Authentic Alaska: Voices of Its Native Writers [Paperback]

So mucb has been written ABOUT Alaska Natives, and finally I was refreshed to see a book of incredibly insightful pieces written BY Alaska Natives. Offers a strong sense of ties to family and the land and waterways from which Alaska's aboriginal peoples have subsisted for centuries. This is truly an "authentic" account of contemporary Native people trying to live in the modern world while retaining a sense of their cultural identity. Full of stunning historical and contemporary photographs as well! This is the kind of book that should be climbing to the top of the New Times Bestseller list! An extremely readable text full of unassuming voices expressing the joys and challenges of life in some of the most remote reaches of Alaska. These writers live in small communities in Alaska, most of which are not connected by road to the outside world. Fascinating!

I knew about this book because I am one of the people that have written their autobiography. I didn't know this back then, but it was God that let me go to school for English. In High School I didn't do very good in English (probably mostly D's). But when I went to Chukchi College in Kotzebue, Alaska I got A's and B's. God is good and He loves everybody.

Authentic Alaska is a collection of narratives about late twentieth century life in northwestern Alaska. Rather than a single voice, the book employs a multitude of authentic voices to offer commentary on a wide variety of topics ranging from autobiography to every day life in rural Alaska to school experiences to the incorporation of western cultures into traditional Native culture. This collection began as a student writing project during the 1987-1988 school years at the University of Alaska. The anthology comes from nontraditional, generally older students who are Inupiaq, Yup'ikm or Siberian Yup'ik Eskimos or Athabascan Indians who grew up in the larger hub communities of Kotzebue or Nome, or from smaller villages such as Emmonak in Southwest Alaska or Northway on the Canadian border. Susan B. Andrews is an associate professor of humanities at the College of Rural Alaska, a division of the University of Alaska. John Creed, her husband, is also an associate professor of humanities at the same college. Together they have won several regional and national media awards including the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for Outstanding Coverage of the Problems of the Disadvantaged.

The editors explain the majority of these writings fit into what is known as "`cultural journalism,' where the ordinary way of life receives the attention, not the unusual or extraordinary events covered in straight news pieces, and where this reflection of the ordinary fabric of life also can instruct and offer profound insight. (xxvi)" Most of the authors are first or second year college students with no extensive writing training. The editors believe this is the anthology's strength, which creates an authentic voice that truly reflects "real people-that is, mature adults with extensive experience in the real world. (xxvii)."

The purpose of the book is to showcase the survival of culture and tradition, despite the turmoil of the past century. Many of the selections focus on how Natives were able to retain strong ties to their traditional cultures while adapting to western changes that came with statehood. For example, the discovery of oil in 1968 had a massive economic impact on Alaska, which only accelerated the rate of cultural and technological change. One writer discusses the policy of legal segregation that existed until the 1940s, and the denial of citizenship for Natives until 1924. Boarding schools, western religions, and technological advances all had an effect on traditional culture. Many of the selections discuss not how the culture was weakened, but rather how Natives were able to strengthen their identity and continue their traditional way of life in the face of great obstacles. For instance, in 1961, Natives started their own newspaper, the Tundra Times, which helped spawn Native unity as well as political activism that helped pressure the U.S. Congress to pass the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. This land claims act granted Natives title to 44 million acres of land, and for lands lost in the settlement, Natives received $962.5 million to establish 13 Native regional corporations and 206 village corporations. Finding a safe balance between the western world and their traditional life is a focus of several narratives. One elder explained this balance as being able to "walk in two worlds with one spirit. (xxiv)"

The most valuable part of this book is the personal touch given to each story. Activities such as skinning a polar bear, gathering food for the winter, learning to dog sled, family gatherings, incorporating traditional values into modern businesses truly show how these individuals view the world and themselves. Adaptability and continuance come together in this short collection of essays, and the individual writers offer a glimpse at what it means to be a Native in Alaska in the late 20th century. The editors offer a glossary that lists common "Alaskanisms" which is followed by a brief biographical section about each of the contributors.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 3 reviews  4.7 out of 5 stars