In the melting pot of Alaskan colonization, a new people were born. The product of Russian marriages to indigenous people, this new generation was instrumental in the development of the fur, fish, and gold industries. Beginning with a name and an anecdotal birthplace, authors Bev Sims and Dianne Zitnik traced their family heritage back to the eighteenth century. Through historical records and church archives, they pieced together a rich account of survival, adventure, and wealth. They unveil the stories behind their family tree in Our Fur-Fathers of Southwest Alaska: Kalmakoff, Kameroff, Kamkoff, complete with glossary, footnotes, maps, and historical photographs. Contrary to a history textbook, Our Fur-Fathers of Southwest Alaska tells factual, yet personal, stories of historical figures and their families. From personality clashes and power plays to the ubiquitous evidence of Russian influence, Sims and Zitnik weave together the fascinating tale of intrigue, morality, and legacy that lives in their past.

Boys' Life is the official youth magazine for the Boy Scouts of America. Published since 1911, it contains a proven mix of news, nature, sports, history, fiction, science, comics, and Scouting.

After its rudimentary beginning in 1749, fur farming in Alaska rose and fell for two centuries. It thrived during the 1890s and again in the 1920s, when rising fur prices caused a stampede for land and breed stock and led to hundreds of farms being started in Alaska within a few years. The Great Depression, and later the development of warm, durable, and lightweight synthetic materials during World War II, brought further decline and eventual failure to the industry as the postwar economy of Alaska turned to defense and later to oil. The Fur Farms of Alaska brings this history to life by capturing the remarkable stories of the men and women who made fur their livelihood. “For more than 200 years ‘soft gold’ brought many people to Alaska. Fur farming was Alaska’s third-largest industry in the 1920s, and Sarah Isto writes of the many efforts, successes, and ultimately of the fur farming industry’s failure. This well-researched history contextualizes current fox elimination projects on Alaska islands and explains the abandoned pens one stumbles across. This is a story that has long needed to be written.”—Joan M. Antonson, Alaska State Historian

Mission of Change is an oral history describing various types of change—political, social, cultural, and religious—as seen through the eyes of Father Astruc and Paul Dixon, non-Natives who dedicated their lives to working with the Yup’ik people. Their stories are framed by the an analytic history of regional changes, together with current anthropological theory on the nature of cultural change and the formation of cultural identity. The book presents a subtle and emotionally moving account of the region and the roles of two men, both of whom view issues from a Catholic perspective yet are closely attuned to and involved with changes in the Yup’ik community.

A deeply panoramic tour of the night, from its brightest spots to the darkest skies we have left. A starry night is one of nature's most magical wonders. Yet in our artificially lit world, three-quarters of Americans' eyes never switch to night vision and most of us no longer experience true darkness. In The End of Night, Paul Bogard restores our awareness of the spectacularly primal, wildly dark night sky and how it has influenced the human experience across everything from science to art. From Las Vegas' Luxor Beam -- the brightest single spot on this planet -- to nights so starlit the sky looks like snow, Bogard blends personal narrative, natural history, science, and history to shed light on the importance of darkness -- what we've lost, what we still have, and what we might regain -- and the simple ways we can reduce the brightness of our nights tonight.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter. This is the unforgettable story of how Christopher Johnson McCandless came to die. "It may be nonfiction, but Into the Wild is a mystery of the highest order." —Entertainment Weekly McCandess had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Not long after, he was dead. Into the Wild is the mesmerizing, heartbreaking tale of an enigmatic young man who goes missing in the wild and whose story captured the world’s attention. Immediately after graduating from college in 1991, McCandless had roamed through the West and Southwest on a vision quest like those made by his heroes Jack London and John Muir. In the Mojave Desert he abandoned his car, stripped it of its license plates, and burned all of his cash. He would give himself a new name, Alexander Supertramp, and, unencumbered by money and belongings, he would be free to wallow in the raw, unfiltered experiences that nature presented. Craving a blank spot on the map, McCandless simply threw the maps away. Leaving behind his desperate parents and sister, he vanished into the wild. Jon Krakauer constructs a clarifying prism through which he reassembles the disquieting facts of McCandless's short life. Admitting an interest that borders on obsession, he searches for the clues to the drives and desires that propelled McCandless. When McCandless's innocent mistakes turn out to be irreversible and fatal, he becomes the stuff of tabloid headlines and is dismissed for his naiveté, pretensions, and hubris. He is said to have had a death wish but wanting to die is a very different thing from being compelled to look over the edge. Krakauer brings McCandless's uncompromising pilgrimage out of the shadows, and the peril, adversity, and renunciation sought by this enigmatic young man are illuminated with a rare understanding—and not an ounce of sentimentality. Into the Wild is a tour de force. The power and luminosity of Jon Krakauer's stoytelling blaze through every page.

Romancing the jewel that is wild Alaska. 'Pursuing Alaska's Untamed' is an action adventure digital book written by Alaskan adventurer, sport fisherman, and philosopher Doug C. Myers. The ebook provides a virtual trip to a guarded treasure that is wild Alaska. The ebook is written for the outdoor enthusiast. Various discovery episodes provide windows for the reader to view the magic in Alaska's wilderness pleasures. For some it provides the vicarious realization of an elusive dream. Digital color photos introduce each chapter adventure experience, and were taken on location at the time of each written narrative. Included are visits with Native friends at their subsistence fish camp on the edge of a designated 'wild and scenic' river located in Southwest Alaska. Also included are excursion trips to distant villages and river systems along the Bering Sea, Alaska Peninsula, Kodiak Island, and less remote Kenai Peninsula. From ancient privilege to the running of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, from wildlife observations and confrontations to sport fishing highlights, the ebook is about Alaska's heart and soul - discovery. The book's contents include: Spirit of Adventure, Katmai's Other Eruption (Best and Worst of the Alaska Dream), Message of Goodnews (Promised Land), Seeking Subsistence (Ancient Privilege), River Wildlife Potpourri (Adventures of Father and Son), Streams of Dreams (Alaska Peninsula's Silver-Lining), Sourdough Legacy (Prospecting Heralded Herring), Island Extreme (Emerald Gem in Alaska's Gulf), Highway to Heaven (From Hope to Heaven's Gate), Dogged Determination (Heart and Soul of Alaska), Unity in Diversity (Winter's Allure and Summer's Prolific Embrace), Surviving the Surreal (Moose Twin's Torment), and A Last Frontier (Pleasure's Freedom Song). The 'Foreword' is authored by Colonel Norman D. Vaughan, adventurer-explorer, and member of the first Byrd Antarctic Expedition. A brief bio of his illustrious life is included. Recommended: 'I found passionate love for Alaska few could express so eloquently. The way you string words together gives powerful impressions.' - Eveline Horelle Dailey, Author - Free Lance Writer, Arizona 'While curled up with your book I felt like I left a bit of my heart in Alaska. Your skill as a wordsmith enabled me to again see and feel the land I love.' - Rachel Prine, Executive Assistant, Washington 'Your writing is so expressive - each chapter drew me in. I felt like I was really there.' - Lorraine Ellis Woolcock, Telecommunication, Alaska 'While reading your book I was enchanted and amazed.' The images spend time in my head as if I was seeing a movie. - Sra Olivia Ramirez, Hotel Owner, Colima, Mexico

From his mother's birth in the rural mountains to her moving and very public death.