Railroad Tracks

Description:

Print Photograph, 3 7/8 in. x 2 3/4 in.

Cultural Narrative:

Attached Note: Handwritten inscription in ink, "Where the train used to turn around. Side tracks where they used to put the coal cars."

Traditional Knowledge:

The development of the Alaska Railroad had a profoundly negative impact on Alaska Native Peoples. While it was promoted as a means to connect communities across the state, its construction brought an influx of non-Native populations, led to the destruction of thousands of acres of untouched land, introduced pollution to previously pristine areas, and, in some regions, diverted waterways—disrupting vital salmon habitats and threatening a key subsistence resource for Alaska Native communities. These environmental and cultural disruptions significantly affected the Ahtna way of life, and their enduring legacy continues to shape the mission of the Tribe’s Environmental Stewardship Department, which remains committed to addressing and repairing this damage.

Protocol:

Cets'e'tnaey (Iron People) - Public Access

Community:

Nay'dini'aa Na' Kayax

Category:

Land Stewardship

Keywords:

Railroads, Railroad Tracks, Trains, Mining

Collections:

Wade Family Photograph Collection

Contributor:

Katherine Wade

Rights:

Taking back control of how Indigenous stories are being told, accessed, and used is vital for the success of reclaiming Tribal sovereignty. Chickaloon Village Traditional Council (CVTC) recognizes that the cultural knowledge and heritage of Nay'dini'aa Na' Kayax is collective, and an intellectual legacy of a whole people accumulated over time and shared with other Ahtna Dene groups. Owing to disrupted histories around the documentation of these materials, we may not always have the full information about the Western tradition of the "copyright holder" of works in our collection. CVTC wants to be able to share these valuable materials responsibly, as they are important connectors to our history and cultural heritage. CVTC policy is to make these materials available to the extent possible. CVTC continues to evaluate and monitor the rights of all its shared digital collections and welcomes public comments regarding these materials, especially from those who identify as members of the broader Ahtna Dene community.

Traditional Knowledge Labels:

Licensing Options:

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Source:

Katherine Wade Collection

Publisher:

Chickaloon Village Traditional Council

Identifier:

CVTC_MS003.022

Subject:

Resource Extraction, Land Stewardship, Transportation

Type:

Digital Image

Format:

Print Photograph


	Created: Wednesday, June 11, 2025 - 18:30


	TK Attribution Label (TK A) This label is being used to correct historical mistakes or exclusions pertaining to this material. This is especially in relation to the names of the people involved in performing or making this work and/or correctly naming the community from which it originally derives. As a user you are being asked to also apply the correct attribution in any future use of this work.


	TK Family Label (TK F) This label is being used to indicate that this material is traditionally and usually not publicly available. The donor family has agreed to share this image for the purpose of cultural preservation and perpetuation. The label is correcting a misunderstanding about the circulation options for this material and letting any users know that this material has specific conditions for sharing between family members. Who these family members are, and how sharing occurs will be defined in each locale. This material is not, and never was, free, public and available for everyone at anytime. This label asks you to think about how you are going to use this material and to respect different cultural values and expectations about circulation and use as some of the people depicted in these images may still be alive we ask that you respect their agency.


	TK Non-Commercial Label (TK NC) This material has been designated as being available for non-commercial use. You are allowed to use this material for non-commercial purposes including for research, study or public presentation and/or online in blogs or non-commercial websites. This label asks you to think and act with fairness and responsibility towards this material and the original custodians.

Railroad Tracks

TK Attribution Label (TK A)

TK Family Label (TK F)

TK Non-Commercial Label (TK NC)

TK Community Voice (TK CV)