Since the inception of KNOM, one of our mission’s core goals has been to showcase, share, and celebrate the culture of our region — in particular, the Alaska Native song, dance, storytelling, and hunting traditions of the sub-Arctic.

One essential way of doing so is through music, which is why you’ll hear at least one Alaska Native song — typically, songs recorded during music festivals or special community celebrations — during most of our broadcast hours.

Last month, we began taking steps to make our Alaska Native music broadcasting even better, by inviting a local ensemble, the Nome-St. Lawrence Island Dance Group, into our studio. As the first step of a project spearheaded by KNOM staffer Margaret DeMaioribus, Nome’s beloved singers, drummers, and dancers — as pictured — did a set just for our airwaves and archives. Their newly-recorded tracks, in CD-quality sound, will be a welcome addition to our regular music lineup, and perhaps even more importantly, our collaboration will help preserve and expand knowledge of the traditional, Alaska Native music that our listeners so cherish. It’s all thanks to your support!