travel program availability Transcript: Just above the arctic circle lies the town of Kotzebue. land of the eskimo, land of the midnight sun. This is a harsh wild place at the end of the earth , Pressed against the cold arctic sea. Kotzebue is a town of a little over 2000 people , 80% of them Eskimo, and still basically a subsistence culture. Hunting and fishing are primary sources of livelihood. For a short season in the summer, blueberries grow Here and are dried for the winter. This is not A new town. kotzebue sits on a peninsula near The location of the ancient bering land bridge which Was the route of those earliest americans on their trek From asia to this new land. There is archaeological Evidence here of settlements going back for millenia, It is this historical perspective that gives the native People of this region the strength to resist the Pressures of an imported culture and to preserve Their own ways. interview: (susan erlick saying " we value our elders....... Keep us alive.) Because of this realization; that the particular Ecology of the tundra demands a particular way Of life, the native people here have a true resource In their own proven traditions. Modern cultural Innovations are accepted when they serve a Purpose, but there is an increasing awareness That for a hunting and gathering people the old Proven ways work best. Here in this living Museum of the artic, the elders of the village Preserve knowlege of this endangered culture To share with visitors who get an unusual Opportunity to observe the native culture. More important, in the museum the elders Have created a vital ongoing school to pass Their wisdom about their own world to the Youth of the culture. The interest of the young People show that there is a broad based support for keeping this culture alive. (susan erlick talking about food) ever since admiral perry, the people of the lower 48 have been learning that the eskimo approach is Uniquely suited to a unique environment. These Hand made parkas trap body heat and provide Ventilation. And the blanket toss , which is now a Lively game , served a real survival need in a Predominantly flat land with no hills or trees For vantage points. Hunters were tossed up as Many as thirty feet into the air , allowing them To survey the terrain and spot game in the distance. This eskimo version of the ladder served a purpose and worked. The imported technology doesn't always work as well as the time tested ways in this Environmentally sensitive land. Here we see a house, Which must be fitted with an active refrigeration System to keep it from melting the permafrost beneath it and sinking into the ground. Like the tundra around it,the culture of these hardy People is a fragile and sensitive thing. Tundra , Once scarred, remains scarred forever. These people Know that they are trying to reverse an historical Trend by refusing to change the basic elements of Their culture , but they feel that it is worth the effort. they know that they are survivors but they don't Just want to survive, they want to survive with dignity and joy. (susan erlick saying " we've lived here for thousands of years in harmony with nature. Our values will help us continue to live in harmony And as it is with the eskimo, struggling to maintain Their culture while integrating into the modern world, so it is with all of alaska. Alaska is a rare and fragile window into the natural world..... A world where every living thing lives in harmony with the Powerful forces of nature. A world where the forces of nature prevail And man must be in tune....... Or perish. If you are fortunate enough to come to experience this Wonderful place, try to experience it on its own terms. Try to avoid imposing your day to day values on this Unique and precious experience. Although the modern Traveller can bring many creature comforts along When he comes to today's alaska, everyone who visits This raw and wild land finds himself "roughing it" Just a little bit......... for some that may mean sleepless frostbitten nights be on an icefield at the foot of mt. Mckinley. for others it may mean a lukewarm shower, a dirt road, or an evening without television.......... Part of the magic of alaska is that her most profound Experiences may come when least expected. the beaten path may offer many wonders, but the moments that last forever , may sneak up on you like the chinook winds And linger like an alaskan sunset........ Michael Heumannand crew credits