News

State agency asks Alaskans to find, preserve their local history

KUAC | By Tim Ellis

Published August 9, 2024 at 12:17 PM AKDT

The Alaska Office of History and Archeology is asking Alaskans to identify historically significant sites around the state that should be included in the office's 10-year historic-preservation plan it's now compiling.

Office of History and Archeology statewide outreach asks for help compiling 10-year historic preservation plan

A state agency is working on a 10-year plan to identify and preserve historic sites.

A rehabilitation project on the exterior of the Discovery Saloon in Nome was paid for by the Historic Preservation Fund. The project qualified for HPF funding because it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. — A rehabilitation project on the exterior of the Discovery Saloon in Nome was paid for by the Historic Preservation Fund. It qualified for the funding because it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Alaska Office of History and Archeology project is called Saving Our Past: For a Resilient Future, and it encourages Alaskans to recognize places where local history was made.

“This is an effort to get insight and information and ideas from the communities themselves,” says Alaska state historian Katie Ringsmuth. “Because at the end of the day, it’s going to be the local communities who know their history better than anybody.”

Ringsmuth, who’s deputy director of the agency, says it’s asking for local residents to help identify and preserve historic sites.

“Those resources are so important, because they tell a story of people who can't speak for themselves anymore, and they link us to the past,” she said.

A New Tigara sod house in Ipiutak, a prehistoric village that's now an archaeological site and National Historic Landmark near Point Hope. — A sod house in Ipiutak, a prehistoric village that's now an archaeological site and National Historic Landmark near Point Hope.

“They help communicate what happened, and why.”

Ringsmuth says local historical societies, government agencies and other organizations will hold meetings in the coming months to invite Alaskans to talk about historically significant sites and buildings, including those that have fallen into disrepair.

“Sometimes you have debris sites,” she said in an interview Thursday. “So for example, think of a World War II site, in which you have broken quonsets (huts) and scattering of information. Well, those properties, the tangible resources left behind, they tell a story.”

She says archeological sites with little more than bones and stones also could be added to the list of historically significant places. And the Office of History and Archeology can help local organizations preserve those and other historic sites, and even advise on developing them into tourist attractions.

Archeologists and students excavate a site at Swan Point, in the Shaw Creek Basin north of Delta Junction. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“Then you’re creating jobs, you’re creating educational programming, you’re creating an infrastructure which will protect but also benefit the community.”

Ringmuth says the state agency will use input from Alaskans to compile a list of historic preservation projects that’ll be carried-out over 10 years, beginning next year. It will be the first time the state will compile a 10-year plan update, rather than a five-year plan, in accordance with federal guidelines. (Click here to download the 2018-2023 five-year plan.)

Anyone interested in participating can check with their local historical society, or go to the Office of History and Archeology website and click on the Saving Our Past program link and submit their suggestion online.

Editor's note: The Office of History and Archeology invites Alaskans to submit comments by Sept. 15 on the Historic Preservation Plan update by contacting Historian Maria Lewis at maria.lewis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-8717.