From the dense rain forests and slowly retreating glaciers of the south, to the massive mountain ranges and wide rivers of the interior, to the flat, frozen tundra and icy seas of the extreme north, Alaska is unsurpassed in variety and beauty of scenery. It is also home to some of the planet\'s most fascinating wildlife, whether your interest is birds, sea mammals or bears. And it is peerless in the diversity and abundance of its Native cultures. Kenny TimberWolf Gardner (Athabascan/Haida), of Alaska Timberwolf Journeys & Tours, expressed my own philosophy of cultural travel better than I could have. "I don\'t think there is a way to get a genuine look at another culture without having an interpreter who understands it and who wants to share and who knows what the limits are. If you\'re going into sensitive cultural areas, you always need to be with somebody who understands that culture." Warbelow\'s Air Ventures (www.warbelows.com)-operators of a mail and commuter air service out of Fairbanks-agrees. They partner with local Native guides to run tours in villages so that visitors get an idea of what life is really like in rural Alaska. "One of the attractions to both Anaktuvuk Pass and Fort Yukon is that they\'re above the Arctic Circle," owner Art Warbelow explains. "When tourists come here, that\'s one of the things they want to do. They get to do some flightseeing with us and at the same time experience a village and Native culture." The man on the ground in Fort Yukon is Richard Carroll, Jr. (Athabascan), owner of Alaska Yukon Tours (907/662-2727). Carroll is a personable man with straight, dark hair, a ready laugh and more than 20 years in the tourism business. He may seem light in his approach-he\'s sometimes referred to as "the Jay Leno of the North"-but he also has a serious side and is very concerned that people leave Fort Yukon with a real understanding of the subsistence lifestyle led in the village. Many visitors have heard of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (see Sept./Oct. \'03 issue) and assume that Alaska Natives are all rich, while in fact they generally live off the land, much as their ancestors did. "When people come here," he tells me earnestly, "they don\'t understand. So I straighten them out. I educate people-I feel that that\'s really what I do. Whatever you\'ve heard about us, leave it behind \'cause I\'m gonna give you the straight scoop right here." While he runs brief evening tours with Warbelow\'s and his own overnight canoe, rafting and hunting trips, he also occasionally spends an afternoon with a small group just doing his normal chores. On this day in October we stop by his house and, after a cup of tea and a bite of smoked salmon, he hands me an eared cap, waterproof overpants and boots, and we head down to the river to haul out his net. The previous night\'s hard frost had chilled the air so that contact with the warmer river creates shrouds of fog suspended over the water, obscuring the far shoreline. His flat-bottomed boat has seen many years of wear. It\'s not pretty, but it is sturdy. He stands in the stern steering us downstream, motoring deeper into the mist. The only sounds we hear through the deadening fog are the chug of the small motor and the slap of water against the sides of the boat. I\'m not sure how he finds his net with the shoreline only a dim splash of fall color, but after a while he turns the boat toward the bank and slows. Carroll\'s gill net is anchored to the shore and by a rock sunk in the river. This spot has been in his family for years, passed down to him by an uncle. He tells me the river has shifted and the spot is not as productive as in previous years, but it is his spot and he respects that. He patiently frees the fish entangled in the net before dropping them into a bright orange bucket. Conversation continues as we return to his house where he shows me the food he\'s accumulating for the winter: racks of drying salmon and an outdoor freezer three-quarters full of moose and caribou. After his sled dogs are fed and we\'ve eaten-his wife Kathy\'s delicious moose stir-fry-it\'s time to head back to the airport. The Alaskan Interior Fairbanks is the gateway to Alaska\'s interior. Denali National Park, arguably the most enticing wildlife viewing arena in Alaska, is accessible from Fairbanks by road, rail or air. Within the pristine park, travel is limited to buses beyond the 15-mile checkpoint. Join Doyon Tourism­owned Kantishna Wilderness Trails (www.seedenali.com) for a full-day trip to view wildlife, pan for gold and meet working sled dogs. Recommended Native-owned Hotels Denali River Cabins and Cedars Lodge (Doyon)-800/230-7275; www.denalirivercabins.com. The rustic lodge and individual cabins are located along the Nenana River in Alaska\'s interior, just six miles from the entrance to Denali National Park. Kantishna Roadhouse (Doyon)-800/942-7420; www.kantishnaroadhouse.com. Deep in the heart of Alaska\'s majestic Denali National Park, the lodge and cabins offer all the comforts of home, proximity to abundant wildlife and breathtaking scenic views. SpringHill Suites (NANA Regional Corporation)-Fairbanks; 907/451-6552. Across the river is Doyon, Limited Native Corporation headquarters, home to their extensive collection of art. Top of the World Hotel (Arctic Slope Regional Corporation)-Barrow; 800/882-8478; www.topoftheworldhotel.com. Located on the Chukchi Sea of the Arctic Ocean, the hotel is not luxurious, but on a clear night, the ocean-facing rooms can provide a fabulous (and warm) view of the Northern Lights. The next day, I\'m back at Warbelow\'s. The other passengers are mostly folks who live in the villages. They plop bundles of food and other goods on a scale by the door, calling the weight to the ticket counter. Prices at village stores are so high that it\'s less expensive to buy items in Fairbanks and pay to ship them home. Flying over the Brooks Range in Warbelow\'s twin-engine Navajo leaves me feeling small. The steep, snow-dusted peaks and glacier-carved valleys seem to go on forever in all directions, and in fact extend some 700 miles east to west. The airplane banks over a wide pass, following it north, as 450,000 migrating barren-ground caribou do every spring on the way to their calving grounds. The pass widens and an airstrip appears, flanking a small village. Anaktuvuk Pass is the last remaining Nunamiut (Inland Eskimo) village. Old sod houses still stand here and there in the village-including the one that my guide Paul Hugo (Nunamiut) grew up in-but only one is currently occupied. Most of the houses are prefab, perched a couple of feet above ground to keep away from the permafrost. Caribou hides hang outside, evidence of a recent hunt. Just a week or so ago, the caribou were migrating south. In another week or two, Hugo estimates, they will continue their trek. The hunters will look for the right animal to take. "We hunt bulls during certain times of year. This month we\'re going to start to hunt the cow without the calf." After a tour of the village and the local Simon Paneak Memorial Museum, chock-full of local artifacts and photos, we\'re off to see the sights on Hugo\'s "snow machine." (During the summer, the tundra tour is done with an eight-wheel ARGO all-terrain vehicle.) Snow sparkles in the late-afternoon sunlight as we bounce along a narrow track. The cold air and speed are exhilarating. Snow-dusted peaks thrust 4,000 feet up from the wide, nearly flat valley floor. We climb to a vantage point and survey the pass below us. Hugo points out the subsistence camp where they ice-fish in the winter and the hills where they pick berries in the summer. Back in Fairbanks, Ed Peebles, Warbelow\'s marketing manager, sums up his outlook on working with rural communities. "The most important issue, especially with tourism, is to partner with the people in the villages-not to try to go there and do your own tourism," he says. "And not go with the attitude that you\'re doing something for them, but something with them." Alaska Airlines (www.alaskaair.com) also offers package tours in partnership with Native communities-such as Barrow, the northernmost community in America and the largest on the North Slope. Tundra Tours (www.topoftheworldhotel.com) is owned by Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. Tundra Tours guide Solomon Elagak (Iñupiat) is a handsome young man with long black hair and a twinkle in his eye. "In Canada, our relatives call themselves Inuit. That means \'the people.\' But in Alaska, we call ourselves Iñupiat-it means \'the real people,\'" he tells me with a charmingly crooked smile. During the summer season, tours include a cultural program and demonstrations. During the off season it becomes a more personal tour punctuated with the guide\'s anecdotes. In any season, a visit to the Iñupiat Heritage Center is a highlight. Above the two-story main hall hangs a model of a bowhead whale. Underneath, local artisans sell their work. "The bowhead whale is the center of our culture," Elagak explains. "It unites us as a people, our whaling family, our whaling tradition." As luck would have it, the fall whaling season had begun and three whales were taken the day before I arrived, one by Elagak\'s crew. He shows off his crew\'s whale meat being chopped into manageable chunks in his brother\'s front yard. He outlines the cycle of subsistence living in Barrow. "Right after the spring [whale] hunt, the migration of the king eider ducks is coming and the whaling crew and family go the shore to hunt. Before all the snow melts, we go 40 to 60 miles inland to hunt for the white-fronted speckled-belly goose, snow goose, black brant, sandhill crane and tundra swan. When the shore ice pushes out, we\'re out for bearded seal and walrus. Then about July, we\'re river fishing. In August and September we\'re out caribou hunting. October we\'re out fall whaling and right after, we\'re out ice fishing." Alaskan Arctic Adventures (e-mail frozentoes94@ yahoo.com) runs a small wildlife tour and has the only permit to drive out to the most likely place to spot polar bears, the tip of Point Barrow. The manager, Bunna (Iñupiat), is a large guy with a pleasant, open face and shoulder-length black hair. His SUV sports oversized tires for maneuvering the shifting gravel beach. As we get close to the northernmost bit of land in the Americas, Bunna spots a polar bear, a youngster, probably three or four years old and weighing close to 700 pounds. The polar bear is a magnificent creature, the largest carnivore in the Americas, round-bellied and pure white. The bear paces, eyeing us, then lopes to the frigid water, plunges in and pulls out with determined strokes-much like the Natives of the north as they launch their traditional skin whaling boats every spring to do battle with the harsh conditions and dangers of their ancestral lifestyle. Hilary Wallace is the art director for Native Peoples. She most recently composed our look at Native fashions in July/Aug. \'03. Make Your Tourism Dollars Count When researching this story and during my stay in Alaska, I realized how much "cultural tourism" here is actually operated by non-Natives. I asked Kenny TimberWolf Gardner about this. "It\'s not that Alaska Natives don\'t want to get into tourism," Gardner responded emphatically. "Part of my getting into business at this age is to show our young people that we can go do this. And we need to go do it because we fall farther and farther back. It\'s kind of like another invasion of Native territory. How do we stop it? How do we take control over what is Native?" Self-determination, he suggested, can make tourism a win-win situation in Native communities. According to Tlingit woodcarver Nathan Jackson, Saxman Native Village in Ketchikan has become just that. "The tours we provide give [visitors] a hint of what Alaska and our culture are all about," Jackson says. Use your tourism dollars to support the organizations that are run by and for the benefit of the people who are sharing their traditions, their history and their wisdom with you. See sidebars on pages 28, 30 and 31 for more information.

Anchorage and South Central Alaska Anchorage is centrally located for great day or overnight trips to the fjords and glaciers to the south, as well as north to Athabascan villages and the best view of the Alaska Range and Denali Mountain (also known as Mt. McKinley). Alaska Railroad (www.alaskarailroad.com) runs routes parallel to the Seward Highway, one of the top scenic highways in the United States. During the summer season there are migrating birds in Potter Marsh, at the southern end of the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, and beluga whales in Turnagain Arm, just off the road. You can also take the train north to Talkeetna for incredible views of the Alaska Range and flightseeing around Mt. McKinley. Recommended Native-owned Tours Alaska Timberwolf Journeys & Tours-Anchorage; www.alaskatimberwolftours.com. Specializes in custom tours in a luxuriously appointed motorcoach, whether it\'s day trips in and around Anchorage or multiweek excursions from Seward through Anchorage and up to Fairbanks and Denali National Park. Owner/operator Kenny "Timberwolf" Gardner (Athabascan/Haida) considers it his responsibility as a "keeper of the land" to provide the Alaska dream to visitors. Alaska Heritage Tours-www.alaskaheritagetours.com. This subsidiary of CIRI, one of Alaska\'s 13 regional Native corporations (see Sept./Oct. \'03 issue), is another source for guided trips in south-central Alaska. For viewing tidewater glaciers as well as abundant wildlife, the company\'s Prince William Sound Cruises & Tours operates out of Whittier. Another subsidiary, Kenai Fjords Tours of Seward, runs a wide variety of scenic cruises on Resurrection Bay and to the spectacular Kenai Fjords National Park. View a stunning array of nesting birds in spring and summer. During the summer, killer, gray and other whales are often seen, and sea mammals-such as Steller sea lions, Dall\'s porpoises and sea otters-can be spotted into the fall. Nearby Exit Glacier provides an up-close-and-personal, walk-up encounter. Signs posted along the trail show the slow withdrawal of the glacier over the years. Hudson Air Service-Talkeetna; www.alaskan.com/hudsonair. Owned by Ollie Hudson (Athabascan) and her son Jay, this company offers several flightseeing options, including a glacier landing. Ruth Glacier is the only glacier you can on land in Denali National Park, and Hudson has one of the few coveted permits. Recommended Native-owned Hotels Dimond Center Hotel (Seldovia Native Association)-Anchorage; 866/770-5002; www.dimondcenterhotel.com. Rooms are appointed with tasteful Native art, a desk big enough to work on, a well-lit and comfy reading chair, a large soaking tub, and other amenities. No restaurant, but the lounge has a good appetizer menu. Courtyard By Marriott/Anchorage Airport (NANA Regional Corporation)-Anchorage; 907/245-0322 or 800/321-2211. This is pretty much a standard Marriott-comfortable and affordable-with Native prints on the walls. Seward Windsong Lodge (Alaska Heritage Tours, CIRI Corporation)-Seward; 888/959-9590; www.alaskaheritagetours.com/480.cfm. The lodge is nestled in the forested Resurrection River Valley with easy access to Exit Glacier, Alaska SeaLife Center, Kenai Fjords National Park and day cruises out of Seward. Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge (Alaska Heritage Tours, CIRI Corporation)-Talkeetna; 907/265-4501, 888/959-9590; www.talkeetnalodge.com. This property combines an unequalled view of the Alaska Range with spacious rooms and an excellent restaurant. Mountain-view rooms are a premium but well worth it on a clear day. Native Arts & Crafts in Anchorage Alaska Fur Exchange-907/563-3877, www.alaskafurexchange.com. A dealer of Alaska Native-made arts and crafts and one of the largest fur pelt dealers in Alaska, catering primarily to people in the village communities. Alaska Ivory Exchange-See above. Alaska Native Heritage Center-907/330-8000; www.alaskanative.com. This is a wonderful place to begin understanding the historic and contemporary lives of the five major groups of Alaska Natives, but it\'s still no substitute for getting out into the villages. Great gift shop. Anchorage Museum of History and Art-907/343-6173; www.anchoragemuseum.org. Authentic Alaska Native art along with crafts, books and jewelry inspired by the museum\'s collection. The Rusty Harpoon-907/278-9011; www.rustyharpoongifts.com. A large selection of Native Alaskan art, including carvings in ivory, soapstone and bone as well as masks, baskets, artifacts and unique jewelry made from ivory, silver and jade.

Juneau, the Inside Passage and Southeast Alaska Juneau is probably the prettiest city in Alaska, nestled between steep, densely forested mountains and the Gastineau Channel. It is also a great base for seeing the rest of southeast Alaska and the Inside Passage by air or boat. In Alaska, even everyday flights on Alaska Airlines (www.alaskaair.com) are flightseeing tours. Banking in to Juneau, Mendenhall Glacier glows blue against a pink sky dotted with clouds. Flying south to Sitka and Ketchikan along the Inside Passage, the dense rain forest covering the islands resembles the thick, rich fur of some great carnivore; the islands and hillsides themselves are rumpled pelts carelessly tossed on the mirror-like water of the Passage. Recommended Native-owned Tours Goldbelt, Inc.-www.goldbelttours.com. Its headquarters is in Juneau with a gorgeous hotel across from the Goldbelt Tour Center. Book day trips with Auk Nu Tours to Tracy Arm Fjord or Icy Strait for whale-watching. Or go kayaking or rafting with Auk Ta Shaa Discovery for a splendid view of the Mendenhall Glacier. Or, for the mother of all adventures, go with Glacier Bay Cruiseline (www.glacierbaytours.com) for an unforgettable multi-day cruise. Their smaller vessels allow you to get closer to the glaciers and wildlife than is possible on large cruise ships. Goldbelt\'s Mt. Roberts Tramway takes only minutes to ascend 1,800 feet to Shaa Hit (Mountain House) for a spectacular view and to watch Tlingit artists at work. And, playing in Shaa Hit\'s Chilkat Theater is Seeing Daylight, an award-winning film about the Tlingit heritage. For a more thorough understanding of the culture, contact Goldbelt for a schedule of elder presentations in Juneau. Sitka Tribal Enterprises-888/270-8687. Provides tours with a Native perspective, including walking tours of historic sites, the Naa Kahidi Dancers and a visit to the Sheldon Jackson State Museum. In Ketchikan, join Goldbelt, Inc. again for a waterfront tour, or opt for their Misty Fjords cruise for waterfalls and more wildlife. Or, to learn more about Tlingit culture, head to Saxman Native Village (www.capefoxtours.com), owned and operated by the Native-owned Cape Fox Corporation. Visitors get to meet famous totem woodcarver Nathan Jackson (sockeye clan) and watch him work. Recommended Native-owned Hotels Goldbelt Hotel Juneau (Goldbelt, Inc.)-Juneau; 907/ 586-6900, 888/478-6909; www.goldbelttours.com. Conveniently located across the street from the Gastineau Channel and the Goldbelt Travel Center, this hotel is decorated with Tlingit carvings and has a fine restaurant. Sunday brunch is particularly good, with fresh oysters, steamed clams, shrimp and other seafood accompanying more standard breakfast fare. WestCoast Cape Fox Lodge (Cape Fox Corporation)-Ketchikan; 907/225-8001, 866/225-8001; www.capefoxcorp.com/cflodge1.html. This lodge is perched on a hill overlooking town, the Narrows and forested slopes. Its lobby contains museum-quality exhibits of art and artifacts from all over Alaska. A small tram runs from the lobby to town for shopping and sightseeing. Native Arts in Juneau Alaska State Museum, Juneau-907/465-2901. A fine collection of historic Native art and replicas prepared for the museum by Alaska Natives from across the state. Raven-Eagle Gifts-907/586-5147. At the top of the Mt. Roberts Tram, the shop is part museum, part gallery. The Raven\'s Journey-907/463-4686, e-mail ravens@ alaska.net. Work includes wood masks, totem poles, bentwood boxes and bowls, cedar bark and spruce root baskets, Yupik grass baskets, Inupiat baleen baskets, walrus ivory carvings, whalebone sculptures, handmade Native dolls, beadwork and handcarved silver jewelry. Native Arts in Ketchikan Crazy Wolf Studio-888/331-WOLF (9653), www.crazywolfstudio.com. Specializing in authentic Northwest Coast Native art, the store is owned and operated by Ken Decker, a Tsimshian artist from Ketchikan. Eagle Spirit Gallery-866/867-0976; www.eaglespiritalaska.com. Original one-of-a-kind Alaskan art by talented artists using mediums such as whale bone, argillite, ivory, wood, copper, gold, baleen and cedar bark.