Reminder! AHS Call for Papers

We wish to remind everyone that the May 15 deadline for proposals to the 2013 AHS meeting is approaching. Please submit your proposals for papers and panels to Jim Simard (contact info below). The AHS meeting, held in association with Museums Alaska and sponsored in part by the Sheldon Museum, will be September 25–28, in Haines. The AHS Conference theme is "Confluence."

Confluence might suggest many of the converging influences in this region and throughout Alaska. Lynn Canal, for instance, is one of the world’s longest and deepest fjords, carved by ice age glaciers and fed by the Chilkat and Chilkoot Rivers. Yet it is but a small portion of the vast Alaskan coastline.

The ice fields and mountain passes above Southeast Alaska are at once a barrier and a gateway. The Chilkoot Trail follows one of the ancient trade routes between the coastal Tlingit people and the Inland First Nations people of the Yukon. The trail became the fabled pathway to the Klondike gold fields, bringing immigration, growth, conflict and permanent change to Alaska and the Yukon.

Salmon migrations have sustained the economies of the region for millennia, from the ancient Tlingit fishing culture, through the era of industrial fish traps and canneries, and into modern day subsistence and the commercial fishing industry.

Haines Mission was an early outpost of the Presbyterian Board of National Missions, becoming a center for boarding school education and a significant catalyst for change in the region, as were boarding schools throughout Alaska.

Alaska Native languages, declining in use during much of the 20th Century, are currently experiencing revitalization, as are traditional cultural expressions such as carving, weaving, dance, music and indigenous watercraft.

The U.S. Army was a major presence in Haines from the Gold Rush through the end of the Second World War. Fort Seward, now an historic landmark, has become a cultural and economic center for the community. Military installations throughout Alaska continue to make a significant contribution to the economy and social life of the state.

The Alaska Marine Highway celebrates its 50th year of service. The Alaskan transportation infrastructure has grown to include ground, air and water carriers, connecting Alaska with the world as never before.

These themes of convergence are just a few of the many possibilities for consideration. We will be pleased to hear about many more.


Proposals for papers, panels, and posters should be sent no later than May 15, 2013 to Jim Simard, Conference Planning Committee: james.simard@alaska.gov

Mailing address:

Alaska Historical Collections

Alaska State Library 
PO Box 110571

Juneau, Alaska 99811-0571

Attention: Jim Simard

Proposals should include name of presenter(s), contact information, title and an abstract of no more than 200 words. Presenters will have access to audio-visual equipment and will be given 20 minutes for their papers. Posters will be displayed throughout the meeting. Presenters are to register for the conference.