Alaska Resident Fishermen’s Union: Personal Statements
Reflection
I feel the main course outcome my project helped me to connect with is outcome number three. It asks how the development and variation of English connects to my own use of language, and this fits perfectly with my project’s linguistic analysis of register. I talked about how the two generalized classifications for register are formal and informal, but that linguists prefer to study register through the scope of five categories, which are Frozen, Formal, Consultative, Casual, and Intimate—It gives analysis of register more body and content by which to examine it. In my artifact, I found it interesting that even though all of the personal statements had the same setting, (the Fishermen’s Union documents) each entry had its own voice. I learned that though each entry technically would fall under the generalized category of formal given that they’re for professional documents, some entries double-dipped within the formal and casual classifications based on the tone of the entry. This struck me as exciting during my presentation, because I realized that I too was double-dipping in my own use of language. I was being formal given that I was presenting a project, but based on the style of the presentation I could adopt a more casual, conversational tone with those who were watching me present.
Additionally, in my project I was able to connect contemporary issues to language as I make the argument that because of Alaska’s rich history there was a lot of impact on language. This would eventually lead to people who live right next to each other speaking in different manners because of the environments they grew up in and what was happening historically.
As for program outcomes, I feel that I was successful in accomplishing numbers two and three, especially after completing my presentation. I first was able to construct a text which would connect with an audience who had a mutual interest but also could be diverse, so it could in a way speak a little something to everybody who was watching me present. I discussed how the founding of a city, the beginnings of the commercial fishing and oil industries, and the importance of family could all tie into the primary topic of language development. Before the project started, I was very intimidated by this idea, but over the semester I devoted a lot of time to understanding language and how it could branch out to other subjects. By the end of the semester, I had a good grasp on how that works, and it made my project really rewarding to share. I also felt that I became a better public speaker this semester, not just from the presentation of my artifact, but also from preparing for presentation day in class, because I realized that’s what the class is there for—to prepare you for that bigger moment. So during our class days I made more of an effort this semester to speak up, ask questions, and start scholarly conversations.
Public Summary
This project examines a collection of documents from the Alaska Resident Fishermen’s Union. The collection consists of one letter from Secretary John Edelmann as well as nine pages of Kenai resident signatures from the summer of 1934. The Alaska Resident Fishermen’s Union requested that the people of Kenai record the amount of money they had earned fishing over the summer. The Alaska Resident Fishermen’s Union was incorporated in 1934 to act as a representative for the men of Kenai who put in hours of fishing and at the end of season did not bring home enough money to support their families. In each personal statement, the heads of Kenai families recorded how many people they had to support but were currently not able to, given that many of them were more than $50 in debt after paying bills.
To shed more light upon the fishing industry on the Kenai Peninsula, I studied the founding of Kenai. Fishing has always been heavily ingrained in the lives of Alaskans, and my project begins by exploring the early lives of the Dena’ina Indians of the Kenai region. The Dena’ina fished for personal use, for the feeding of their families, but upon the arrival of the Russians in 1741, this began to change. The Russians, after exploring Alaska’s resources, began building forts, such as Fort St. Nicholas, where they sold and traded fish and furs. This came into practice at around 1790. Later, in the late 1800s, Alaska is now property of the United States and commercial salmon canneries were being established on the Kenai, which saw tremendous success. Ever since then, fishing has been one of Alaska’s main economic factors.
Linguistically, all of this history has had a deep impact on language. We have the entry of Russian and English which played major roles in the loss of Alaska Native languages and cultures. And in a more modern society, the development of a brand-new industry would result in new inventions and establishments, such as fish traps and canneries. These would cause a lot of changes to language regarding terminology and jargon. Growing up in these communities would have people speaking differently than in other places around the globe, or even other places in the state, which is why I chose to register for my linguistic analysis section. It is especially interesting to examine how people use language in the Fishermen Union’s personal statements, given that different uses of language can be found from people who lived in the same community.
Abstract
This poster examines personal statements from the documents of the Alaska Resident Fishermen’s Union. These personal statements are from a collection of nine documents in which the residents of Kenai were instructed to record the amount of money they had earned fishing over the summer of 1934.
In this project I examine the settlement of Kenai, Alaska as well as the development of commercial fishing in the state. By analyzing the beginnings of a city and an industry, I learned how these roads traveled might have impacted the manners in which people spoke.
Primarily, this project is a linguistic analysis, and I chose to examine the registers of the Fishermen’s Union’s personal statements. Register is the different uses of language within the different circumstances one might encounter. I found that though all the entries as a generalized register would be classified as formal given their setting, each entry had different uses of grammar and gave off different tones, which seemed to pertain to the age of the individual writing.
Through the historical and linguistic analyses of my project, I argue that the different generations of workers whose statements are recorded in the documents likely have different manners of speech given that many of these people grew up in an environment different from that of the generations above or below them.
Annotated Bibliography
Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula: The Road We’ve Traveled. Kenai Peninsula Historical Association, 2002, pp. 125-129.
In this section of the text, one learns the details behind Kenai’s “North Road” or Nikiski, Alaska. The text emphasizes that Nikiski is an important area of study, as the Dena’ina Indians set up fishing sites primarily around Bishop Creek and Swanson River. Before there was commercial fishing, there were family-run fishing sites, and this text lays out when commercial fishing took off on the Kenai Peninsula and became Alaska’s greatest trade until the discovery of oil in 1957.
Pedersen, Walt, and Elsa Pedersen. A Larger History of the Kenai Peninsula. Adams Press, 1983, pp. 25-29.
In the section of this text titled “Growing Up in Kenai,” we follow the story of John Monfor, who recounts Kenai’s shift from a fishing village to an industrial community. He explains in vivid detail what Kenai was like before the fishing and oil crazes. He discusses how the community worked and acquired food, as well as how canneries began. Additionally, he goes into when changes resulting from commercial fishing and oil did occur, and how that affected not only families like his own, but even more so the Kenaitze Indians.
“Kenai Settlement History.” Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center, Kenai Chamber of Commerce, 2019, https://kenaichamber.org/living-here/settlement-history/.
This source starts by discussing the beginnings of the Dena’ina Indians in the region of Kenai. From there, it transitions to the Russian’s discovery of Alaska in 1741 and how they proceeded over the next several decades to build forts for the sale and trade of fish and furs. From this point we move to the Alaska Purchase, and then to how the United States’ presence in Alaska led to commercial fishing becoming an economic factor.
Nordquist, Richard. “What Is Register in Linguistics?” ThoughtCo, 25 July 2019, https://www.thoughtco.com/register-language-style-169203.
In this source, Richard Nordquist discusses that the idea of linguistic register goes beyond the simplified notions of “formal” or “informal.” Linguists usually choose to examine register through the scope of five categories, which are Frozen, Formal, Consultative, Casual, and Intimate. By examining the use of language and circumstance through these five types of register, the topic becomes much broader and allows for linguists to explore more factors which can fall under the study of register.
Once Upon the Kenai. Kenai Historical Society, 1984, pp. 435-434.Sechrist, Katie, and Joe Rutz. “The History of Upper Cook Inlet Salmon Fisheries.” The Great State of Alaska, 2014, http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildlifenews.view_article&articles_id=639.
In this source, the Department of Fish and Game provides information on the history of fishing on the Cook Inlet. Sechrist and Rutz discuss personal use fishing, subsistence fishing, and commercial fishing. Upon the discovery of a vast number of salmon, fish camps and canneries were established, which would eventually cause an environmental crisis for Alaska. When Alaska became a state in 1959, new regulations were put in place, meaning several fishing methods were banned in an effort to repopulate Alaska’s waters with salmon before we lost them forever.
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HALEY WIK is a senior pursuing a Baccalaureate degree in English with a minor in Creative Writing. This piece was selected by Professor Jennifer Stone.