Eagle River Bridge Mile 127 1/2. A.E.C. Railway

Description: 

AEC H56 HGK. Verso: WWI 1917-1918 [looking across bridge, with man wearing mosquito netting on bridge, workmen below]

Description: 

AEC H56 HGK. Verso: WWI 1917-1918 [looking across bridge, with man wearing mosquito netting on bridge, workmen below].

Cultural Narrative: 

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.

Traditional Knowledge: 

The Eagle River section of the Alaska Railroad lies within the ancestral homelands of the Idlughet Qayeht’ana (Eklutna Village Dena’ina) and is also considered an extension of Nay'dini'aa Na' Kayax (Chickaloon Native Village) ancestral lands. Although these lands were never ceded and are no longer under the legal ownership of either Tribe, both Tribes, along with the broader Dena'ina and Ahtna communities, work collaboratively to ensure these lands are responsibly stewarded and that their history is appropriately acknowledged.