Ross, thank you for your thought-provoking article. The timing for opening a discussion about Alaska History is perfect because historic milestone is approaching in 2017. The question is how we, Alaskans, should or will look at it? Now is the time for serious educational conversations about the controversial history of Alaska. 
I have been studying history and Alaska Native culture for years. I hope his statue will mean only a reflection of one event in history that took place 150 years ago and changed Alaska forever. The purpose of it should be: to engage viewers to remember, to study, to analyze and to learn how to avoid mistakes in the future. I wish historians do not use terms like "white male school of history" or "honor painful history" because we don't need anymore racism than we are dealing with today and history is always painful just as life is in general. Articles from historians should become a bridge connecting us through constructive discussions, not a wall dividing us.