This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book presents the issues of development in rural Alaska under three general headings: resources, organizations, and values. It deals with an examination of the historical background of resource development, emphasizing its sporadic nature, and its reliance upon specific resources; furs, fish, and timber. The book examines the roles that are being and can be played by some of the more important organizations involved in the process of rural development. It considers the ways in which development and traditional values interact, and offers suggestions for alternate approaches to the general concept of development. Development can be an emotion-laden term, connoting for many the rapid exploitation of the state's resources, with no thought for anything beyond immediate profit. The book concludes with assessments of the difficulties being encountered in rural development in Alaska, and with tentative suggestions.