Suk Du

Suk Du. . , Attempting to know what came before our time is like considering the stars. History stretches out behind us for a very, very long time. The Athabaskans referred to it as Suk Du, "the time of long ago". All of Alaska's first people created stories and legends of that time, passing them from generation to generation. These stories and legends give us glimpses of that world, where animal and people were connected in a much deeper way and could communicate directly with each other. What we learn about that time, and the world that preceded us, comes only in bits and pieces. We learn from the oral histories of Alaska's First Peoples, from careful study of the objects they left behind, and from the land itself., For millions of years, the shifting of the continental plates have been adding to the original land mass of Alaska. Almost as if on a conveyor belt, new rock and land has been steadily pushing northward from the Pacific Region; 50 huge blocks of the earth[']s crust collected together to form present day Alaska. Alaska's oldest rock, over two hundred million years old, is found in interior Alaska near Fairbanks[.], The study of Alaska's rocks reveal many radically different climatatic conditions. In the north there are plant fossils associated with tropical climates. Ancient mammoth bone, associated with several ice ages have been found in the western regions. Mastodon tusks and bones of dinosaurs have been found. Rock from the Talkeetna Mountains contain corals and fossilized sea creatures from the times that [preceded] the first people., We cannot be certain exactly when or how people arrived in Alaska. It appears that people arrived here at different times and in different ways, over land bridge or by sea, probably in pursuit of fish and game. On any given day in Alaska, we may find some new evidence of people that lived here even before we've suspected. A river may change it's course suddenly exposing entirely new evidence of our [predecessors]., Among the varied geographic regions of Alaska we find people who developed different ways of meeting their needs for shelter, industry, and travel. All these peoples were hunter-gatherers that harvested salmon and whales, though their technologies differed according to location and materials at hand. Garments and tools show the keen and inventive mind of people that eliminated almost no part of an animal or plant as useless. Sharp [and] effective tools from 10,000 years B.C. were fashioned from ivory and stone by people living along the Tanana River. Spruce tips were used as a source of medicine; tool parts made from the wood and pitch became water proofing, adhesive or antiseptic. Spruce roots became baskets or lashings, snares, traps or nets. Even the smoke of the burning tree was useful for tanning and smudge., Sungoggles were fashioned from wood by [E]skimos to shield the eyes from the glare of the sun on snow. Beautiful water proof coats were made from gut; birdskins could cloak a man in wonderful warmth. Rocks and stones were utilized; the most advanced of stone technology, microblades were in use by 4,000 B.C., ground slate ulus were in use by 1500 B.C. Southeastern Alaska's Tlingit, Tsimshian and Haida peoples developed painting and sculpture of stunning beauty., Water craft was fashioned from animal skins, birch bark, and cedar logs. Each people developed a technology based on their particular needs and the locally available materials. In southeastern Alaska, cedar logs were fashioned into perfectly balanced canoes for whaling and warring. In the interior the Athabaskans built tough canoes from birch bark applied to wooden frames. In the Aleutian and all along the western coast, kayaks were made by stretching sealskins over a wood frame., When Vitus Bering arrived he found 3 groups of people distinct from each other by language and ethnicity. The Athabaskans, Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Haida were the Na Dene peoples, inhabiting the interior and southeastern coastal regions respectively. Eskimos and Aleuts lived along the coast and western rivers of Alaska. The Aleuts lived in the Aleutian islands., Today descendants of Alaska's First People are shareholders in 13 regional corporations formed as a result of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. This act was passed by the federal government in 1971, alotting 44 million acres and $962,500,000 to compensate for loss of native lands. The corporations manage the federal governments settlements to the native community and contribute significantly to the state[']s overall economy. Many Alaska native peoples still maintain a subsistence life style, while others jump back and forth between village and urban cultures. Once a year native people come together to celebrate and advocate for their cultures during the Alaska Native Federation Conference., [Map showing First People Native Corporations]