Authentic Alaska

Alaska’s mushing culture rolls on When the Iditarod teams bound out of Willow this month, their odyssey across the Alaskan wilderness will be more than a race. Rising and falling across a frozen landscape – stitching together far-flung rural communities as they go – they will help preserve an arctic sled dog culture that stretches back thousands of years. But uncertainty hangs over the scene. Across Alaska, keeping dog teams is getting harder as costs rise and the climate warms.

Alaska’s mushing culture rolls on When the Iditarod teams bound out of Willow this month, their odyssey across the Alaskan wilderness will be more than a race. Rising and falling across a frozen landscape – stitching together far-flung rural communities as they go – they will help preserve an arctic sled dog culture that stretches back thousands of years. But uncertainty hangs over the scene. Across Alaska, keeping dog teams is getting harder as costs rise and the climate warms.

Federal funding has long been crucial to Alaska’s economy, even before statehood. From the Alcan to the pipeline to our airports and beyond, it props up Alaska’s transportation and energy sectors, providing the infrastructure necessary to move people, fish, oil, and minerals. Federal programs have also long supported education, health care, research, and much more. In each case, a steady—and often overlooked—flow of federal dollars helps Alaskans afford the cost of life in the North.