‘Native Medicine’ Facebook page sparks debate about cultural appropriation
The page had been managed by a non-Native woman, and some Native healers believed it misrepresented the diverse and ongoing practice of traditional medicine.
alaska native cultures
Chilkoot group calls for an end to ‘fake Native art’ in Haines
Several Chilkoot Alaska Natives have started a community discussion on whether non-Native artists should be making Native-style art.
Hundreds celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day in Anchorage
Alaska's day to recognize Native people was signed into law this year.
2 more Alaska tribes apply to put land into trust with BIA
Tribal organizations in Ninilchik and Fort Yukon applied with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to put land into trust, adding to other applications pending before the agency.
Home hundreds of years old unearthed as Quinhagak readies cultural center
The remote village in a cash-poor region is running a research repository for ancient artifacts dating to the time before contact with Russians and other outsiders.
Decades-old documentary films preserve snapshots of Alaska Native cultures
The Alaska Center for Documentary Films contains hours of priceless footage from Alaska Native communities. But it faces the threat of time and decay.
Solving the mystery of Dad’s ancient stone lamp and sending an Alaska artifact home
Although it was in my possession, this artifact did not belong to me. If possible, I hoped to send the lamp back home.
Elizabeth Peratrovich to be commemorated on $1 coin
The Alaska civil rights leader who was crucial to the passage of the Alaska Anti-Discrimination Act in 1945 will join Sacagawea on a $1 U.S. coin, to be issued in 2020
Drumming and dancing: A village ritual, for the fun of it
This Yupik dancing doesn’t happen at a special ceremony or festival. It’s not put on by the school. No one wears beaded headdresses or fancy boots or even qaspeqs. It's just part of life on St. Lawrence Island.
Ivory diver of the Bering Sea finds peace, ancient tusks in his underwater workplace
It’s his getaway and his job, a wondrous undersea world that strengthens his spirit and tests his aging body.
For two Alaska villages, walruses remain essential. As sea ice disappears, can it last?
Thinning sea ice puts walruses nearly out of reach. The federal government may list walruses as an endangered species. And ivory bans elsewhere are making it hard for walrus-tusk carvers to sell their art.
With help of infrared photography, institute hopes to repair timeworn Tlingit drum
Professional help is on the way for a rare, repatriated instrument.
New addiction treatment center to be built along Eklutna Lake Road
Officials expect to open the Ernie Turner Center — Recovery Journey Program on a rural, forested tract northeast of Anchorage next summer.
Inupiaq: The language I can write and speak, but don't understand
My mother grew up in a house where her parents spoke Inupiaq to each other. I grew up in a house where only English was used. And because of that, I was excluded.
A good start: Head Start program with Yup'ik immersion classes opens in Anchorage
The Clare Swan Early Head Start Child Care Center was designed with Alaska Native families in mind. There are 72 slots available, and the center had already received more than 90 applications as of Tuesday, CITC said.
In 'They Don't Talk Back,' Tlingit identity in flux
Review: Playwright Frank Henry Kaash Katasse explores the lives of modern indigenous people in a world premiere from Perseverance Theatre.
Flying high at the Fur Rondy blanket toss
Children soared through the air during the Fur Rondy blanket toss in downtown Anchorage. It takes about 40 volunteers to hold the 20-year-old bearded seal skin blanket.
A new digital atlas documents thousands of Yup'ik places. Now it's time to add stories of life there.
The goal is to help Yup’ik people share their knowledge of Western Alaska.
In Utqiagvik, Joe the Waterman made an Alaska museum like no other
Quirky and packed with Alaska Native art, artifacts and animals, Joe's Museum is an unexpected treasure in the Far North.
In Aniak, Slaviq brings a week of starring and songs for Orthodox Christmas
Church members assemble in family homes, in the tiny church and at the AC grocery store. Everywhere, a boy carries a spinning star.