Summary:

Henry Oinas-Kukkonen,Alaska’s ”Sourdough” Territory in a Changing World   

Sourdough is an expression in Alaskan vernacular for someone who has inhabited the area for a long time. On the Yukon River, the word has usually used to refer to an inhabitant who stays in the area through the four seasons. The word itself has been derived from the bag of sourdough sponge hardened gold diggers of the Gold Rush used to hang around their necks or on their belts. From the nineteenth century onwards, the reputation of faraway Alaska and the exploitation of its resources were built on these people.  On the eve of the Second World War, there were determined plans in the U.S. capital, Washington, to develop Alaska into a strong and growing state. To Alaskans, this goal was a laudable one, but the Washington authorities’ planned methods for achieving this were considered inappropriate. 

In Washington, the aim was to carry out a fast development program based on refugee populations as settlers to the Territory, but this was rejected in the periphery. Alaskans were very unwelcoming towards Jewish refugees, but were somewhat excited by the idea to bring Finnish refugees to settle in Alaska. The development program became stuck in the congress and times changed, making the program irrelevant.  On the other hand, Finland and the Soviet Union formed a peace agreement, and Finnish refugees were no longer there as an option for solving Alaska’s problems. Alaska changed considerably during the Second World War and the years after it. However, the bringers of change were the Americans themselves.