This week’s readings, especially the piece by Nancy Green, were refreshingly critical. Green’s discussion of agency calls for a “historiographic focus on the difficulties embedded in the lived practice of transnationalism” (860). Her recognition of the trials and tribulations of forging transnational connections has been echoed by the social sciences and leads us to question the upbeat tone of transnational history. As Green writes, ““Certainly, we could emphasize the lost-in-translation trials of travel, trunks separated from their owners then, shoes and belts off at airports now” (863), I am reminded of my own experiences as a quasi-expat. Studying at St Andrews as an American, and even more so as an American split between two states, the trials and tribulations of a transnational existence are deeply familiar to me, from delayed flights to visa checks to setting up a UK bank account. Green’s concentration on “the complexity of the transnational situation: how wandering can be wearisome and how transnational ties may lead to complicated [issues and trials]” also highlighted some patterns in Alaska history, what I plan to dive into for our project in this module. Alaska is a difficult place to get to, and its inaccessibility means many things for its unique history. Firstly, Alaska’s status as a difficult territory to access and control bulwarked Native communities from the displacement crises and unmerciful violence inflicted upon thousands of Indigenous peoples by the U.S. Government during the throws of westward expansion of its borders. Native Alaskan communities did suffer horrific wrongdoings – note the notorious forcible evacuation and internment of hundreds of Aleut people from islands in the Aleutian Chain during WW2 – and yet because Native Alaskans have in large part defended ownership over their ancestral lands, their varied cultures have maintained a vibrant presence throughout the state. Alaska’s inaccessibility has also defined its historical character as a place of wilderness in the American imagination. From Jack London to Jack Kerouac, Alaska has captured the imaginations of writers and explorers. The Klondike Gold Rush drew thousands of hopefuls, but many journeys were cut short by the harsh weather conditions and unforgiving terrain of the Last Frontier. The industrial history of Alaska in producing precious resources, like whale oil, gold, furs, and copper, can be attributed in part to their geographic placement in an area which is difficult to access. A transnational view of Alaska recognizes not only its connections between or through other places, but the effort required and the difficulty in establishing those connections. The EUI Global History Seminar Group also brought a critical eye to the transnational approach. Certainly, residents of Alaska qualify as those simultaneously connected and ‘disconnected’ by the global.
Week 4 Blogpost