more at http://news.quickfound.net/cities/fairbanks.html 'FEATURES ACTIVITY OF ESKIMO SCOUTS IN THE ALASKA NATIONAL GUARD AS THEY OPERATE FROM FISHING VILLAGE OF SHISHMAREF, NEAR ARCTIC CIRCLE. ' 'A century ago, Alaska, our most northern frontier, was popularly called "Seward's Folly." The top of the world seemed remote then. Today, the polar concept has changed our ideas of distances and now that which was once considered a wasteland, is of great military importance and a vital link in our preparations to insure security. The mission of our Army in Alaska is to repel any aggressive action, and be prepared to hit back. An important segment of our force which is fulfilling that purpose, are men who were born above the Arctic Circle -- the Alaskan Scouts. They, along with the rest of our military establishment, undergo constant training and reevaluation in this land where nature herself is hostile -- Alaska.' Public domain film from the Prelinger Archives, slightly cropped to remove uneven edges, with the aspect ratio corrected, and mild video noise reduction applied. The soundtrack was also processed with volume normalization, noise reduction, clipping reduction, and/or equalization (the resulting sound, though not perfect, is far less noisy than the original). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shishmaref,_Alaska Shishmaref (SHISH-muh-reff) (Qiġiqtaq in Iñupiaq; Russian: Шишмарёв) is a city and village in the Nome Census Area, Alaska, United States. It is located on Sarichef Island in the Chukchi Sea, just north of the Bering Strait and five miles from the mainland. Shishmaref lies within the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve. The population was 563 at the 2010 census... Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.3 square miles (19 km2), of which, 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2) of it is land and 4.5 square miles (12 km2) of it (61.62%) is water. Shishmaref was named in 1821 by explorer Lt. Otto von Kotzebue, of the Imperial Russian Navy, after Capt. Lt. Gleb Shishmaryov who accompanied him on his exploration. Sarichef Island (on which Shishmaref is located) is part of a dynamic, 100 km-long barrier island chain that records human and environmental history spanning the past 2000 years; the oldest subaerial evidence for the formation of this system is about 1700 14c yr bp (see References, below). Erosion at Shishmaref is unique along the islands because of its fetch exposure and high tidal prism, relatively intense infrastructure development during the 20th century, and multiple shoreline defense structures built beginning in the 1970s. Global warming The effect of global climate change upon Shishmaref is sometimes seen as the most dramatic in the world.[6] Rising temperatures have resulted in a reduction in the sea ice which serves to buffer Shishmaref from storm surges. At the same time, the permafrost that the village is built on has also begun to melt, making the shore even more vulnerable to erosion. In recent years the shore has been receding at an average rate of up to 10 feet (3.3 m) per year. Although a series of barricades has been put up to protect the village, the shore has continued to erode at an alarming rate. The town's homes, water system and infrastructure are being undermined... Culture Shishmaref is a traditional Inupiaq Eskimo village. Residents rely heavily on a subsistence lifestyle, hunting and gathering much of their food. Primary food sources include sea mammals such as oogruk (bearded seal), other seals and walrus, fish, birds (such as ptarmigan), caribou and moose. The village is well known in the region for its high-quality seal oil and fermented meat. It is known for its Native art. Local carvings of whalebone and walrus ivory are sought after by galleries in Alaska and the Lower 48. Shishmaref was home to one of Alaska's most-beloved dog mushers. Herbie Nayokpuk, known as the "Shishmaref Cannonball", died in December 2006. He finished the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race numerous times, including a second-place finish. It is sometimes referred to as "the friendliest village in Alaska." Researchers, journalists and the occasional tourist visit Shishmaref, and the city has acquired a reputation for being a gracious host...

• published: 23 Mar 2015
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