"Alaska is a land of lost summers, frozen dreams, and where life sleeps under blankets of white and wakes to find a half-year's a day." Jack London: It’s said, “Once you have been to Alaska, you will never come all the way back.” In her life’s work, Helen Hegener, author, and publisher, takes the history of Alaska very seriously. "I believe history belongs to everyone, and I see my role as simply making it readily available."
Through her publishing company, Northern Light Media, Helen has spent over twenty years delivering her commitment to history by publishing dozens of books written by herself and other authors for thousands of readers. She has also developed websites, released videos, and produced the Alaska History Magazine from 2019 through 2021. Helen currently publishes a journal, Mushing History Quarterly, for those interested in the history of sled dogs and their drivers.
"Lucky Puppies" - Veryl Goodnight
Helen’s interest in history is well-grounded in her childhood roots. She, Her Brother, and their siblings grew up traveling frequently, as their father was a computer systems analyst with the U.S. Army. Several of those years the family spent in Europe. What better way to become up close and personal with the roots of civilization, cultures, and the diversity of place? “My brother and I often played in the sites of former civilizations, from Roman ruins and catacombs to historic castles and palaces. Our parents preferred living outside the gates of the military sites, so our childhood included a crash course in the local economy of wherever we were!”
The family also did a stint at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, where they rented an old homestead ranch with a stone ranch house that was a stagecoach stop. During this time, Helen attended Tombstone High School. Now, you cannot get any closer to the history of the wild Southwest than that!" Alaska came into the picture in 1965 when Helen's father retired from his military career in Anchorage, Alaska. "Dad's second act was working for the Alaska Railroad; the benefits included free rail passes anywhere we wanted to go." Exploring Alaska by rail at an impressionable age, Helen's fascination with history and research moved into overdrive.
Through the years, Helen's diverse interests and curiosity led her to explore alternative education methods when her children were young. "I became interested in alternative schools, homeschooling, and different ways of learning," she explains. Her extensive research on these topics culminated in her first book, Alternatives in Education: Family Choices in Learning. The experience marked the beginning of her journey as an author and publisher, as she and her husband established Hegener Publishing, which led to traveling across the U.S. multiple times, speaking at conferences on alternative education.
Years later, after an amicable split with her husband, Helen launched her own company in Alaska, Northern Light Media. She covered a myriad of topics, such as the history of Alaska's roadhouses, the building of the Alaska Railroad, the Depression-era establishment of the Matanuska Valley Colony, and the history of sled dogs and the great sled dog races. The first sled dog race she wrote about was the All-Alaska Sweepstakes, the world's first long-distance sled dog race, founded in 1908 in Nome, Alaska. In 2008, Helen was part of the media team that covered the commemorative 100thAnniversary Race. The significance of sled dog races in Alaska's history is profound; they are part of a cultural richness and heritage that Helen is dedicated to preserving for future generations.
Helen has also published books on the origins of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race, and the 1991 Hope Sled Dog Race, a 1,200-mile race in Alaska and Siberia.
One of Helen’s most recent books is The History of Sled Dogs in North America, which covers the partnership of sled dogs and their drivers across the United States and Canada in the prewar years. Mushers and their teams of dogs were vital in exploring the area, hauling freight, delivering mail, backcountry rescues, and other endeavors. A nine-month museum exhibit titled Veryl Goodnight: The History of Sled Dogs in Alaska and Beyond is currently showing at Western Spirit, Scottsdale's Museum of the West in Scottsdale, Arizona. The exhibit brings Helen's historical research and her friend Veryl’s magnificent paintings to life in commemorating the mushers and their teams of sled dogs for their crucial role in American and Canadian history. Helen's latest book is a full-color guide based on Veryl’s artwork and the history that inspired it.
"Gold Rush Dogs" - Veryl Goodnight
Writing and publishing books have not quashed Helen Hegener’s sense of adventure; instead, it inspired her to set out from her home in Alaska in July to drive her 24' motorhome to Arizona for Western Spirit's exhibit. She and Veryl Goodnight will be presenting at Western Spirit in February 2025. Helen describes her current trip as "Traveling slowly, visiting friends and family along the way. I plan on making a large circuit of the "lower 48" before returning to Alaska in the Spring." No doubt Helen will gather plenty of material for future books along the way!
Email: helenhegener@gmail.com
Website: https://northernlightmedia.org
