Category: 49 History

Sun, June 23, 2013

President Harding’s Voyage of Understanding, June 1923

By Rachel MasonPresident Warren G. Harding’s trip to Alaska in the summer of 1923, followed by his sudden death in California, has been well documented in various sources. Patricia Ray Williams, one of very few people if not the only one alive who remembers President Harding’s July 1923 visit to Seward, suggested that an appropriate June entry for the 49 History blog might talk about Harding’s motives and preparations for the trip. Pat’s father, L.V. Ray, was the mayor of... (Read More)

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Wed, June 19, 2013

Oscar Anderson House Museum

From friends in Anchorage comes this reminder of a historic gem worth a visit this summer:The Oscar Anderson House Museum offers guided tours all summer through September 1. The museum is located downtown at 420 M Street, along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail at Elderberry Park. Visitors will enjoy a 45-minute guided tour of the House Museum, recently named a Distinctive Destination by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Visitors will learn about the history and day-to-day life of early... (Read More)

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Fri, June 07, 2013

Attu Boy

Below is an excerpt from Attu Boy, Nick Golodoff's memoir of his experiences on Attu and in Japan during World War II, published by the National Park Service in 2012, that relates the events of the Japanese invasion of Attu through the eyes of a six-year-old.The Invasion of Attu - June 7, 1942The Attuans had been warned by the U.S. military that the Japanese might come. Before the U.S. could evacuate the Attuans, the Japanese invaded. The teacher, Etta Jones,... (Read More)

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Sat, June 01, 2013

Understanding ANCSA: Perspectives after 40 Years

Sponsored by the Sealaska Heritage Institute, the Native American Heritage Month Lecture Series focused on the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Below are links are to the recorded lectures.Rosita Worl, “ANCSA: A Path to Assimilation or Cultural Survival”http://vimeo.com/32816841Chris McNeil, “The Legal Status of Alaska Native Corporations and Economic Self Determination”http://vimeo.com/32483946Ed Thomas, “The Interrelationships Between Tribes and Corporations”http://vimeo.com/32344641

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Fri, May 31, 2013

Walking with Winter

By Katherine RingsmuthOn the north side of the Naknek River, during the first snowstorm of the season, I walk with winter along a stony beach, struggling to hold on to the edge of the world. Bristol Bay exhales winds that heave across the mudflats, blasting Alaska's blunt western coastline. It is here, where land meets sea, that such volatile and unpredictable weather patterns form. Pulling my cap tight over my ears, I turn against the October winds, and notice my... (Read More)

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