Examining indigenous perspectives on the history of Fairbanks: a historical fiction work for fourth grade study

Abstract

A historical fiction story, Carried by the current: a history of Fairbanks, Alaska in the Tanana Valley, told in eight chapters, is an attempt to tell the story of the history of Fairbanks, Alaska with an emphasis on the perspective of the Indigenous people of the area, and how the settling of the city and surrounding area affected their lives. There is a need for educational resources that are told from perspectives other than that of the conqueror, as well as a need for representation of people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. This story can stand on its own or be incorporated into a unit study, providing a background of Indigenous ways of life pre-Russian contact, how Indigenous people in the Tanana Valley reacted to Westerners coming into their territory, and how their ways of life changed as a consequence. The story is written for an audience of 4th or 5th grade students in an urban Alaska public school setting.