Hey everyone,
Firstly I%26#39;d just like to say that I have spent a LOT of time reading and researching on this forum and the internet in general : ) So happy that there are great people out there who love sharing some of their insight when traveling Alaska. It%26#39;s very helpful for someone like me - who is on the other side of the world.
Ok, I am after advice/helpful tips for my holiday next year. I%26#39;m the %26#39;researcher/planner%26#39; of a holiday with my best mate and my mum. We are also visiting family in Maryland and LA so it%26#39;s gonna be a busy holiday for us. Alaska is part of our travel dream - so we are finally going to make that dream a reality.
As an Indigenous woman I%26#39;d prefer more cultural sites, information, destinations to pay respect and support the Native Alaskans and learn more about their traditions. Both my mate and mum are animal and water lovers (but not very active). Anyhow some more details .... none of us can drive so obviously we%26#39;d prefer train, ferry, coach or van as a means of transport and sightseeing. I know that after 5 September the trains get a bit cheaper - anything else (transport related...or other)?
Plan is 1.5-2 weeks starting and ending in Anchorage. Is triple share accommodation easy to find – any recommendations? Definitely want to see Denali, Fairbanks and Kenai (if possible) I hear there is a bus/train ride directly between parks (bus I think). Ohh and we will definitely be checking out the Native Heritage Centre in Anchorage ... we all want to go on a glacier cruise, see the ice museum in Fairbanks, experience dog sledding (obviously only on wheels at that time of the year), eat some great food (not seafood though .. oops), are praying for a miracle to see glimpses of the Northern Lights (unlikely) and whatever else seems interesting and quirky that we find or hear about.
I%26#39;ve also been doing a lot of my research at this site http://www.alaskatravel.com/index.html
Has anyone ever used them before for booking tours? There prices are much more reasonable than anything else I have seen :) Sorry for the lengthy post, am quite excited about the planning prospects … can’t ya tell? haha!
Aug/Sept 07 independent travels
Yes, don%26#39;t miss the Native Heritage Center in Anchorage.
I am sorry you don%26#39;t drive, I was going to recommend renting a small motor home for fliexibility. Accommodations in Alaska are not necessarily in places you want to visit.....but the Alaska experts here can help you figure out transportation. I believe the Native Heritage Center is accessible by city bus from Anchorage, although it is located on the outskirts.
For a glacier cruise I would recommend Kenai Fjords out of Seward.
You can do the dog sled thing when you are at Denali. The dogs are wonderful. If you ca, try to make it two weeks, not just 1.5. Alaska is very large in area. We were there for three weeks and did not get to Fairbanks. If you could choose between that and Homer, I would do that.
Good luck with your planning and I wish you a wonderful trip.
Aug/Sept 07 independent travels
I highly recommend taking the train to Seward. No need for a vehicle here and there is lots to do. I%26#39;d be happy to help you with ideas/planning.
Puter - we definitely have Kenai Fjords in our sites : ) Will check out the dogs at Denali (Coalminer has recommended that to others as well), soo will do that to!
glacierlady - we don%26#39;t drive anyhow so we were planning take the train to Seward. Will probably fly to Fairbanks first (pending overall costs) and do a one way trip to Anchorage, then make our way down to your neck of the woods : ) Would love any ideas you can share with me. Will probably be there for 2-3 days and will be winding down our holiday by then. Like I said before I am into indigenous culture, my mate %26amp; mum love animals and we all love flea markets/shopping, eating (haha) and quirky unique stuff to check out. All ideas welcome. Thanks again.
JO
Even though your travel companions are not very active please do get out and enjoy Alaska outdoors, not just from a train or tour bus window. How much walking are they willing to do? There are plenty of easy hour or two hour hikes you can do to experience Alaska. And it really needs to be experienced, not just seen.
We were in Alaska for the first time for 2 weeks this August. Although exploring Native Alaskan culture was not a top priority for us it was an interesting item on our list. I was disappointed that we didn%26#39;t really see any of it besides at the Native Heritage Center. It%26#39;s just not out there ready for everyone to see. It needs to be searched for and from what I understand you need to fly to one of the native villages to really see it, for which we didn%26#39;t have time. Depending on how important seeing Native Alaskan culture is to you I think you should explore the option of flying into some village. Or look into visiting Eklutna, near Anchorage - http://www.eklutna-nsn.gov/Tours.htm. I think you should try to communicate with some of the Native Alaskans and ask them for suggestions for you. Also, we didn%26#39;t go to the Southeast but from what I read there might be more native sites in that part of Alaska. You would need to fly to Juneau though and maybe take the ferry around the area there. It is possible to split up your time between the Southeast and the area around Anchorage. I did a quick web search and came up with some sites you might find interesting:
www.fairbanksnative.org
http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/
http://sled.alaska.edu/native.html
http://www.fairbanksarts.org/affiliates.html
www.explorefairbanks.com/Features/index.cfm…
World Eskimo Indian Olympics - http://www.weio.org/page7.html
The Native Heritage Center in Anchorage wasn%26#39;t really what I expected. It%26#39;s not a museum and it seems tourists visiting it is an extra activity for them. Their mission seems to be to teach the Native culture to the Native Alaskan teenagers who are growing up in the modern cities and loosing the culture of their ancestors. It%26#39;s a great cause, but the Center seems fake as a tourist site. It%26#39;s new and inexperienced. The teenagers perform native dances that they were recently taught. They look unsure of their dance routines and don%26#39;t show the soul of the dance as I would imagine their ancestors did. They also show some events from the Olympics, again that they just learned, without any enthusiasm. Besides the demonstrations the Center shows movies about native cultures, has a small exhibit area, native crafts people doing their crafts for sale, and outdoor village sites. One of the craftsmen had a display of his beautiful paintings on animal skins. I asked him what he used for the different colors. I expected to hear a story of how people from his culture made colors for their paintings from different natural materials. Instead he showed me the different color ink pens. How indigenous is that? The village sites outside are basically different kinds of huts representing different native cultures. They were interesting to see but having heaters and metal doors was a big reminder that they were fake. Why couldn%26#39;t they be more realistic? The teenagers were in the huts. Each went through their learned speech (with no enthusiasm whatsoever) telling about the particular culture. When people asked questions about the materials used or about the items they had on display they either didn%26#39;t know the answers or answered in a very unsured way. For the entrance fee of $23 I think the Center needs to do a lot more training for the teenagers that get to represent Native Alaskan cultures to the tourists. And they need to be trained to act, dance, and speak with enthusiasm about their culture and not seem bored basically spending their summer vacation at the Center. I felt more excited to learn about their culture then they were about teaching it to me. And I realized that their culture has been modernized and is not what we as tourists expect.
We also went to the ice museum in Fairbanks and it was the biggest disappointment of our vacation. The people working there are so used to tour groups that they don%26#39;t show any appreciation or enthusiasm for their customers. The visit is done in 3 parts - a 25 minute movie about ice carving, a viewing of the ice sculptures in the 3 freezers (you can view through the windows or walk through the freezers and take photos in them), and a carving demonstration that you watch through the window of another freezer. The sculptures on display were very rough, with no fine detail that I have seen in ice sculptures elsewhere. The carver who walked us through the freezers and then did the carving for the demonstration seemed totally bored with his job, acting like it was just something he had to do and we were inconveniencing him by taking his time.
You might be interested in visiting the University of Alaska Museum of the North in Fairbanks. It looks huge from the outside but the exhibit rooms are small inside - one shows the history of Alaska and the others Alaskan art - www.uaf.edu/museum/index.html
Buying real native crafts is expensive but there is an interesting variety to choose from. There are also plenty of tourist souvenir shops. Actually, we got some nice souvenirs from Walmart in Anchorage and Fred Meyers supermarket in Fairbanks - the same souvenirs as in the small shops but cheaper, and in one of the stores across the harbor in Seward. If you are interested in buying Russian crafts some are also found in many stores. There was one store in particular that amazed me. It sells only Russian items and a huge variety of them, a lot more than other stores. It%26#39;s in Seward, on the main street that goes up from the SeaLife Center, on the right side.
Travel 1000,
It is a shame your experience at the Native Heritage Center was so disappointing. It is a great place and in a few short years of existence it has become a vital, living part of the Anchorage native community. It is not just a museum but a local center for their cultural activities and revitalization of their cultures for those living in our urban environment.
I have lived and worked in a number of villages, both Indian and Eskimo, and the Native Cultural center is the closest you can come to that atmosphere without actually going to a village. The dances and the presentations are often not professional and do not have the Hollywood glitter we are accustomed to in America because they are real. Did you note the old people, the adults, teens and young children participating in the dances, the tour leading and the activities? The villages are populated by a mix of all age groups and skill levels, and the elders teach the young by example, by having them participate. That is what you witnessed at the Museum. You witnessed the living culture, not a Hollywood idealized version.
In the villages I have had a chance to attend dances, potlatches and a variety of functions as well as enjoy a spontaneous demonstration of young boys showing off their practiced skills for the Eskimo-Indian Olympics. At the dances and the games there were all generations represented and participating, and the most notable thing was the love, expressed through respect for elders or patience in teaching and including the young in dances and traditions. Perfection gave way to inclusion. That is something I would have to think long and hard to come up with a similar experience in the white world, other than in immediate family.
I see the “NY” in your signature for New York. On occasion I have seen white people (with New Yorkers as a prime example) come in with our normal ‘hurry-hurry, push-push’ aggressive attitude. In my experience this does not mesh well with the native cultures. We dare not forget that we are leaving our everyday white man culture and entering the everyday native culture, and just like going to Italy, Germany or Nepal, we must anticipate that the natives do not share our approach, our perspectives and even all of our values, much less our ways of expressing ourselves. A question expressed in a hurried or demanding way will elicit quite a different response than the same question expressed in a conversational tone and with respect. One builds a wall, the other opens doors to further discussion.
There are changes I would like to see to the Heritage center. I would like to see a whale-rib %26amp; walrus skin igloo built for tourists to visit. I would like to see home furnishings within the houses they built, but then these would have to be placed behind Plexiglas to prevent theft by tourists. The steel doors you witnessed are probably evidence of some trouble, reflective or our society, with vandalism. To address another of your concerns, the natives are a part of our modern society, and they are representing their culture as it is today, with the traditions of yesterday. They even talk to you in English, though you can enjoy some variety in accents and choices of words depending upon the individual’s background.
The Native heritage Museum is a living museum and highest on my list of recommendations for anyone interested in Alaska Natives.
cosmic gin,
You present some interesting problems with the desire to learn %26amp; experience native cultures and not being a driver.... that severely limits your access!
You have received some good advice and information links from Travel1000 and others, and I will add a few comments here as well. Unfortunately we don’t seem to have too much participation by natives on this forum, but then they are out earning a living and supporting families. It is often us immigrants to the state that bubble over with enthusiasm for our discoveries. Even our newly elected governor, a lifelong Alaskan, refused to comment on one aspect of native life, as she said she was not familiar enough with it. As I stated before, I have been out in the bush a fair amount and have been up here Since 71.
Some things to consider: come prepared with some outer sign of your native heritage, be it a necklace, a vest or shawl or other traditional symbol of your people that you might consider wearing on occasion. It will hopefully spark comment and discussion that you can lead into your areas of interest with Alaska natives you meet. Be ready to share aspects of your culture as you hope others to share theirs with you. You will be as exotic to them as they are to you. I recommend taking the initiative in greeting and initiating friendly conversation without being pushy. Depending upon the individual and circumstances, you will have varying degrees of success. When you do go to the Native Heritage center, do not go for a few hours as most tourists go. Be prepared to spend the greatest part of the day, and make it a social visit as much as possible. You may well get more leads and perhaps invitations if there are other native activities occurring. They do advertise that there is a free summer shuttle, and summer runs Mid May to Mid September, 9 – 5, according to their add.
There are native churches of various denominations, but one large community is the Russian Orthodox Church in Anchorage, which by some reports is 70% native, primarily Aleut %26amp; Alutiq. There are Russian orthodox churches and cemeteries at Eklutna (just 20 miles north of Anchorage) and at Kenai. As others have stated, finding native places and activities is difficult because it is most often not advertised or commercialized for tourism. I do recommend you also stop at the Native Hospital on Tudor Road. This is a relatively new facility and is built to evoke a sense of community so as not to intimidate natives who have to come from a small village to the big city. Often family members also come and housing facilities are nearby to accommodate family. Perhaps you can plan on a light meal in their cafeteria and walk the halls a bit to take in the superb examples of native art. Again, take your time. Care is evidently good, as a co-worker needed a serious operation had had his choice of the local military hospital or the native hospital, both free for him, and he chose the native hospital. A part of the resurgence of native cultures is a rebound of old time, pre-Christian spirituality. Where some missionaries forbad some old dances and songs, people today see no conflict and are reconstruction some old spiritual foundations.
If you find yourself off in the Glennallen area you will be in the Ahtna area and should investigate local activities as well. Driving up to Denali, the Tesoro gas station at the intersection of the Parks and Denali Highways is native owned, and some years they have native crafts for sale. That is at highway mile 209, so it is some distance from the Park.
For shopping in Anchorage a lot of tourists really like the Saturday Market in downtown for the variety of small businesses and vendors that are concentrated in a small area.
As already pointed out, the cheapest common souvenirs are often at the grocery store and Fred Meyers. For authentic native handcrafts, look for the “Silver Hand” Logo that is often attached to a work to show it is native made. Be careful not to confuse that with two other, similar tags or stickers. One is a polar bear, I believe that signifies “made in Alaska”, and perhaps a third that a tourist trap may stick on to confuse the tourist and signify “made in China to be sold in Alaska”.
These may be repeats, as I cannot see the full list of postings: www.alaskanative.net www.anchoragemarkets.com
It is tempting to recommend you start a new topic with a catchy heading specifically for Native Culture, and include a safe email address (create one at Yahoo or Hotmail for this purpose) so people can contact you privately. You may well get information privately that people are not willing to broadcast on the public part of this forum.
Best of luck, and come with a positive attitude, and it is hard to imagine going away disappointed!
71
Hello there! Been fun reading these posts . . . I appreciate what Since 71 shared about Alaskan natives . . . I also think the perception of not excited/enthusiastic is also due to their quieter nature . . .you just have to watch the eyes to see excitement in many people in the North country. :)
Well, while many of us are use to our independent vehicle usage, I think you can do/see what you want to - it%26#39;ll only be limiting in some aspects. You can take the train to the main tourist destinations, and if you really want to experience some native culture and can afford it, fly to a larger bush community and see some things first hand. It%26#39;ll be unlike anything you imagined.
As far as dog sledding goes, besides the Parks doggie demo, you may wish to go see Ramy Brooks or Jeff Kings dogs - they both offer tours during the summer. They both run the Iditarod during the winter - you may enjoy that as well.
Coming later in the season, it will be getting dark and night, and you may get to see the elusive Northern lights - you never know! :)
Without a vehicle, you may need to stay closer to Denali Park - though I believe there are a few hotels/cabins that offer shuttle service to the Park entrance . . . that might help you out. I should check and see - Healy use to have a business called Caribou cab that provided van transport btw Healy and the Park, as there are many more lodging opportunities here in Healy.
Best of luck on your planning - sounds like a great adventure! While you are in the LA area, head out to the desert - that will be a very unique experience for you as well. :)
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