Music of Alaska

Music of Alaska includes Native song and dance traditions and the official state song, “Alaska’s Flag”, adopted when Alaska became the 49th state in 1959. Its words were written by Marie Drake in 1935 and its melody composed by Elinor Dusenbury.[1][2]

Alaska’s Flag

The song takes its name from the flag designed by Benny Benson, a 13-year-old seventh-grader, in a 1926 American Legion contest and adopted by the Territorial Legislature on 2 May 1927. Marie Drake wrote the poem in 1935, and it first appeared on the cover of the October 1935 School Bulletin. Elinor Dusenbury composed the melody, playing it for Drake in Juneau in summer 1938. The Territorial Legislature adopted the song in 1955, and it became the state song in 1959.[1]

Second verse

Carol Beery Davis wrote a second verse and gave the words to the University of Alaska Foundation in 1987. It has never been adopted; the last attempt, in the 2011 legislative session, ran out of time in the Senate.[1]

Traditions

Storytelling, music and dance performed in elaborate regalia are part of Alaska Native celebrations, and the biennial Celebration festival in Juneau began in 1982 to keep ancestral songs and dances alive.[2]

FAQs

What is Alaska’s state song? “Alaska’s Flag”.

Who wrote it? Marie Drake wrote the words and Elinor Dusenbury the music.

Who designed the flag? Benny Benson, aged 13.

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Alaska’s Flag
2. Sealaska Heritage Institute: Celebration

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 12, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue