Take a moment tell us a thing or two about yourself. Where are you coming from? What is your interest in the history of Alaskan Domesticated Ungulates? What do you hope to get from this course? Create your own "topic" within this forum!

By Midnight, Tuesday, write a brief (no more than 350 words) response to one of the following questions: 1. Support or refute the idea that domestication of ungulates was inevitable in human history. 2. Support or refute the idea that Native Alaskan peoples needed domestic livestock. 3. Support or refute the idea that Alaska is well suited to domestic livestock.

1. A common explanation of Sheldon Jackson's effort was to introduce reindeer to provide a food source for Native Alaskans. What other reasons might Sheldon Jackson have had to start a reindeer industry in Alaska? 2. During the 1920's, the reindeer industry was a relative commercial success under ownership of the Lomen brothers. Why, after passage of the 1937 Reindeer Act, has the reindeer industry has not been viable commercially? 3. Many people believe that Alaska is one of the few pristine areas left in the world and its public lands must be protected from development. Grazing reindeer is a component of an animal production system, therefore "development." In your opinion, should grazing of reindeer on public rangelands be restricted? Does ecological compatibility make a difference?

1.  In Alaska, populations of captive ungulates discussed throughout the interviews are  dismal when realizing their potential and the amount of available land. Discuss the parallel  struggles amongst producers and why so many cannot make it work. What do the production  operations in existence have in common? 2.  Discuss the aspects of yak production in Alaska that make it a good candidate for a viable red  meat industry. 3. "Canned hunts" generate significant revenue for game ranching operations across the U.S. Should "canned hunts" be used to promote economic viability of ungulate producers in Alaska?

By Midnight, Tuesday, write a brief (no more than 750 words) response to the following prompt: 1. Discuss your process of inquiry. What inspired you to pick your topic? What unexpected challenges did you face? What unexpected information did you discover? Where or how would you continue to research this topic knowing what you now know?

1. What is the most valuable thing you learned in this course? 2. What is the most surprising thing you learned in this course? 3.  What might you do differently as a result of this course?