Political Quotes

“I want to talk a little bit about Alaska this afternoon. Alaska is a beautiful State. Anyone who has visited knows that. Those who have watched any of the numerous television shows featuring my State know that. We have the mountains that seem to go on forever, fish-filled rivers and streams and oceans, miles and miles of beautiful tundra, calving glaciers. People save their whole lives to take a trip to Alaska, to see the wildlife, to see the bears, the salmon in the wild. There is no doubt Alaska is physically beautiful, but for those of us who live there, the true beauty of our State comes from our people. From our urban areas to the hundreds of smaller towns and small villages that dot our State, we have so many great citizens doing so many great things throughout all of our communities. What I want to do is to recognize some of our citizens and tell their stories. So every week I will be doing that. Every week I will be recognizing an Alaskan who has made a special contribution to our great State and great Nation. For the kickoff of the Alaskan of the Week, I think it is appropriate to recognize a storyteller. Narratives keep the people in my State connected to one another. They keep history and culture alive in our great State. That is what Juneau resident Professor Ernestine Hayes does for us in her writing.…”