New Miss Alaska Describes
Alaska—Land of Her Birth
(Editor’s note—Miss Nina Whaley, beautiful 18-year-old girl,
who teas chosen Miss Alaska at the Beauty Pageant on March 23,
1963, had profound things to say about the land in which she was
born—Alaska. The Tundra Times feels that our readers every
where should have a chance to read what young Miss Alaska had
to say about her home country.)
By Nina Whaley
We all have subjects that we like to talk about—subjects that are
dear to our hearts. A young girl's thoughts turn to love of God, family,
and friends, and country. These represent the importand things in our life.
In a few minutes, I couldn't begin to tell you what any «ne of these
means to me, but I would like to tell all the world that doesn’t know, and
remind us that do know, of a part of this wonderful, beautiful world that
Cod created for us, the land of my birth—Alaska.
Beautiful Land
Other parts of the world may be
more historical, but Alaska is young
and virile. Other parts of the world
may be more glamorous, but none
more beautiful. Combine the beauty
of the Mountain States and the open
plains country — where land and
Skies join hands and you have a
taste of Alaska, the lushness of the
deep forests—the rivers in all stages
and moods — bubbling — tossing —
turning—and raging.
In the summer, the warmth of the
Southern climes and an accelerated
growth spurt that goes with a 24
hour sun, the creatures and animals
that bring life to all of this—God’s
Creatures.
The spring tempo of the birds ar
riving, proclaiming noisely and ex
citingly of the new cycle of life to
begin, the crispness of the fall days
and glowing colors, the quietness
and purity of a snowflake, one on
the other, until the world is clean
and white and sparkling—the mur
mer of a rising storm, the excite
ment, the ferocity, the violence—
the snugness of the home and fire
side, where loved ones and friends
suddenly become very near and
dear, with time to enjoy and appre
ciate the wonder of them all.
God’s Country
Take away one of these important
things I’ve mentioned and you may
be reminded of some other place,
some other time—but here in this
old and yet new land, God took
nothing away. He must have said to
himself, “Here I will put everything
—beauty, grandeur, vastness, sea
sons, sunsets, Northern Lights,
treasures, warmth, cold, game, birds,
fish.” Then he must have said to
himself, “Now I will sit back and
See what my children do with all
this."
I am one of those lucky children.
That's why 1 want to tell you more.
Here you can travel for a hundred
miles in a straight line and never
see another human being.
Vast Country
Here there are over 2 square miles
for every man, woman, and child
who live in this big country. It's
land area is greater than that of
France, England, Germany, Hun
gary. Austria, and Csechoslovakia
combined.
There are over 300 glaciers and a
mountain a mile higher than any
other in the United States. The new,
young. State of Alaska sprawls out
over an area about one fifth the
size of all the other forty nine. The
total coastline is more than equal
to that of all other shores of this na
tion.
There are hundreds of lakes that
have never been fished by modern
man. The 226,000 people in his vast
area have modern cities that com
pare or surpass most cities of equal
size when it comes to being “up to
date,” “on the go,” and “on the
grow.”
Big game, moose, bear, caribou,
deer, sheep, walrus, seal, and whale
still play an important part in feed
ing the people.
Native People
The Indians, Aleuts, and Eskimos
Who have lived here for thousands
of years have proven by their in
jgoaioua resourcefulness that man
can master hardships and handicaps
that would seem insurmountable.
Those in the Polar Zone live in
the shadow of the North Pole, where
relentless winter blizzards sweep
the barren tundra with a fury that
is matched only in the uninhabited
antarctic.
The Eskimos have mastered a way
of life that gives them a built-in
sunny disposition in a land where
they do not see the sun for over
two months each winter. They have
learned to respect and work with
Mother Nature and how to hunt and
hve by the bounties she brings to
their shores, how to make clothes
from the skins of the polar bear,
the caribou, the seal, and the wolf
How to hunt and take the largest
mammal that has ever lived on the
earth—the huge whale.
Each spring when the warm sun
refuses to set, they have a special
celebration and give thanks to the
Almighty who has looked after
them through the season just pass
ed.
My Land
In this land of my birth, I have
been blessed by being a part of all
this — a land where friends and
friendliness are real and not a
nhrase. where work is a challenge
'o be enjoyed, not shunned, where
resourcefulness is the rule and not
‘he exception, where honesty is
oracticed, and not just preached.
Here man's desire for achieve
ment and the satisfaction of a job
well done can reach fulfillment.
Here a man's neighbor is his clos
est ally in emergencies, work and
olay. Together they enjoy the ex
hilaration and vigor of a vast new
country.
It’s easy to find — just follow
the needle north to the land of my
Birth — God’s country — ALASKA.
Channel Light Gets
First Place Award
“Channel Light,” student publica
tion at Mt Edgecumbe School, Mt.
Edgecumbe. Alaska, was awarded
first place for excellence in offset
newspaper classf/icattion recently
by the Columbia Scholastic Press
Association.
In the contest, a first place rat
ing is the second highest award, ex
ceeded only by the medalist award.
BUSY PROMOTERS OF TOURISM—Helen and Chester Seveck are
no spring chickens any longer. Chester is 74 years young and his
wife around 57. But despite their age. both are tireless promoters
of tourism for Wien Alaska Airlines. They have already spent
several months in the lower states, most of them in California, and
still have many major cities to visit. They have just completed a
trip to Hawaii where they changed their parkas for cooler clothing.
Chester donned a Hawaiian sport shirt and Helen donned a mumu.
—Photo by Frank Whaley
TOURIST PROMOTION
Chester Dons Sport Shirt;
Helen Dons Mumu in Hawaii
Since last October Helen and*
Chester Seveck, of Kotzebue, have
been busy on their tourist promo
tional tour for Wien Alaska Air
lines. They have spent most of
their time in Southern California.
Frank Whaley, who is Interline
and Tour Manager for the airline,
has been accompanying the couple
arranging for the appearances. Ac
cording to Whaley, “they are hold
ing up wonderfully well.”
Since being in California and Ne
vada, the Sevecks have appeared
eleven times on television, several
of them in color. Recently they ap
peared on Tom Fransen's Interview
Show in color. That show has
around 300.000 viewers.
Sevecks are still to go on an ex
tensive trip for television appear
ances. They will go to Denver. Mil
waukee, Des Moines, Columbus),
Washington, D. C., Baltimore. Kan
sas City. St. Louis, and Omaha.
They will then head back to Los
Angeles for more promotion shows
and to make motion pictures.
Helen and Chester have just com
pleted a promotional trip to Ha
waii. They went to the city of Kai
lua and made their headquarters at
Pali Palms.
Frank Whaley, who made a quick
trip from California to Fairbanks to
root for his daughter, Nina, who
had been chosen Miss Fairbanks re
cently and who was elected Miss
Alaska, told the Tundra Times:
“The humid heat of Hawaii bo
thered Helen and Chester. Other
wise they got along fine.
“They are doing a fine job for
Alaska, helping to bring tourists
that will benefit the State.”
Telling of an amusing incident in
Hawaii, Whaley said, “We lost them
for about an hour. When they came
back, Chester was wearing a Ha
waiian sport shirt and Helen was
wearing a mumu. I couldn’t tell
them apart from the Hawaiians.”
In the world's audience hall, the
simple blade of grass sits on the
same carpet with the sunbeams and
the stars of midnight.—RABIND
RANATH TAGORE (Indian Poet
and Philosopher)
- I
overcome an enemy is to make him j
your friend.—ANONYMOUS I
Over Wide Area
Eskimo W ords Are
Same or Similar
For each subsequent issue of Tun
dra Times, the Department of Lin
guistics and Foreign Languages at
the University of Alaska will sub
mit contributions from its research
section on Alaska's native language.
Despite the remarkably vide
range of territory covered by Eski
mo speakers, there are many words
which are alike or almost alike all
the way from Prince William Sound
to Greenland. Following are a few
examples presented in the Yupik
Eskimo spelling establishment at
the University of Alaska,
man <older man) angun
woman (older) arnaq
husband ui. uvi
wife nulliaq
daughter panik
son qetunraq
blood auk
name ateq
■ right arm tal-iq
index finger tekeq
skin amiq
land nuna
ice ’ ciku
heaven, sky qilak
night unuk
contents imaq
sea. ocean imarpik
caribou tuntu
bird tengmiaq
(species varyl
fish iqaaLuk
(species varyl
raven tuluukaq
shaman angaLkuq
The words would be the same
for most northern Alaskan Inuk ex
cept that “e” becomes “i”. “c” be
comes “s” and “L” becomes “1” or
“t”. qitunraq. atiq. taliq, tikiq, siku,
tingmaiq. and angatkuq.
Letter to Editor
i Husfc/n. '
British Columbia,
Canada ” 1
March 23, 1963
Dear sir:
Thank you very much for sending
me a sample copy of the Tundra
Times.
It contains much interesting ma
terial. Herewith is enclosed $3 for
six months.
We would like to hear from In
dians and Eskimos and will try to
answer all letters.
Sincerely,
Billy Swaan
Where You'll Always Feel an Easy
Atmosphere of Friendliness
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Preferred by All Travelers
517 2nd Dial 452-2105
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