From The Alaska Experience Travel Guide : http://www.Videosource.com for stock footage and complete travel program availability
Transcript:
Just above the arctic circle lies the town of
Kotzebue.
land of the eskimo, land of the midnight sun.
This is a harsh wild place at the end of the earth ,
Pressed against the cold arctic sea.
Kotzebue is a town of a little over 2000 people , 80% of them
Eskimo, and still basically a subsistence culture.
Hunting and fishing are primary sources of livelihood.
For a short season in the summer, blueberries grow
Here and are dried for the winter. This is not
A new town.
kotzebue sits on a peninsula near
The location of the ancient bering land bridge which
Was the route of those earliest americans on their trek
From asia to this new land. There is archaeological
Evidence here of settlements going back for millenia,
It is this historical perspective that gives the native
People of this region the strength to resist the
Pressures of an imported culture and to preserve
Their own ways. interview: (susan erlick saying " we value our elders....... Keep us alive.)
Because of this realization; that the particular
Ecology of the tundra demands a particular way
Of life, the native people here have a true resource
In their own proven traditions. Modern cultural
Innovations are accepted when they serve a
Purpose, but there is an increasing awareness
That for a hunting and gathering people the old
Proven ways work best. Here in this living
Museum of the artic, the elders of the village
Preserve knowlege of this endangered culture
To share with visitors who get an unusual
Opportunity to observe the native culture.
More important, in the museum the elders
Have created a vital ongoing school to pass
Their wisdom about their own world to the
Youth of the culture. The interest of the young
People show that there is a broad based support
for keeping this culture alive. (susan erlick talking about food)
ever since admiral perry, the people of the lower
48 have been learning that the eskimo approach is
Uniquely suited to a unique environment. These
Hand made parkas trap body heat and provide
Ventilation. And the blanket toss , which is now a
Lively game , served a real survival need in a
Predominantly flat land with no hills or trees
For vantage points. Hunters were tossed up as
Many as thirty feet into the air , allowing them
To survey the terrain and spot game in the distance.
This eskimo version of the ladder served a purpose
and worked. The imported technology doesn't
always work as well as the time tested ways in this
Environmentally sensitive land. Here we see a house,
Which must be fitted with an active refrigeration
System to keep it from melting the permafrost
beneath it and sinking into the ground.
Like the tundra around it,the culture of these hardy
People is a fragile and sensitive thing. Tundra ,
Once scarred, remains scarred forever. These people
Know that they are trying to reverse an historical
Trend by refusing to change the basic elements of
Their culture , but they feel that it is worth the effort.
they know that they are survivors but they don't
Just want to survive, they want to survive with dignity and joy. (susan erlick saying " we've lived here for thousands of years in harmony with nature. Our values will help us continue to live in harmony
And as it is with the eskimo, struggling to maintain
Their culture while integrating into the modern world,
so it is with all of alaska.
Alaska is a rare and fragile window into the natural world..... A world where every living thing lives in harmony with the
Powerful forces of nature. A world where the forces
of nature prevail
And man must be in tune....... Or perish.
If you are fortunate enough to come to experience this
Wonderful place, try to experience it on its own terms.
Try to avoid imposing your day to day values on this
Unique and precious experience. Although the modern
Traveller can bring many creature comforts along
When he comes to today's alaska, everyone who visits
This raw and wild land finds himself "roughing it"
Just a little bit.........
for some that may mean sleepless frostbitten nights be on an icefield at the foot of mt. Mckinley.
for others it may mean a lukewarm shower, a dirt
road, or an evening without television..........
Part of the magic of alaska is that her most profound
Experiences may come when least expected.
the beaten path may offer many wonders,
but the moments that last forever ,
may sneak up on you like the chinook winds
And linger like an alaskan sunset........
Michael Heumannand crew credits
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Native Alaskan Villages Promo -- Wilderness Adventures Off The Beaten Pathby WAOTBP493 views
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CrazyNative4 5 hours ago