Becoming a Part of the Experience: The Consumerization of Alaska’s Rivers

Alaska’s rivers have long been important travel and commerce routes, and boat travel was vital to Natives, Russians, and Americans. Yet, the rivers and lakes were rarely thought of as destinations themselves. At best for early travelers, inland waters were routes by which they reached resources like subsistence resources, gold and other minerals, or fish and game. At worst, they were obstacles to be avoided or overcome on the way to these resources. It was only in the last half of the twentieth century that Alaskans and visitors began to consume river experiences as opposed to river resources.

A major factor in the shift in how people used inland waters in Alaska was the technology of traveling on them. New types of boats arrived by the mid-twentieth century that made it easier to access more remote rivers. As awareness of environmental issues rose in the 1960s and 1970s, Alaska became a prime destination for the untouched wilderness and untried wilderness experiences. These new boats helped make river travel in Alaska cheaper and easier, making it possible for the rivers and lakes to become the products, and for the boaters to became consumers of them. Rivers that had previously seen limited subsistence or fishing and hunting activity became popular in the 1960s and 1970s with rafters, wilderness travelers, and other adventure seekers. This new consumer use was a major factor in the growing Alaska conservation movement that culminated in the passage of the 1980 Alaska National Interest Land Conservation Act.