Module III-People, Places and Practices

Module III-People, Places and Practices

Is there an “Alaskan” culture?  How could it be described?

As a result of  long, cold winters, drastic changes in daylight throughout the year, the remote location, and low percentage of people per square mile, Alaska has its own unique culture.  Two aspects of this culture that nearly all Alaskans share are our connection to the wilderness and our connection to the seasons. 

Elder woman in  the Lower Yukon Region.
Retrieved from the Kwik'Pak Fisheries LLC
Website.

Alaskans are very connected to the wilderness around them.   To varying degrees, Alaskans are very involved in a subsistence culture and fill their freezers with food taken from the land.  Whaling is a huge subsistence activity among many of the indigenous cultures of Alaska.  Hunting moose, bear, caribou and other animals, along with fishing and berry picking are other  subsistence activities that both natives and non-natives participate in.  In addition to subsistence activities, Alaska has a strong outdoor recreation culture.  In the summertime, hiking, camping, biking and boating are all common activities.  In the wintertime, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, dogsledding and snowmachining, are common activities.

  

Gwich'in Tribe Protects Caribou and Culture 

Inupiaq Whale Hunt

The Spirit of Subsistance Living

Dipnetting In Alaska 

Alaskan Berry Picking

In addition to having a strong connection the wilderness around them, Alaskans are also very connected to the seasons around them.  In the Winter time people generally spend more time at home in a kind of "hibernation" mode.  As the weather warms up and the daylight increases, people begin coming out of "hibernation" and spending more time outside of their homes.  Alaska residents seem to have a great sense of jubilation and excitement during the summer, and people participate in as many recreational activities, subsistence activities and home improvement projects as possible before the weather turns cold again.  Many communities also host big celebrations in the Summer.  Examples of these celebrations are the Crab Festival in Kodiak, Nalukataq in Barrow, and the Midnight Sun Fun Run in Fairbanks.

Runners in the Midnight Sun Fun Run in Fairbanks, Alaska.  Retrieved from www.lastfrontier.org

While there are certainly more aspects of the "Alaskan Culture", it is hard to separate the overall culture from all the many, many subcultures that exist in this very ethnically and geographically varied state.  Here are some links to more information about Alaska's various subcultures:

Alaska History & Cultural Studies Website-Alaska's Cultures

Alaska History & Cultural Studies Website-Modern Alaska

What is your concept of culture? 

How do you explain your own cultural identity?   

How does that influence how you approach the study of culture in Alaska?

My own concept of culture has been shaped and influenced by the many different places that I have lived.  So far I have lived in Oregon, Alaska, Nevada, Pennsylvania, North Dakota and Montana.  I am glad that I have had these opportunities because it has helped me to see life from many different cultural perspectives.  Right now my own cultural identity is being heavily shaped by the following three subcultures:  Being a mother, being an educator in a public school and living in Fairbanks, Alaska.  In the next few paragraphs I will describe some examples of my own cultural identity that result from the above factors.

Motherhood Culture 

Right now, most of my time away from work is spent caring for my two year-old daughter.  As a result, my home, the public library, the swimming pool, the park (when weather allows) and bathrooms everywhere (my daughter is potty training right now) are the places that I spend most of my time. Almost every activity that I participate in, everything I buy and everywhere I go is kid friendly.  I spend much of my time involved in activities such as reading stories, singing songs, putting together puzzles, sledding, and running to the bathroom at any given moment.  Since I spend my time and energy involved in this, I end up meeting and making friends with other mothers of young children.  When we talk and get together, the majority of our activities and topics of conversation revolve around young children.

My daughter and I smelling the flowers on the side of the road during a
family drive on the Richardson highway in summer of 2011.

Educator Culture 

As an educator and a speech pathologist, language and literacy activities are a large aspect of my culture.  I read books to my daughter everyday, and when I have the time, I enjoy reading novels and discussing them with others.  When getting together with friends, we often play language-rich board games, such as “Apples to Apples” and “Balderdash”.  Having a desire to expanding my world view and have new experiences is also a large part of the educator culture in which I am a part of.  When I have time, I enjoy attending various cultural events in the community, such as the Alaska Federation of Natives Community Potluck, the Alaska Native Educator’s Potlucks, the Fairbanks Summer Fine Arts Festival and the Ice Alaska Ice carving competition.

Fairbanks, Alaska Culture 

Another strong influence on my cultural identity is that I live in a home in the outskirts of Fairbanks, Alaska.  Typical chores that my husband and I must complete that are uniquely Alaskan are, plugging in the car in the winter, hauling our own water and adjusting our post-on-pad home when the ground shifts.  I am also involved in some subsistence activities.  Each July, I try go dipnetting for Salmon on the Kenai River.  This is an activity that I look forward to all year long.  While I love filling my freezer with salmon, I also love the experience of camping on the beach and spending time with my family.  In the late Summer and Fall I also love to go berry picking.  In addition to having wonderful berries all year long for cooking and baking, berry picking provides a wonderful time to hang out and strengthen my relationships with my friends.  In addition to fishing and berry picking, my family and I also spend a lot of time going, camping and hiking in various parts of Alaska.  I love having so many beautiful places to explore in such relative proximity to where I live.



My Alaskan home shortly before it was completed in the summer of 2011.

I must remember my own cultural bias when studying Alaskan culture.  The place that I learn the most about various cultures is in my work and interactions with my very ethnically diverse caseload of students and families.  Because I was exposed to so much diversity at such a young age, I must remember that most children and even many adults have not had as many different exposure to cultures as I have.  I also must remember that most of the families that I work with do not come from an educator culture where literacy and reading is valued.  At times when I am teaching a concept to a student that I feel the student should have already been taught or exposed to, I am tempted in my mind to accuse the parents of being lazy, unintelligent or uncaring. I then have to remind myself that they may be wonderful, caring parents who have had different cultural experiences and/or have different cultural values than I have. 

Three Blog Reviews

Peter's Alaskan Blog-This blog is written by a Mental Health Case Manager and substitute teacher who lives in the Matsu Valley. 

Exploring Alaska's Cultures-This blog is written by a Kindergarten Teacher who lives on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska.

Holly Explores Alaska History-This blog is written by the principal of Gustavus School and Klukwan School, both K-12 in Southeast Alaska. 

Summary
In Summary, this module has caused me to think deeply about what exactly my own culture is.  It has been difficult to narrow down both my own culture and an "Alaskan Culture".  I have come to a conclusion that each person's culture is highly complex.  No person can be defined by any one culture.  Rather, we all belong to many different cultures that change and influence each other over time.