CONVERSATIONS: Alaska

A growing archive of contemporary
stories of cross-cultural encounter. 

As Ping Chong + Company toured the theater work
ALAXSXA | ALASKA throughout the state of Alaska, artists invited community members into ongoing conversation to share their experiences and reflections.

“When I turned ten my mom and dad moved back here to St. Michael [from Nunum], and when we moved back we really wanted to move back to the Yukon because the dried fish and the geese and birds were fat and rich. The dried fish, we thought, tasted like cardboard, but we got used to it. When they used to take us camping during the Summer, we’d travel as a whole family and nobody was left behind, even the babies came.”

Minnie Aluska | stebbins

Dana anderson | anchorage

"[I went to Seattle with my mother,] we were walking down the street in front of the great, wide sidewalks and I'm looking around at people and she's like "what are you doing?" I said "Well, I'm looking for people I know." But she says "you don't know anybody here. You don't even live in this state anymore." I said "Well, every time I get on the plane people say 'Hey Dana, how're you doing'...Everybody knew everybody up here.”

Brian Walston | St. michael

“There’s a 70 mile road from Nome to Teller, so we drove all the way to Teller. Here’s where the good part happens. So we hop in a boat—seriously, this boat’s a little skip and there’s probably about 5 or 6 teachers and we pile all of our luggage in this boat. There’s two teachers sitting in the front of the boat and there’s myself, another teacher, and the principal’s son is controlling the boat, and literally I can’t see the people in front because there’s a mountain of luggage in front of me. Next thing you know, the boat turns off right away. It’s probably one in the morning. So he hands me the gas line, and I’m holding the gas line in place for the rest of the ten minute ride in this boat, just so we can get to where we’re going. And if I’d pulled it out it would’ve stopped. When we get there there’s another five mile ride to the village. [We’re driving from the beach], and the beach is all rocks. We’re literally maybe six inches from the ocean and [the driver’s] flying. The next minute he stops and he’s texting on his phone, and I’m holding on for dear life. That was my first day in Alaska.”

Alyssa Overby | Sutton

"I get really excited when people come up to visit. Or I meet somebody who's not from here, and I'm like, 'Oh! I get to share and experience this beautiful place.' That's my first instinct when I'm meeting somebody that's from out of Alaska." 

   KEVIN LEE | ANCHORAGE

"I always get amazed at how many people think that I hunt. I was in the military for awhile, and people are like, "So what's hunting like?' I've never been hunting! I don't particularly want to. I've been fishing more times than I care to do, and I'm not sure if I ever want to again. Everyone has a perception or an idea of what people from here should be like. At least in Anchorage, it's almost like being from anywhere else."                

ROY ASHENFELTER | NOME

"My life is somewhat like [what was depicted in the play about] Kasigluk-- born and raised in White Mountain, small village, subsistence lifestyle, enjoy it. Being here in Nome-- believe it or not, I never thought I'd live in Nome. The images for us-- [of life in Nome from the village perspective]-- is quite scary. I've been here since '82. Having said all that, all the things I ended up doing in White Mountain, I do in Nome. My children are born and raised here. So it's been a real community, when I thought it wasn't going to be."