You have made an excellent point.  This state is a temporary holding pattern for many (not all) who come for economic reasons. As you know, Americans and others come to Alaska to work and many choose to leave. That pattern has existed since the gold rush era.  The Indigenous population's world view is connected to ones Alaskan group and lands. This weekend, Dr. Ann Fienup-Riordan discussed the Yupik world view in Professor Willie Hensley's UAA class. The SNAP article is only one of numerous ways to view rural Alaska.