With all due respect to the late Carol Beery Davis, who wrote a proposed second verse in 1986, the state song needs an addition about as much as the state flag needs a ninth gold star or “Hamlet” needs an extra act.
But for at least the third time, the Legislature is considering a bill to add a verse to “Alaska’s Flag.”
Davis, the former poet laureate of Alaska, dashed off this second verse one night in 1986 at age 95. The push to expand the song has been billed as a way to honor Benny Benson, Alaska Natives and Davis.
I understand their point of view, but it’s not right to take the work of any poet and add to it, no matter what the intentions are.
The flag, the poem and the song are works of art. Every time this issue has come up, people have argued that the state song does not recognize Benny Benson as the creator of the flag.
But what they don’t know or aren’t saying is that the text of the original poem is a tribute to Benson, as it is based on the description he submitted for the flag contest, sponsored in 1927 by the American Legion.
This is what the 13-year-old Benson said about his drawing of eight gold stars on a field of blue, chosen as a winner out of 142 entries: “The blue field is for the Alaska sky and the forget-me-not, an Alaskan flower. The North Star is for the future state of Alaska, the most northerly in the union. The Dipper is for the Great Bear — symbolizing strength.”
In her proposed second verse, Davis applies her own interpretation of what Benson’s meant, which differs from his. She opened her verse with the words, “A Native lad chose our Dipper’s stars/ For Alaska’s flag that there be no bars/ among our cultures.”
In a legislative hearing Tuesday, Sen. Albert Kookesh claimed that not adopting Davis’ words would be a refusal to honor Benny Benson.
“If we don’t want to recognize Benny Benson through the second verse, then the individuals who are going to be hurt are not the non-Native people of the state; it’s the Native people of the state. I’ve pointed out to you before the Alaska seal,” he said.
“You see stacks of wheat. You see a sailboat. You see a power boat. You see sunshine. You see trees. You do not see one depiction of the Alaska Native community on that seal. What is wrong with taking a song now and adding a second verse that has just one little statement about the Alaska Native community on it?”
I agree with him about updating the state seal but not about changing “Alaska’s Flag,” which is fine as it is.
I also find it troubling that the proposed text written by Davis was apparently deemed by someone to be in need of major editing, according to the copy I received from the University of Alaska Foundation and a comparison with the bill under review by the Legislature.
The proposed second verse, as written by Davis, was copyrighted and given to the UA Foundation, which also owns the rights to the flag song. But there are nine changes, not counting capitalization and punctuation changes, made in the bill to the wording of Davis’ proposed second verse.
Davis uses the word “our” six times in her poem, but someone has changed four of those to “the,” while substituting “life’s” and “all” in two other spots where she used “our.”
That someone saw the need to rewrite Davis’ work is another reason why “Alaska’s Flag” should remain as written.
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LIFE STORY: Elizabeth Whisenhant plans to be at Beaver Sports from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today to sign copies of her husband Jim’s autobiography, “Flying by the Seat of Your Pants.”
Jim “Whizzy” Whisenhant, the founder of the family-owned sporting goods store, taught school and was active in sports for many years in Fairbanks as a coach and athlete, but after he fell ill in the 1990s, he grew interested in writing about his family and his life. He wrote a novel, “Footprints Across Alabama,” and he was working on his autobiography before his death in 2006.
In his introduction, he said every person should write a life story, if only so children and grandchildren will pass it down to future generations.
“They will be forever grateful to you for having taken the time to make this legacy available to them,” he said.
Elizabeth finished Whizzy’s book and decided to publish it because it includes the names and photos of so many people he came to know during his years in Fairbanks. There are a lot of good stories in his book, ranging from the snake who escaped from his room at Lathrop High School to the leadership shown by Whisenhant that led to the extensive ski trail system on Birch Hill.
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IN MEMORY: Those who wish to honor the late Jerry Mohatt are asked to send donations to: Jerry V. Mohatt Memorial Scholarship, Sinte Gleska University Foundation, Attn. David Sandoz, Box 105, Mission, S.D., 57555.
Pre-addressed envelopes will be available at the memorial service to be held for the late UAF professor at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Davis Concert Hall at UAF.
Dermot Cole can be reached at cole@newsminer.com or 459-7530.
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