Alaska State Motto: North to the Future
Fact-checked • Updated December 1, 2025
OFFICIAL STATE SEAL
"North to the Future"
North to the Future
About This Motto
Alaska adopted North to the Future as its official state motto in 1967. The phrase came from a 1963 contest during preparations for the Alaska Purchase Centennial. Juneau journalist Richard Peter won $300 for the winning entry.
What the Motto Means
What's Alaska's motto? North to the Future. Just three words. No Latin here.
Peter explained why he picked those words. Alaska could be 'a Great Land beneath our flag that can provide a new tomorrow' for people seeking freedom. That's what he told the commission in 1963.
He saw opportunity in the north. Cities down south? Too crowded. Alaska offered space, resources, fresh starts.
Geography meets optimism in three words. Alaska sits up north, and the motto points that way. State seal displays it. Government documents too.
Historical Background
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The 1963 Contest
Alaska Centennial Commission ran a contest in 1963. What did they want? A motto and emblem for the 100-year anniversary of the Russian purchase. Prize was $300. How many people entered? 761 submissions came in.
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Richard Peter's Win
December 1963 brought the announcement. Winner? Richard Peter from Juneau. His job was newspaperman. Why did his phrase win? It beat out hundreds of other ideas.
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Official Adoption
Legislature passed it in 1967. Perfect timing for the Purchase Centennial celebration. Back in 1867, the U.S. paid Russia $7.2 million for Alaska.
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Alaska Purchase Context
William H. Seward handled negotiations under President Andrew Johnson. Critics mocked the deal. 'Seward's Folly,' they called it. 'Seward's Ice Box' too. Those jokes stopped when gold turned up.
Meaning & Significance Today
How do Alaskans read it today? Most see promise in those words. Land? Plenty of it. Resources? Alaska has them. People? Not many. That combination creates opportunities you won't find in other states.
Government seals show the motto. Buildings display it too. Tourism campaigns pair it with 'The Last Frontier' nickname.
Why does tourism care? The motto sells Alaska as different from crowded cities. Come north, find space, start fresh.
Cultural Context in Alaska
1960s Alaska
Statehood came in 1959. Four years later? Time to plan the centennial. The contest let residents pick symbols that defined who they were.
Frontier Spirit
Only 273,000 people lived in Alaska in 1967. Empty land stretched for miles. Who moves to remote, freezing territory? Pioneers. The motto fit that mindset.
Natural Resources
Prudhoe Bay oil showed up in 1968. Just one year after the motto became official. Turns out the optimism made sense. Alaska's wealth sat underground, waiting.
Current Law
Alaska Statutes Title 44, Chapter 44.09, Section 44.09.045 designates North to the Future as the official state motto.
Interesting Facts About the Motto
Fact 1 of 6
The contest received 761 entries in 1963.
Sources & References
This article has been researched using authoritative sources to ensure accuracy and reliability. All information has been fact-checked and verified against official government records.
Official state publication with information about Alaska's government and symbols. • Accessed: December 31, 2025
Legal code designating North to the Future as the official state motto. • Accessed: December 31, 2025
Comprehensive database of state mottos and symbols with historical context. • Accessed: December 31, 2025
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