native Archives - KNOM Radio Mission

From Memory to Momentum: Reviving Iñupiaq Through Collective Learning

By admin | July 2, 2018

People sit in a group learning Iñupiaq sounds at Norton Sound Regional Hospital

The second annual Ilisaqativut brought 20 people from around the state to Nome to immerse in Iñupiaq for two weeks.

Alaska Native Leaders Imagine Divergent ‘Arctic Futures’

By admin | April 5, 2018 |

Leaders of Arctic communities discuss possible scenarios for the future of the region at the Arctic Futures conference (Photo: Kenton Media, used with permission)

A conference in Nome last week brought together leaders from Alaska Native communities to discuss the challenges — and opportunities — facing an evolving Arctic.

As Iditarod Has Changed, So Has Its Relationship With Its Native Roots, Mushers Say

By Davis Hovey | March 8, 2018

Man in black baseball hat and black puffy jacket standing on a busy Anchorage street.

Longtime Bethel musher Pete Kaiser surmises it’s become more difficult for some in smaller, rural communities to manage an Iditarod-caliber team. “It’s really not a hobby or anything else, it’s a lifestyle, and it requires my time 365 days a year. And when you have other things going on like family and kids, you kind of need a job to support this job. It gets very complicated.”

Calista Native Corp. Announces 2017 Elder Program Benefit Distribution

By admin | December 12, 2017

A wintery scene of the Kisaralik River, with a frozen river and snow-covered mountain in the background

Original Calista shareholders who were 65 years old by November 13, 2017, will receive $325 each. Direct deposits and checks for Elder benefits are expected to be distributed by the close of business next Monday, December 18th.

Keeping the Inupiaq Language Alive, Through a Website

By admin | November 9, 2017

A portrait of Chelsey Qaġġun Zibell in front of a tree

It’s now possible to learn basic Inupiaq online, thanks to a graduate student at the University of Alaska–Fairbanks.

At Wales’ Kingikmiut Festival, Dancing to Heal

By admin | September 29, 2017 |

An Alaska Native dance ensemble performs inside a school gymnasium.

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.”

Canadian Anniversary Voyage Engages Alaskans, Too

By admin | September 22, 2017

A Canadian expedition celebrating the 150th anniversary of the country’s nationhood stopped in Nome last weekend. Canada C3, as it’s called, is traveling by ship around the northern coast from Toronto to Victoria, British Columbia.