SCR 17: Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the purchase of Alaska for $7,200,000; urging Alaska communities to plan activities and events in 2017 to commemorate the Alaska Purchase; requesting that the Alaska Historical Commission coordinate events; and inviting Alaska communities, schools, universities, libraries, museums, businesses, civic and historical groups, and government agencies to participate in and support commemorative activities and events.
00 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 17 01 Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the purchase of Alaska for $7,200,000; urging 02 Alaska communities to plan activities and events in 2017 to commemorate the Alaska 03 Purchase; requesting that the Alaska Historical Commission coordinate events; and 04 inviting Alaska communities, schools, universities, libraries, museums, businesses, civic 05 and historical groups, and government agencies to participate in and support 06 commemorative activities and events. 07 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 08 WHEREAS Alaskans traditionally commemorate and celebrate the Alaska Purchase 09 with two official state holidays, Seward's Day on the last Monday in March and Alaska Day 10 on October 18; and 11 WHEREAS 2017 will be the sesquicentennial of the 1867 Treaty of Purchase, which 12 transferred from Russia to the United States the land that today is the State of Alaska; and 13 WHEREAS the anniversary is an opportunity for communities and individuals around 14 the state to plan commemorative activities; and
01 WHEREAS the anniversary is an opportunity to recognize the Alaska Purchase, once 02 decried as "Seward's Folly," with educational activities and commemorative events regarding 03 the history of Alaska under the American flag; and 04 WHEREAS the anniversary is an opportunity to enhance efforts to preserve 05 significant historical sites, papers, and artifacts and to recognize the leaders who made the 06 Alaska Purchase possible; and 07 WHEREAS the anniversary provides a platform for a national discussion on Alaska's 08 value to the nation, including the state's strategic importance in the defense of the nation, the 09 importance of the state's resources, the state's importance to national and economic security 10 interests, and the importance of the state's geographic location in the Arctic and strategic 11 location in the North Pacific; and 12 WHEREAS the anniversary presents an opportunity to learn about the history of the 13 state's Native people, before and after the Alaska Purchase, and to recognize that an 14 understanding of the culture and heritage of the state's Native people is essential to an 15 understanding of the state; and 16 WHEREAS a celebration to commemorate the anniversary provides an opportunity to 17 review and encourage comprehensive research on the state's history; 18 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes the sesquicentennial 19 of the Alaska Purchase and encourages all communities in the state to plan activities and 20 events and engage in discussions to commemorate the anniversary; and be it 21 FURTHER RESOLVED the Alaska State Legislature appreciates the leadership of 22 the Alaska Historical Commission in coordinating events and seeking opportunities to bring 23 new research to the attention of all Alaskans; and be it 24 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature invites Alaska 25 communities, schools, universities, libraries, museums, businesses, civic and historical 26 groups, and government agencies to participate in and support activities and events to 27 commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Alaska Purchase.