Oct 18 2023 32 mins
"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