Construction Camp at Kings River, Matanuska Branch, A.E.C. Railway, Alaska
AEC G801 P.S. Hunt Anchorage [on verso:] Camp 24, King River, Matanuska Branch [walled tents in trees]
AEC G801 P.S. Hunt Anchorage [on verso:] Camp 24, King River, Matanuska Branch [walled tents in trees]
The development of the Alaska Railroad had a profound negative impact on Alaska Native Peoples. Although it was intended to connect communities across the state, the construction of the railroad led to an influx of new populations, the destruction of thousands of acres of pristine land, the creation of pollution where there was none, and in some cases, the diversion of waterways that disrupted salmon populations—an essential food source for Alaska Native Peoples. These destructive changes disrupted the Ahtna way of life, and their lasting effects continue to influence the work of the Tribe's Environmental Stewardship Department, which is dedicated to reversing this damage.
The Matanuska Branch of the Alaska Railroad lies within the ancestral homelands of Nay'dini'aa Na' Kayax (Chickaloon Native Village). Although these lands were never ceded and only some parcels of land in this area are under the legal ownership of the Tribe, the Tribe regularly monitors and occasionally assists in clean-up, rehabilitation and cultural interpretation to ensure these lands are responsibly stewarded and that their history is appropriately acknowledged.