Alaskan Natives have lived in Alaska for at least 15,000 years. Although the first written accounts of the inhabitants are less than 300 years old, other sources of information came from before the Euro Americans arrived. These are based on oral traditions of Alaskan Natives. Cultural information, as well as physical evidence, is studied to discover how they lived in the past. This cultural information has been obtained from some Alaskan Native elders, who described their history and way of life. From their stories, we can experience the history of Alaska as seen through their eyes.
As you read through some of the stories and articles in this website, you will notice a style and a diction you may not have seen before in print. This is because most of the stories are orally told and in storytelling style. As you read, you should listen for the sound of the spoken voice. While it has not been possible to show all the rhymes and nuances of the speaker's voice, much of the original style has been kept. If possible, you should read aloud to recapture the style of the original.
