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Like trees, people grow roots in the place where they live, and a culture springs up that reflects the spirit of that place as well as the souls of the people. In time, that local culture becomes a heritage, which is often as important to future generations as the land itself.

In 1901 Captain E.T. Barnette was in Alaska to set up a trading post. He intended to locate it in Tanacross, where the Tanana River crossed the Valdez-Eagle trail. But on the way, he wrecked his own boat and was stranded on the west coast of Alaska. In August, he persuaded the captain of the steamer Lavelle Young to take him up the Tanana River, but shallow water forced the boat up the Chena River. About seven miles the Chena River became too shallow and Barnette was dropped off on a high spot on the riverbank. That site became the trading post which today is the bustling town of 35,000 in interior Alaska called Fairbanks.

From the outset, Fairbanks has been linked to trapping and hunting, as it is today.

The wise people of Fairbanks understood the value of preserving the heritage of a place, and so in 1917, plans for a university called for creating a Museum of the North. In 1929 the museum exhibited its first display.

Over the years the Museum of the North has assembled an impressive collection of wildlife specimens and human artifacts reflecting life in the boreal forest. In 2005 the Museum became housed in a dramatic new building that looks like a huge ice crystal. The new Museum of the North sits on a hillside overlooking the town and valley, and its perhaps most notable feature is Otto, the 8'9" brown bear that greets you as you enter the exhibit hall. (Otto is named for the famous local naturalist, Otto Geist.)

The museum may be ultra-modern, but on May 17, it premiered a new exhibit with deep roots — "Hunting and Trapping In Alaska's Interior: Our Stories, Our Lives."

Curator Aldona Jonaitis says that she and the staff had some worries when the show debuted, as the summer tourist season would be bringing many people from out of Alaska who might have some negative opinions about hunting and trapping.

Much to everyone's delight, the many comments left by visitors in the museum guest book have been glowing and positive, which in part speaks to the quality of the exhibition. To do it right, the museum staff assembled an advisory committee combining academics, researchers, native culture representatives, and members of families that have lived in Fairbanks for generations.

The result is an appealing blend of displays of firearms, furs, stretchers, traps, spears, archery equipment, hand-crafted tools, storytelling videos, foods, sleds and artifacts that interpret over 14,000 years of human presence in the boreal forest in these parts. I especially liked the interactive display of scents used in hunting and trapping — beaver musk, anise to attract bear, fish oil to draw a mink, timber wolf musk and sable musk, and gun oil. Included in the many posters on the walls are native hunting ethics, tales of the past, and a nice accounting of the important role of hunting organizations in conservation. And, there are listening posts from Alaska Public Radio network, where you can hear stories of the past, and listen to debates on hot issues, like aerial wolf shooting.

The exhibit basically says, "We in Fairbanks hunt and trap. Let us tell you about ourselves without any apologies." The professional presentation and tone of the exhibit makes it hard for anyone to criticize and easy to acclaim. It makes you wish that more people would do things like this in their communities all across the country.

The Hunting and Trapping Exhibit will conclude the end of November, but before then there will be classes on storytelling, making native artifacts and tracking in the fresh snow. There was 4" on the ground and it was 9' on the morning of October 14.

Oh yeah, I was up there to give a lecture on creating a new public image for hunting as part of a series associated with the exhibit. You can watch it on the museum's website.

The "Hunting and Trapping In Alaska's Interior: Our Stories, Our Lives" exhibit was made possible by donations from Furbearers Unlimited, Sportsmen's Warehouse, Outdoor Heritage Foundation of Alaska, Safari Club International, and the UA Statewide Office of Academic Affairs.

Throughout Europe, there are many famous hunting museums. In North America there are precious few educational centers that interpret the heritage of hunting and wildlife management, and we need more. In addition to the Museum of the North, some of the best I know of are: Wonders of Wildlife in Springfield, Mo.; The Crex Meadows Wildlife Area in Wisconsin; The Yukon Beringia Interpretive Center in Yellowknife (where you can learn to throw an atlatl); and the new Aldo Leopold Legacy Center in Baraboo, Wisc., where you can visit "the shack" where Aldo Leopold wrote "A Sand County Almanac".

After the Museum of the North hunting and trapping exhibit closes in late November, it is not booked. This would be perfect for colleges, sportsmen's shows, and even shopping malls. Give them a call and keep the spirit of the wild alive and well.

James Swan — who has appeared in more than a dozen feature films, including "Murder in the First" and "Star Trek: First Contact," as well as the television series "Nash Bridges," "Midnight Caller" and "Modern Marvels" — is the author of the book "In Defense of Hunting." Click to purchase a copy. To learn more about Swan, visit his Web site.