Module VI - American Period: Transportation and Communication

Essential Questions:

 

Alaska's infrastructure of transportation and communication systems - what is the cause-effect relationships to settlement patterns and to the development of the Alaska economy?

• Boat - Water travel has always been important for Alaska.  The indigenous populations used kayaks for seal and whale hunting and today we see 80% of all goods and services provided by water routes.  Water travel (sail for Russia and steam for the U.S.) initiated settlement in Alaska.  Without water vessels the large amounts of material to support settlement and development could not have come to Alaska.  Anchorage alone sees approximately 90% of the water born goods that enter Alaska with other ports splitting the remaining flow of goods.  It is no wonder why Anchorage is by far the largest city in the state when it holds the largest port (and air-port) in the state.
• Rail - It is no suprise that rail comes in a close second for the initial developement in Alaska.  Even though rails use is arguably limited and takes a back seat to planes and trucking today, originally it was second only to water transport.  Where boats can haul the most cargo of any transportation system, they become limited by the absence of water ways.  Rail can haul the most overland cargo.  Alaska's "rail belt" sees the largest settlement pattern in all of Alaska.  Where boats provide Alaska goods, rail delivers is directly to the multiple population hubs within the state.  That is why you see the largest population areas close to rail lines.  Examples of population centers attached to the rail belt are Anchorage, Fairbanks and the Matsu Valley (these three alone account for most of Alaska's population).  
• Air & Road - Air and road travel go together due to airplanes being as useful as cars in the lower 48.  Air and road developed in the same time range in Alaska.  Today many Alaskans own a private car and private plane.  There are yellow cabs and air taxis that move people and goods across Alaska.  One thing I have always noticed sitting in my brother-in-law's back porch near the airport is the number of small planes zipping around.  Alaska is unique in that so many areas are only accessed via air.  Air picks up where rails leaves off in delivering individuals, mail and personal goods to the many remote locations.  The concept of "bush pilots" is not unique, my home state of Idaho used bush pilots for remote mountain communities, what is unique is the scope of use in Alaska.  Air and gground/road fill the final piece of the population and goods puzzle in Alaska.  Boats haul the most to the state, rail is the next largest getting goods and people to hubs inland and finally roads and air finish the job, macro to micro.    

What have been the impacts on traditional Native cultures and on the environment?

• Trail Systems - Indigenous trading trail systems provided the first roads in Alaska.  When the interior began to be explored for mining purposes, the trading trails were used as a means to gain access inland.  This would lead to the development of settlements and extraction based industries.  An example is the agreement worked out with the Chillkat Tlingits in the Yukon area. 
• Wood Camps - Wood camps provided employment of native Alaskans when steamships began to ply the waterways of Alaska.

Examine Question:

 

What were the factors that prompted the growth of aviation in Alaska?

• The initial growth of aviation in Alaska came after WWI with the "Black Wolf" squadron of bombers (1922).  These planes toured Alaska showing that planes could move enough cargo effectively.  Shortly thereafter (1924) Noel Wien began the first scheduled flights to Fairbanks. 
• Float planes provided the needed diversity of landing for a place as varied as Alaska.  Float planes could take advantage of land and lake landing fields. 
• The Territorial Legislature was instrumental in building up an air-infrastructure.  By providing the Board of Road Commisioners the ability to spend $40,000 on airfield construction the territory signaled its belief in the importance of air in Alaska (1927, 24 fields).  In five years Alaska had fully embraced the airplane for cargo and transport.

A Sample of Alaskan Air Taxi Companies

 

http://www.alaskaairtaxi.com/
http://www.talkeetnaair.com/
http://www.coppervalleyair.com/

 

Alaska Air Route Map

 

Source: http://www.travelalaska.com/Getting%20Around/Travel%20To%20Alaska/By%20Air.aspx?tab=2

 

Extend Question:

 

As you examine the maps again, consider the location of the roads and railroads in Alaska today. Where is the focus of the infrastructure? Why is there not a more extensive infrastructure of roads and rails? What does this mean for the people and the economy of Alaska?

1. Most rail and road in Alaska in focused on South Central Alaska, specifically the Kenia Penninsula and Matsu Valley areas.  There are additional lines the strike out into the interior, primarily Fairbanks and on to the profitable/taxable oil fields. 
2. The reason there are not more roads and rail lines to all parts of Alaska is simple, people.  This is the biggest state in area and one of the tiniest in population.  The rail lines could not opperate profitably to the multitudes of tiny hamlets around the state.  Running the engines, meeting payroll and rail upkeep in the winter would require massive subsidies from the state; this would mean tremendous tax outlays from infrastructure dense areas to help infrastructure light areas.  This is also true for road systems.  There is simply not enough commerce that goes in and out of rural communities to justify the tax outlay for road maintanence and construction, especially in the winter.  The thousands of miles of road that would be lightly travelled would not justify the cost.  I have personally heard in Anchorage the rancor some people have when discussing the subsidies that already go to rural communities.  Some feel that to much is already being spent in taxes to simply allow people to live in areas that are inhospitable to access and commerce.  I have not been here long enough to agree or disagree but if that is a conversation now, I can only imagine what would happen if there was talk of connecting the whole state by road and/or rail.    
3. Private air taxis seem to be the most obvious choice in Alaska.  It is more cost effective to build rugged, rural airstrips and schedule specific travel times.  This helps create build in demand and get goods and people to the places they live in this state.

Source: http://www.rentalaska.com/alaskamcadv_015.htm

Visited Blogs:

• http://myalaskanexploration.blogspot.com/
• http://explorealaskatimes.blogspot.com/
• http://excitedaboutalaska.blogspot.com/

Module V - Minerals; Gold, Black Gold and All the Rest

Essential


What have been the major components of the Alaska economy during the American period of 1867-present?



      1.       Ocean stocks – Fish and sea mammals

2.       Gold – Sitka 1870’s, Juneau 1880’s, Nome 1890-1900, Fairbanks 1900

3.       Mineral – Coal, copper, lead, zinc, platinum, tin (developed after gold)

4.       Oil – Katalla well first in 1902

How is Alaska’s economy a reflection of diverse, and sometimes conflicting, perspectives of the natural landscape?

Alaska’s natural economy is diverse; it has gold, oil, timber, some agriculture and fish stocks of all kinds.  However this does not make for an inherently diverse total economy.  All of the aforementioned products are extraction based.  While it is true that Alaska is blessed with a natural diversity many other states, or nations, could only pine for, it is still all based on extraction.  This means that no matter how diverse the resources, it all still comes down to Alaska makes most of its money by what it can pull out of the ground.  This also means it must be managed in primarily the same way as well.  Each one of these resources is directly dependent on how well they are managed.  Unlike Silicon Valley in California that can pump out as many lucrative ideas as it employs people, if Alaska poorly manages its fisheries they will run the resource into extinction.  Oil, gold and timber (what bit is done now) are all finite.  Once you blow through these resources there is no more, period.  A perfect example of the resource tight-rope that Alaska walks with its diverse natural resources is the argument surrounding the Pebble Partnership project.

The Pebble Mine project seeks to utilize the abundant mineral wealth found in this state.  This could see jobs and revenue into the projected billions.  However, it competes with salmon hatcheries.  Pebble may mean millions for the state but not everyone in the state works for the mine.  If the Pebble Partnership gets it wrong fish lines go extinct, fishermen become unemployed and people who utilize the fish stocks for subsistence in the area go hungry.  All those people will benefit from the mine in the form of government checks to supplement the way of life they have lost.  This is a perfect example of conflicting views on the use of the natural landscape.       

  

Sources: http://www.pebblepartnership.com/ 

Source: http://www.renewableresourcescoalition.org/

Examine

What were the main reasons for the American purchase of Alaska?




     ·         Maintain Russian relations

·         Help in the purchase of B.C.

·         Resources

·         Proximity to Asian Markets

What were the primary motivations for Americans moving to Alaska in the late 1800's?

     ·         Forced relocation – Soldiers, sailors, government officials

 ·         By Choice – Those looking to exploit the land and those looking to exploit them

Extend

Living in Anchorage is unique in because the diversity of its economy comes from the land both directly and indirectly and makes it so the rest of the state can take advantage of its resource wealth.  Two issues that are confronting Anchorage’s economy at the moment are the Port of Anchorage and BRAC looking at ways to streamline the Defense Department. 

 Currently the Port of Anchorage is a political touch point in the Anchorage mayoral race.  The port is no doubt a piece of Alaska’s life blood.  However, how it is managed and how large the expansion should be is a point of contention for Anchorageites specifically and Alaskans in general.

Port Expansion: http://www.muni.org/Departments/budget/utilitiesEnterprise/2012%20ppsd%20Utility/Book%20-%20PORT.pdf

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) is under scrutiny from the Base Re-Alignment Committee (BRAC).  If the base were to close this would mean approximately 1/5 of the Anchorage economy leaving as well.  JBER probably will not be impacted but other cities in Alaska have felt BRAC’s touch such as Fairbanks and Eilmendorf AFB.  

ADN Article on BRAC and Alaska: http://www.adn.com/2012/02/17/2323686/alaska-must-defend-its-military.html

Source: http://www.firerivergold.com/s/NewsReleases.asp?ReportID=372796&_Title=Fire-River-Gold-Announces-10-Million-Brokered-Private-Placement

Sites of Interest:

http://myalaskanexploration.blogspot.com/


http://explorealaskatimes.blogspot.com/

Note: At point of publish only two sites with Module V blog available

Module IV - Imperialism and Colonialism

What is the legacy of Russian colonization on Alaska?

The Russian influence on Alaska may be larger than the initial Russian exploration.  If origonally there were no more than 800 "Russian" colonizers than the legacy of such work touches as many of not more lives today.  The initial Russian exploration legacy gives us many names that are still in use, as well as from other countries, such as the Bering Strait.  Also, the influence of the Russian-Orthodox church still provides a symbolic influence.  Even before I moved to Alaska I had toured parts and the iconic Russian-Orthodox cross has become a symbol of Christiandom in Alaska.  Possibly one of the most notable influences of Russian heritage today is that the language is taught in schools.  No where else I have been has there been a premium placed on learning Russian.  Let's face it, unless you wish to do international business with Russian oil oligarchs there isn't a necessity for it.  But in Alaska it has a cultural significance that cannot be overlooked.

Russian Flag circa 1800

 

Source: http://www.michtoy.com/item-NMX-FT123-Russian_Flag_1800.html

What Other Nation Demonstrated an Interest in Alaska?  Why?

Possinbly the most notable nation to have an interest in Alaska was Great Britain.  Much like the Russians, the British have a lasting impact on Alaska, from geography such as the Cook Inlet, to the dominate language and cultural decendant, the United States.  The British (as well as the Spanish and other European powers) were looking for the fabled "Northwest Passage."  This would hopefully be an all water route to the Indies allowing for trade.  Initially, North America was a stumbling block but parts, like Alaska, would be profitable in their own right.

Captain Cook

    

Source: http://www.captaincooksociety.com/

What was the Nature of Cultural Contact Between Europeans and Native Populations?

Unfortunately, the exchange between Russians and other Europeans and native population followed many of the same tacts as in the lower 48 and South America.  As with each instance disease served as a vangaurd to wiping out the density of the native populations.  Next the earliest explorers sought to capitalize on what they had come for, resources and/or trade opportunities.  Whether it was the search for spices in the indies or fur bearing mammals in Alaska the story plays out the same, it was not a mutual admiration that drove societies together but a cash grab.  However, this was not the only exchange.  Marriages between cultures also occurred which would also in part marry the cultures.  The children of such unions would lead to individuals that would work between cultures and other euro/native ventures.  

Site Seeing -

• http://underwoodexploresalaska.blogspot.com/
• http://explorealaskatimes.blogspot.com/
• http://excitedaboutalaska.blogspot.com/