One way to learn about the culture of the Athabascan Indians is to take a riverboat trip on the Chana River. The Discovery III is a sternwheeler and not only takes you for a pleasant trip down the river and back but also gives a glimpse into the heart of the people here in the North.
As soon as we stepped aboard, our guide began telling us about the history of the riverboat and the importance it had to Fairbanks and the surrounding area. These boats brought in everything needed to build and maintain the fledgling community and moved people, animals and goods all along the river. Today we would see and learn about bush pilots and how vital they were and are to the community. We would visit the kennels of the late Iditarod Champion, Susan Butcher and learn about mushing. Finally, we would visit a recreation of an Athabaskan Indian village and learn about subsistence living still practiced today.
This is a Piper Chieftain, one of the most popular planes for the bush pilots who takeoff and land on the rivers of the North. The bush pilots are so important that 1 in 60 citizens have a license to fly. The calm, shallow waters of the Chena River are ideal for these planes. Even in the winter when the river is frozen, they put on skies and continue to fly. Of course, there are other types of planes used up to an including large transport planes who carry heavy equipment up to the pipeline and remote villages as well. It was fun watching this one take off and land several times.
The Iditarod Race is an Alaskan tradition. For years, it was dominated by men who not only raised and trained dogs but also won the races. And then came Susan Butcher. At a relatively young age, she established her own kennel and began raising and training her own dogs. Not only did she race but she won the coveted Iditarod four times. Unfortunately, leukemia took her life at 52. Her husband and daughters continue to raise dogs and race them. This is here kennel on the Chena River. The dogs are trained from puppies to become a team.
One would think that the dogs would be big, muscular animals in order to pull the sleds. But no, they are not. The dogs are actually mix breeds including huskies and malamutes (and perhaps others). There are many qualities these dogs must possess but number one is the desire to run. In the first picture, they dogs who would run were being put into their harnesses. The dogs still in the kennel areas where barking and running about in excitement as they wanted to run as well. In summer, they use ATVs for the dogs to pull and boy did they ever.
They raced around a circuit pulling the load as if it had no weight at all. When they finished, they headed for the water to cool off and have a drink. These amazing animals were used by the native people to hunt and transport their belongings to support their nomadic lifestyle. These days, dogs are not used as much as in the past for pulling loads. The ski mobile is actually more economical to operate.
An example of a home on the river. While this one is large and modern, we saw all kinds of homes. Alaskans are individualistic. As long as their home adheres to safety and sanitation, anything goes. Many build their own home and it is often a work in progress for many years. We saw one-room houses and others such as this one. What a wonderful way to live.
Our first glimpse of an Athabaskan village. In the early years, the Indian people did not live in villages. They had to follow the wildlife for food so they lived a nomadic lifestyle. Over time they began to gather together into villages. This is an example of such a village.
Fishing is vital to their lifestyle. This contraption is a fish wheel. It operates using water power much like a mill wheel. It scoops up the fish and drops them into a chute which in turn drops them into a holding area. The fish are then harvested and processed depending on the fish type and the end use. I guess it sure beats a pole or spear.
These fish wheels are also used in conservation efforts because the fish can be caught, counted, tagged and released with little damage to the fish.
This young woman is demonstrating how the fish are processed. This salmon was of poorer quality and was not processed for human consumption. Instead, it is used to feed the dogs. She took a whole fish, filleted it and cut it into strips.
The strips where then hung on the drying rack in the sun before it is then placed in the smoke house you can see in the background. It is smoked and then stored. Food intended for human consumption is basically processed in the same manner. The big difference would be the type of fish and the wood used to smoke the fish.
This building is a cache where food is stored. The cache is built on stilts to protect the food from animals. It is vital to protect their processed food in order to survive the harsh winters when temperatures can be -40 degrees F and lower. They also would store fur pelts that would be used to make clothing and shoes.
In the early years, this would be the type of dwelling the Athabascans would use. The framework would be made from branches gathered and then covered with Caribou hides. There would be a hole in the top to allow smoke from their fires to escape. When they had to move, the hides would be folded and loaded into dog sleds while the branches would be left behind. I cannot imagine living and surviving the cold in such a dwelling.
When hunting parties went out, they would construct temporary dwellings such as this primitive structure. It is basically just an A-frame made from branches with evergreen or some other types of branches placed on top to keep out the rain. Hides would then be placed on the ground for sleeping. Not my kind of place for sure!
The homes were later constructed from logs. They were most often simple, one room structures. The roof would have a layer of bark covered by moss and then sod with grass growing on it to provide insulation. We have seen a number of buildings with grass of some sort growing on it. Some of them could use a lawn mower.
The Caribou was very important to the people as well. Not only did they provide meat but their hides were used in clothing and their structures. For the Indians, nothing is wasted and every part of any animal is utilized for something. They also have great respect for the animals and plants they harvest. They give thanks and show respect at every phase of taking and processing food.
Furs and hides were processed by the village women. They spend a great deal of time preparing them to be sewn together for garments. They embellished the garments with bead work and by adding small pelts to create a unique design.
This is an example of a parka. The body is made from different types of furs pieced together to give the pattern and then bead work is done on the fur. The head piece has a circle of Wolverine fur. This fur has a high oil content which makes it water proof and quite warm.
The back side is equally ornate. The young lady told us this parka is valued at $22,000! She also said, "we take cash or credit card". LOL
At the end of the tour, we came away with a greater understanding of how tough the life style has been for the native Alaskans. It is also interesting to know that there is a difference between Eskimos and Indians. The Eskimos always lived in permanent places and are only found in the far North like Point Barrow and the remote northern islands. The Indians like the Athabascans were nomadic and lived in what is referred to as the Interior. They are not particularly social to each other we were told. Seems like people will be people even in this beautiful wilderness. In any case, they have survived in this harsh environment for a very long time and hold true to their way of life. Young people come to Fairbanks to go to a special trade high school and even attend the University of Alaska. When they finish, they usually return to the village where they live their lives in the community where their families have lived for generations. We saw a very similar culture in Utah at Monument Valley. The Indians live in the valley without running water or electricity in the ways of their people. They do not want to live any other place or any other way. Not a bad way of life.
No comments:
Post a Comment