Iñupiaq men in qayaqs, Noatak, Alaska, circa 1929. Edward S. Curtis Collection, Library of Congress Digital Collections.
Crossing the Chilkoot Pass, circa 1898. Courtesy Candy Waugaman and Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.
The Gold Rush boomtown of Nome on the Seward Peninsula, 1900. Courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey Photographic Library.
In 2020, the Alaska Historical Society (AHS) continued to make protecting our state’s archives one of its advocacy priorities, highlighting how archive collections are the irreplaceable basic sources of historical research and engaging public support for archives.
In January 2020, Alaskans discovered that the Federal Public Buildings Reform Board, created by Congress in 2016 to identify and dispose of high-value Federal real estate, was recommending the sale of the building that houses the National National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Archives in Seattle. The National Archives and Records Center facility in Seattle houses Alaska’s federal records that were transferred there in 2014 when the Anchorage NARA facility closed. The Board’s report was only submitted on December 27, 2019 and despite a strong campaign by AHS members, other Alaskans, our partner organizations in the Pacific Northwest, and support from Karen McCarthy, Senior Legislative Assistant to Senator Lisa Murkowski, the Office of Management and Budget approved the building sale in February 2020.
According to a statement released by the National Archives, “NARA does not have a specific date for the closure. We expect the entire process of sale to take approximately 18 months. We have requested to stay in the building for an additional three years following the sale. We are not taking any immediate actions that will impact our customers. We will continue to offer all services and maintain our current operating hours for the immediate future. The Sand Point facility is over 70 years old and requires an estimated $30 million to $50 million in renovations to support our continued safe occupancy. We have explored moving to alternative locations in the Seattle area, but we have not found a replacement facility that provides appropriate storage space for our holdings.”
AHS continues to work with Alaska’s Congressional delegation and state historical societies in Washington, Oregon and Idaho to advocate for a National Archives and Records Center in the Pacific Northwest. If the Seattle facility is closed, the closest NARA facility for Alaskans will be in San Francisco. They are proposing to move Alaska archival records to a facility near Riverside, California, and the federal agency records to Kansas City, Missouri. Alaska materials will not only be farther out of reach for researchers, students, attorneys, and government agencies, but the closure of the Seattle facility likely will delay the digitization of Alaska records promised by NARA when it closed the facility in Anchorage.
In 2018, the Alaska Historical Society (AHS) made protecting our state’s archives its advocacy priority. As part of this effort, AHS launched the Archives Video Project to highlight how archive collections are the irreplaceable basic sources of historical research. By emphasizing how collections are used in research, these videos hope to bring attention to the rich resources in the state’s archives. Public support for archives is a continuing priority of the Alaska Historical Society.
As part of this advocacy effort, Bill Schneider wrote an article highlighting the value of the Alaska and Polar Regions Collections and Archives at Elmer E. Rasmuson Library at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and explaining The Archive Video Project that produced videos featuring researchers using the collections. View this article, “Archives Video Project Highlights Historical Treasures” in the on-line version of the 2019 edition of Clarity, the magazine of the College of Liberal Arts, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
The statewide Alaska Historical Society representing over 450 individuals and 80 museums, local historical societies, and cultural centers partners with the State of Alaska’s historical and cultural heritage programs. The State Libraries Archives and Museums and the Alaska Office of History and Archaeology provide important services to Alaskans. The Alaska Historical Society has established its advocacy agenda for these agencies and asks the members of the 2016 Alaska State Legislature to consider them.
Operating Budget
Governor’s budget: $435,200 AHS advocacy position: $448,700
We ask the Alaska State Legislature to restore the $13,500 General Fund Match reduction from the FY 2016 appropriation. The GFM funds match a federal Historic Preservation Fund grant that reimburses the state 60% of its expenditures for historic preservation programs. (The 60% match is $20,250, adding the $13,500 reduction makes the cut $33,750). Only 17% of the OHA budget is GFM, the remainder is “other funds.” The state’s historic preservation program is the foundation of the state’s history and archaeology programs and leverages other non-GF funds. The GFM reduction for the current fiscal year is $38,100 GFM, federal match lost is $57,150, for a total cut of $95,250.
Governor’s budget: $15,800 AHS advocacy position: $15,800
We ask the Alaska State Legislature to support the Governor’s request. The Governor-appointed citizen’s board determines the projects related to Alaska history of value to the citizens of the state.
Governor’s budget: $12,122,300 AHS advocacy position: $12,122,300
We ask the Alaska State Legislature to endorse the Governor’s request for the State Library, Alaska Historical Collections, State Archives, State Museum and Sheldon Jackson Museum. The funds allow for the preservation of written records, photographs, maps, and objects, and for access to them. The division provides services statewide. The library works with 100 public, 300 school, and numerous special and tribal libraries throughout the state. The archives offers technical support and consultation to assist over 150 entities with archival holdings. The museums help more than 80 museums and cultural centers around the state.
Governor’s budget: $105,600 AHS advocacy position: $150,000
We ask the Alaska State Legislature to consider an increase in the budget for this program. The project grants allow museums and historical societies across the state to improve their collections care and programs. The funding has been static in recent years, and as there are more than eighty museums and cultural centers active around the state there is need for increased funding.
Capital Budget
Governor’s budget: $150,000 AHS advocacy position: $150,000
We urge the Alaska State Legislature to retain this appropriation. The funds, combined with the operating budget General Fund Match funds, provide the required match for the state to bring in the federal Historic Preservation Fund grant appropriated to Alaska. The funds are for the core State Historic Preservation Office programs and for carrying out the Alaska State Historic Preservation Act (AS 41.35) responsibilities to protect significant cultural resources on state lands.
We ask the Alaska State Legislature for funding for these two programs. Alaska secondary education students have participated in We the People and National History Day national contests for over fifteen years. These programs have local, state and national competitions, similar to Science Fair and the Spelling Bee. Students pay their own travel expenses. Several capital budgets have included a small appropriation for a state contest and coordination of the We the People program in Fairbanks. Reliable annual funding is needed for these excellent programs and would help expand them to students throughout the state.
Legislation
We ask the Alaska State Legislature to pass this legislation. HB 52 and its companion SB 61 would be an investment in Alaska communities. The legislation will help provide for museum buildings and cultural centers to ensure the safety and conservation of Alaska’s artifacts, photographs and manuscripts significant to understanding the state’s heritage. The facilities will improve the presentation of that history to the public and increase educational opportunities for all Alaskans.
Operating Budget
Governor’s budget: $482,700 AHS advocacy position: $482,700
We support the Governor’s request for state matching funds to the Alaska Office of History and Archaeology (OHA). These funds are critical for eligibility to receive the annual federal Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) grant. The state and federal funds support the small but effective office in its efforts to preserve and protect Alaska’s historic and prehistoric resources. The core State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) programs of OHA are funded through the federal HPF grant and the state match.
Governor’s budget: $15,700 AHS advocacy position: $15,700
We support the Governor’s request. The Governor-appointed citizen’s board determines the projects related to Alaska history that will be of lasting value to the state and its residents.
Governor’s budget: $12,663,600 AHS advocacy position: $12,663,600
We support the Governor’s request for the libraries, archives, and museums. The funds allow for the preservation of written records, photographs, maps, and objects; and access to them. The division provides services statewide to community libraries, local historical societies, museums, and cultural centers, and municipal governments.
Governor’s budget: $105,600 AHS advocacy position: $150,000
The project grants allow museums and historical societies across the state to improve their collections care and programs. The funding has been static in recent years, and as there are more than eighty museums and cultural centers active around the state there is need for increased funding.
Capital Budget
Governor’s budget: $150,000 AHS advocacy position: $150,000
This capital appropriation combined with the operating budget General Fund Match funds provide the required matching funds for the state to bring in the federal Historic Preservation Funds appropriated to Alaska. The funds are for the core State Historic Preservation Office programs and for carrying out the Alaska State Historic Preservation Act (AS 41.35) responsibilities.
Commemorations of significant events are proven economic and educational opportunities for communities. The change from a Russian to an American possession is a defining moment for Alaska. The story needs to be revised from that of events at Sitka and Washington, D.C., to one told from multiple perspectives and about the changes the purchase brought to all Alaska. There were changes to the fur trade, encouragement to look for minerals and develop fisheries, new religious missions, expansion of education, and new ideas about land and about justice. The Legislature passed SCR 17 last session and funds are needed for the statewide, coordinated commemoration the resolution calls for.
Legislation
The proposed legislation is an investment in Alaska communities. It will help provide for museum buildings and cultural centers to ensure the safety and conservation of Alaska’s artifacts, photographs and manuscripts significant to understanding the state’s heritage. The facilities will improve the presentation of that history to the public and increase educational opportunities for all Alaskans.
Alaska secondary education students have participated in We the People and National History Day for over fifteen years. These programs have local, state and national competitions, similar to Science Fair and the Spelling Bee. Students who participate pay their own travel expenses. The last few years, the capital budget appropriated funds for coordination for the local and state We the People competitions in Fairbanks. But yearly funding is needed for these national programs, ideally administered through the social studies unit in the Department of Education. This would expand these terrific programs to other schools throughout the state.
