OPINION: Alaska’s multifaceted crisis is an internal problem

Between the gas shortage, the looming Kroger-Albertsons merger, and the generally high cost of living in Alaska, our state is perpetually threatened by a mindset that has been imported, along with the rest of America’s need for everything right now.

In the past, Alaskans were marked by their self-reliance in the face of an unrelenting environment. Now, we seem to fake our way into a semblance of conformity with the rest of the nation; needing complete protection from the elements, gigantic homes for families of four, and year-round tomatoes.

The sad truth is that Alaska is not a sovereign state and will not achieve such freedom until its residents start to once again cultivate lifestyles that prioritize local resources over imported goods. As long as we put our trust in elected officials to facilitate our needs, we will be continuously disappointed and detached from our identity as “Alaskan.”

The gas shortage will continue to nip at our heels even if we find new wells to drill, especially if we lean on LNG imports. Large grocer mergers will always be right around the corner, and our reliance on agriculture from elsewhere rather than our own farmers and creative growing solutions will perpetually hold us in the position of dependence on others for our food. And our identification with how the rest of the country lives — on a grid that keeps us “safe” from the environment (until it fails) will overshadow our identity as people living among the wilderness.

If Alaskans want to see a change in the way that our resources are managed, then Alaskans need to cultivate that change in their own lives first. Turning to the government — both the left and right side — is a desperate move for a population of people who fancy themselves as self-sufficient. Alaska needs its sovereignty back, and the only way to let it back in is to stop grasping for outside resources as much as possible. We need to start thinking critically, we need to get creative, and we need to do that now because we’ve been out of time for a while.

The politicians and the policies will follow your money. So be mindful of how you spend.

Pat Gault is retired from the Alaska Air Guard and lives in Anchorage.

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