Mushers spent most of the day traveling between Nenana, Manley, and Tanana. In the morning I flew to Tanana where we had several hours before the first musher, Jason Mackey, came in with his team. Tanana is one of the most hospitable towns that I’ve ever visited. The locals made an abundance of food for the mushers, volunteers and veterinarians, as well as set up a sleeping area in the Community Hall and an area for mushers to dry their gear.
Just before Jason Mackey came into Tanana, many of the local Koyukon Athabascans gathered together to sing a few songs that have been composed by the elders over the last 100+ years. Two of the song names translate to “my words will carry you through” and “where the two rivers meet” speaking of the Tanana and Yukon rivers. A third song was a song of good luck for the mushers. The teams looked good and strong as they came down the street in the dark with the town on one side and the Yukon River on the other.
…. then I met the granddaughter of Dave Corning- one of the 20 mushers who participated in the 1925 Serum Run. She spoke of how most people used to have a sled dog team in town, but now there aren’t enough fish in the river to be able to feed that many dogs. To see so many dog teams come through the streets of Tanana filled her heart. The Native Alaskan culture is deeply rooted in traditions that are passed down through the generations. The 2025 route travels through two native regions: Athabascan and Iñupiaq.
There are several ways that you can bring the Native Alaskan traditions into your classroom as the race is passing through the regions. I encourage having students study the language, the importance of elders, traditions by region, and specific arts/crafts. A month ago, my students were traveling the streets of Nenana via Google maps, which is also a fun and interactive way for students to visualize the area.
Questions? Lesson ideas? Send them my way! emailtheteacher@iditarod.com
