Blog Post 4: The Theme of Resources in Alaskan Writings

The use of resources is a reoccurring theme the Alaskan Literature. Being that Alaska is a plentiful land, with an unforgiving climate means that providing for oneself can be an often daunting but fulfilling task. Many of the authors we've read about recently describe the process of procuring food in the wilderness as opposed to the gathering of the "natural resources" we tend to think about today (i.e. oil, gold, fur).

In Richard K. Nelson's "Moon of the Returning Sun", Nelson describes the Eskimo hunting method to that of the polar bear when he writes,"So it was that Eskimo and polar bear hunted the same animal in almost the same way" (409). This quote is significant to the piece as a whole, because the description shows that both man and beast are on an equal plane when it comes to hunting in the Alaskan wild. Neither man nor beast has the upper hand, and both may need to adopt each other's methods in order to gain resources necessary for life.

In Pamela Houston's story "Dall", she describes the travels of sheep hunters in Alaska. When comparing Houston's story to Nelson's, it is evident that the hunters of each story had different motives and methods of obtaining their needed resources. When Houstin writes,"Apparently they all split up and James came upon the herd and shot six animals in a matter of seconds." (439), it seems to me that the purpose of hunting the sheep was for bragging rights, rather than actual need. When put into that context, the hunting of the sheep seemed like a disrespectful use of the Alaskan resources.

In Barry Lopez's "Tornarssuk (Ursus Maritimus)", Lopez describes the hunt of ringed seals. The purpose for hunting seals was tied to the study of marine food chains in the arctic (431). Lopez's use of Alaskan resources differed from both Nelson's and Houston's depiction of hunting in Alaska, because the resources were used in the pursuit of education. Whether the purpose is food, entertainment, or education, Alaskan resources seem to appease a multitude of people.