1. Map of North America Both Alaska and California are in North America. Canada lies to the east & south of Alaska. To the west of Alaska is the continent of ASIA which includes Russia & Siberia. Alaska is separated from Asia by the Bering Strait, only 50 miles away. Three primary oceans surrounding North America are: o Artic Ocean o Pacific Ocean o Atlantic Ocean The three largest countries in North America are Canada, Mexico and the United States of America. 1 2. THE STATE of Alaska Alaska is known as “The Land of the Midnight Sun” & “The Last Frontier.” It is the largest state in the United States—over twice the size of Texas! In 1912, U.S. President Taft signed the Act creating the Territory of Alaska In 1959, Alaska became our 49th state. The capital of Alaska is JUNEAU. Alaska’s MT. McKINLEY is the tallest mountain in North America (20,320 feet)! Alaska has more than 3 million lakes. It has 3,000 rivers, & the Yukon River is the longest. In 1867, Alaska was purchased from Russia for $7.2 million (about 2¢ an acre!). 2 3. Flag of Alaska Alaska’s flag was designed by a 7th grade student in 1926. It has 8 gold stars which form a constellation in the shape of a ladle called the “Big Dipper.” It is also called Ursa Major which means, “The Great Bear.” ALASKA’s STATE SONG Eight stars of gold on a field of blue – Alaska’s flag. May it mean to you The blue of the sea, the evening sky, The mountain lakes & the flowers nearby; The gold of the early sourdough’s dreams, The precious gold of the hills and streams; The brilliant stars in the northern sky, The “Bear” ---the “Dipper”--- and, shining high, The great North Star with its steady light, Over land and sea a beacon bright. Alaska’s Flag --- to Alaskans dear, The simple flag of a last frontier. ---Marie Drake 3 Early Inhabitants Alaska has many different groups of Native People. The ESKIMOS were the native inhabitants of the seacoast of the Arctic. Nowadays, their own name for themselves is INUIT which means real people. Thousands of these people immigrated to North America thousands of years ago by crossing what most scientists agree had been a “Land Bridge” from Asia (Russia). Now, Alaska & Asia are separated by the Bering Strait – 50 miles. Dogsleds were used by the early inhabitants, until the introduction of snowmobiles, etc. Coastal & inland Eskimos gathered at annual trade fairs to obtain materials for clothing, tools or food. When American explorers & gold prospectors arrived in the north, they quickly learned from the Native Alaskans that sled dog teams were the only way to move goods & people across the frozen land. Their early homes were igloos, but homes were also built using animal skins, sod & driftwood. 4 4. TOTEM POLES Native Americans in Alaska carved and raised totem poles in front of their houses which celebrated legends and events, using symbols. Totem poles are usually made of cedar or spruce. The raising of a totem pole is a very important ceremony that involves the whole tribe. They carry it to the site and then pull it upright with ropes. The ceremony is accompanied by drumming, singing and dancing. Some of the most notable and beautiful totem poles are in a Ketchikan, Alaska museum. 5 By Mitchell 5. MOOSE The moose was named Alaska’s official State land mammal in 1998. The moose is one of twelve big game species in Alaska. The moose is the world’s largest member of the deer family. Their color ranges from golden brown to almost black, depending upon the season and the age of the animal. Males can weigh up to 1,600 pounds. They eat large quantities of willow, birch and aspen twigs. 6 7. GRIZZLY BEARS Grizzly bears can be seen at Alaskan fishing spots when the salmon run upstream in the summer. Dozens of bears may gather to feast on the fish. Much of the Grizzly bear’s diet consists of nuts, berries, fruit, leaves and roots. They are typically brown, though their fur can appear to be white-tipped, or grizzled, giving them their name. Grizzlies are quite fast and have been clocked at 30 miles an hour. They are dangerous to humans, particularly if surprised or if humans come between a mother and her cubs! 7 8. POLAR BEAR The world’s largest predator found on land is the polar bear. An adult male weighs around 1,500 pounds. Their bodies are adapted for cold temperatures, for moving across snow, ice and open water. They hunt the seals which make up most of their diet. Polar bears are an endangered species. Their threat today is the loss of their icy habitat, due to climate change. Polar bears depend on the sea ice for hunting, breeding and in some cases to den. 8 9. AMERICAN BALD EAGLE Each fall, more Bald Eagles are found near Haines, Alaska than anywhere else – (nearly 4,000) -- to feed on salmon. In 2007, the Government took the American bald eagle off the Endangered Species List. The American Bald Eagle is AMERICA’S NATIONAL BIRD. The bald eagle is the only eagle unique to North America. About half of the world’s 70,000 bald eagles live in Alaska. Eagles are a member of the same family of birds which include hawks, kites & old-world vultures. They do very well in the northwest coast of North America because of the plentiful salmon. 9 10. QUILTING IN ALASKA Quilting in Alaska is a very popular, especially when the days are short & the nights are long. Quilting is a creative art form and brings color and art into the home. It brings people together to work on projects, teaching each other new techniques. Sometimes, a quilt has a story to share & one quilt is often made by several people. Alaskan quilt-makers are known for giving comfort by making quilts for the Red Cross, fire departments, hospitals, disaster victims and others. “The Quilt,” by award-winning children’s author, Gary Paulsen, is a book about a six-year-old child who found quiet and peace when he was sent to live with his grandmother in Minnesota. During his stay, he watched the women as they worked together on a quilt. “The room grew quiet and he looked at the women’s hands gently holding the edges of the quilt. …he knew he was seeing a sweet thing, like when his mother’s face was there looking down on him as he awakened from a nap, or when his grandmother looked at him when she held him.” 10 11. GOLD DISCOVERED IN ALASKA From the Iditarod Historic Trail VISITOR GUIDE, produced & designed by Alaska Geographic, under BLM Coordinator Kevin Keeler: “Nine months after the route (Seward to Nome Trail) was surveyed [1908], two prospectors made a ‘Christmas Day Strike’ in the Iditarod Mining District, and the last great rush was on. Between 1910 and 1912, 10,000 gold-seekers came to Alaska’s ‘Inland Empire’ and in the following years worked $30 million worth of gold from the ground.” FOOTNOTE: The largest gold nugget from Alaska was found near Ruby, Alaska in 1998. It weighed 294.10 Troy Ounces, i.e., worth then: $88,230. In the 2008 gold market, this same nugget would have been worth $249,995! Get more information online. Check to see what this nugget would be worth today. 11 12. Map of THE IDITAROD HISTORIC TRAIL The original mail route from Seward to Nome was 938 miles – by dog sled. This original Iditarod Historic Trail was used as late as the 1940s, when airplanes replaced the sled dog teams for delivering mail. The National Trails Act established the Iditarod National Historic Trail in 1978. Wildlife along the trail includes moose, caribou, brown bear, bison, wolf, dall sheep and many varieties of birds and smaller mammals. The Iditarod Historic Trail was very important during the gold rush days and was used to transport people, mining equipment, supplies and the gold. January 2008 marked the 100th anniversary of the start to open the route from Seward to Nome. It was first scouted in 1908 & completed by crews working in temperatures of -50F in 1910 and 1911. 12 13. THE 1925 SERUM RUN In the winter of 1925, the town of Nome was hit with diphtheria – a terrible disease – especially for the native Inuit children. They needed serum to save their lives! The Bering Sea was frozen for the winter, airplanes could not fly through the blizzard and no roads or railroads came anywhere close to Nome in 1925. The Serum was rushed by train from Anchorage to Nenana which was as far north as the railroad went in 1925! In Nenana, the serum was picked up by the first dog sled team. Twenty of Alaska’s best mushers took part in this pony express-type relay and carried the serum 674 miles from Nenana to Nome. The dog teams saved the day! It took the mushers & dog teams less than 5-1/2 days & the serum saved hundred of lives! Two of the most famous lead dogs in this Serum Race were “Togo” and “Balto.” 13 14. SERUM RUN DOG: “TOGO” “Togo” was a real champion Siberian Husky. He was small—but strong & brave & determined. Togo was one of the most famous lead dogs in the Serum Run. In this race, Togo pulled his team a total of 547 kilometers (km) -- (881 miles)! None of the other teams made more than 85 km (53 miles)! [convert kilometers into miles: 1.61 X miles = km] Togo was raised by Nome’s best Musher, Leonhard Seppala, & they won many races together.