The Nome Static, September 2019

Paul Simon Bekoalok of Shaktoolik served 28 years with the Alaska Army National Guard, including multiple tours in Kuwait and Iraq. He was honorably discharged in 2009 after injuries suffered overseas. He has no regrets, he says.

Earlier this summer, Ann and Bruce Davis hosted a “summit” introducing local youth to their distinctively Western Alaska line of work: reindeer herding at their Midnite Sun Reindeer Ranch.

When Tyler Ivanoff and a few friends strolled along the shore near Shishmaref on August 5, they were looking for firewood and picking berries. What Ivanoff found, instead, was a half-century-old message in a bottle that had washed up after a long, long journey from the opposite side of the Pacific Ocean.

Massive gold dredges dot the Nome landscape. The long-dormant structures have become curiosities and tourist attractions.

It’s no easy feat to travel to places like Provideniya, Nome’s “sister city” in the Russian district of Chukotka.