News

The federal government has long recognized Alaska Native Tribes, similar to how it recognizes Tribes in the rest of the country. But Alaska’s state government hasn’t been as consistent, and state lawmakers are looking to change that.

The Haines Borough will help pay for two private boat charters to transport residents between Juneau and Haines. During a special meeting, the borough assembly decided to take responsibility for organizing trips for the public February 23 and February 29.

Since state ferry service to the Upper Lynn Canal stopped at the end of January, the Haines Borough School District has struggled to find reliable transportation to sports competitions with other schools.

Cab companies in Bethel have decided to stop accepting Medicaid vouchers for payment. This is important because taxis are a main form of transportation to and from medical appointments for people who travel to Bethel for healthcare.

The U.S. Mint released a coin commemorating the work of Alaska Native leader Elizabeth Peratrovich.

The 2020 Native American $1 coin is currently only available online, but Alaskans are advocating for a wider release.

The transient population in Nome has access to more services through places like the Norton Sound Health Corporation Day Shelter. Day shelter guests and staff talk about how the shelter is impacting lives after one year of being in operation.

Robert Lincoln had exciting plans when he got his dividend check last November.

“I wanted to celebrate my fortieth birthday which happened in October.”

The Kuskokwim Corporation, which represents 10 villages in the Middle Kuskokwim River area, has a new CEO. Andrea Gusty, who stepped into the role on Feb. 6, grew up in Aniak, one of those villages.

As a working mother of two young sons, Gusty is familiar with juggling familial demands with her TKC duties, which usually have her up at 5 a.m and in the office by 8 a.m.

A fossil of a marine reptile in Southeast Alaska has officially been declared a new species. The 220 million-year-old Thalattosaur is older than the dinosaurs. And as Angela Denning reports from Petersburg, Tlingit Elders have named it after a well-known creature in their traditional stories.

Lichens cover the Nushagak Peninsula. They range from mottled green and gray, to yellow and brown, spreading in moss-like patches across the tundra. But as the peninsula caribou herd multiplies, that lichen cover, which used to be thick and lush, is shrinking. Surveys showed that lichen cover decreased by 18 percent since 2002, extending over just 32 percent of the peninsula's tundra in 2017.

Haida master weaver Delores Churchill was named a 2020 United States Artists fellow. She was one of two Alaskans chosen for the honor.

Delores Churchill is an expert weaver, gathering and preparing her own materials for cedar bark and spruce root works, and is known internationally for her skills. She is one of 50 individuals named as a 2020 United States Artists fellow.