The Alaska Myth
Kaitlin Armstrong
A podcast about the myths that shape how Alaskans view our history and ourselves.
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Top 10 The Alaska Myth Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Alaska Myth episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Alaska Myth for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Alaska Myth episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Episode 2: Kodiak Remembers
The Alaska Myth
11/15/23 • 29 min
This episode looks at how Russian colonization has been publicly remembered in Kodiak in the island's recent history. We speak to staff at the Kodiak History Museum, the Alutiiq Museum, and community members who performed in the summer theatre production Cry of the Wild Ram.
Guests:
Anjuli Grantham
Sarah Harrington
Lynn Walker
April Laktonen Counceller
Hanna Sholl
Sophie Frets
For more information, visit us at www.thealaskamyth.com
Episode 3: Sourdough's Dreams
The Alaska Myth
12/20/23 • 33 min
This episode looks at one of the most mythologized eras of Alaska's history: the gold rush.
We dig into the myth of the sole prospector, and why that obscures almost everything about the gold rush.
And we explore the myth of lawlessness through the lens of Tlingit law, miners' justice, and a company of Black soldiers sent to bring "law and order" to Alaskan towns during the Klondike gold rush.
Special thanks to our guests:
Kathryn Morse, Professor of Environmental Studies at Middlebury College
Rosita Ḵaaháni Worl, President of the Sealaska Heritage Institute
David Reamer, Alaska Historian
Ian Hartman, Chair of the History Department at University of Alaska Anchorage
For more information, visit us at www.thealaskamyth.com
Introducing "The Alaska Myth"
The Alaska Myth
09/06/23 • 3 min
The Alaska Myth is a documentary podcast about the myths that shape how Alaskans view our history and ourselves. We explore how settler myths shape popular ideas about Alaska's history and identity, and deconstruct those myths.
The Alaska Myth is a production of Rosebay Audio, created and hosted by Kaitlin Armstrong.
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Be the first to hear full-length episodes! Subscribe to our newsletter or learn at www.thealaskamyth.com
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This project is supported in part by The Atwood Foundation and by a grant from the Alaska Humanities Forum and the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this podcast do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
11/01/23 • 26 min
Today's special bonus episode of The Alaska Myth features an extended conversation with Tia Tidwell about her research on settler fantasies.
Tia Tidwell is an Assistant Professor of Alaska Native Studies. She belongs to the Nunamiut people of Anaktuvuk Pass and currently resides on the lands of the Lower Tanana and Dené people. Tia holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and her research focuses on the intersection of settler colonial studies, Arctic literature, and Indigenous counter-narratives. She is especially interested in adapting settler colonial theoretical frameworks to examine settler fantasies about land and belonging in contemporary literature.
Episode 1: The Problem with the Last Frontier
The Alaska Myth
10/18/23 • 32 min
"The Last Frontier" is perhaps Alaska's most pervasive settler myth. But what does it mean to call Alaska a "last frontier?" How did it become so baked into our state's identity? And what does it mean to build Alaska's identity off a myth as antiquated as "the last frontier?"
In this episode, we discuss settler myths, get real about "the real Alaskan," and learn how the 19th century myth of the frontier came to define Alaska's identity.
Our guests include:
-Tia Tidwell, Assistant Professor of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
-Aaron Leggett, Senior Curator of Alaska History and Indigenous Cultures at the Anchorage Museum and President of the Native Village of Eklutna
-Kevin Maier, Professor of Environmental Humanities at the University of Alaska Southeast
-Steve Henrikson, Curator of Collections at the Alaska State Museum
For more information, visit us at www.thealaskamyth.com
01/10/24 • 31 min
Is Alaska stuck in the myth of the big strike?
On this week's bonus episode, we speak with Kathryn Morse, a professor at Middlebury College and author of The Nature of Gold: an Environmental History of the Klondike Gold Rush.
I loved speaking with Kathryn because she is both incredibly knowledgeable about the Klondike Gold Rush, and an astute observer of how gold rush era myths inform Alaska's identity and politics today.
We discuss the crisis in American identity that coincided with the Klondike Gold Rush, why gold's value was seen as "natural," and how myths from this era are still shaping Alaska's trajectory.
Note that there were technical issues with the recording of this episode that impacted the audio quality. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this conversation and I hope you do too!
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FAQ
How many episodes does The Alaska Myth have?
The Alaska Myth currently has 7 episodes available.
What topics does The Alaska Myth cover?
The podcast is about History and Podcasts.
What is the most popular episode on The Alaska Myth?
The episode title 'Introducing "The Alaska Myth"' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The Alaska Myth?
The average episode length on The Alaska Myth is 26 minutes.
How often are episodes of The Alaska Myth released?
Episodes of The Alaska Myth are typically released every 21 days, 3 hours.
When was the first episode of The Alaska Myth?
The first episode of The Alaska Myth was released on Sep 6, 2023.
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