Camaraderie and Culture
If you ask a Western Alaska school-aged child to name their favorite sport, the most common response will likely be “Native Youth Olympics,” or NYO. The games aren’t just a way for students to compete and develop athletic skills; they’re also a means for youth to connect to subsistence culture and learn to support each other.
Kotlik Catalyst
Students in Kotlik, Alaska, have recently made a special connection with an elder in their village, building a relationship that may grow into a community-wide program of outreach and support. The spark was a friendly KNOM listener who told her life story on our airwaves.
Santa Comes to St. Michael
As volunteer Zoe Grueskin reported for KNOM listeners last month, Santa Claus traveled to the village of St. Michael this past Christmas with some special help. Reindeer are plentiful in the sub-Arctic, but in 2017, Santa made his deliveries on an Alaska National Guard cargo plane.
Inside Gambell’s New Health Clinic, Now Open to Patients
After years of making do with an overcrowded building, Norton Sound Health Corporation employees in Gambell now have a bigger and newer space to accommodate the community’s needs.
Turning 100? It Feels… “Good”
In January, volunteers Kristin Leffler and Courtney Cousins went to Elim, Alaska, for a very special community gathering: elder Eliza Katongan’s 100th birthday party.
A festival in Wales, Alaska
A month ago, volunteers Emily Bieniek and Dayneé Rosales traveled to the Western Alaska community of Wales.
A day in Gambell, Alaska
Two of our volunteers took an exceptional trip to a rural Alaska community this summer. In a small plane, Dayneé Rosales and Eva DeLappe journeyed to Gambell, Alaska, a community with many stories to tell. They spent time with elder Nancy Walunga (wuh-LUN-guh), whose life story graced a recent episode of our show Elder Voices. […]
August ’03: After a long addiction, a mayor talks about getting sober
August 27, 2003 KNOM listeners are touched by a lengthy conversation with Martin Oktollik, mayor of the village of Point Hope. Oktollik speaks of his 30-year dependence on alcohol and drugs – and his recovery from it. KNOM reports that an estimated 14 percent of Alaskans abuse alcohol. That’s the highest rate in the United […]
A trip to Elim, Alaska
Thanks to a sponsorship with a regional air carrier, KNOM Radio is frequently the beneficiary of free air travel to many of the communities we serve. We view these “village trips” as essential to our mission; it gives us a vital opportunity to connect with our listeners in person and to do live reporting, on […]
A special trip, in search of song
Volunteer Josh Cunningham recently took a very special trip as a correspondent for KNOM. Josh went to the southwestern Alaska city of Bethel for the Cama-i (chuh-MY) Dance Festival, one of the largest and most significant annual cultural celebrations in the state. KNOM regularly sends its full-time volunteers to cover important regional and local events […]