Elva “Willie” Kanuak (Ahmasuk) Amidon was instrumental in the formation of the organization Alaskans on the Potomac, which was active in the early days of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). Alaskans on the Potomac provided supportive services to Alaskans and Alaska Native people visiting Washington D.C. Amidon represented Alaska on a float at...
Historical Spotlight: BSNC Summer Internship Program
December 26, 2021by Media
At BSNC, we have focused on growing shareholder programs and support. The last ten years represent a remarkable period of growth and performance for the Company. Fiscal year 2021 marks the 17th consecutive year that BSNC has achieved positive financial results. In the last decade alone, BSNC distributed $41.3 million in shareholder benefits, representing 84%...
As fall comes to the tundra and waters of the Bering Strait region, many people are working to put away the fish and game that will help sustain them through the winter months. This is the pattern of life that has sustained our communities for millennia. One of the animals people will be harvesting and...
The Dispersal of the 1918 Influenza Virus on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska: An Ethnohistoric Reconstruction
June 28, 2021by Media
The Dispersal of the 1918 Influenza Virus on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska: An Ethnohistoric Reconstruction Matt L. Ganley Bering Straits Foundation, Nome. and Anthropology Program. University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska, USA Abstract: This paper considers the spread of the 19 l 8 influenza virus as it occurred among Inupiat communities on Alaska’s Seward Peninsula. Documented...
The Reindeer Fair was started in 1915 as a way to increase interest in the reindeer industry and provide an opportunity for widely dispersed Eskimo herdsmen to exchange ideas. The first fair was hosted by the Kakaruk Herd and Mary’s Igloo and was held near Pilgrim River and on the Seward Peninsula. The Kakaruk Herdsmen...
Historical Spotlight: Unalakleet Community Gardens
November 20, 2020by Media
Unalakleet once proclaimed itself the garden capital of the state when gardens grown there in the 1920s and 1930s produced enough food to sell region-wide. Many credit Reverend Ernest B. (E.B.) Larsson who introduced many Unalakleet residents to agriculture in 1923. This gardening tradition was practiced up until the 1970s when larger gardens were being...
An Inukshuk is a figure made of piled rocks or boulders constructed to communicate with others. Inukshuks have been part of the Arctic’s history for thousands of years. The oldest Inukshuk dated back to a period circa 2,400 to 1,800 BCE. The word Inukshuk can be translated to: “something which acts for or performs the...
BSNC shareholder Ada Blackjack Johnson, nee Deletuk, was born in 1898 in Solomon, Alaska. She moved to Nome, Alaska where at the age of 16 she married Jack Blackjack and gave birth to three children. Only one, a son named Bennett, survived past infancy. Jack deserted Ada 40 miles outside of Nome and the young...
In the past decade, Inuit women revitalized the ancient art of traditional tattooing. The practice dates back at least 10,000 years and involves skin stitching or hand-poke/stickand-poke. Ethnographically, tattooing was practiced by all Inuit but was most common among women and would commemorate an achievement or reaching a certain milestone in life. During the influx...
Historical Spotlight: The Alaska Native Heritage Center Celebrates 20th Anniversary and Honors BSNC Shareholder and Visionary Paul Tiulana
June 3, 2019by Media
This past spring, the Alaska Native Heritage Center celebrated its 20th Anniversary and honored BSNC shareholder Paul Tiulana, who was the original visionary for the Center. Opening its doors in 1999, the Alaska Native Heritage Center is a renowned cultural center and museum in Anchorage, Alaska where all people can come to expand their understanding...