Abstract This paper analyzes the culture, values, male and female behavior and rites of passage of the Native Alaskans. The author points out changes in traditional life styles and culture. The paper relates their social norms and behavior.
From the Paper "There are few regions of the world that have experienced such rapid social, economic and political change of the North American Arctic natives. As Richard Condon noted almost ... years ago, this region of the world became strategically and economically significant during the prolonged decades of the Cold War, resulting in increased settlement by non-Natives and in an influx of programs and activities designed to benefit Native American peoples, many of whom are Inuit or Alutiiq. ... The encounter, so to speak, ..."
Abstract This paper examines how the issue of the Alaskan oil reserves and their potential for the economy of the United States has become extremely contentious. The Bush Administration and the corporate sector are of the opinion that the Alaskan oil reserve offers a potentially large resource and a possible solution to the energy needs of the country. However, there are also contending voices which see the usage of the reserves as ecologically unsound. Another perspective, which is explored in this paper, is that the Alaskan reserves will make very little difference to the overall energy problems and economy over the next decade.
From the Paper "The National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska (NPR-A), is situated between the foothills of the Brooks Range and the Arctic coastline, and is about 120 miles from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). (Rosen, Y. 2003. ) The Bureau of Land Management ( BLM) estimates the area will"... supplement production from the Alpine fields, which hold 429 million barrels and have a daily oil output of about 100,000 barrels." (US OKs Commercial Drilling in Alaska Oil Reserve) In terms of geography the oil in the petroleum reserve" lies in reservoirs only about 50 feet thick, stretched across an area 300 miles wide and 200 miles from the coast inland to the Brooks Range. In ANWR, the oil is largely concentrated in reservoirs as thick as 300 feet." "
Abstract This paper explains that the present racial issue in Alaska, between whites and native Alaskans, goes back generations and continues into the most recent times. Today, native Alaskans constitute a small minority in cities but form the majority in the rural villages. The author describes the history of anti-discrimination legislation, school desegregation, imprisonment ratios and stereotypes. In Alaska, the media report a lot about the racial issues in other countries and in the mainland U.S. but not much about what has and is happening in Alaska. The paper urges that more attention to these racial problems would help end them.
From the Paper "On September 12, 2007, the United Nations passed a resolution for the Indigenous People. The declaration is a comprehensive statement addressing the rights of these peoples. It was drafted and formally debated for over 20 prior to being adopted. The text says indigenous peoples have the right to fully enjoy as a collective or as individuals, all human rights and fundamental freedoms as recognized in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international human rights law."
Tags: segregation schools, age group, racial pride, organization
Abstract The writer explores the affect that Alaskan oil drilling has on the environment, the fossil fuel issue and the effect drilling has on the Eskimo's lifestyle. The paper includes a diagram of the animals affected by the oil spilling and discusses points of view for and against the issue.
From the Paper "As the world continues to improve medical research people are living longer than ever before. While people are living longer babies are still being born and this translates to a need for more natural resources than ever before. While the world is using the current resources in record numbers scientists and environmentalists are scrambling to locate new resources and solutions that will support the increasing world population while at the same time protect the environment. Sometimes the scientists and environmentalists agree and other times they are at odds as to the best way to go. For the past few years there has been an ongoing debate about oil drilling in Alaska. Alaska is often referred to as America's last frontier. It is wild and untamed and it has untapped resources that are currently being eyed for the future. Drilling for oil in Alaska has become a controversial issue for several reasons. Environmentalists and scientists remain at odds over the affect the drilling will have on the future of the area. Some of the concerns involve the Eskimos, the fossil fuel question, the environmental impact and the disruption drilling has on the sea. These topics are being addressed while the drilling marches forward which puts the topic in a time crunch in environmental eyes. The affects the drilling has on the environment and those who live in the area must be considered and addressed if the drilling is going to be productive to the world."
Abstract This paper explains that the reasons for the poverty on the Alaskan Native tribal reservations are related to (1) the culture, (2) the geography, (3) educational problems, (4) the exploitation of the natives by governments and large corporations and (5) substance abuse. The author points out that substance abuse is the single most important debilitating force among Alaska Natives, which have a higher rate of substance abuse than other cultures: 80% of all Native deaths are alcohol and the rate of fetal alcohol syndrome among Alaska Natives is the highest for any population. The paper stresses that, because solutions, which have been imposed from outside, will most likely be ineffective, there is a growing awareness that solutions to those problems must be generated at the community level and come through a re-commitment to traditional Indian values and beliefs.
From the Paper "There are ever shrinking resources for subsistance hunting and fishing. That brings us to the next topic which is exploitation of the Native. The oil companies have upset the delicate balance between the native and his land. Those companies have damaged the land through drilling and oil spills. For example, some natives think that a partial answer to their poverty is an Native-owned and operated fishing Co-op, made up of fisherman living on an average income of about $500 a year. Last year they contracted with a Japanese firm that agreed to buy their entire catch at an excellent price. After the Japanese ship had been cleared by Customs, Immigrations, Agriculture, and Public Health agencies and U.S. Consular authorities in Japan, the governor intervened to force the Japanese to cancel their agreement on the grounds that the contract violated the North Pacific Fisheries."
Tags: culture, geography, education, exploitation, traditional
Abstract This paper takes a look at the Alaskan oil reserves and how these reserves offer a potentially large resource and a possible solution to the energy needs of the United States. This paper also reviews how using these reserves could mean possible exploitation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
From the Paper " The National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska (NPR-A), is situated between the foothills of the Brooks Range and the Arctic coastline, and is about 120 miles from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). (Rosen, Y. 2003. ) The Bureau of Land Management ( BLM) estimates the area will"... supplement production from the Alpine fields, which hold 429 million barrels and have a daily oil output of about 100,000 barrels." (US OKs Commercial Drilling in Alaska Oil Reserve) In terms of geography the oil in the petroleum reserve" lies in reservoirs only about 50 feet thick, stretched across an area 300 miles wide and 200 miles from the coast inland to the Brooks Range. In ANWR, the oil is largely concentrated in reservoirs as thick as 300 feet." (Big oil numbers for Alaska)
At first glance there seems to be very little reason not to make use of these oil reserves. The US Geological Survey estimates that the reserve contains between 5.9 billion and 13.2 billion barrels of oil. (US expands oil exploration in Alaska). Other estimates are that the area "... is expected to produce between 5.7 billion and 16 billion barrels of oil for decades." (Murkowski L. 2005)"
Abstract This paper examines the debate over oil drilling in Alaska. It suggests that it is not necessary even given current and possibly future gas shortages in America. It gives various reasons to the adverse affect of using Alaskan oil reserves including the Exxon Valdez incident, the development of supplementary energy sources, and environmental issues.
From the paper:
"As gas prices have risen over the past year, the term "crisis" has been tossed around a great deal, suggesting a number of different possibilities. Among these: Americans may soon run out of gas, Americans may soon be paying five or ten dollars per gallon, and the American will stall utterly if there is not enough cheap gas available. In fact, of course, none of these speculations is true. What is true, and what will be discussed in this paper, is that these higher gas prices are indeed a wake-up call to Americans that something must be done to change our expectations about where our energy will be coming from in the next century."
Tags: environment, energy, Exxon-Valdez, fuel, oil, fuel, prices, energy
A discussion of how understanding the child-rearing practices of the Pacific Northwest Indians and Alaskan Native Indians is important in providing the best welfare service to their children.
Abstract This paper discusses cultural competence within the context of the Pacific Northwest Indians and the Alaskan Native American. The paper describes family and community approaches to child welfare practice and also looks at social and (to a lesser extent) racial constructs in these societies. Finally, the paper at various times touches upon the lessons that a careful study of Pacific Northwest culture can offer to a child welfare agent eager to do the right thing.
From the Paper "About the Coeur d'Alene tribe somewhat less is known but it is known that kinship was bilaterally based and that the same terms were used to address a cousin from the mother's side of the family as from the father's side of the family (Frey, n.d.). Whether or not this sort of practice is still in place is hard to determine (the evidence is scant) but, to the extent that any members of the Coeur d'Alene still cling to the "old ways", it is advisable that child welfare representatives respect the fact that Coeur d'Alene families are extended and close-knit and that a child's well-being is everyone's concern."
This paper examines the ongoing debate between those who support the oil industry and those who wish to protect the Alaskan coastal plains from being drilled in search of oil.
Abstract This paper summarizes the argument against drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on the basis of damage that would be caused to the environment and the wildlife inhabiting the region. The topic is connected to the events of September 11th which nearly allowed the Republicans to push through an emergency Energy Security Bill, allowing for the extraction of oil from the ANWR.
From the Paper "In the past 10 months many people have claimed that the world as we knew it a year ago has been profoundly and irreversibly transformed with the events of September 11th, 2001. Others have attacked these claims as being yet another example of American ethnocentrism and egocentricity: the world has not changed, the USA simply got a taste of reality. However, whether the United States was living in a sheltered state of denial in which true poverty, destruction and war never found a home on its shores, or whether the world truly has changed entirely, is a subject for a different debate and a different paper."
Abstract The following paper examines Panama's impacting prospects for improving her economy. It looks at the way in which she can achieve or maintain democratic reform initiatives in the new century. This paper also includes historical facts and the unfolding of events as well as regional and global environmental factors which help provide a qualitative analysis to support the central thesis that forward movement can be sustained.
From the Paper ?Panama was part of the Spanish empire for 300 years (1538-1821), and its history and current economic and political conditions are rooted in that experience. Panamanian identity has also always been based on a sense of "geographic destiny" and Panamanian fortunes fluctuated with the changing geopolitical importance of the isthmus. The colonial experience also marked Panamanian nationalism causing its politics to be characterized by strongly anti-imperialist themes and sentiment and its society to become racially complex and highly stratified. These factors became the source of internal conflicts that ran counter to the unifying force of Panamanian nationalism. Upon its independence from Spain, Panama briefly joined with Columbia; however, when Columbia refused to allow plans for the United States to build a canal across the isthmus, Panama, with U.S. support, declared itself sovereign in 1903. Immediately, it signed a treaty with the U.S., allowing for the construction of the Panama Canal, which was completed in 1914. The U.S. saw the canal zone as theirs, while the Panamanians claimed actual ownership, causing tensions for decades.?
Abstract A look at the controversy surrounding the drilling of oil in Alaska. The writer presents political opposition as well as environmental concerns. On the other side, economic factors are taken into account.
From the Paper "For some years, Congress as well as those interested in both the energy industry and the preservation of wild areas in the United States have argued whether drilling sites in Alaska should be expanded. One area of debate has been the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska."
Tags: arctic, preservation, environment, barrel, wildlife, energy
This paper discusses the Exxon Valdez oil spill of March 24, 1989, a tanker accident in Alaskan waters.: Economic, political and environmental ramifications.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 13 sources, 1990, $ 47.95
From the Paper " On Good Friday, March 24, 1989, Valdez, Alaska was thrust into the world spotlight as the tanker Exxon Valdez struck Bligh Reef, spilling 10 million gallons of oil into the marine-life-rich waters of Prince William Sound.
The oil spill resulting when the Exxon Valdez struck Bligh Reef was the worst in American maritime history. As the story unfolded, the public learned that the captain of the ship had apparently been drinking, that the third mate was in charge of the vessel at the time it struck the reef, and that safeguards which should have prevented such an accident existed, but were not operating the night of the accident ."
From the Paper "THE DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE: A DESCRIPTIVE INTRODUCTION
This research provides a description and discussion of the Denali National Park and Reservation. The description emphasizes the physical attributes of the Denali, while the discussion covers the issues currently engulfing the park and reservation.
The Denali National Park and Preserve covers 9,375 square miles in south-central Alaska (Chadwick and Lehman 62-87). The Denali is north of Anchorage and south of Fairbanks, and lies generally west of a line connecting the two cities. North America's tallest peak, 20,320 feet high Mount McKinley, is within the Denali boundaries, as are 17,400 feet high Mount Foraker, 13,220 feet high Silverthrone Mountain, and 11,670 feet high ..."
Abstract This paper explores the environmental disaster that occurred when the Exxon Valdex ship hit rocks in the area of the Prince William Sound in Alaska. The paper begins with an exact description of the event as it occurred in March 1989, with the initial tragedy lasting hours and eventually days and weeks until it was cleared up. The paper includes numerous tables, charts and a map of where it all took place. Included in the research are the relevant issues, such as environmental, social, financial strains, legal issues etc.
From the Paper "At 12:04 AM, 24 March 1989, a third-mate was solo-piloting the Exxon Valdez through Prince William Sound. The third mate, however, did not hold a United States Coast Guard certification to solo-pilot a ship the size of the Exxon Valdez through Prince William Sound (Wells & McCoy, 1989). Following a series of turns in an attempt to dodge floating ice, the ship shuddered to a stop "atop the Bligh Reef" (Wells & McCoy, 1989, A8). Moments before the grounding occurred, the ship had sailed beyond the Coast Guard's radar tracking area."
