The Tanana chiefs : native rights and western law

Book

The Tanana chiefs : native rights and western law / William Schneider ; with contributions by Kevin Illingworth, Will Mayo, Natasha Singh, Thomas Alton.

Schneider, William S., 1946- (author.).

Summary:

"At the turn of the twentieth century, life was changing drastically in Alaska. The gold rush brought an onslaught of white settlers to the area, railroad companies were pushing into the territory, and telegraph lines opened up new lines of communication. The Native groups who had hunted and fished on the land for more than a century realized that if they did not speak up now, they would lose their land forever. This is the story of a historic meeting between Native Athabascan leaders and government officials, held in Fairbanks, Alaska in 1915. It was one of the first times that Native voices were part of the official record. They sought education and medical assistance, and they wanted to know what they could expect from the federal government. They hoped for a balance between preserving their way of life with seeking new opportunities under the law. The Tanana Chiefs chronicles the efforts by Alaska Natives to gain recognition for rights under Western law and the struggles to negotiate government-to-government relationships with the federal government. It contains the first full transcript of the historic meeting as well as essays that connect that first gathering with the continued efforts of the Tanana Chiefs Conference, which continues to meet and fight for Native rights." --publisher's description.

Record details

ISBN: 9781602233447
ISBN: 1602233446
ISBN: 1602233454
ISBN: 9781602233454
Physical Description: xxvii, 187 pages : illustrations, maps ; 26 cm
Publisher: Fairbanks, AK : University of Alaska Press, [2018]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:: Includes bibliographical references (pages 141-168) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:: From fur to gold / William Schneider -- From native to white man's country / William Schneider -- July 1915: Wickersham meets the Tanana chiefs / Thomas Alton -- Alaska native leader Will Mayo shares his perspective on the 1915 Tanana chiefs meeting / Will Mayo -- The Fester / William Schneider -- Appendices -- Introduction to the transcript of the Tanana chiefs meeting in Fairbanks / Thomas Alton -- The original transcript of the 1915 Tanana chiefs meeting in Fairbanks -- The Alaska Purchase and Alaska natives -- Timeline of important laws and events impacting tribal governments in Alaska / Kevin Illingworth.