Alaskan nationalism
Comment: So given there is an existing article on AKIP, and much of the material here is from that existing article: what would be required here is notability for the subject as a concept, beyond the AKIP material. And that concept would need to show ideally three examples of the WP:GOLDENRULE. Articles like Newsweek don't really help here for notability, though it's a good source for verification of the opinion poll section. ChrysGalley (talk) 19:29, 7 August 2026 (UTC)
Alaskan nationalism is a political movement that seeks autonomy or independence of the state of Alaska from the greater United States. It was championed originally by the Alaskan Independence Party and its successor, the Alaskan Party. The movement generally claims that the terms by which Alaska was incorporated as a state in 1958 were illegitimate.
Background
Alaska was originally part of the Russian Empire, before being purchased and eventually incorporated as a territory by the United States. It became a state in 1959.[1] It is one of two states not connected to the contiguous United States, the other being Hawaii.
The first iteration of the Alaskan Independence Party (AKIP) was formed in 1973 by Joe Vogler as Alaskans for Independence. It was renamed the Alaskan Independence Party in 1984,[2] and perennially ran or endorsed candidates in gubernatorial elections from 1974-2022 and presidential elections from 1992-2008.
Members of the AKIP contested the legitimacy of the 1958 Alaska Statehood Act and its derivative referendums, which it alleged were rigged and thereby invalid.[3] The AKIP's platform advocated instead for an alternative public vote, where voters could select one of the following choices:
- Remain a territory.
- Become a separate and independent country.
- Accept commonwealth status.
- Become a state.
Vogler advocated for revolution against the federal government on multiple occasions, including threatening to "import a bunch of guillotines and lop off their lying heads."[3]
Native sovereignty
Several Alaska Native organizations and advocacy groups have campaigned for native land rights and against federal overreach. Following the 1867 Alaska purchase from Russia, the Tlingit objected, arguing that the land rightfully belonged to the natives and that the local tribes lacked any political decision making in the process. In 1912, the Tanana asserted themselves against settler encroachment on their lands in interior Alaska.[4]
The Tlingit and Haidas began land reclamation efforts in 1929, and eventually sued the federal government in 1935[5] and won the case in 1959. They received monetary compensation for land lost in 1968.[6]
Reception
In a 2024 poll by Newsweek, adults in 46 of the 50 U.S. states were asked "Would you support your state seceding from the U.S.?" Alaska had the highest public support for secession, with 36% of those polled answering "yes", ahead of Texas (31%) and California (29%).[7]
Throughout its existence, the AKIP saw some electoral success, most notably with the victory of Walter Joseph Hickel in the 1990 gubernatorial election.[8] Despite his membership in the party, Hickel refused to implement the vote on secession pushed for by hardliner elements of the party. He rejoined the Republican Party in 1994, with eight months left in his term.[9]
AKIP candidate Carl Eugene Moses was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives in 1992, but switched his party affiliation to the Democratic Party around the same time Hickel switched his. He served in the House until 2007.[10]
The AKIP's final recorded membership in 2025 was 19,117, or about 2.6% of Alaska's total population at the time. It was the third-largest political party in the state. The party's three-member board suggested that their large membership may have been in part due to voters attempting to register as independents.[11]
A new Alaskan Party was registered by Bob Bird following the AKIP's dissolution; as of 2026, no membership statistics have been released.[12]
References
- ↑ "Milestones in the History of U.S. Foreign Relations - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Retrieved 2026-08-07.
- ↑ Van Cleve, Margaret (1991). "Margaret Van Cleve Interviews Joe Vogler 1991". University of Alaska Fairbanks. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Williams, Marla (1993). "Missing Myth -- Alaska Buzzes With Theories On Maverick's Fate". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
- ↑ "History | Alaska Federation of Natives". Retrieved 2026-08-07.
- ↑ "Alaska State Library. Documents. ASL". cdm15794.contentdm.oclc.org. Retrieved 2026-08-07.
- ↑ "TLINGIT AND HAIDA INDIANS OF ALASKA v. U.S., (1959), No. 47900. | Fed. Cl., Judgment, Law, casemine.com". https://www.casemine.com. Retrieved 2026-08-07. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ "Map shows states most likely to secede". Newsweek. 2024-02-16. Retrieved 2026-08-07.
- ↑ "Hickel, Walter J. "Wally" | Alaska History". www.alaskahistory.org. Retrieved 2026-08-07.
- ↑ "Two in the House Advance In Drive for Senator's Seat". New York Times. August 25, 1994. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Alaska State Legislature". www.akleg.gov. Retrieved 2026-08-07.
- ↑ Samuels, Iris. "Alaska's third-largest political party votes to dissolve". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 2026-08-07.
- ↑ "Political Parties and Groups in Alaska - Division of Elections". 2022-10-03. Retrieved 2026-08-07.
This article "Alaskan nationalism" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Alaskan nationalism. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
