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109-453: The annual Canoe Journey is a gathering of canoe cultures from Indigenous Nations from the coasts of Alaska , British Columbia , Oregon and Washington . It first took place in 1989 as part of Washington's Centennial celebration, and has since attracted participants from other Pacific Rim Indigenous canoe cultures, such as Ainu, Hawai'ian and Maori. The Canoe Journey emerged after years of government oppression of Indigenous cultures and sparked

218-453: A moment magnitude of 9.2 (more than a thousand times as powerful as the 1989 San Francisco earthquake ). The time of day (5:36 pm), time of year (spring) and location of the epicenter were all cited as factors in potentially sparing thousands of lives, particularly in Anchorage. Alaska suffered a more severe megathrust earthquake on July 11, 1585, estimated at magnitude 9.25, which remains

327-409: A territory on May 11, 1912. It was admitted as the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959. Abundant natural resources have enabled Alaska— with one of the smallest state economies—to have one of the highest per capita incomes , with commercial fishing , and the extraction of natural gas and oil, dominating Alaska's economy . U.S. Armed Forces bases and tourism also contribute to

436-399: A convoy to Valdez. On the advice of military and civilian leaders, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared all of Alaska a major disaster area the day after the quake. The U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard deployed ships to isolated coastal communities to assist with immediate needs. Bad weather and poor visibility hampered air rescue and observation efforts the day after the quake, but on Sunday

545-462: A longer coastline than all the other U.S. states combined. At 663,268 square miles (1,717,856 km ) in total area, Alaska is by far the largest state in the United States. Alaska is more than twice the size of the second-largest U.S. state (Texas), and it is larger than the next three largest states (Texas, California, and Montana) combined. Alaska is the seventh largest subnational division in

654-797: A massive underwater landslide, resulting in the deaths of 32 people between the collapse of the Valdez city harbor and docks, and inside the ship that was docked there at the time. Nearby, a 27-foot (8.2 m) tsunami destroyed the village of Chenega , killing 23 of the 68 people who lived there; survivors out-ran the wave, climbing to high ground. Post-quake tsunamis severely affected Whittier , Seward , Kodiak, and other Alaskan communities, as well as people and property in British Columbia, Washington , Oregon , and California . Tsunamis also caused damage in Hawaii and Japan . Evidence of motion directly related to

763-604: A per capita basis, the Snuneymuxw land base was the smallest reserve land base in British Columbia. In January 2013, two reserves at Nanaimo River were amalgamated into the third, and are now part of what is called the Nanaimo River Reserve. (See further information below.) The small size and odd shapes and locations of these reserves are visible on the interactive map provided by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada . Reserve 1, consisting of several city blocks,

872-645: A population that was genetically separate from other native groups present elsewhere in the New World at the end of the Pleistocene . Ben Potter, the University of Alaska Fairbanks archaeologist who unearthed the remains at the Upward Sun River site in 2013, named this new group Ancient Beringian . The Tlingit people developed a society with a matrilineal kinship system of property inheritance and descent in what

981-454: A renewal of traditional travel upon ancestral waters, canoe carving, sharing cultural protocols, and passing on cultural teachings to young people. The Canoe Journeys for 2020 and 2021 were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic . Many families and teams travel in canoes featuring art and names reflective of their place of origin, and they wear traditional regalia for celebrations which feature

1090-670: A search and to identify possible unmarked graves in and around the former grounds of the hospital. Snuneymuxw Territory on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island , the Gulf Islands , and the Fraser River in the British Columbia was in the centre of Coast Salish territory. The band's traditional territory covers 980 km (380 sq mi). They share 1,040 km (400 sq mi) of non-exclusive traditional territory with other First Nations of Canada. In March 2013

1199-633: A total of 50 Aleut civilians and eight sailors were interned in Japan. About half of the Aleuts died during the period of internment. Unalaska / Dutch Harbor and Adak became significant bases for the United States Army , United States Army Air Forces and United States Navy. The United States Lend-Lease program involved flying American warplanes through Canada to Fairbanks and then Nome ; Soviet pilots took possession of these aircraft, ferrying them to fight

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1308-652: Is 648. The band's population is 1,973, and 70 percent of Snuneymuxw people live off-reserve. According to their official website, the SFN "are one of the few First Nations in BC that has a pre-confederation treaty with the Crown." The Snuneymuxw have treaty rights pursuant to the Treaty of 1854, one of the Douglas Treaties . This was confirmed by the landmark R. v. White and Bob litigation of

1417-602: Is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America . Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii . Alaska is also considered to be the northernmost, westernmost, and easternmost (the Aleutian Islands cross the 180th meridian into the eastern hemisphere) state in the United States. It borders the Canadian territory of Yukon and

1526-549: Is a heightened level of mistrust distrust "among aboriginal peoples toward government at both the federal and provincial levels." In 1992, the Snuneymuxw First Nation filed the Thlap’qwum Specific Claim related to the loss of their 32-hectare reserve in downtown Nanaimo , saying that it was illegally taken by the crown in the 1880s. The claim was accepted by the Crown as valid in 2003. After negotiations,

1635-544: Is a really critical need for our people for safe drinking water – for an effective, efficient supply of water... White said one reason so much of the reserve remains undeveloped is due to a lack of water and sewage infrastructure. The city and First Nation established an innovative mentoring program to expand the benefits of the new water system. In November 2012 SFN workers began job shadowing City of Nanaimo CUPE Local 401 water crews members to learn foundational skills in maintaining quality water systems. CUPE's long-term goal

1744-787: Is based on the testimony of Chukchi geographer Nikolai Daurkin, who had visited Alaska in 1764–1765 and who had reported on a village on the Kheuveren River, populated by "bearded men" who "pray to the icons ". Some modern researchers associate Kheuveren with Koyuk River . The first European vessel to reach Alaska is generally held to be the St. Gabriel under the authority of the surveyor M. S. Gvozdev and assistant navigator I. Fyodorov on August 21, 1732, during an expedition of Siberian Cossack A. F. Shestakov and Russian explorer Dmitry Pavlutsky (1729–1735). Another European contact with Alaska occurred in 1741, when Vitus Bering led an expedition for

1853-559: Is between a railroad track and the main highway that goes through Nanaimo. Three reserves were along the Nanaimo River: Reserve 2 on the east bank, and Reserves 3 and 4 on the west bank. The river and river banks are not reserve land. All three of these parcels are on the estuary and appear to be in a flood zone. These small reserves are bounded by the main Island Highway, Duke Point Highway and Cedar Road. Although surrounded by

1962-843: Is bordered by Canada's Yukon and British Columbia to the east (making it the only state to border only a Canadian territory ); the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean to the south and southwest; the Bering Sea , Bering Strait , and Chukchi Sea to the west; and the Arctic Ocean to the north. Alaska's territorial waters touch Russia's territorial waters in the Bering Strait, as the Russian Big Diomede Island and Alaskan Little Diomede Island are only 3 miles (4.8 km) apart. Alaska has

2071-479: Is divided into boroughs . Delegates to the Alaska Constitutional Convention wanted to avoid the pitfalls of the traditional county system and adopted their own unique model. Many of the more densely populated parts of the state are part of Alaska's 16 boroughs, which function somewhat similarly to counties in other states. Unlike county-equivalents in the other states, the boroughs do not cover

2180-628: Is family-friendly, and drug- and alcohol-free. In 2009, the Suquamish Tribe hosted the 20th anniversary Canoe Journey in their new House of Awakened Culture . They had more than 6,000 guests and 84 canoes landed on Suquamish's shores. On February 6th, 2024, Ahousaht chiefs and council announced they could not host the Canoe Journey as planned, citing concerns that the annual event had grown too large for their small community to safely accommodate, and saying they had not been properly consulted before

2289-554: Is home to Mount Shishaldin , which is an occasionally smoldering volcano that rises to 10,000 feet (3,000 m) above the North Pacific. The chain of volcanoes extends to Mount Spurr , west of Anchorage on the mainland. Geologists have identified Alaska as part of Wrangellia , a large region consisting of multiple states and Canadian provinces in the Pacific Northwest , which is actively undergoing continent building . One of

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2398-614: Is known for its massive reserves of crude oil and contains both the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska and the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field . The city of Utqiaġvik , formerly known as Barrow, is the northernmost city in the United States and is located here. The Northwest Arctic area , anchored by Kotzebue and also containing the Kobuk River valley, is often considered part of this region. The respective Inupiat of

2507-451: Is maintained by the Office of History and Archaeology. The survey's inventory of cultural resources includes objects, structures, buildings, sites, districts, and travel ways, with a general provision that they are more than fifty years old. As of 31 January 2012 , more than 35,000 sites have been reported. Alaska is not divided into counties , as most of the other U.S. states, but it

2616-506: Is now Southeast Alaska , became the capital of Russian America . It remained the capital after the colony was transferred to the United States. The Russians never fully colonized Alaska, and the colony was never very profitable. Evidence of Russian settlement in names and churches survives throughout southeastern Alaska. In 1867, William H. Seward , the United States Secretary of State under President Andrew Johnson , negotiated

2725-605: Is owned and managed by the U.S. federal government as public lands, including a multitude of national forests , national parks, and national wildlife refuges . Of these, the Bureau of Land Management manages 87 million acres (35 million hectares), or 23.8% of the state. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service . It is the world's largest wildlife refuge, comprising 16 million acres (6.5 million hectares). Of

2834-519: Is proportionally the second highest of any U.S. state, at over 15 percent, after only Hawaii. The name "Alaska" ( Russian : Аля́ска , romanized :  Aljáska ) was introduced during the Russian colonial period when it was used to refer to the Alaska Peninsula . It was derived from an Aleut-language idiom , alaxsxaq , meaning "the mainland" or, more literally, "the object towards which

2943-501: Is rare to find an undisturbed Snuneymuxw burial site in the Nanaimo area. She said while Snuneymuxw remains have been uncovered at other sites, including the Foundry site downtown [in 2006], they have mostly been disturbed by development activities in the past. Remains are known to have been scattered over large areas as a result. The site of the former Moby Dick Hotel, 1000 Stewart Ave, Nanaimo,

3052-565: Is technically part of the continental U.S. , but is not usually included in the colloquial use of the term; Alaska is not part of the contiguous U.S. , often called " the Lower 48 ". The capital city, Juneau , is situated on the mainland of the North American continent but is not connected by road to the rest of the North American highway system. The largest lake in Alaska is Lake Illiamna . The state

3161-594: Is the largest glacier in North America, covering 2,008 square miles (5,200 km ) alone. There are no officially defined borders demarcating the various regions of Alaska, but there are five/six regions that the state is most commonly broken up into: The most populous region of Alaska contains Anchorage , the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and the Kenai Peninsula . Rural, mostly unpopulated areas south of

3270-576: Is the northernmost and westernmost state in the United States, but also has the most easterly longitude in the United States because the Aleutian Islands extend into the Eastern Hemisphere . Alaska is the only non- contiguous U.S. state on continental North America; about 500 miles (800 km) of Canadian territory consisting of British Columbia (in Canada ) separates Alaska from Washington . It

3379-501: Is to expand this pilot project to First Nations communities across Vancouver Island. According to Blaine Gurrie, CUPE Local 401 President and member of the Vancouver Island Water Watch Coalition, CUPE is working to assist SFN employees in the following ways: become familiar with the hands on day-to-day work involved in a municipality's regular water distribution maintenance programs including emergency repairs and

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3488-601: Is today Southeast Alaska, along with parts of British Columbia and the Yukon . Also in Southeast were the Haida , now well known for their unique arts. The Tsimshian people came to Alaska from British Columbia in 1887, when President Grover Cleveland , and later the U.S. Congress, granted them permission to settle on Annette Island and found the town of Metlakatla, Alaska . All three of these peoples, as well as other indigenous peoples of

3597-622: The Exxon Valdez hit a reef in the Prince William Sound, spilling more than 11 million gallons (42 megalitres) of crude oil over 1,100 miles (1,800 km) of coastline. Today, the battle between philosophies of development and conservation is seen in the contentious debate over oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the proposed Pebble Mine . Located at the northwest corner of North America , Alaska

3706-573: The Alaska Peninsula are considered part of the Southwest, with the Aleutian Islands often (but not always) being grouped in as well. While primarily part of Southwest Alaska when grouped economically, the Aleutian islands are sometimes recognized as an alternate group from the rest of the region due to the geographic separation from the continent. More than 300 small volcanic islands make up this chain, which stretches more than 1,200 miles (1,900 km) into

3815-727: The Alaska Purchase (referred to pejoratively as Seward's Folly) with the Russians for $ 7.2 million. Russia's contemporary ruler Tsar Alexander II , the Emperor of the Russian Empire , King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland , also planned the sale; the purchase was made on March 30, 1867. Six months later the commissioners arrived in Sitka and the formal transfer was arranged; the formal flag-raising took place at Fort Sitka on October 18, 1867. In

3924-612: The Alaska Purchase . The region is dominated by the Alexander Archipelago as well as the Tongass National Forest , the largest national forest in the United States. It contains the state capital Juneau , the former capital Sitka , and Ketchikan , at one time Alaska's largest city. The Alaska Marine Highway provides a vital surface transportation link throughout the area and country, as only three communities ( Haines , Hyder and Skagway ) enjoy direct connections to

4033-641: The Alaska Range and west of the Wrangell Mountains also fall within the definition of South Central, as do the Prince William Sound area and the communities of Cordova and Valdez . Also referred to as the Panhandle or Inside Passage , this is the region of Alaska closest to the contiguous states. As such, this was where most of the initial non-indigenous settlement occurred in the years following

4142-577: The Bering land bridge . The Russian Empire was the first to actively colonize the area beginning in the 18th century, eventually establishing Russian America , which spanned most of the current state and promoted and maintained a native Alaskan Creole population. The expense and logistical difficulty of maintaining this distant possession prompted its sale to the U.S. in 1867 for US$ 7.2 million (equivalent to $ 157 million in 2023). The area went through several administrative changes before becoming organized as

4251-639: The National Wildlife Refuge system , parts of 25 rivers to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system , 3.3 million acres (13,000 km ) to National Forest lands , and 43.6 million acres (176,000 km ) to National Park land . Because of the Act, Alaska now contains two-thirds of all American national parklands. Today, more than half of Alaskan land is owned by the Federal Government . In 1989,

4360-586: The Penelakut First Nation , carver Tom LaFortune, and educator Michele Mundy started a GoFundMe campaign to help First Nations on Vancouver Island conduct their own research around sites of former residential school and the Indian hospital. They will use current technology that does not disturb the ground. On 15 September 2021, the group gave Snuneymuxw First Nation CA$ 77,000 , to help the First Nation conduct

4469-602: The province of British Columbia to the east. It shares a western maritime border, in the Bering Strait , with Russia's Chukotka Autonomous Okrug . The Chukchi and Beaufort Seas of the Arctic Ocean lie to the north, and the Pacific Ocean lies to the south. Technically, it is a semi-exclave of the U.S., and is the largest exclave in the world. Alaska is the largest U.S. state by area, comprising more total area than

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4578-418: The public record in Alaska. The state is divided into 34 recording districts which are centrally administered under a state recorder . All recording districts use the same acceptance criteria, fee schedule, etc., for accepting documents into the public record. Whereas many U.S. states use a three-tiered system of decentralization—state/county/township—most of Alaska uses only two tiers—state/borough. Owing to

4687-465: The 29th the situation improved and rescue helicopters and observation aircraft were deployed. A military airlift immediately began shipping relief supplies to Alaska, eventually delivering 2,570,000 pounds (1,170,000 kg) of food and other supplies. Broadcast journalist, Genie Chance , assisted in recovery and relief efforts, staying on the KENI air waves over Anchorage for more than 24 continuous hours as

4796-656: The Alaska Division of Emergency Services to respond to any future disasters. The 1968 discovery of oil at Prudhoe Bay and the 1977 completion of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System led to an oil boom. Royalty revenues from oil have funded large state budgets from 1980 onward. Oil production was not the only economic value of Alaska's land. In the second half of the 20th century, Alaska discovered tourism as an important source of revenue. Tourism became popular after World War II when military personnel stationed in

4905-536: The Americas and the creation of Indian reserves in the nineteenth century, this people occupied a wide region of south-central Vancouver Island, where they had lived for more than 5,000 years. Snuneymuxw Territory extended to the Gulf Islands , and the Fraser River in the British Columbia ; it was in the centre of Coast Salish territory. Their language is Hul’qumi’num . The Snuneymuxw First Nation operates Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park . The SFN speak

5014-661: The German invasion of the Soviet Union . The construction of military bases contributed to the population growth of some Alaskan cities. Statehood for Alaska was an important cause of James Wickersham early in his tenure as a congressional delegate. Decades later, the statehood movement gained its first real momentum following a territorial referendum in 1946. The Alaska Statehood Committee and Alaska's Constitutional Convention would soon follow. Statehood supporters also found themselves fighting major battles against political foes, mostly in

5123-452: The Hul'q'umi'num dialect of Hul’q’umi’num’ , Halq'eméylem, hən̓q̓əmin̓əm. This is a Coast Salish language , part of the Salishan language family . According to the Snuneymuxw First Nation Language Needs Assessment report of January 2009, published by the First Peoples' Heritage Language & Culture Council (FPHLCC), of a total population of 1560 (with 550 on reserve and 1010 off-reserve), there were 25 people who spoke and understood

5232-431: The Indigenous peoples of the state were represented in the celebration. This event became known as the "Paddle to Seattle." That year, the state and Indigenous governments signed the Centennial Accord, recognizing Indigenous sovereignty. Fifteen Native Nations participated in the Paddle to Seattle; the event has grown to more than 100 canoes. Each year, a different Native Nation hosts the event, providing food and lodging to

5341-407: The North Slope and of the Northwest Arctic seldom consider themselves to be one people. Southwest Alaska is a sparsely inhabited region stretching some 500 miles (800 km) inland from the Bering Sea. Most of the population lives along the coast. Kodiak Island is also located in the Southwest. The massive Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta , one of the largest river deltas in the world, is here. Portions of

5450-507: The Pacific Northwest Coast , experienced smallpox outbreaks from the late 18th through the mid- 19th century , with the most devastating epidemics occurring in the 1830s and 1860s, resulting in high fatalities and social disruption. Some researchers believe the first Russian settlement in Alaska was established in the 17th century. According to this hypothesis, in 1648 several koches of Semyon Dezhnyov 's expedition came ashore in Alaska by storm and founded this settlement. This hypothesis

5559-415: The Pacific Northwest. In 1789, a Spanish settlement and fort were built in Nootka Sound . These expeditions gave names to places such as Valdez , Bucareli Sound , and Cordova . Later, the Russian-American Company carried out an expanded colonization program during the early-to-mid-19th century. Sitka , renamed New Archangel from 1804 to 1867, on Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago in what

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5668-439: The Pacific Ocean. Some of these islands fall in the Eastern Hemisphere, but the International Date Line was drawn west of 180° to keep the whole state, and thus the entire North American continent, within the same legal day. Two of the islands, Attu and Kiska , were occupied by Japanese forces during World War II. According to an October 1998 report by the United States Bureau of Land Management , approximately 65% of Alaska

5777-401: The Russian Navy aboard the St. Peter . After his crew returned to Russia with sea otter pelts judged to be the finest fur in the world, small associations of fur traders began to sail from the shores of Siberia toward the Aleutian Islands. The first permanent European settlement was founded in 1784. Between 1774 and 1800, Spain sent several expeditions to Alaska to assert its claim over

5886-420: The SFN. According to the AANRC Profiles, the Snuneymuxw First Nation, band number 648 had six very small reserves as of 2012. Before the March 2013 reconciliation addition, the Snuneymuxw total reserve land base had consisted of 266 hectares, with the community historically divided into four small, numbered reserves on the shores of Nanaimo Harbour and Nanaimo River, and two tiny reserves at Gabriola Island. On

5995-422: The Snuneymuxw First Nation received an additional 877 hectares of land, consisting of three parcels in the Mount Benson area, as part of a reconciliation agreement with the government. Ida Chong, B.C. aboriginal relations and reconciliation minister, announced at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre that the land was "intended to provide forestry-related economic opportunities to generate revenue and employment" for

6104-422: The Snuneymuxw had a winter village and burial site in present-day Departure Bay dating to about 3,500 year BP. In 2007 the remains of about 15 individuals were uncovered at the construction site of a future condo development owned by developer Bruce McLay. Madrone Environmental Services from Duncan, BC conducted an archaeological excavation of the site. Eventually remains of more than 80 people were uncovered. When

6213-436: The U.S. Congress but also within Alaska. Statehood was approved by the U.S. Congress on July 7, 1958; Alaska was officially proclaimed a state on January 3, 1959. On March 27, 1964, the massive Good Friday earthquake killed 133 people and destroyed several villages and portions of large coastal communities, mainly by the resultant tsunamis and landslides. It was the fourth-most-powerful earthquake in recorded history, with

6322-446: The action of the sea is directed". Numerous indigenous peoples occupied Alaska for thousands of years before the arrival of European peoples to the area. Linguistic and DNA studies done here have provided evidence for the settlement of North America by way of the Bering land bridge . At the Upward Sun River site in the Tanana Valley in Alaska, remains of a six-week-old infant were found. The baby's DNA showed that she belonged to

6431-465: The ages of 25–44, 4 were between the ages of 45–54, and 4 were between the ages of 55–64. The language assessment noted that the First Nation had four small reserves at the time. City water had been suspended in 1992 at one reserve because of contamination, and new infrastructure was not built for 20 years. This prevented development of the reserves for such needs as housing, and many people lived off-reserve. Archeological excavations have revealed that

6540-468: The bottom of this section lists the 100 largest cities and census-designated places in Alaska, in population order. Snuneymuxw First Nation The Snuneymuxw First Nation (pronounced [snʊˈneɪməxʷ] ) is located in and around the city of Nanaimo on east-central Vancouver Island , British Columbia , Canada. The nation previously had also occupied territory along the Fraser River , in British Columbia. Prior to European colonization of

6649-467: The canneries history as part of a heritage tourist destination. Snuneymuxw First Nation will be collaborating with Waterfront Holdings Ltd. on current and future waterfront development on Stewart Avenue. The First Nation operates Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park . The Nanaimo Indian Hospital served Indian patients and was operated by the federal government of Canada on Snuneymuxw territory from 1946 to 1967. The system of state-run Indian hospitals

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6758-453: The canoe pullers, support crews and other visitors from Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon. Depending on the distance a family or team is traveling, the trip by canoe can take up to a month. On arrival at the destination, visiting canoe families ask formal permission of the hosts to land, sometimes speaking in their Native languages. A potlatch is celebrated, a sharing of songs, dances and gifts that lasts for days. The Canoe Journey

6867-439: The ceremony, 250 uniformed U.S. soldiers marched to the governor's house at "Castle Hill", where the Russian troops lowered the Russian flag and the U.S. flag was raised. This event is celebrated as Alaska Day , a legal holiday on October 18. Alaska was loosely governed by the military initially and was administered as a district starting in 1884, with a governor appointed by the United States president. A federal district court

6976-469: The city of Nanaimo, they were not fully provided with water and sewage infrastructure, which resulted in underdevelopment of this area. As of January 2013, Nanaimo River Reserve, with 287 residents, was listed as having undergone an amalgamation, absorbing Nanaimo River 2 and Nanaimo River 3, which were dissolved as separate reserves. Snuneymuxw First Nation is governed by an elected Chief and Council. On 2 December 2017, Michael James Wyse Sr. (Xum'silum)

7085-422: The city proper and the communities of Eagle River, Chugiak, Peters Creek, Girdwood, Bird, and Indian. Fairbanks has a separate borough (the Fairbanks North Star Borough ) and municipality (the City of Fairbanks). The state's most populous city is Anchorage , home to 291,247 people in 2020. The richest location in Alaska by per capita income is Denali ($ 42,245). Yakutat City , Sitka, Juneau, and Anchorage are

7194-429: The community, disseminating information about shelters and prepared food rations, passing messages of well-being between loved ones, and helping to reunite families. In the longer term, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers led the effort to rebuild roads, clear debris, and establish new townsites for communities that had been completely destroyed, at a cost of $ 110 million. The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center

7303-410: The contiguous North American road system. The Interior is the largest region of Alaska; much of it is uninhabited wilderness. Fairbanks is the only large city in the region. Denali National Park and Preserve is located here. Denali , formerly Mount McKinley, is the highest mountain in North America and is also located here. The North Slope is mostly tundra peppered with small villages. The area

7412-402: The damage done by the earthquake to the city. The team, called the Engineering and Geological Evaluation Group, was headed by Ruth A. M. Schmidt , a geology professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage . The team of scientists came into conflict with local developers and downtown business owners who wanted to immediately rebuild; the scientists wanted to identify future dangers to ensure that

7521-532: The early to mid-1960s, wherein the treaty was confirmed and enforced. Provincial jurisdiction was ousted. In October 2012, Chief Doug White met with UN Special Rapporteur James Anaya . Chief White argued that the Canadian federal government "has consistently failed to honour the Treaty of 1854" and has repeatedly broken the Treaty of 1854 during land negotiations. Anaya observed that "based on his preliminary findings", treaty and aboriginal claims remain "persistently unresolved" throughout Canada". He noted that there

7630-439: The earthquake was also reported from Florida and Texas . Alaska had never experienced a major disaster in a highly populated area before and had very limited resources for dealing with the effects of such an event. In Anchorage, at the urging of geologist Lidia Selkregg , the City of Anchorage and the Alaska State Housing Authority appointed a team of 40 scientists, including geologists, soil scientists, and engineers, to assess

7739-400: The economy; more than half of the state is federally-owned land containing national forests , national parks , and wildlife refuges . It is among the most irreligious states , one of the first to legalize recreational marijuana , and is known for its libertarian-leaning political culture, generally supporting the Republican Party in national elections. The Indigenous population of Alaska

7848-619: The education to make their legislation work, the Federal government is opening the door wider to further water privatization. Like other First Nations, the Snuneymuxw had a community system to regulate behavior based on restorative justice. They think it has elements that should be revived, for the sake of their people and culture. I’d like to see our system come back. For the sake of our children, that has to come back. And we’ll be proud again like our ancestors, we helped one another, they respected one another. Our culture, our laws were still here when I

7957-467: The following three largest states of Texas , California , and Montana combined, and is the seventh-largest subnational division in the world . It is the third-least populous and most sparsely populated U.S. state, but is, with a population of 736,081 as of 2020 , the continent's most populous territory located mostly north of the 60th parallel , with more than quadruple the combined populations of Northern Canada and Greenland . The state contains

8066-481: The four largest cities in the U.S. by area . As reflected in the 2020 United States census , Alaska has a total of 355 incorporated cities and census-designated places (CDPs). The tally of cities includes four unified municipalities, essentially the equivalent of a consolidated city–county . The majority of these communities are located in the rural expanse of Alaska known as " The Bush " and are unconnected to that contiguous North American road network. The table at

8175-416: The four largest cities in the United States by area , including the state capital of Juneau . The state's most populous city is Anchorage , and approximately half of Alaska's residents live within its metropolitan area . Indigenous people have lived in Alaska for thousands of years, and it is widely believed that the region served as the entry point for the initial settlement of North America by way of

8284-513: The installation various components... With this model, First Nations communities can supply safe clean water in areas where they have been given the responsibility, but no other assistance from government other than funding.... We have proven by example this expertise can be imparted to manage public water systems, without the need for a private partner... CETA and Bill S-8 combined could prevent First Nations from building, owning and operating their own water and wastewater plants.... By not delivering

8393-506: The invitation was made. Many Indigenous peoples in North America relied on waterways to travel for trade, hunting and resource gathering, and for ceremonies and to visit relatives — much as people travel by roads today. That's why these waterways are often referred to as ancestral marine highways. Three main types of canoes were built in North America: dugout, bark and plank. Methods of design and construction varied by different regions and

8502-421: The language fluently. Eleven of these persons were between the ages of 65–74, 13 were between the ages of 75–84, and one was 85 and over. There were 35 who understood and/or spoke the language somewhat. Four were between the ages of 25–44, 23 were between the ages of 45–54, and 8 were between the ages of 55–64. Some 25 people were learning the language. Of that group, 15 were between the ages of 15–19, 2 were between

8611-432: The largest private landowner in Alaska in advertisements and other communications. Provisions of ANCSA allowing the corporations' land holdings to be sold on the open market starting in 1991 were repealed before they could take effect. Effectively, the corporations hold title (including subsurface title in many cases, a privilege denied to individual Alaskans) but cannot sell the land. Individual Native allotments are sold on

8720-472: The late Chief Viola Wyse requested that B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell protect the site, the province purchased it. For a time the site remained "sad, forlorn and neglected", surrounded by a bent chain-link fence and covered in straggled patches of weeds. In March 2013, as part of the provincial reconciliation agreement with First Nations, this site was transferred to the Snuneymuxw. Referring to this discovery, Snuneymuxw spokeswoman Geraldine Manson said it

8829-610: The low population density, most of the land is located in the Unorganized Borough . As the name implies, it has no intermediate borough government but is administered directly by the state government. In 2000, 57.71% of Alaska's area has this status, with 13.05% of the population. Anchorage merged the city government with the Greater Anchorage Area Borough in 1975 to form the Municipality of Anchorage, containing

8938-801: The most powerful earthquake recorded in North American history, and the second most powerful earthquake recorded in world history. The Good Friday earthquake lasted 4 minutes and 38 seconds. Six hundred miles (970 km) of fault ruptured at once and moved up to 60 ft (18 m), releasing about 500 years of stress buildup. Soil liquefaction , fissures, landslides, and other ground failures caused major structural damage in several communities and much damage to property. Anchorage sustained great destruction or damage to many inadequately earthquake-engineered houses, buildings, and infrastructure (paved streets, sidewalks, water and sewer mains, electrical systems, and other human-made equipment), particularly in

9047-615: The next year's host. Hosting the Canoe Journey can cost at least $ 1 million. At the conclusion of its hosting in 2007, the Lummi Nation gifted a story pole topped by a canoe to the following year's host, the Quw'utsun First Nation. The Quinault Nation gifted several hand-carved cedar canoes to select honored guests when it hosted in 2013. The Swinomish Tribe built a waterfront park, featuring three covered pavilions that resemble woven cedar hats, in time for its hosting in 2011. Gov. Christine Gregoire

9156-508: The often remote and roadless locations. The University of Alaska , as a land grant university , also owns substantial acreage which it manages independently. Another 44 million acres (18 million hectares) are owned by 12 regional, and scores of local, Native corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971. Regional Native corporation Doyon, Limited often promotes itself as

9265-412: The open market. Various private interests own the remaining land, totaling about one percent of the state. Alaska is, by a large margin, the state with the smallest percentage of private land ownership when Native corporation holdings are excluded. The Alaska Heritage Resources Survey (AHRS) is a restricted inventory of all reported historic and prehistoric sites within the U.S. state of Alaska; it

9374-428: The rebuilt infrastructure would be safe. The team produced a report on May 8, 1964, just a little more than a month after the earthquake. The United States military, which has a large active presence in Alaska, also stepped in to assist within moments of the end of the quake. The U.S. Army rapidly re-established communications with the lower 48 states, deployed troops to assist the citizens of Anchorage, and dispatched

9483-590: The region returned home praising its natural splendor. The Alcan Highway , built during the war, and the Alaska Marine Highway System , completed in 1963, made the state more accessible than before. Tourism has become increasingly important in Alaska, and today over 1.4 million people visit the state each year. With tourism more vital to the economy, environmentalism also rose in importance. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) of 1980 added 53.7 million acres (217,000 km ) to

9592-505: The remaining land area, the state of Alaska owns 101 million acres (41 million hectares), its entitlement under the Alaska Statehood Act . A portion of that acreage is occasionally ceded to the organized boroughs presented above, under the statutory provisions pertaining to newly formed boroughs. Smaller portions are set aside for rural subdivisions and other homesteading-related opportunities. These are not very popular due to

9701-545: The several landslide zones along Knik Arm . Two hundred miles (320 km) southwest, some areas near Kodiak were permanently raised by 30 feet (9 m). Southeast of Anchorage, areas around the head of Turnagain Arm near Girdwood and Portage dropped as much as 8 feet (2.4 m), requiring reconstruction and fill to raise the Seward Highway above the new high tide mark. In Prince William Sound , Port Valdez suffered

9810-459: The sharing of songs, dances and gifting. Some canoes are made of cedar ; others are made using more modern techniques and materials. Canoe families visit Native Nations en route to the final host destination, which changes each year. Hosting the Canoe Journey is a logistical feat for any host nation, as the host feeds all guests breakfast and dinner; provides shuttles and venues for camping, dining and protocol; and provides gifts to guests as well as

9919-452: The single most important aspect of Northwest Coast culture.... the canoe was as important as the automobile is now to North America." — David Neel, "The Great Canoes: Reviving a Northwest Coast Tradition." The Canoe Journey is a significant cultural experience for all participants. The first modern Canoe Journey was organized in 1989 by Quinault educator Emmett Oliver, a member of the state's centennial planning committee who wanted to ensure

10028-527: The sizes of canoes varied according to purpose. In the Pacific Northwest, a canoe's origin may be recognized by its profile, name and decoration. Chief Mike Wyse of the Snuneymuxw First Nation in British Columbia announced that Tribal Journeys 2020 was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic . His nation was supposed to host that year's event. It was the first time since 1993 that the event

10137-461: The state's entire land area. The area not part of any borough is referred to as the Unorganized Borough . The Unorganized Borough has no government of its own, but the U.S. Census Bureau in cooperation with the state divided the Unorganized Borough into 11 census areas solely for the purposes of statistical analysis and presentation. A recording district is a mechanism for management of

10246-423: The two sides agreed to a settlement offer worth $ 49,148,121. In November 2016, the First Nation ratified a settlement agreement for the land. The nearly $ 50 million payment is the largest specific claim negotiated by a British Columbia first nation by a factor of 5. As part of the agreement, the nation can negotiate for an additional 32-hectare of land to be added to their reserve. In 1992 groundwater contamination

10355-509: The voice of calm from her temporary post within the Anchorage Public Safety Building. She was effectively designated as the public safety officer by the city's police chief. Chance provided breaking news of the catastrophic events that continued to develop following the magnitude 9.2 earthquake, and she served as the voice of the public safety office, coordinating response efforts, connecting available resources to needs around

10464-451: The water to Reserve 2 as part of "the overall agreement." The Snuneymuxw First Nation are paying $ 500,000 cost of the project. The new water infrastructure project will connect Reserve No. 2 to Nanaimo's water supply lines at 1125 Cedar Road to provide potable water. I want everyone to know what this means to our people, what it means to me as the chief of the Snuneymuxw First Nation, the work of my council over so many years, to address what

10573-471: The world . If it was an independent nation, it would be the 18th largest country in the world; almost the same size as Iran . With its myriad of islands, Alaska has nearly 34,000 miles (55,000 km) of tidal shoreline. The Aleutian Islands chain extends west from the southern tip of the Alaska Peninsula . Many active volcanoes are found in the Aleutians and in coastal regions. Unimak Island , for example,

10682-513: The world's largest tides occurs in Turnagain Arm , just south of Anchorage, where tidal differences can be more than 35 feet (10.7 m). Alaska has more than 409,000 natural lakes at least one hectare or bigger. Marshlands and wetland permafrost cover 188,320 square miles (487,700 km ) (mostly in northern, western and southwest flatlands). Glacier ice covers about 28,957 square miles (75,000 km ) of Alaska. The Bering Glacier

10791-461: Was a kid and we were happy people. We have to work together. Same as our justice. The whole community’s got to work together before it’ll ever work... The Hereditary Chief was the leader and they had their own laws and justice. And when the white man came here they took them laws out. When you see people go wrong, our people had Elders that would heal that person and the white man way is punishing. They put him in jail. How did they come out? They come out

10900-572: Was a puller in Swinomish Chairman Brian Cladoosby's canoe in 2011. State House Speaker Pro Tem Jeff Morris, who is Tsimshian but had a Samish grandfather, was a puller in the Samish Nation's canoe in the 2012 Paddle to Squaxin. "These majestic vessels, crafted from a single log often hundreds of years old, all but disappeared early in this century. It is hard to explain why so little has been written about them, as they are probably

11009-520: Was deeply intertwined with the institution of residential schools . Like the schools, the hospital system has been documented for having a history of physical and sexual abuse of Indigenous people. In the summer of 2021, hundreds of unmarked graves were identified at the Kamloops Indian Residential School . Other First Nations began to undertake their own surveys of sites of local Indian schools. In response, Steve Sxwithul'txw of

11118-529: Was elected chief of Snuneymuxw First Nation defeating incumbent Chief John Gordon (Gord) Wesley by 310 votes to 210 votes. Previously, on 7 December 2013, Chief John Gordon (Gord) Wesley was elected with 253 votes out of 499. Five Councillors were also elected for up to a four-year term. Elections are carried out in accordance with the Snuneymuxw First Nation Election Code (2007) & Regulations (2011). The Snuneymuxw First Nation number

11227-512: Was extremely limited or unavailable until statehood took effect in 1959. Starting in the 1890s and stretching in some places to the early 1910s, gold rushes in Alaska and the nearby Yukon Territory brought thousands of miners and settlers to Alaska. From 1879 to 1920, Alaska produced a cumulative total of over $ 460,000,000 ($ 6,691,927,500 inflation-adjusted) of mineral production. Alaska was officially incorporated as an organized territory in 1912. Alaska's capital, which had been in Sitka until 1906,

11336-483: Was formed as a direct response to the disaster. Federal disaster relief funds paid for reconstruction as well as financially supporting the devastated infrastructure of Alaska's government, spending hundreds of millions of dollars that helped keep Alaska financially solvent until the discovery of massive oil deposits at Prudhoe Bay . At the order of the U.S. Defense Department , the Alaska National Guard founded

11445-661: Was found and the wells were closed on the Snuneymuxw First Nation Indian Reserve No. 2. For twenty years the community used water trucks to bring water to the community. In 2010 the city of Nanaimo announced plans for a new water treatment facility but had difficulty acquiring Crown land needed for the project. John Ruttan, Nanaimo Mayor acknowledged that without the assistance of Snuneymuxw First Nation Chief Doug White III in acquiring some Crown land, "it’s questionable whether we would have been able to achieve what we’ve done." The City of Nanaimo agreed to provide

11554-408: Was headquartered in Sitka. For most of Alaska's first decade under the United States flag, Sitka was the only community inhabited by American settlers. They organized a "provisional city government", which was Alaska's first municipal government, but not in a legal sense. Legislation allowing Alaskan communities to legally incorporate as cities did not come about until 1900, and home rule for cities

11663-752: Was moved north to Juneau . Construction of the Alaska Governor's Mansion began that same year. European immigrants from Norway and Sweden also settled in southeast Alaska, where they entered the fishing and logging industries. During World War II , the Aleutian Islands Campaign focused on Attu , Agattu and Kiska , all of which were occupied by the Empire of Japan . During the Japanese occupation, an American civilian and two United States Navy personnel were killed at Attu and Kiska respectively, and nearly

11772-650: Was not held. Because of continued risks from the pervasive pandemic, the Executive Council of the Tla'amin Nation, the destination for the 2021 event, announced on Oct. 30, 2020 that the Canoe Journey would again be postponed. Tla'amin spokesman Hegus John Hackett announced the postponement and promised the Tla'amin Nation would host a future event. Alaska Alaska ( / ə ˈ l æ s k ə / ə- LASS -kə )

11881-450: Was the location of a Snuneymuxw village of historical importance to the First Nation. It is situated at the narrowest point of Newcastle Channel, separating Newcastle Island from Nanaimo. Former Snuneymuxw Chief White had plans to construct modest facilities on Newcastle Island to deliver new kinds of programming on Coast Salish culture, Newcastle Island's coal mining history, the CPR history, and

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