Leadership Summit Keynote Urges Hope, Resolve In Native Community

Jorie Ayyu Paoli delivered the keynote address at the Kawerak Leadership Summit in Nome. “Our community — we’re like the willow,” she said. “You can cut the willow down, you can cut it back, to try and get rid of it, but if there’s even a shred of root, it will re-grow and thrive.”

Wales’ Song and Dance

Alaska Native music and dance festivals are powerfully moving events, KNOM volunteer reporter Gabe Colombo discovered in the community of Wales this year. “It was amazing to see,” he says.

At Wales’ Kingikmiut Festival, Dancing to Heal

The Native dance tradition has been revived in Wales and other communities over the past 20 years, after decades of cultural suppression by colonial forces. Today, as one elder put it, “coming here makes us feel whole.”

At Cama-i, Finding “Common Humanity” Through the Drum

Alaska Native drumming, dancing, and song represent a “common heartbeat” and a “common humanity” for the region KNOM serves. Thanks to you, we helped bring to our listeners a vibrant example of these cultural traditions at a very special event: the 2016 Cama-i Dance Festival.

In Our Studios, Joyful Drums

In February, we began taking steps to make our Alaska Native music broadcasting even better, by inviting the Nome-St. Lawrence Island Dance Group into our studio.

In Teller, Alaska, a Singular Festival — and a Rite of Passage

Teller, Alaska, is a community close to Nome, and KNOM, in more ways than one. This year, our volunteers continued a cherished tradition of making the trek to Teller’s annual, spirited dancing festival.

A Joyful Visit to Alaska’s Far West

Volunteer producers Maddie and Mitch recently traveled to the community of Wales for one of our region’s most notable annual events: the Kingikmiut Dance Festival, which brings together practitioners of traditional Alaska Native music and storytelling from throughout KNOM country.

To the Edge of the Continent

In late August, four of our newly-arrived volunteers went to Wales, Alaska to observe and take part in a beloved annual festival of Alaska Native music and culture.

Gavel-to-gavel for AFN 2013

In late October, KNOM was proud to present live, “gavel-to-gavel” coverage of one of the most important annual gatherings in the state of Alaska: the Alaska Federation of Natives convention (AFN), which is held each autumn in either Fairbanks or Anchorage. For the many different Native communities of our state, AFN is an opportunity to […]

Elder Voices: Wilfred Anowlic

“Eskimo dancing and singing makes you feel good. It makes you forget all the problems you have in your life, your mind. It’s just like turning everything over to the care of God.” – Wilfred Anowlic Episode 1: Music Episode 2: Subsistence Episode 3: Peace