Hunter Morrison, KRBD - Ketchikan

Two tribal groups are asking the Federal Subsistence Board to reverse Ketchikan’s rural designation, which went into effect last year. The board will decide this week if the request meets the criteria for a full consideration process.

Ketchikan-based artist Savannah LeCornu was recently selected as this year’s poster artist for the Alaska Folk Festival in Juneau. She hopes the opportunity will expand representation of Indigenous artists throughout Alaska.

Alaska has one of the highest rates of fatal drug overdoses in the country, but addiction treatment services in Southeast are limited. The Ketchikan Indian Community is looking to change that by opening the state’s first tribally-led addiction healing center.

The joint effort, which was months in the making, promotes a unified approach to addressing regional tribal concerns while acknowledging each tribe’s individual differences.