Alaskan Contrast

Alaska is one of this word that has the power to spark off dreams. “The Last Frontier” (Alaska’s nickname) rarely leaves indifferent. It’s often pictured as a place to disappear, to start over or to find yourself. It’s wild, it’s untouched, it’s dangerous, it’s beautiful. What struck me the most is that Alaska is a land of contrast.

An Alaskan license plate with the State’s nickname “The Last Frontier.” © By Pauline Mornet

On January 3rd 1959 Alaska became the 49th state of the United States. The locals often refer to the rest of the U.S. as “the Lower 48.” Alaskans have in common the fact they like to stand out from the rest of the U.S.

Before it became a state and before European colonization in the 1700s, Alaska was only populated by native peoples whose culture is still alive today. For thousands of years Alaska was inhabited by the Aleuts, the Athabascans, the Inupiaqs… “Alaska's diverse Native peoples remain a strong presence in Alaska, comprising approximately 16% of the state's population,” reports the official website of the State of Alaska.

View from the Alaska Railroad train near the Denali National Park and Preserve. © By Pauline Mornet

Subsistence living is really a thing in Alaska. “In some areas subsistence food makes up more than 50% of Native diets,” explains the State of Alaska website. And it’s also practiced by non natives. Sometimes just partially, it’s more a state of mind, a way to be close to the environment and to respect what the nature is giving.

People having a subsistence lifestyle cohabit with the other face of Alaska: the Oil business. Oil was discovered at Prudhoe Bay in 1968 and brought many changes to the State. It brought fast money and infrastructures. 80% of the state's revenues comes from petroleum extraction. “Terms like “roughneck”, “sloper”, “outside” became a part of Alaska’s culture,” explains the Anchorage museum.

The Trans-Alaska pipeline is a marvel of engineering. The 800-mile structure connects Prudhoe Bay in the North to Valdez in the South.

A section of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline halfway between Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay. © By Pauline Mornet

Mountain pass across the Brooks Range in Alaska. © By Pauline Mornet

The more I went North the strongest was the contrast. The landscape was gorgeous, pure white. And then there was the pipeline, the ultimate man-made piece. The silence was profound and muffled. And then there was the sound of a gigantic truck transporting materials to the Prudhoe Bay.

I find it fascinating to see these different worlds coexisting very closely.

A truck going to the Prudhoe Bay on the Dalton Highway in Alaska. © By Pauline Mornet

The small community of Wiseman, Alaska, population of 10 in 2020. © By Pauline Mornet

An Aurora above Coldfoot Camp on the Dalton Highway appreciated by truckers. © By Benjamin Walter

A man wearing a pair of Alaskan-made mukluks, boots originally made by the Inuit. © By Pauline Mornet

The two faces of Alaska. Left traditional Native outfit, right extreme snow vehicle at Anchorage Museum. © By Pauline Mornet