Northwest Alaska Areas - Books

Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula Andromeda Romano-Lax From the Publisher: Considered Anchorage’s "backyard playground" and mecca for fishing fanatics, the Kenai Peninsula is a magnificent place, a microcosm of the best of what Alaska has to offer. Mountain peaks and blue glaciers, rushing rivers and aquamarine lakes, coastal islands and seaside towns-yes, all these. But the Kenai Peninsula is also blessed with an abundance of wildlife from moose to brown bear, Dall sheep to sea otters, seabirds to record-breaking king salmon. Just over an hour from Anchorage, the Kenai is still steeped in early history, with Russian Orthodox families next door to ’60s hippies. ALASKA’S KENAI PENINSULA is the perfect take-along volume, pocket-sized and priced right, filled with color photos and easy-to-read sidebars on natural and human history. Author Biography: Andromeda Romano-Lax is the author of numerous magazine articles, as well as the books Walking Southeast Alaska, Easy Hikes for the Inside Passage Traveler, and Sea Kayaking in Baja, which Canoe and Kayak magazine called "one of the best guidebooks we’ve seen for any area." She lives in Anchorage. Our Price: $12.95

Journeys Through the Inside Passage: Seafaring Adventures along the Coast of British Columbia and Alaska Joe Upton From the Publisher: Writer and fisherman Joe Upton recounts the stories of explorers of the past and seafarers of the present: the journey of a widow who solo-navigated a small vessel in the 1930s with her five children; the failed meeting of explorers Alexander Mackenzie and George Vancouver in 1793; the countless sinking of log barges, fishing craft, and passenger ships. 31 photos. 7 maps. Our Price: $8.95

Children of the Midnight Sun: Young Native Voices of Alaska Tricia Brown Annotation: Photographs and text present the experiences and way of life of Tlingit, Athabascan, Yupik, and other Native American children in the villages, cities, and bush areas of Alaska. From the Publisher: Children was chosen as one of Parenting Magazine’s "1998 Books of the Year" and School Library Journal’s "Best Books of 1998". "Eight children from as many different cultures create a multilayered portrait of a place where past mingles with present. The winsome faces in the candid photos sparkle with personality." -- School Library Journal "Best Books of 1998" 1999 marks the 40th Anniversary of Alaska Northwest Books. We continue to take pride in producing books like Children of the Midnight Sun that bridge geography, cultures, and people to create better understanding. From The Critics: Publishers WeeklyCorral’s (My Denali) glorious photographs bring an intimacy to Brown’s eight diverse profiles of Alaskan children, from northernmost Barrow to the islands of St. Paul and Prince of Wales to modernmost Anchorage. The range of landscapes and, consequently, living conditions alone makes for absorbing reading, but the essays tend to bog down in myriad facts. Brown’s writing is strongest when she focuses on the details of daily life, as in the profile "Russian Christmas on the Kuskokwim River." Unfortunately, the book’s organization doesn’t allow for any overarching conclusion among the recurring customs and cultural themes throughout the profilessuch as the recent renaissance across Alaska of Native arts and languages, and the impact of non-Native settlers on the region. Nonetheless, Corral’s memorable images will draw readers in as his camera captures the meshing of modern and ancient worlds: an Iupiat Eskimo boy wears a cartoon character on a T-shirt as he cuts up pieces of whale skin and blubber for a snack and, clad in sneakers and blue jeans, a Haida Indian girl poses next to the row of totem poles that adorn her school grounds. Author and artist successfully communicate the common thread linking these eight lives: the importance of Native traditions, family bonds and the wisdom and experience of preceding generations as they navigate in modern times. Ages 6-up. (June) FYI: A portion of the author’s proceeds benefits the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage. School Library Journal(Gr 3-7) --This attractive and informative book gives insight into the lives of eight Native American Alaskan youngsters, ranging in age from 9 to 13. The native groups represented are Inupiat, Yup’ik, Athabascan, Aleut, Haida, Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Aleut-Caucasian. Three-page descriptive profiles of each youngster are accompanied by vivid full-color photos. Brown seems to have anticipated the kinds of things kids would want to ask about these Alaskans, given the chance, and offers readers a glimpse at eight distinct personalities and ways of life. Underlining issues regarding native subsistence and rural vs. urban inhabitants are touched upon, but this book primarily gives an honest look at what it is like to be a native child growing up in this state today. The only thing lacking is a phonetic pronunciation guide in the glossary. There are no other books on the market quite like this one. Carolyn Meyer’s In a Different Light (S and S, 1996) explores the Yu’pik culture; Russ Kendall’s Eskimo Boy (Scholastic, 1992) and Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith’s Arctic Hunter (Holiday House, 1990) both focus on the Inupiat culture, while Hoyt-Goldsmith’s Totem Pole (1990) and Potlatch (1997, both Holiday House) feature Tsimshian protagonists. All who read Children of the Midnight Sun will come away with an enriched view of the lives of young native Alaskans. A must buy for both school and public libraries. --Mollie Bynum, formerly at Chester Valley Elementary School, Anchorage, AK Horn Book MagazineInviting photographs of five young Alaskan Natives make up the cover of this book, which is a fresh balance of traditional and contemporary, particular and cross-cultural. In her survey of children from eight different Alaskan Native groups, Tricia Brown focuses not on "customs," but on daily life, with a welcome dollop of history that gives the portraits depth and context. In her profile of the Aleut girl Katiana Bourdukofsky, for example, Brown discusses the influence of the Russian Orthodox church as well as the little-known WWII relocation of many of the Pribilof island Aleuts to "an abandoned cannery in Southeast Alaska, where many fell ill and died from poor sanitation and disease." Elsewhere, a Tlingit boy describes clan relationships ("an Eagle can’t marry an Eagle, and a Raven can’t marry a Raven"); and an Iñupiat boy describes life at the top of the world in Barrow: Doritos, fried whale, all-terrain vehicles, polar bears, and the ancient game of the blanket toss. The tone is upbeat and tourist-friendly, but the kids are distinct, and Roy Corral’s many sharp color photos reveal both people and place unguarded. There’s a good clear map, an informative glossary, and a reading list of titles from regional presses.Kirkus ReviewsBrown profiles eight children of Alaska’s indigenous populations in their own environments—ocean, inland, and tundra—at home, school, and play, where they fish, carve totems, ride bikes, and dance at potlatches. Each child represents a distinct community of people, from the northernmost I¤upiat to the coastal Tlingit and Haida. A short history of each culture is included along with everyday activities, interests, and traditions. Survival skills are a way of life for many, in sharp contrast to the supermarket societies of the lower 48. Every child is linked to his or her ancestry through grandparents or other elders who pass on the tools, customs, and trades of a vanishing way of life, from catching, cleaning, and drying fish to killing moose and building emergency shelters. Young people also participate in the traditional dances and ceremonies, and more. The book acknowledges the drastic changes of the last few decades, with the advent of satellite television, access to transportation, and the Internet, but focuses on the preservation or reawakening of culture through each child. Full-color photographs contrast images to convey life in a commercial fishing village or in Anchorage’s Town Square, amid the flowering tundra or perched on a seal-strewn beach. (glossary, further reading) (Nonfiction. 7-12) Our Price: $16.95

North Canada: Yukon- Northwest Territories- Nunavut: The Bradt Travel Guide (2001) Geoffrey Roy From the Publisher: North Canada remains one of the world’s least explored wildernesses, an unforgiving environment that is just beginning to open up to the adventurous traveler. From the gold-mining towns of the Yukon to the newly created territory of Nunavut, this vast area of forests, tundra and rivers is home to an abundance of wildlife. In this new Bradt guide, author Geoffrey Roy highlights the attractions of each of northern Canada’s three territories, as well as the fringes of Alaska and the polar-bear capital of the world, Churchill. Whether you are fascinated by bears, drawn by the mysteries of the Northern Lights or simply seeking adventure, this is the guide you need. This guide contains information on natural history and conservation, planning and preparation, health and safety, including survival advice, people and culture, adventure activities from dog-sledging and snowmobiling to kayaking and heli-skiing. There is also information on gateway cities - Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Montreal. Our Price: $18.95

The Reindeer Herders of the Mackenzie Delta Gerry Conaty PhD From the Publisher: An epic experiment of cultural evolution.In the 1920s the traditional migration routes of wild caribou changed, making it difficult for native Inuit hunters. Faced with a crisis of Inuit survival and having observed the success of reindeer herding in Alaska, the Canadian government established the practice in the Mackenzie Delta area. To help the Inuit make the shift to the new economy, Scandinavian reindeer herders, the Sami, were brought to Canada. To bureaucrats, changing the Inuit from a hunting-gathering culture to a herding-nomadic culture appeared straightforward and simple. Reality proved otherwise.The Reindeer Herders of the Mackenzie Delta is the fascinating true history of the Canadian Reindeer Experiment as experienced by Otto Binder, an Inuit herder, his Sami wife, Ellen Pulk Binder, and their son, Lloyd Binder, who continues to herd reindeer. The book explores their struggles and ultimate survival. Their story is also an account of the survival of two circumpolar cultures -- Inuit and Sami -- in a global society.With contemporary and archival photographs, The Reindeer Herders of the Mackenzie Delta recounts a true-life adventure with valuable insights for contemporary readers. Our Price: $16.95

Coming of the Spirit of Pestilence: Introduced Infectious Diseases and Population Decline Robert T. Boyd From the Publisher: In the late 1700s, when Euro-Americans began to visit the Northwest Coast, they reported the presence of vigorous, diverse cultures - among them the Tlingit, Haida, Kwakwaka’wakw (Kwakiutl), Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka), Coast Salish, and Chinookans - with a population conservatively estimated at over 180,000. A century later only about 35,000 were left. The change was brought about by the introduction of diseases that had originated in the Eastern Hemisphere, such as smallpox, malaria, measles, and influenza.. "The Coming of the Spirit of Pestilence examines the introduction of infectious diseases among the Indians of the Northwest Coast culture area (present-day western Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, and southeast Alaska) in the first century of contact and the effects of these new diseases on Native American population size, structure, interactions, and viability. The emphasis is on epidemic diseases and specific epidemic episodes. From The Critics: BooknewsIn a century of contact with Euro-Americans, Pacific Northwest tribes such as the Chinookans, Coast Salish, Haida, and Tlingit saw their numbers plummet from about 180,000 to 35,000 due to introduced diseases such as influenza, measles, tuberculosis, and especially smallpox. A Portland, Oregon anthropologist gives a detailed historical epidemiology and account of the social impact of this demographic disaster. Includes the extant census data and population decline for two regions, supporting the hypothesis that disease was the main cause of Indian depopulation; and photos of key Indian informants, burial sites, and a vaccinating missionary. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Our Price: $60.00

Reptiles of the Northwest: California to Alaska, the Rockies to the Coast Alan St. John Synopsis: Hikers and other nature lovers will welcome the reader-friendly features of this reptile guide. The color-coded header tabs present 45 area reptiles in three major groups; a handy quick reference guide offers onsite identification; and the texts include detailed descriptions to aid in identification and fascinating facts of behavior, feeding and reproduction. From The Critics: BooknewsThis field guide covers 42 turtles, snakes, and lizards which live in the Pacific Northwest. Entries include color photographs, range maps, and notes on identification, distribution, habitat, and behavior. Reptile habitat in the region is described, and a glossary is provided. St. John is a freelance nature writer, artist, and photographer. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR Our Price: $18.95

Otter Skins and Boston Ships: The Maritime Fur Trade of the Northwest Coast, 1785- James R. Gibson From the Publisher: James Gibson’s thoroughly researched and highly detailed study is the first comprehensive account of the maritime fur trade on the Northwest Coast of North America. Before Euro-American contact, the native peoples of the Northwest Coast had traded amongst themselves and with other indigenous people farther inland, but by the end of the 1780s, when Russian coasters had penetrated the Gulf of Alaska and British merchant ships were frequenting Nootka Sound, trade had become the dominant economic activity in the area. The Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Nootka, Salish, and Chinook spent much of their time hunting fur-bearing animals and trading their pelts - especially the highly prized "black skins" of sea otters - to Russian, British, Spanish, and American traders for metals, firearms, textiles, and food. The Northwest Coast Indians used their newly acquired goods in intertribal trade, while the Euro-Americans traded their skins at Canton for tea, silk, and porcelain which they then sold in Europe and America. This traffic continued for more than half a century until, in the early 1840s, the Northwest trade declined significantly with depletion of the fur-bearing animals due to overhunting, depopulatlon of the Natives by disease and warfare, and depression of the market for furs. While previous studies have concentrated on the boom years of the fur trade, before the War of 1812, Gibson reveals that the maritime fur trade persisted into the 1840s and shows that the trade was not solely or even principally the domain of American traders. He gives an account of Russian, British, Spanish, and American participation, describes the market in South China, and outlines the evolution of the coast trade. He also assesses the physical and cultural effects of this trade on the Northwest Coast and Hawaiian Islands and on the industrialization of the New England states. Gibson’s new interpretations derive from his use of Western primary sources that have been largely ignored by pre Our Price: $24.95

Inside Passage: A Journey Beyond Borders Richard Manning From the Publisher: andlt;p>andquot;This book is about an idea that rests at the junction of what we call wilderness and civilization. Simply, it is a call for rethinking, and more importantly, reconstructing, our relationship with nature.andquot; -from Inside Passage.andlt;p>Protecting land in parks, safe from human encroachment, has been a primary strategy of conservationists for the past century and a half. Yet drawing lines around an area and calling it wilderness does little to solve larger environmental problems. As author Richard Manning puts it in a knowingly provocative way: andquot;Wilderness designation is not a victory, but acknowledgement of defeat.andquot;.andlt;p>In Inside Passage, Manning takes us on a thought-provoking tour of the lands along the Pacific Northwest’s Inside Passage-from southeast Alaska down through Puget Sound, and then on to the northern Oregon coast and the Columbia River system-as he explores the dichotomy between andquot;wildernessandquot; and andquot;civilizationandquot; and the often disastrous effects of industrialization.andlt;p>Through vivid description and conversations with people in the region, Manning brings new insights to the area’s most pressing environmental concerns-the salmon crisis, deforestation, hydroelectric dams, urban sprawl-and examines various innovative ways they are being addressed. He details efforts to restore degraded ecosystems and to integrate economic development with environmental protection, and looks at powerful new tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that are increasingly being used to further conservation efforts.andlt;p>Throughout, Manning focuses on the hopeful possibility that we can redesign the human enterprise to a scale more appropriate to the nature that holds it, that rather than drawing borders around nature, we might instead start placing borders on human behavior. Perhaps, he suggests, we can begin to behave in all places as if all places matter to us as much as wilderness, and, in the process, claim all of nature as our own.andlt;p>Inside Passageis a wide-ranging and thoughtful exploration by a gifted writer, and an important work for anyone interested in the Pacific Northwest, or concerned about the future of our relationship to the natural world. From The Critics: Library JournalThe idea of wilderness conjures up lines or boundaries on a map, separating developed areas from those free of humanity’s handiwork. It is an idea debated by environmentalists and politicians. Journalist Manning (Food’s Frontier) argues for a new understanding: wilderness without borders. Calling for a rethinking of humanity’s relationship with nature, he argues that nature is bigger than all of humankind and cannot be controlled. From Alaska to Puget Sound, traveling by plane, boat, and kayak and on foot, Manning interviewed people who live and work in the Pacific Northwest region known as the Inside Passage to explore the ties between a regional economy and ecology. Using his own keen observation, Manning pleads for a new understanding of conservation and economic development together, not as separate entities. This thought-provoking book is a welcome addition to the environmental bookshelf.--Patricia Ann Owens, Wabash Valley Coll., Mt. Carmel, IL Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information. Our Price: $24.95

Livengood: The Last Stampede Audrey E. Parker Our Price: $19.95

Northern Flight of Dreams: Flying Adventures in British Columbia, Yukon, NW Territories and Alaska Larry Whitesitt From the Publisher: Larry Whitesitt of Spokane, Washington, began flying in 1959 and purchased a Piper J-3 Cub when he had 15 flying hours. During the 1960s and 1970s, he was a bush pilot, flying de Havilland Beaver sea planes and ski planes out of the Yukon into British Columbia and Northwest Territories - vast rugged northern wilderness areas. This story begins in the cockpit of 734 Uniform Whiskey, a small plane he flew alone to the Arctic Ocean and the Inuit Village of Tuktoyaktuk. Larry reflects on his adventures, which include encounters with mean grizzly bears, a crash in a ski plane, and great fishing trips. The story ends with Larry’s last flight into his beloved north, which was recorded on video (see page 2). Our Price: $24.95