SEPPALA HERITAGE GRANT
In keeping with the legacy of Leonhard Seppala and the qualities demonstrated by him in his lifetime, the Seppala Heritage Grant has been established to support and promote those persons demonstrating a commitment to work with, train and race sled dogs, and who demonstrate the qualities of generosity of spirit, courage, integrity and love for the dogs, land and people of Alaska.
In 2005 the grant was seeded by the Seppala Family with a $10,000 donation and a four-year commitment of $10,000 per year per recipient. Mitch Seavey, Iditarod Champion and winner of the 2008 All Alaska Sweepstakes, has graciously donated the $10,000 for the 2010 Seppala Heritage Grant. It is the hope of the Seppala Family and the selection committee that other persons or organizations will donate to this charitable grant with money or services, thereby increasing the outreach potential of this grant. Grant funds are administrated by Iditarod National Historic Trail, Inc., a private, nonprofit organization with 501, C-3 federal tax status.
Persons eligible for the grant include any youth, junior musher or rookie who aspires to the senior Iditarod race for the first time, and who demonstrates the qualities outlined above. Financial need will also be considered.
The selection committee members for the grant are:
Dan Seavey, musher of Seward, Alaska, a founder and four time runner of the Iditarod Race, member of the Iditarod Trail Committee and Iditarod National Historic Trail, Inc., and retired history teacher.
Libby Riddles, musher, of Fritz Creek, Alaska, first woman to win the Iditarod Race and recipient of the 1985 Seppala Humanitarian Award, author and sled dog tour operator.
Laura Samuelson, musher of Nome, Alaska, Iditarod Finish Checker 1991-2001 and Director of Nome’s Carrie M. McLain Memorial Museum.
Mike Williams, musher of Akiak, Alaska, ten time finisher of the Iditarod Race promoting sobriety, Chair of the Alaskan Inter-Tribal Council and member of the Alaska Board of Education.
Maja Ramsey, horsewoman of Sausalito, California, teacher, mediator, retired litigator and granddaughter of Leonhard Seppala.
Leonhard Seppala is an Alaskan legend. Born in Norway in 1877, as a young man he migrated to the Nome goldfields. There he began his lifelong love affair with Northern sled dogs. First, as a gold mine freighter, later as trainer and racer of imported Siberian dogs. With these, on three occasions, he won the famed 408-mile All Alaska Sweepstakes. He garnered international acclaim in 1925 for the giant’s role he played in the dog team relay of serum from Nenana to diphtheria stricken Nome. Seppala died in Seattle at age 90. His ashes were spread along the Iditarod Trail.
Today, Seppala is an honored icon of the world famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Annual presentations of the Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award pay tribute to Seppala’s exemplary care and kind treatment of racing dogs. Also, honorary mushers selected by the Iditarod Trail Committee’s Board of Directors are designated “Leonhard Seppala Honorary Mushers.” He was the first to be inducted into the Alaska Mushers Hall of Fame in 1967.
Applications for the 2010 Seppala Heritage Grant- Click Here (PDF)
The
Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance’s “Centennial Team”
will participate in the 37th Iditarod Dog Sled Race ceremonial start
in Anchorage on March 7th. As part of the Iditarod Trail Centennial
celebration, Dan Seavey, one of the founders of the Iditarod Race,
will be the first out of the starting gate with a historic freight
sled to commemorate the thousands of gold seekers who mushed to
the Iditarod gold fields a hundred years ago. The historic freight
sled is on loan from the Knik Museum for the event. Riding with
Dan Seavey is his grandson Conway, Mitch and Janine Seavey’s
youngest son.
The Iditarod Historic Trail Centennial, January 2008 to October
2012, commemorates events of historical significance to Alaska,
from sled dog travels to gold mining to the designation of Alaska
as a territory in 1912. The year 2008 marked the 100th anniversary
of the Alaska Road Commission efforts to open an overland route
from Seward to Nome. Starting in 1909, gold seekers hiked or mushed
to the Iditarod Mining District after word spread of the 1908 Christmas
Day gold strike by John Beaton and W.A. Dikeman on Otter Creek,
a tributary of the Iditarod River. This was the beginning of the
last great gold rush in Alaska’s history. After the Alaska
Road Commission completed trail construction in 1911, gold carrying
sled dog teams became a regular sight on the trial.
During the next three years Dan Seavey and his Centennial Team will
promote the Iditarod National Historic Trail and encourage all Alaskans
and visitors to experience the spirit of the Iditarod National Historic
Trail, to explore its rich history of people, communities and development
and to become active stewards promoting the protection and preservation
of the trail. Dan Seavey is a member of the Board of Directors and
past president of the Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance, who is sponsor
of this Centennial Team. He is also founder and 27 year president
of the Seward Iditarod Trail Blazers.
Dan Seavey ran the inaugural Iditarod Race in 1973, again in 1974,
and competed in the 25th anniversary race in 1997. In 2001, three
generations of Seaveys – Dan, son Mitch and grandson Danny
– become the first ever 3 generations to compete in the same
race.
About the Alliance
The Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance, a.k.a. Iditarod National Historic
Trail, Inc., is a statewide nonprofit organization chartered to advance
the knowledge, appreciation, and enjoyment of the historic Iditarod
Trail. Founded in 1999, a number of Board members of the Alliance
have been involved in efforts for the Trail for over 30 years. Several
served on the Department of Interior’s Iditarod National Historic
Trail Advisory Council, which sunsetted in 1998. State and federal
land management agencies work with the Alliance on projects to benefit
the Trail.
The Alliance, along with its partners, is celebrating
the 100th anniversary of the Iditarod Trail. 2008 marks the 100th
anniversary of the beginning of work by the federal government to
open the Iditarod Trail. Between 1910 and 1912, over 10,000 gold
seekers came to Alaska’s “Inland Empire” and in
the following years worked $30 million of gold from the ground.
While the Iditarod Trail is well known
nationally and internationally due to contemporary sled dog racing,
many Alaskans and most Americans are unaware of the basic history
of the Trail. While parts of the Trail go back thousands of years
to trade routes used by Alaska Natives, today’s Iditarod Trail
began with an Alaska Road Commission scouting expedition in mid-winter
1908. With the overall goal of raising public recognition and understanding,
the Alliance is working with a consortium of public agencies and
private partners during the Iditarod
Historic Trail Centennial, 2008-2012, in a coordinated public
education effort.
For
more information on the Iditarod Centennial, go to www.Iditarod100.com
What
are National Trails? The Iditarod National Historic Trail
is one of a number of trails designated by Congress in recognition
of their significance as scenic, recreational or historic transportation
routes. The Iditarod was specifically designated for its historic
importance. The system was created to provide areas of hiking and
for meeting the outdoor recreation needs of an ever-expanding urban
population.
Which
trails are designated as National Trails?
Click here to learn more
Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail E Mau Na Ala Hele,
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Appalachian Trail Conservancy, California National Historic Trail
Oregon-California Trails Association, Captain John Smith Chesapeake
National Historic Trail Friends of the Captain John Smith Trail,
Continental Divide National Scenic Trail Continental Divide Trail
Alliance
Continental Divide Trail Society, El Camino Real de los Tejas National
Historic Trail, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic
Trail, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro Trail Association (CARTA),
Florida National Scenic Trail Florida Trail Association, Ice Age
National Scenic Trail - Ice Age Park and Trail Foundation, Inc.,
Iditarod National Historic Trail
Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance, Juan Bautista de Anza National
Historic Trail Amigos de Anza Anza Trail Coalition of Arizona Web
de Anza, Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail - Lewis and Clark
Trail Heritage Foundation, Inc. National Council for the Lewis and
Clark Bicentennial, Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail - Mormon
Trails Association Iowa Mormon Trails Association, Natchez Trace
National Scenic Trail, Nez Perce (Nee-Me-Poo) National Historic
Trail
Nez Perce Trail Foundation, North Country National Scenic Trail
- North Country Trail Association, Old Spanish National Historic
Trail - Old Spanish Trail Association, Oregon National Historic
Trail Oregon-California Trails Association, Overmountain Victory
National Historic Trail
Overmountain Victory Trail Association, Pacific Crest National Scenic
Trail Pacific Crest Trail Association, Pony Express National Historic
Trail National Pony Express Association Pony Express Trail Association,
Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail Potomac Heritage Trail Association
Allegheny Trail Alliance, Inc. C&O Canal Association, Santa
Fe National Historic Trail Santa Fe Trail Association, Selma
to Montgomery National Historic Trail Selma to Montgomery NHT Association,
Trail of Tears National Historic Trail Trail of Tears Association
Who owns the Iditarod trail? Because the Iditarod is such
a complex trail system, stretching from Seward in the south, to
Nome (mile 926) on the Bering Sea, it crosses lands owned by several
Native corporations, municipal governments and the State of Alaska
as well as federal lands managed by the BLM, the U.S. Forest Service,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Defense.
In all there are 10 institutional land managers and numerous private
owners.
The Iditarod
National Historic Trail
Seward to Nome
Steamboat "Reliance"
on the
Iditarod River, 1911 |
Iditarod is a magical
word not only in Alaska, but also in the Nation and in many other
parts of the world. It is a word that raises different images and
emotions in different people. To the oldest Alaskan Natives, it recalls
the approximate name of a 19th century Athabaskan Indian village on
a small river now also called Iditarod. To "Sourdoughs"
and others familiar with the State's history, IDITAROD refers to the
now-abandoned Gold Rush town of the 1910's and it's associated mining
district in South central Alaska. More technically, to the historian,
IDITAROD refers to the 1910 Seward-to-Nome mail trail surveyed by
the U.S. Army's Alaska Road Commission. Yet today the name IDITAROD,
above all in National recognition, symbolizes the dramatic, long distance
sled dog race between Anchorage and Nome held each March since 1973.
In November of 1978, IDITAROD took
on still another meaning when the National
Trails System Act was amended. At the urging of the public,
Congress created a new category of the National Trails when the
Lewis and Clark, the Oregon, the Mormon-Pioneer, and the Iditarod
were designated as National Historic Trails.
Traveling on the trail was
a challenge
for even the hardiest of pioneers. |
The Iditarod National Historic Trail
(Iditarod NHT) is composed of the federally administered areas of
the Gold Rush Trail network which connect Seward in southern Alaska
with Nome in northwestern Alaska via the Iditarod Mining District.
The 938-mile Trail, commonly known as the "Iditarod Trail"
during the Iditarod Gold Rush of the 1910's, was formally constructed
by the Alaska Road Commission under the direction of Walter L. Goodwin
during 1910-11. This constitutes the Iditarod NHT's "Primary
Route." Yet branching from the primary route are hundreds of
miles of land and water based routes and trails. They were important
not only during the 1910's, but also during the entire Gold Rush Period
in Interior Alaska from the 1880's into the 1920's, with some based
on even earlier Indian Trails.In addition to the trails used during
this period, other route used yearly in the IDITAROD TRAIL SLED DOG
RACE are also part of this Trail System. Collectively, these trail
segments and associated historic sites make up what is referred to
as the IDITAROD NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL SYSTEM. Though
the IDITAROD NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL SYSTEM currently includes only
the federally administered portions of the Gold Rush trail system,
the remainder of the network will be recognized officially as components
of the National Trail System once cooperative agreements between
the Secretary of the Interior and the non-federal land managers
are executed.
| Archeologists
for the Bureau of Land Management, examine the remains
of an old dog barn near Pioneer Roadhouse, Mile 330
on the Iditarod Trail. |
|
The Iditarod National Historic Trail
Comprehensive Management Plan, as mandated by Congress, represents
the cooperative efforts of the Bureau
of Land Management, the Forest Service, the Fish & Wildlife
Service, the National Park Service, the State of Alaska, the Iditarod
National Historic Trail Advisory Council, various local governments,
Native corporations, and interest groups, as well as hundreds of
individuals. Together, these agencies, groups, and individuals have
proposed a cooperative management philosophy.
This management philosophy, which
is based on the spirit of cooperation and on formal agreements,
seems particularly appropriate for Alaska. The entire Trail system
would be managed as a unit by a coalition of volunteer Trail organizations
in partnership with the local land managers who are ultimately responsible
for the various segments of the Trail.
Survey party of the Goodwin
expedition around 1911 |
The IDITAROD NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL
is unique in Alaskan and American history. It represents the last
vestiges of a truly remote and wild trail system which today remains
much the same as it was 75 years ago. We trust that as stewards
of this remarkable nonrenewable resource, we will work cooperatively
to preserve a prominent part of America's past for future generations
who will treasure this resource as much as or more than we do today.
Iditarod -- Millennium
Trails Program
Under the White House Millennium Program, Millennium
Trails is a national program that will celebrate, recognize and
be a catalyst for creating trails to "honor the past and imagine
the future" as part of America's legacy for the year 2000. From
the earliest routes of our ancestors, to new urban greenways, to itineraries
that tell the story of our nation, trails are an important part of
the American landscape, providing real connections between our people,
the land, our history and culture.The Iditarod trail is one of the
few trails listed as a Millennium Trail. The
Iditarod National Historic Trail is one of a number of
Trails designated by Congress in recognition of their significance
as scenic or historic transportation routes. The Iditarod was specifically
designated for its historic importance. The system was created to
provide areas for hiking and for meeting the outdoor recreation
needs of an ever expanding urban population.
Trail Ownership
Who owns the trail? Because the Iditarod
is such a complex trail system, stretching from Seward in the south,
to Nome on the Bering Sea, it crosses lands owned by several Native
Corporations, municipal governments and the State of Alaska as well
as federal lands managed by the BLM, the U.S. Forest Service, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Department of Defense. In
all there are 10 institutional land managers and numerous private
owners.
Iditasport Race 1989 - ©
BLM photograph |
The Iditarod Trail Today
Unlike the Appalachian or Pacific Crest national trails which are
located near heavily populated areas, most of the Iditarod is located
in remote areas with sparse populations. The Iditarod evolved as a
winter access route to various mining districts. As a result, the
trail tended to follow features which required little to no construction.
Swamps, tundra bogs, lakes and unbridged rivers became pathways during
the long winter. Most current use occurs when the tundra and rivers
are frozen and easier to cross.
Today, only a small portion of the trail can be hiked during the summer
months due to the thick wet tundra vegetation and voracious mosquitoes
on much of the trail. However, short segments of the trail can be
hiked near Seward on the Chugach National Forest or near Anchorage
on Chugach State Park. Visitors to Nome can also follow the trail
east of town along the Bering Sea coast. Winter trail users include
dog mushers, skiers, snowmachiners and even mountain bikers.
Bison -- A wild self-sustaining herd
of American bison (Bison bison) is located near Farewell, Alaska.
North American bison also known as Wood bison (Bison bison athabascae)
were once part of the native Alaska fauna. These bison became extinct
in Alaska only a few hundred years ago. The reason for this relatively
recent extinction is not known for certain. Some scientists have suggested
that it might have been caused by over hunting by early humans and/or
changes in the bison's habitat. Wood Bison can still be found in some
areas of Canada.
In addition to the Iditarod Trail Sled
Dog Race, other competitive events include the Iron
Dog -- Gold Rush Classic Snowmachine race (the World's longest)
which is run from near Anchorage to Nome and back, and the Iditasport
human endurance competition for skiers, runners, and mountain bikers.
|
