Podcasts about Tlingit

Sweeping legislation in Congress is aimed at lowering the cost of housing. The fate of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is still questionable, but if it is approved it would, among other things, remove some barriers to housing construction, especially in major cities. While the bill enjoys relatively rare bipartisan support, Native American affordable housing advocates say it is a missed opportunity to address long-standing issues faced by a population disproportionately affected by housing affordability. It includes provisions for tribal housing improvement, but Native housing experts say it falls far short of what's needed. Mostly, Native advocates are pushing for reauthorizing the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act (NAHASDA), the block grant program driving the construction and repair of thousands of homes in Native communities over the last three decades. It's authorization expired more than a dozen years ago. We'll discuss recent progress and ongoing needs in affordable housing. GUESTS Jackie Pata (Tlingit), president and CEO of the Tlingit and Haida Regional Housing Authority; First Vice President of the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska; co-chair of the HUD Secretary’s Tribal Intergovernmental Advisory Committee; and board member of the National American Indian Housing Council Derrick Belgarde (Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and Chippewa Cree), executive director of the Chief Seattle Club Lenny Fineday (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe), general counsel for the National Congress of American Indians Griffin Hagle-Forster, executive director of the Association of Alaska Housing Authorities Break 1 Music: Kunax yak'ei gayshagook (song) Khu.éex' (artist) Siy​á​adlan (album) Break 2 Music: Feels Like [feat. Sheena Shandea] (song) Nataanii Means (artist)

Photo: Pullers on Petersburg's killer whale canoe paddle in the water at Auke Recreation Area near Juneau on June 2, 2026. (Olivia Rose / KFSK) Petersburg (Séet Ká Kwáan), Alaska's first traditional canoe (kéet yaakw) in a century recently completed its maiden voyage. A small group of pullers paddled more than 100 miles through Southeast Alaska, following the tradition known as Journey before arriving in Juneau, Alaska for Celebration. KFSK's Olivia Rose spoke with some of Petersburg's pullers about the experience. Over 200 people, many wearing regalia, are gathered on a sunny afternoon at Auke Recreation Area, the former site of a Tlingit village. Ten canoes are floating near the shore, each taking turns for traditional protocols before landing on the beach. Among them is Petersburg's killer whale canoe. Brandon Ware is the skipper. He shouts an introduction from the water. “My name is Shashanee, my English name is Brandon Ware. I am Naanyaee with the mud shark house. Gulancheesh for having us. We are so grateful to be here. Forgive me if I miss protocol. This is our first Journey in over 100 years [rowdy applause]!” The 39-foot, fiberglass kéet yaakw is Petersburg's first in a century or so. This was its first multi-day Journey, and had its inaugural launch out of Petersburg – another big first – just ten days earlier. Soon, after introductions, permission is given and all the canoes land on the beach. Dozens of pullers from communities throughout and beyond the region are welcomed ashore. There is singing, dancing, and drumming. Friends, family and loved ones find each other in the crowd, hugging, taking pictures together, and congratulating the pullers on their arrival. Ten canoes take turns asking for permission to land at Auke Recreation Area near Juneau on June 2, 2026. (Photo: Yvonne Krumrey / KTOO) Ware says arriving feels … “…bittersweet, man. This is the most incredible feeling in the world, being able to pull up and see everyone here. I had tears in my eyes when we were coming ashore. This has been a dream of mine since I was since I was little, and to be able to see this and see it through, I can’t describe it, I can’t describe it.” Only about nine pullers signed up to paddle kéet yaakw through Alaska's Inside Passage — including his brothers. Sagooch Billy Ware describes the moment as powerful for keet yaakw and his community. And he says coming all this way feels surreal. “I’ve crabbed and I fished in these waters all the way from Petersburg to Juneau, but being able to take the time and camp on the beach, like in sum dum underneath the glaciers, it was breathtaking. It was amazing, and it really gave you a different perspective on just how tough and durable our people were, and just the life that they lived. This has been an amazing experience.” The group did a number of traditional landings, like today's, while making stops at villages along the way. He says the first time they did after departing from Petersburg was especially meaningful to him. “We got to do the first official landing for a canoe out of Séet Ká Kwáan in over 100 years, and I was privileged enough to do the landing introduction, and just ask for the permission to be on their land, and that was an incredibly important moment for me.” That first landing happened in Kake, a village on Kupreanof Island. The group ended up spending about three days there, waiting out some weather. For puller, Young Duane Gabe Dunham, it was the most memorable part of this Journey. “Kake was, they were wonderful hosts, and they fed us every night … and while we were there after dinner, we just, everybody got up and they shared songs, and we all danced … people from almost a half a dozen different communities just came together … and it was a really powerful thing to be able to share with my boys.” Dunham says he joined this historic paddle from Petersburg so he and his two young sons could learn more about Tlingit culture. Christian and Jacob, who tagged along on Journey, mostly aboard the safety boat. There are a couple other special moments on the 10-day Journey that stick out for Dunham, too, like when he earned a nickname from Billy and the group: “We got the Paddle Beaver over here. He chomped through two of them with the power strokes there.” “We were trying to break six knots speed in the canoe, and we nearly got there, but we were all paddling at about 110% and we’re working hard, and that’s when I broke my second paddle [light laughter].” Gooch tláa Victoria Moore paddled the canoe from Petersburg with her son, Đat xá a gutch Alex, who has autism. Like most of the pullers on keet yaakw, this was their first canoe Journey to Celebration. “He did great, I just so appreciate everybody helping me bring him to his culture and to Celebration, to my homeland here in Juneau, and, man, what an incredible to be a part of the canoe that it’s been over 100 years … that’s pretty special to me, and that my son got to join me on that Journey of, you know, making some new connections, so this is beautiful. Gualancheesh,” Over 100 years, ten days, and 100 miles later, Journey is complete for the first traditional canoe out of Petersburg. Kéet yaakw was shipped home to Petersburg after the ceremony – and the four-day Celebration wrapped up on June 6. Reporting help from Yvonne Krumrey Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Friday, June 12, 2026 — Indigenous representation during the world's largest sporting event

Photo courtesy Navajo Nation Council Over the last year, the Navajo Nation Council has been investigating what happened to the $24 million in COVID relief allocated for ZenniHome, a failed housing initiative. A week-long public hearing on the matter got off to a slow start Monday when subpoenaed witnesses failed to show up on the advice of the tribe's justice department. KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio reports. Those witnesses included Navajo President Buu Nygren, but the tribe’s Department of Justice (DOJ) sent a same-day memo advising all government employees to not attend or testify. “The Department of Justice is not here to hinder the process and our main emphasis is that we protect the attorney-client relationship.” Acting Deputy Attorney General JoAnn Jayne says the best way to do so is in executive session. “We can advise you as to what can be disclosed and what cannot be disclosed, and so the sooner that we do that, you know, then the legislative branch can move on.” Budget and Finance Committee Vice Chair Carl Slater questions whether the DOJ is operating in good faith. “It's very difficult to ascertain – between the politically appointed leadership of the department and the rank and file employees – what the position of the department is with respect to trying to quash this whole endeavor.” Meanwhile, Nygren himself has filed several motions to stay the public proceedings. Tlingit Master Carver Israel Shotridge, left, was known to work with family members like nephew Robert Jackson. (Courtesy Sue Shotridge) If you have spent time in Ketchikan, Alaska, you have likely seen the work of Israel Shotridge. The Tlingit Master Carver passed away in Washington state in April at the age of 75. Shotridge is being remembered for his artistry, gentleness and love of family. KRBD's Hunter Morrison spoke with two of Shotridge's loved ones about his life and legacy, and has this story. Shotridge's Tlingit name Kinstaádaál (The Bear That is Standing up) is also the name of a song he wrote for and sang with his mother, Esther Shea. They were members of the Bear Clan of the Tongass Tribe. Born Howard Jackson in 1951, Shotridge was raised in Ketchikan and later changed his name. Growing up, he excelled in school and sports, but Shotridge's passion was for the arts. Willard Jackson, his older brother, says Shotridge liked to draw at a young age. “Creativity for him came easy, but he was good at it.” After going to college in Seattle, Wash., Shotridge returned to Ketchikan and eventually began carving. His first major project was to carve a replica of the 55-foot Chief Johnson totem pole. It was the first pole in over 50 years to be carved and raised in Ketchikan, and still stands downtown today. Shotridge also met his wife Sue around that time. “He was friendly to everybody, and I just fell in love with him. He was fun to be around. We laughed. We both had the same interest in the culture, it was a fun journey.” In addition to his totem work, Shotridge carved bentwood boxes, masks, and other ceremonial pieces. In the 1990s, Shotridge and his wife moved to Washington state, where they opened their shop The Shotridge Collection, but art was not Shotridge's only interest. He had a love for music and was also a family man who loved spending time with his children and grandchildren. His wife says this, his art, and cultural preservation, will be Shotridge's lasting legacy. “He was the humblest and most modest artist that I ever knew.” Willard says Shotridge's carvings, and legacy, can be found all around the globe. “You can’t go through town or anywhere else without seeing his artwork. It’s there. And every time I see it, I know it’s his.” His wife plans to return Shotridge's ashes to Southeast Alaska next year for a canoe journey from Wrangell to Ketchikan. She says Shotridge wanted to do that, but never had the chance when he was alive. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Wednesday, June 10, 2026 — Columbia River tribes weigh in on future dredging plans

The University of Washington’s WWAMI medical school program just received a new $25 million endowment for scholarships and rural education support, as Alaska Public Media's Rachel Cassandra reports. The program gets its name from the five states it serves – Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho – and educates emerging physicians in those rural states. Dr. Nick Phelps, WWAMI's assistant dean at the University of Alaska Anchorage, says the gift will go to scholarships for 30 eligible students across the five-state class. “For the students who are accepted to receive this scholarship, it covers half of their tuition.” Phelps says those eligible to apply for the scholarships are students in two specific programs: one, a rural track, and the other, a tribal and traditional medicine track. Medical school tuition – and the debt students take on to pay it – can run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Phelps says the scholarships change the financial equation. “Primary care practices and primary care physicians… are the bedrock of medicine, for lack of a better term. They’re also some of the lowest paid specialties for students to go into, so for somebody who really is strongly interested in family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, some of those other primary care specialties, they have to do a bit of an internal calculus.” Many medical students choose specialties that pay better, which has helped create a shortage of primary care practitioners, both in Alaska and across the U.S. Phelps notes that the U.S. Department of Education will soon start limiting student loan amounts that Americans can take out for higher education, including medical school. Philanthropists William and Carolyn Franke and their family gave the WWAMI program the $25 million endowment to create the Franke Medical Student Scholars Program. Phelps says he hopes that the resulting scholarships encourage more Alaska students to focus on medicine that serves rural, remote and Indigenous Alaskans. The cliffs of Black Mesa on the Navajo Nation on September 1, 2023. (Photo: Chris Clements / KNAU) An energy company is asking for preliminary approval from the feds to look into building a hydropower project on the Navajo Nation. KNAU's Chris Clements has more. The company Nature and People First is asking for a preliminary permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to investigate building a pumped storage project near Chilchinbeto, Ariz. It would include two reservoirs holding a total of 20,000 acre-feet of water. Pumped storage projects generate energy by letting water flow downhill and then pumping it back up. Nature and People First tried to get federal approval for three pumped storage projects in 2021, but the Navajo Nation and the feds later said no. Critics cited concerns about overuse of aquifers and damage to the environment of nearby Black Mesa, which is considered sacred by the Navajo and Hopi tribes. If it is granted, the permit would not allow the company to disturb any land or give them permission to enter private property. Grand Exit at Celebration 2026. (Courtesy Sealaska Heritage Institute) Thousands of Alaska Natives and visitors gathered in Juneau, Alaska last week for Celebration 2026, one of the largest Indigenous cultural events in the state. The four-day gathering, organized by Sealaska Heritage Institute, brought together Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian dancers, artists, and culture bearers from across Southeast Alaska, Canada, and beyond. The event featured traditional song and dance performances, Native art, language activities, and cultural workshops. This year’s theme was “Enduring Strength”. Celebration began more than 40 years ago as a way to preserve Native cultures and pass traditional knowledge to younger generations. Organizers say the event continues to showcase the survival and persistence of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian traditions while strengthening connections among Indigenous communities throughout the region. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Monday, June 8, 2026 — Confronting division with Pride

In this newscast: Democratic incumbent Rep. Andi Story now has an opponent in the race for her current seat in the state House: Annette Kreitzer, Haines' former borough manager; After years of planning, the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska soft-opened a casino on Douglas Island this week. It's Juneau's first casino; The National Science Foundation plans to yank a long-standing ocean observation station from the sea floor far off the coast of Alaska next year. It's one in an entire ocean monitoring system slated to be dismantled as part of the Trump Administration's rollback on federal science programs that help researchers study the changing climate; The developer of the Alaska LNG project released its first specific public cost estimates Wednesday for the proposed 800-mile gas pipeline and associated infrastructure.

Indie Pop, Dubstep, Country, Classical, Fusion, R'n'B, Indy, Folk Rock, Hip Hop, Dance, and Reggae from the music makers of the Cherokee, Ojibwe, Abenaki, Cree, Metis, Innu, Tlingit, Navajo and Hopi nations. Brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tunes From Turtle Island⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pantheon Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you like the music you hear, go out and buy/stream some of it. :) All these artists need your support. Tracks on this week's show are: Cherokee Social - Castaways Gdubz - Big Foot Mimi O'Bonsawin & Okan - Blueberry Jam The Prairie States - Easy Man Cris Derksen - Pow.wow.wow Cris Derksen & Chippewa Travellers - Intertribal Happy Feet Cris Derksen - Heya, Ya, Lets Go Cris Derksen - Buffalo Girls LOV - Can I? Brettyn Rose - That Ain't You Mercedes Brown - Playing With Fire Melisanda & Katia Rock - Dons Touts tes Etats Tall Paul - Ikogaan Mikwan Beatalks & QVLN - EVERSINCE Astronomar - booty stickin Casper Lomayesva - Roots & Culture All songs on this podcast are owned by the artist(s) and are used for educational purposes only. All songs can be found for purchase or streaming wherever you get your great music. Please pick up these amazing tracks and support these artists. More info on the show ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Alaska doesn't just have Bigfoot. It has something older.This is the second stop on our cryptid road trip across America. Last time out, we worked the longleaf pine country of Alabama and the legend of the White Thang.Tonight we head north to the rain coast of southeast Alaska, where the fog comes down low over the tideline and the spruce trees grow right to the water. This is the country of the Tlingit, a maritime people who have been reading these waters for somewhere between ten and fifteen thousand years. And it is the country of the Kushtaka — the otter people, the shape-shifting beings who imitate the voices of the people you love and call you out into the dark.We open in a fourteen-foot skiff outside Wrangell, with a fisherman in the fog and a child crying near the shore, and what his Tlingit grandmother told him to do if it ever happened.From there we go deep. Into the ethnography of the Kushtaka, into the protections the old stories say can save your life — copper, dogs, and one other thing nobody likes to bring up — into three traditional accounts passed down through generations, and into two modern reports from a Forest Service ranger in the Tongass and a pair of kayakers on Admiralty Island. We close with a long, cinematic survival story from a cannery cove outside Hoonah in October of two thousand and eleven, and the one small tell that may be the only thing standing between you and what's on the other side of the door.Handle this one with respect.The Kushtaka belong to a living tradition still carried by Tlingit families in southeast Alaska today. Listen with that in mind. And if you ever find yourself on a piece of Alaskan water you don't quite know, on a night when the fog has come down and the world has gone quiet, and you hear a voice you recognize calling your name from the trees, you already know what to do.Put your back to it. Keep your hands on something made of copper. And don't look back.Have you experienced a Bigfoot sighting, Sasquatch encounter, Dogman experience, UFO sighting, or any unexplained cryptid or paranormal event deep in the woods? We want to hear your story.Email your encounter to brian@paranormalworldproductions.com for a chance to be featured on a future episode of Backwoods Bigfoot Stories.Backwoods Bigfoot Stories is a paranormal storytelling podcast featuring real Bigfoot encounters, Sasquatch sightings, Dogman reports, cryptid experiences, and true scary stories from the backwoods.Follow the show and turn on automatic downloads so you never miss a chilling encounter from the forest. Listen with the lights off… if you dare.

Unless you frequent the same activist email listservs I do, you may have no idea that, completely aside from the Trump administration's assault on public lands, there is a bill quietly making its way through congress that would privatize and clearcut over one hundred thousand acres Alaska's Tongass National Forest.Seems like a pretty obvious bill for environmentalists and allied congress people to oppose.  But there's a twist.  The bill, called the Alaska Native Landless Equity Act, or simply the “Landless Bill”, would transfer the land to Alaska Native Corporations, and is being billed as a form of Land Back by Alaska's congressional delegation.But is it?  Or is this just a disguised form of extractivist colonialism?I truly did not know what to make of the Landless Bill, so I invited Tlingit elder and activist Wanda Culp and Joshua Wright from the Legacy Forest Defense Coalition to talk me through why they oppose this bill, the short film they made about it, and other attempts to privatize public lands in Alaska.I would love to hear what you think!  The show email is coastrangeradio@gmail.com.https://www.wlfdc.org/land-less-filmhttps://www.wlfdc.org/the-landless-billhttps://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/target-on-tongass-the-wildest-national-forest-may-soon-lose-its-protections/https://www.instagram.com/coastrangeradio/

The Ketchikan Gateway Borough School Board is on a tight timeline to find new revenue streams because of a multimillion dollar budget shortfall. Plus, Tracy Day, a Tlingit woman who disappearing in Juneau in 2019, is remembered by her daughter, and high schoolers from across Southeast Alaska visit Ketchikan for a music festival.

A former DJ who once struggled as a student, Cailean Dakota MacColl built her way to medical school from the ground up. She's now graduating from the University of Minnesota Medical School. Jerrick Hope-Lang took on preserving a Tlingit clan house in Sitka, Alaska that was named on the America's most endangered historic places. Now he's a Henry Luce Foundation Indigenous knowledge fellow and a graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts. Lawren “Lulu” Goodfox is a budding actor balancing film and stage roles with especially busy extra-curricular activities like tennis, student council, honors society, and preparation for traditional dances. She is now graduating from Stillwater High School in Oklahoma and setting off to study drama at New York University’s Tisch School of Arts. We’ll talk to each of them about what’s ahead for the class of 2026. GUESTS Dr. Cailean Dakota MacColl (Lac La Ronge Indian Band), University of Minnesota Doctor of Medicine graduate Jerrick Hope-Lang ( Tlingit and Tsimshian), director of Point House Revitalization and a 2026 Luce Knowledge Fellow Lawren “Lulu” Goodfox (Osage and Pawnee), 2026 graduate of Stillwater High School Brandin Naabaahi Upshaw (Diné), 2026 graduate of Navajo Preparatory School Break 1 Music: Wahzhazhe (song) Scott George (artist) Killers of the Flower Moon Soundtrack (album) Break 2 Music: Bad Dude (song) Joe H Henry (artist) Real Things (album)

The City of Ketchikan meets with cruise line representatives to share updates and air grievances. Plus, a Juneau reporter questions police about the disappearance of Tlingit woman Tracy Day, after a judge wouldn't let the family.

A former DJ who once struggled as a student, Cailean Dakota MacColl built her way to medical school from the ground up. She's now graduating from the University of Minnesota Medical School. Jerrick Hope-Lang took on preserving a Tlingit clan house in Sitka, Alaska that was named on the America's most endangered historic places. Now he's a Henry Luce Foundation Indigenous knowledge fellow and a graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts. Lawren “Lulu” Goodfox is a budding actor balancing film and stage roles with especially busy extra-curricular activities like tennis, student council, honors society, and preparation for traditional dances. She is now graduating from Stillwater High School in Oklahoma and setting off to study drama at New York University’s Tisch School of Arts. We’ll talk to each of them about what’s ahead for the class of 2026. GUESTS Dr. Cailean Dakota MacColl (Lac La Ronge Indian Band), University of Minnesota Doctor of Medicine graduate Jerrick Hope-Lang ( Tlingit and Tsimshian), director of Point House Revitalization and a 2026 Luce Knowledge Fellow Lawren “Lulu” Goodfox (Osage and Pawnee), 2026 graduate of Stillwater High School Brandin Naabaahi Upshaw (Diné), 2026 graduate of Navajo Preparatory School Break 1 Music: Wahzhazhe (song) Scott George (artist) Killers of the Flower Moon Soundtrack (album) Break 2 Music: Bad Dude (song) Joe H Henry (artist) Real Things (album)

The family of a missing Tlingit woman works to question Juneau police about their investigation. Plus, a baby humpback whale skeleton is on display at the University of Alaska Southeast in Sitka.

Kim Moberg has released her fourth album All That Really Matters, 8 original songs with 2 very personal covers.  In 2023 Kim released The Seven Fires Prophecy Suite for Humanity. Kim ancestry is Tlingit, which heritage informs her art. Both albums are intimate and deep. Kim is sharing powerful inspirations with us, it’s worthwhile to spend time with this music. Music has been part of Kim’s life forever, as a listener and creator.  Kim is also very involved in musical community as an active member in Folk Alliance International, also as a Board member of the Billy Conway Artist Fund, and as a founder and manager of Sandwich Arts Alliance (SAA) Porchfest. • Kim Moberg on YouTube Music by: Kim Moberg The post Kim Moberg – “All That Really Matters” and “The Seven Fires Prophecy Suite” appeared first on Paradigms Podcast.

The online marketplace Etsy plans to ban products made out of fur as well as threatened or endangered animals. In Alaska, many Indigenous artists say they do not use the platform, but several said they were frustrated with the decision. The Alaska Desk’s Alena Naiden from our flagship station KNBA has more. Cheyenne Nelson (Aleut and Tlingit) pulls a pair of earrings from a box stacked with her creations. Nelson is an owner of Iliamna Arts based in Anchorage. She uses fur from otters, rabbits, lynx, and foxes to make jewelry. She sells her art to customers from California to Chicago, and from Canada to the Netherlands, but this might change: Etsy emailed artists like Nelson in early April to notify them it will ban fur products starting August 11. “It was like the worst case scenario … I really like being able to have my art reach people that in no other way it would have reached.” The new Etsy policy says that it will apply to fur from animals killed primarily for their pelts, to protect wildlife from extinction. It was not clear how the company would establish that animals were killed for fur and not for sustenance. There do not appear to be exceptions for Indigenous artists. Etsy did not respond to emailed questions for this story. Nelson and several others say the new policy will disproportionately harm Indigenous artists. “You’ve ostracized the entire Indigenous population that wants to share their art through Etsy.” Jamie Nurauq Stallings is Yupik and Athabaskan who makes earrings, using fur and feathers from her family's hunts – ducks, beavers, and rabbits. She sells her art at local markets, as well as Etsy. “Historically, there’s been a lot of shame put on certain parts of our lives, like our language, and now it’s fur. … we have the highest regard for animals.” When Stallings was small, she was a part of her father's Indigenous dance group. Between the performances, she would sit with her mom at a table, selling earrings and talking to guests. “Earrings were the one thing that we were able to share with people. … I really love that – being able to connect to people from everywhere. It’s unifying.” Stallings says she hopes the ban can motivate Indigenous artists to come together and create their own platform that sells traditional art – on their terms. Until recently, evacuees in Anchorage were staying at hotels like the Wingate, pictured here on November 14, 2025. (Photo: Matt Faubion/ Alaska Public Media) Six months after arriving in Anchorage, evacuees from Western Alaska have moved from hotels into temporary housing. Hundreds of people have been unable to return to their homes after ex-Typhoon Halong devastated villages in October of last year. Jeremy Zidek, a spokesperson for the state's emergency response, says it gives people a chance to return to a slightly more normal way of life. “They’re cooking their own foods. They have more privacy, more room within the units. They’re also have places where they can host celebrations for their family members, or have people come over and visit and not just be in kind of one hotel room.” Evacuees stayed in five hotels around Anchorage through the winter. They received meals from various assistance teams and on-site staff helped them register for disaster relief and connected them to assistance programs. Zidek says the state will continue to help people with paperwork and bureaucracy hurdles. “We’re working with the every applicant on a case by case basis to make sure that they’re they’re not kind of lost in the shuffle, and they don’t get so frustrated that they just lose interest in pursuing this assistance that they’re eligible for.” As of April 17, 165 households have moved into temporary housing in and around Anchorage. The housing is funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Zidek says the state and FEMA are working together to identify ways to rebuild in Western Alaska so that those who want to return home can do so as soon as possible. This story was provided by Alaska Public Media's Hannah Flor Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Friday, May 1, 2026 – Efforts to improve Native student achievement under fire

Family members of Ketchikan-born Tlingit carver Israel Shotridge talk about his life and legacy. Plus, Petersburg's local tribe unveils a new killer whale canoe.

“The way God began the Church in great power, He will end it triumphant with greater power!” The Busses are joined by a dear, long-time friend, Flo Ellers. Flo's testimony is filled with miracles, revival fire, and Glory Outpouring! From her small Tlingit village in Alaska to evangelistic campaigns in the nations, wherever Flo goes, the Holy Spirit moves in powerful ways. Tune in to hear her amazing stories and be encouraged that God can do the same through you too! EMAIL: feedback@globaloutpouring.orgWEBSITE: https://globaloutpouring.net Related Links:Convention 2026: May 21-24, 2026 Flo's BooksWind That Fans the FlameActivating the AngelicChief Walkin' TallThreshold of Glory RecordingsConvention 2014–Morning Bible Study with Flo Ellers“Bulldog Faith” with Flo Ellers CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA

On this episode of the Microcollege Podcast we return for an update from one of the most inspiring success stories of the emerging microcollege movement. Rooted in the beautiful island community of Sitka, Alaska among the fjords and temperate rainforest of the southeastern panhandle of Alaska, Outer Coast is inspired by Deep Springs College and nourished by the unique cultural heritage of the Tlingit people of that region. Since 2015, Outer Coast has been developing as a peer and fellow traveler of Thoreau College, and now has launched a full 2-year undergraduate program granting academic credits through the University of Alaska Southeast suitable for an Associates Degree or transfer to a 4 year school. Join me as I speak with Outreach Lead Reyn Hutten and pioneer 2nd Year student Lulah Entwistle about entering higher education after growing up in a rural place, about the role of service learning in the context of tight knit local community, about the value of robust student self-governance, and about the impact of incorporating indigenous languages, storytelling, and culture into a full microcollege curriculum.Reyn Hutten is the Outreach Lead and periodic Summer Seminar Program Director at Outer Coast and has been in Sitka at Outer Coast for nearly 3 years. Hailing from the small island community of Wrangell, AK, Reyn is a long-time believer in (and beneficiary of) holistic, community-based, in-situ learning in southeast Alaska. She has focused on community building and education from many angles, including through her B.A. in ecology with a focus on the Arctic at Dartmouth College, as a field program coordinator, and as a ski and sea kayak coach. Reyn finds vibrance in many of life's little moments but especially when moving her body outside, cooking, tinkering and connecting with people.Lulah Entwistle grew up homeschooled on a biodynamic farm in Middle Tennessee, where her family grew food to sustain themselves and ran a small CSA. When she is home, Lulah likes to ride her horses, play with the goats, and help on the farm. She is currently studying at Outer Coast and is in the process of finding a place to go next. For the past two years she has been walking around Sitka, listening to music and watching the mountains.

After much speculation, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren announced earlier this week that he will seek reelection later on this year. KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio has more. President Nygren became the youngest president in Window Rock after defeating incumbent Jonathan Nez four years ago. Nygren won that race by just more than 3,500 votes. In a video message on social media, Nygren picked up his signature, black open crown hat. “And I will be tossing my hat into the race for Navajo Nation president. Let's keep building on the momentum that we've built so far.” Since his inauguration, the sitting president has faced considerable scrutiny. A special prosecutor has called for his immediate resignation over alleged ethics violations that included the misuse of public funds, while Navajo Nation Council delegates continue trying to oust him. (Courtesy Mircea Brown) The nonprofit tribal organization Sealaska Heritage Institute has published a new book that presents Tlingit Raven stories for the first time in the original language with English translations. The 860-page volume brings together 50 stories by seven Tlingit storytellers born in between 1870 and 1915 across Southeast Alaska. As KCAW's Hope McKenney reports, the stories were transcribed from recordings of oral performances and include some of the oldest known recordings of these stories told in Lingít. The book is currently available through Sealaska Heritage Institute's website. Geiger says they also hope to make the original audio recordings of these stories available in the near future. 75-year-old Ḵ'ashgé Daphne Wright grew up listening to her aunt Katherine Mills tell her stories of Raven, a cultural hero, world-maker, and trickster figure among the Tlingit of Southeast Alaska. “I can just remember we’d be sitting in the kitchen, around the kitchen table, and it was maybe in the evening, with everyone just kind of sitting around and just listening, and just kind of a warm feeling. And just listening to my aunt’s voice.” Wright says reading this book, which features stories from her aunt, is like hearing her aunt's voice again. “I miss her so much, you know. And I miss my mother … And so it just means so much that there’s something here and an actual physical book that has her stories in it.” This volume has been more than four decades in the making. It is the fifth in a series of books from Sealaska Heritage Institute called the “Classics of Tlingit Oral Literature,” and is the first in the series to be exclusively focused on Raven. Will Geiger is a research specialist with the Southeast nonprofit. “The intention of this series is to present standout examples of the Tlingit oral tradition in a written form, so that people who whether you do speak Lingít or not, you’re able to appreciate the depth and the artistry and the history.” This book features a transcribed version of the original recording on the left hand page and an English translation on the right. Geiger says Raven is one of the most developed characters in the Tlingit oral tradition, with stories ranging from sacred to humorous. “Mostly, he appears in the form of a person. And he can change forms … He turns into a woman, a little hemlock needle … and a raven.” For Lgeik'i Heather Powell Mills, a Lingít language teacher in Hoonah, hearing or reading these stories in the original language leads to deeper understanding. “Hearing our language is it’s like medicine to us… to have a strong connection to the land, to understand where you come from, in order to know where you’re going.” Mills says she's grateful these stories were recorded and preserved for future generations. “We don’t have the time we used to have. I think this is a great way for us to learn. It was their dream for us.” Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Friday, April 10, 2026 – Money management during economic uncertainty and the rise of Buy Now Pay Later

In the summer of 1880, John Muir set out to explore the icy wilderness of what is now Glacier Bay National Park. Traveling by canoe with a missionary and Tlingit guides, he reluctantly allowed a small black dog named Stickeen to join the expedition. At first, Muir dismissed the dog as a useless companion. However, when a violent storm trapped the two of them on Brady Glacier, surrounded by deep crevasses and failing daylight, Stickeen revealed a courage Muir could not ignore, forever reshaping how he understood the minds of animals. WE WERE NOMINATED FOR A WEBBY! VOTE FOR US HERE BY APRIL 16TH! For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials: Instagram: @‌nationalparkafterdarkTikTok: @‌nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to this week's partners! PAKA: Head to pakaapparel.com to grab your hoodie IQBAR: Text PARK to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply. Bellesa: EVERYONE who signs up wins a FREE Rose suction toy with their order at https://www.bboutique.co/vibe/nationalparkafterdark-podcast Kachava: Go to https://kachava.com and use code NPAD for 15% off your first order. 3 Day Blinds: For their buy 1 get 1 50% off deal, head to http://3DayBlinds.com/NPAD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kickapoo chef Crystal Wahpepah documents the intertribal flavors and characteristics of contemporary Native American cuisine and her upbringing in Oakland, Calif. in her debut cookbook, “A Feather and a Fork: 125 Intertribal Dishes from an Indigenous Food Warrior.” Woven through the recipes and gorgeous food photos, Wahpepah gives readers and cooks a tour of her restaurant, Wahpepah's Kitchen, and present Oakland Native food sovereignty initiatives — and poignant personal and cultural stories that ingredients and flavors hold. Near the end of winter, ooligan (eulachon or smelt), a small oily fish, would come rushing up rivers by the millions in the Pacific Northwest, according to historical accounts and elders' stories. Today, ooligan are listed as a threatened species with sporadic springtime runs that more often do not support subsistence fishing. We'll hear from the Nuxalk Nation in British Columbia about their ooligan studies and restoration, and from fishermen in Metlakatla, Alaska about this spring's ooligan haul. GUESTS Crystal Wahpepah (Kickapoo), chef and owner of Wahpepah's Kitchen and author of “A Feather and a Fork: 125 Intertribal Dishes from an Indigenous Food Warrior” Cindy Wagner (Tsimshian and Haida), fisherman Louie Wagner (Tsimshian and Tlingit), fisherman Jason Moody (Nuxalk), Nuxalk fisheries and wildlife planning coordinator and owner of Nan Adventure Tours Break 1 Music: Boujee Natives (song) Snotty Nose Rez Kids (artist) Trapline (album) Break 2 Music: Save the World (song) Tribz (artist) Trimmed (album) Editor’s Note: The publisher of “A Feather and a Fork” is a sponsor of Koahnic Broadcast Corporation. That plays no role in Native America Calling’s editorial coverage decisions.

He was born in Siberia in 1797 to a clerical family, and became a married parish priest in Irkutsk. A devout explorer, John Kriukov, told him of the great spiritual needs among the Russian and native peoples in Alaska, then Russian territory. Moved to serve Christ in this very difficult environment, he and his family arrived in Alaska in 1824. He quickly learned the Aleut language and worked humbly and tirelessly among the Aleuts. His spiritual classic, An Indication of the Way to the Kingdom of Heaven, was originally written in Aleut and later translated into many languages.   While he was visiting Russia in 1838, his wife died; one year later he was tonsured a monk and given the name of Innocent (he had been Fr John Veniaminov). Almost immediately after his tonsuring he was, without warning, raised to the rank of Bishop of all Eastern Siberia and Russian America, probably the largest diocese in the world at that time. Returning to Alaska, he continued his missionary work with vigor, often traveling among Aleut and Tlingit settlements in his own kayak. Wherever he went, he found the Alaskan people hungry for the faith, and his labors bore rich fruit which is still obvious today: Alaska has more Orthodox churches per capita than any other state.   In old age he was made Metropolitan of Moscow, head of the entire Russian Orthodox Church. His concern for Christian mission was undiminished, and as Metropolitan he created the Orthodox Missionary Society. He reposed on Holy Saturday of 1879.

In this newscast: Tribal citizens in and outside Alaska recently voted to elect new delegates and community council members to represent them in the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska; More than 1000 people gathered at Juneau's Overstreet Park on Saturday to participate in the third 'No Kings' protest held nationwide to push back against President Donald Trump's policies and actions; The 51st Alaska Folk Festival will feature about 15 acts on the main stage -- and that's just one piece of a much larger production; An eighteenth candidate joined the race to be Alaska's next governor this week. Attorney Gregg Brelsford threw his hat in the ring Tuesday as an independent candidate

In this newscast: Organizers and lawmakers gathered on the steps of the Alaska State Capitol yesterday morning to rally in support of bills and funding to address climate change in Alaska; A highly unusual -- and four-legged -- suspect was apprehended yesterday in Juneau; The University of Alaska Southeast and the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska are working together to create a School of Indigenous Studies; Tongass Voices: Robin DeAlva on making an online exchange for arts supplies

House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2026 – 1:00 PM Location: Capitol Complex, 2008 RHOB, Washington, DC, 20515, USA • LIVESTREAM: https://youtu.be/1iTI_qqEM3E Witnesses Panel one Cynthia Petersen President, Yakutat Tlingit Tribe Panel two Jarred-Michael Erickson Chairman, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Jeremy Takala Tribal Councilman, Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation Panel three Kristopher Peters Chairman, Squaxin Island Tribe Loni Greninger Vice-Chair, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe Quintin Swanson Chairman, Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe Robert de los Angeles Chairman, Snoqualmie Indian Tribe Panel four Guy Capoeman President, Quinault Indian Nation William (Bill) Iyall Chairman, Cowlitz Indian Tribe Louie Ungaro Councilman, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe Panel five Annette Bryan Councilwoman, Puyallup Tribe of Indians Panel six Derek Bowman Tribal Council Member, Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria Joe Davis Chairman, Hoopa Valley Tribe Panel seven Ed Johnstone Chairman, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Jon Panamaroff Co-Chair, Native American Contractors Association Ervin Carlson President, InterTribal Buffalo Council Cody Desautel President, Intertribal Timber Council Panel eight Mark Macarro President, National Congress of American Indians Ira L. Matt Executive Director, Indigenous Diplomacy and Federal Relations, National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers Amy Minniear Treasurer, NAFOA More on Indianz.Com: https://indianz.com/News/2026/03/16/video-american-indian-and-alaska-native-public-witness-hearing-day-2-afternoon-session-2/

Elizabeth Peratrovich is most well-known for her work to pass Alaska’s Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945. But her story also has more to it than that act. Research: Anchorage Museum. “Elizabeth Peratrovich.” https://www.anchoragemuseum.org/exhibits/extra-tough-women-of-the-north/women-of-the-north-profiles/elizabeth-peratrovich-major-force-behind-alaskas-anti-discrimination-bill/ Arnett, Jessica Leslie. “Unsettled Rights in Territorial Alaska.” Western Historical Quarterly, AUTUMN 2017, Vol. 48, No. 3 (AUTUMN 2017), pp. 233-254. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/26782857 Boochever, Ann with Roy Peratrovich Jr. “Fighter in Velvet Gloves.” University of Alaska Press. 2019. Boochever, Ann. “Fighter in Velvet Gloves: Alaska Civil Rights Hero Elizabeth Peratrovich.” Sealaska Heritage Institute. 11/19/2021. Via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gzvcc1UlrMw Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. “A Recollection of Civil Rights Leader Elizabeth Peratrovich.” August 1991. http://www.alaskool.org/projects/native_gov/recollections/peratrovich/default.htm Coen, Ross. “Elizabeth Peratrovich Day.” The Pacific Northwest Quarterly, Summer 2021, Vol. 112, No. 3 (Summer 2021), pp. 107-123. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/27165253 Cole, Terrence M. “Jim Crow in Alaska: The Passage of the Alaska Equal Rights Act of 1945.” Western Historical Quarterly , Nov., 1992, Vol. 23, No. 4 (Nov., 1992), pp. 429-449. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/970301 Davis, Jennifer. “Elizabeth Peratrovich, Civil and Voting Rights Activist.” In Custodia Legis: Law Librarians of Congress. Library of Congress Blogs. 11/1/2021. https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2021/11/elizabeth-peratrovich-civil-and-voting-rights-activist/ Guise, Holly Miowak. “Listening to Generations of Activists: Truly Remembering Elizabeth Peratrovich.” Indian Country Today. 2/16/2021. https://ictnews.org/opinion/listening-to-generations-of-activists-truly-remembering-elizabeth-peratrovich/ Haycox, Stephen W. “William Paul, Sr., and the Alaska Voters' Literacy Act of 1925.” Alaska History, Vol. 2., No. 1, (Winter 1986/87). http://www.alaskool.org/native_ed/articles/literacy_act/LiteracyTxt.html Johnson, Erik. “The 19th Amendment, Elizabeth Peratrovich, and the Ongoing Fight for Equal Rights.” National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/dena-history-peratrovich.htm Juneau Empire. “Mrs. Roy Peratrovich Sr. Dies in Seattle Hospital following Lengthy Illness.” 12/2/1958. National Park Service. “Alberta Schenck: Teenage Activist.” https://www.nps.gov/people/alberta-schenck.htm Page, Marisa. “Honoring the Women Paving the Path to Equity.” First Nations. https://www.firstnations.org/news/honoring-the-women-paving-the-path-to-equity/ Schenck, Alberta. “To Whom It May Concern.” The Nome Nugget. 3/3/1944. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nativevoices/assets/timeline/000/000/342/342_w_full.jpg Silverman, Jeffry Lloyd and Phil Lucas, directors. “For the Rights of All: Ending Jim Crow in Alaska.” Lincoln, NE. Vision Maker Media. 2008. “Super Race Theory Hit In Hearing.” The Daily Alaska Empire. 2/6/1945. https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045499/1945-02-06/ed-1/?sp=8&st=pdf Swensen, Thomas Michael. “The Relationship between Indigenous Rights, Citizenship, and Land in Territorial Alaska: How the Past Opened the Door to the Future.” GROWING OUR OWN: INDIGENOUS RESEARCH, SCHOLARS, AND EDUCATION Proceedings from the Alaska Native Studies Conference (2015). Twyman, Abby. “Alaskans and the Nation Celebrate Elizabeth Peratrovich.” Discover Prince of Wales Island. https://discoverpowisland.com/alaskans-and-the-nation-celebrate-elizabeth-peratrovich/ Vaughan, Carson. “Overlooked No More: Elizabeth Peratrovich, Rights Advocate for Alaska Natives.” New York Times. March 20, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/20/obituaries/elizabeth-peratrovich-overlooked.html Weingroff, Richard F. “Who Is Elizabeth Peratrovich? The Story Behind the Country's First Anti-Discrimination Law.” U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. https://highways.dot.gov/highway-history/general-highway-history/who-elizabeth-peratrovich-story-behind-countrys-first-anti Christen, Morgan. “Alaska Native Women’s Long Road to Suffrage.” Western Legal History, Vol. 30, No. 1-2. https://www.njchs.org/wp-content/uploads/wlh_30-1_crp_color1.pdf “Alaska Native Brotherhood and Alaska Native Sisterhood.” EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/alaska-native-brotherhood-and-alaska-native-sisterhood Drucker, Philip. “The native brotherhoods : modern intertribal organizations on the Northwest coast.” Washington, D. C. : U. S. Government Printing office. 1958. https://archive.org/details/nativebrotherhoo0168druc/ Haycox, Stephen W. “William Paul, Sr., and the Alaska Voters' Literacy Act of 1925 .” Alaska History, Vol. 2., No. 1, (Winter 1986/87). http://www.alaskool.org/native_ed/articles/literacy_act/literacytxt.html Peratrovich, Elizabeth and Roy Peratrovich. Letter to Governor Ernest Gruening. 12/30/1941. https://vilda.alaska.edu/digital/collection/cdmg41/id/1176/rec/4?fbclid=IwY2xjawQSoR9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFSUTluVjJHRVlpVTlvcFhYc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHq36iDmGp2t6h-sfgereAekSEHRQii-E6uBse3GvIQAw-72DcoQffc-LWxRO_aem_MECxGHPbZdPWw-7iUjGeow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode: 3361 The versatile, intelligent, Raven has much to teach us.  Today, ravens in thin air.

For many Native American survivors, a cancer diagnosis is more than just a biological battle. It is a matter of balancing modern oncology with community and cultural context. American Cancer Society data show a historic 70% five-year survival rate across the general population, but Native Americans continue to face unique hurdles, from geographic isolation to chronic underfunding of the Indian Health Service. Despite these disparities, survivors are reclaiming their narratives by integrating traditional healing practices with cutting-edge science. We'll hear from Native survivors in the context of the ongoing advancements in cancer diagnosis and treatment. GUESTS Shannon Martin (Gun Lake Potawatomi), cancer survivor Jamie Gomez (Tlingit and Haida), executive director of the Tlingit and Haida Foundation and American Indian Cancer Foundation board member Alicia Mitchell (Cherokee), Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention board member and American Indian Cancer Foundation board member Nicole Hallingstad (Tlingit), cancer survivor

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversees more than 12 million acres in Arizona alone. And much like the rest of the West, it has public lands making up national monuments that hold value for tribes. As KJZZ's Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, President Donald Trump's pick to run BLM pledged to respect them in his confirmation hearing this week. During his first term, President Trump shrank the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah – only for President Joe Biden to restore them and name 10 new ones. Former U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM) answered “yes” when asked about whether he was committed to honoring those sites by U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), who thanked the nominee for his “great” and “short, clear, concise, and on-the-record” answer. Pearce added that “the Native Americans sometimes are overlooked from Washington and …” when Sen. Padilla interrupted with, “And not just sometimes, far too often”. Pearce then noted “We became a voice for them, and would continue to do that.” Pearce doubled down when U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) asked about Arizona's Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni, which President Biden created near the South Rim in 2023. “The Grand Canyon, it's one of the most magnificent things, frankly, in the world. So we'll do whatever we can to work with you any way that's necessary.” X̱'unei Lance Twitchell teaching pre-kindergarten students. (Courtesy Ryan Conarro) Language educators in Juneau are working to create a Master's in Teaching program for teaching Indigenous languages at the University of Alaska Southeast. It would be the first of its kind in Alaska. KTOO’s Yvonne Krumrey reports. Lingít language professor X̱'unei Lance Twitchell talked about the possible future degree program during KTOO's Juneau Afternoon. “My colleague Éedaa Heather Burge and I are collaborating to create a certificate in teaching Indigenous languages, and as we look at how our language is taught in Alaska, who teaches them, what are their qualifications? What are they permitted to do in the current school systems? And what they’re permitted to do is just not enough.” The program would be for those who want to go into teaching Alaska Native languages to all ages. There are more than 20 distinct Indigenous languages throughout the state. Twitchell said the program still has some steps ahead of it before prospective students can enroll. “This degree has to go before the Board of Regents, and so we’re very hopeful that they will see the value in it. They’ll see the need. They’ll see the demand. I think it’s maybe one of two programs that are like it, perhaps in all of North America.” Twitchell said, while Southeast Alaska Native languages have endured and continue to grow, they should still be prioritized – and with urgency – by schools and communities. “But to be able to get to that is going to take some monumental shifts in the way that we do things, which is really hard today, because one of the things that a colonial government likes to do is pretend that there’s no time, there’s no money, everything’s already spoken for.” Twitchell said this program would create more pathways for educators who can advocate for time, money, and effort to go into revitalizing Indigenous languages. He said the program would focus on the “hows” of teaching Indigenous languages: how to create schools, build programs, and what materials to use. University officials are currently reviewing the proposal. After that, it'll be up to the University of Alaska Board of Regents to decide whether to approve the program. Meda DeWitt (Tlingit) is running for governor as an independent. (Courtesy DeWitt campaign) A 17th candidate has entered the Alaska governor’s race. Alaska Public Media’s Liz Ruskin has more. Meda DeWitt is a traditional healer, drawing on her Tlingit heritage. She teaches at the University of Alaska. She is running as an independent candidate, unaffiliated with any party. “I care about our future. I care about the way that we steward our lands and want to see a state that has a thriving ecosystem and healthy communities that can live in perpetuity.” In 2021, DeWitt chaired a campaign to recall Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R-AK). The petition gathered more than 60,000 signatures but fell short of the number needed for a recall election. Her campaign website lists a wide array of priorities, from cost of living to health care to the state economy. DeWitt lives in Anchorage and has family roots in Wrangell and Yakutat, as well as relatives around the state. The August 18 primary will feature a long list of gubernatorial candidates, most running with the Republican label. In the primary, voters can choose just one. The top four candidates, of any party, will advance to the November ballot. General election voters will have the option of ranking up to four candidates. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out today’s Native America Calling episode Friday, February 27, 2026 — Native Playlist: Cary Morin and Status/Non-Status

Ya Tseen pushes the boundaries of the musical collaboration's signature psych-pop sound with their latest album, “Stand on My Shoulders.” It's the second full-length album led by musician, visual artist, and totem carver Nicholas Galanin (Tlingit/Unangax̂) under the Seattle-based Sub Pop Records label. The music features diverse collaborations from the indie rock group Portugal. The Man, famed singer-songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello, and the experimental hip hop artist Pink Siifu. It explores themes of kinship and collectivism but also pays homage to Galanin's late father – lauded Tlingit silver carver and musician Dave Galanin. Cochemea Gastelum‘s latest offering, “Vol. III: Ancestros Futuros“, completes an album trilogy that explores dreams, oral history, memories (both real and imagined), and Gastelum's Yaqui identity. The new recording brings together the fruits of Gastelum's 25 years in the music business performing with the likes of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, avant-garde jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp, and the popular rap-duo Run the Jewels.

In his debut book We Survived the Night, artist and writer Julian Brave NoiseCat takes readers on a complex journey of Indigenous experience stemming from a childhood rich with culture and contradictions. Reeling from his father — a Secwépemc and St'at'imc artist haunted by a troubled past — abandoning his family, NoiseCat and his non-Native mother found themselves embraced and invigorated by their community. Supported by the urban Native population in Oakland, California and family on the Canim Lake Indian Reserve in British Columbia, NoiseCat was able to immerse himself in Native history and culture. Doing so bridged the gaps in his knowledge of his father's past and their stories and sent him on a journey to further his understanding of his people and himself. Told in the style of a "Coyote Story" — a legend about the trickster forefather of NoiseCat's people, revered for his wit and mocked for his tendency to self-destruct — We Survived the Night brings a traditional artform nearly annihilated by colonization back to life on the page. NoiseCat explores his personal origins amidst recounting on-the-ground efforts to correct the erasure of Indigenous peoples across the continent. Over years spent researching and developing his voice as a storyteller, NoiseCat grapples with the generational trauma of North America's First Peoples and learns of the cultural, environmental, and political movements reshaping the future.  We Survived the Night dives into examples of Native endurance and modern achievements that NoiseCat studied in his journalistic endeavors — the historic ascent of the first Native cabinet secretary in the United States and the first Indigenous sovereign of Canada; the colonial origins and limits of racial ideology and Indian identity of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina; hauling the golden eggs of an imperiled fish out of the sea alongside the Tlingit of Sitka, Alaska. Blending history and mythology, research and personal memoir, NoiseCat seeks to reclaim a culture stripped away by years of colonization and the family ties that were severed in his youth. His voiced honesty and years of efforts link the past to the present, the community to the individual in a powerfully intimate depiction of contemporary Indigenous life. Julian Brave NoiseCat is a writer, Oscar-nominated filmmaker, champion powwow dancer, and student of Salish art and history. His writing has appeared in publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The New Yorker. NoiseCat has been recognized with numerous awards including the 2022 American Mosaic Journalism Prize and many National Native Media Awards. He was a finalist for the Livingston Award and multiple Canadian National Magazine Awards, and was named to the TIME100 Next list in 2021. His first documentary, Sugarcane, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary. Directed alongside Emily Kassie, Sugarcane premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where NoiseCat and Kassie won the Directing Award in U.S. Documentary. NoiseCat is a proud member of the Canim Lake Band Tsq̓éscen̓ and descendant of the Líl̓wat Nation of Mount Currie. Joshua L. Reid (citizen of the Snohomish Indian Nation) is an associate professor of American Indian Studies and the John Calhoun Smith Memorial Endowed Associate Professor of History at the University of Washington, where he directs the Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest. He is the author of The Sea Is My Country: The Maritime World of the Makahs. Buy the Book We Survived the Night Elliott Bay Book Company

Tribal leaders are among those raising concerns about the stability of local mental health and substance abuse services. That’s after a temporary major cut in federal funding last week, as Chuck Quirmbach reports. The White House announced roughly $2 billion in cuts to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The government said the money no longer aligned with President Donald Trump’s public health agenda. Then, about 24 hours later, and without explanation, the grants were restored. The HoChunk Nation is one of about 2,000 organizations that would have lost funding. HoChunk President Jon Greendeer says last week’s cuts, had they held, would have been on top of other reductions announced a year ago, that were only partly restored. “Those never came back on line completely. Especially those who work closely with the program.” Greendeer says the Indian Health Service has also lost staff nationwide. He says the uncertainty not only harms Indigenous communities, which he calls America’s most vulnerable populations. “It is dealing with the most vulnerable populations within a vulnerable population. We are working on mental health issues, we are working with addiction, domestic abuse and all the, you know, social determinants of health.” Greendeer says overall, the HoChunk Nation is providing a good level of services, but only after greater partnering with the state of Wisconsin and some nearby counties. The question for some organizations is whether the Trump administration will try again sometime to make major cuts in federal dollars. (Courtesy Sitting Bull College) Indigenous students and families are concerned about rising costs as the U.S. Department of Education resumes wage garnishment for federal student loans in default. The Mountain West News Bureau's Daniel Spaulding has more. The Department of Education started to send notices to borrowers whose loans have gone unpaid for more than nine months. Employers can withhold up to 15% of disposable income without a court order. This policy may hit Indigenous communities especially hard. Higher education analysts say that about 40% of Native borrowers default on their federal loans, and many carry balances longer after graduation than other groups. Nez Perce tribal member Sienna Reuben, who graduated from the University of Idaho in 2021, says wage garnishment adds another financial burden to Native families already stretched thin. “I feel like student loans obviously come last because are you eating them? Are they feeding you? Are they housing you? Are they doing any of this stuff?” Reuben also says that Indigenous alumni often have the additional responsibility of supporting family members. The Ketchikan Indian Community is one of over a dozen tribal governments that have signed onto the new alliance. (Photo: Michael Fanelli/KRBD) More than a dozen tribal governments have formed the Alliance of Sovereign Tribes of Southeast Alaska. KRBD’s Hunter Morrison reports. The new partnership promotes a unified approach to addressing regional tribal concerns while acknowledging each tribe's individual differences. Gloria Burns is the president of the Ketchikan Indian Community. She says the new partnership has already improved communication between the region's tribes. “And as we communicate, we're going to partner with each other, and when we partner with each other, then we're creating real movement and change with each other.” Albert Smith is the mayor of the Metlakatla Indian Community, the only reservation in Alaska. He says there has not been an established partnership of Southeast Alaska tribes in more than 20 years. “The importance is just tribes helping tribes, working together for a common goal of the betterment of our region, and Indigenous peoples of our region.” Other tribal governments in the alliance include the Craig Tribal Association, the Organized Village of Kake, and the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out the latest episode of Native America Calling Tuesday, January 20, 2026 – Tribes see increasing urgency to confront flooding threat

In this newscast: An atmospheric river struck Juneau over the weekend, after previous back-to-back storms buried the city in several feet of snow; The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska recently launched a new foundation; For the first time, Juneau is using a radar detection system to track avalanches that rumble down the mountain, thanks to state money freed up by the city and tribe's disaster declaration last week; Democrat Mary Peltola announced this morning that she's running for U.S. Senate, taking on Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan; Alaska Public Media's Eric Stone takes a look at the first wave of new bills for the coming legislative session

There's a corner of America where people vanish at a startling rate, where massive searches can turn up nothing, no trail, no remains, no answers. That place is Alaska. In this episode of Backwoods Bigfoot Stories, we head into the shadowed heart of the Alaska Triangle, the vast wilderness between Anchorage, Juneau, and Utqiagvik, to explore why so many disappear and why indigenous stories have warned about forest-dwelling abductors for generations.In the summer of twenty twenty-two, sixty-nine-year-old Mary Dawn Wilson drove her Ford Focus nearly seven miles down the Stampede Trail near Healy, Alaska, a rugged route tied to the Into the Wild legend and notorious for swallowing travelers. With a two-year-old child in the back seat, Wilson pushed her vehicle far beyond where it reasonably could go.When the car became stuck in mud, she made a decision no one can explain. She locked the toddler inside the vehicle and walked deeper into the wilderness, away from the highway and toward the interior.Search teams deployed helicopters, thermal imaging, drones, ATVs, and trained dogs. They located Wilson's personal belongings about a mile beyond the stuck car, proof she kept going. After that, the trail went cold. No footprints. No sign. Nothing. After three days, the active search was suspended. Mary Dawn Wilson has never been found.We zoom out to examine the bigger pattern, thousands of disappearances across Alaska over the decades, many ending in complete erasure. We revisit chilling cases tied to the Alaska Triangle, including the nineteen seventy-two disappearance of House Majority Leader Hale Boggs and Alaska Congressman Nick Begich, whose plane was never recovered despite one of the largest search operations in American history. We examine the case of Gary Frank Sotherden, whose skull was found years later with bear tooth marks but little else, no clothing, no gear, no explanation for how he ended up so far from where he was supposed to be.We consider Thomas Anthony Nuzzi, the traveling nurse last seen with an unidentified woman who has never been located, both of them vanishing into the Alaskan night without a trace. And we look at Michael LeMaitre, a marathon runner who vanished during a major, heavily monitored event on a mountainside crowded with other competitors and spectators, disappearing in broad daylight despite sophisticated search technology that should have been able to locate any warm body on that mountain. Alaska Native traditions carry their own explanations for these disappearances, stories of entities that mimic, lure, and take. The Tlingit speak of the Kushtaka, the land otter man, a shapeshifter said to imitate voices and faces to draw victims away from safety. The Yup'ik tell of the Hairy Man they call Miluquyuliq, a powerful forest presence that watches travelers from the treeline with an intensity that goes beyond mere animal curiosity. And the descendants of Portlock speak of the Nantinaq, a predatory figure so feared that locals ultimately abandoned their entire town rather than remain in its territory. By nineteen fifty, every resident had fled, leaving behind homes and livelihoods, choosing displacement over whatever stalked them from the surrounding forest. We also touch on modern reports, including sightings documented by the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization across Alaska, encounters with massive bipedal creatures covered in dark fur that emit strange vocalizations and watch humans with unsettling intelligence. These accounts span decades and come from experienced outdoorsmen, truckers, hunters, and others who know the difference between known wildlife and something else entirely.At the center of this episode lies an unsettling question that may never be answered. What made Mary Dawn Wilson walk the wrong way, into the deep, after leaving a child behind? She was no naive tourist. She knew the Alaskan wilderness, had lived in remote areas, understood the dangers. Yet something compelled her to drive down that haunted trail, to keep going when any sensible person would turn back, and finally to walk away from her stuck vehicle in the opposite direction of safety. Did she experience a medical crisis that impaired her judgment? Did the wilderness itself disorient her?Or did she see something, hear something, follow something that called to her from the trees?The Tlingit have always warned their children about the Kushtaka's ability to mimic familiar voices, to appear as loved ones, to promise help while leading victims to their doom. The people of Portlock knew something was hunting them long before they abandoned their homes. And Mary Dawn Wilson, walking deeper into the Alaskan interior on that July afternoon, may have encountered whatever it is that has been taking people from this land for longer than anyone can remember.Mary Dawn Wilson was four feet ten inches tall, weighed one hundred sixty pounds, and had gray hair and blue eyes with a small scar on her left ear. She was wearing a floral dress and a cream-colored kuspuk with green flowers when she disappeared. Her case remains open. Tips can be submitted to the Alaska State Troopers at nine oh seven, four five one, five one oh oh, or anonymously through the AK Tips smartphone app. If you know anything about what happened on the Stampede Trail in July of twenty twenty-two, please reach out. Somewhere in that vast and silent wilderness, the answers are waiting to be found.Thank you for joining us on Backwoods Bigfoot Stories. The forest is always watching. And sometimes, it takes.

In this episode, Sara Jolena talks with Meda Dewitt, a Lingit traditional healer, ethno-herbalist, educator, and artist from the Tlingit culture. Together, they explore themes of the perception of time in western and Indigenous cultures, the importance of storytelling, and the impact of seasonal changes on life. This includes the contrast between Native time and what Meda refers to as "managed time," emphasizing the need for balance.   The episode concludes with reflections on the personal and the collective in a rapidly changing world.Subsections00:00 - Introducing Meda DeWitt02:11 - Cultural Identity and Language05:40 - Understanding Time in Indigenous Cultures (with a focus on Tlingit)10:09 - The Nature of Storytelling and Memory18:40 - Cycles of Life and Nature25:31 - Native Time vs. Clock Time27:47 - Navigating Between Clock Time and Organic Time31:04 - The Impact of Managed Time on Well-being35:28 - The Reckoning of Time in a Capitalistic Society38:12 - Finding Balance in a Modern Context43:05 Embracing Mortality and the Value of Time51:39 - Moving Between TimesWebsites:Wilderness.org/imagoSanctuaryAnimism.orgmedaforalaska.comFacebook.com/sanctuaryanimismYouTube.com/@sanctuaryanimismNote: Tlingit culture is a matrilineal society from what is now referred to as Southeastern Alaska.  "Tlingit" means "people of the tides." Alaska has 229 federally recognized Alaska Native tribes, more than any other U.S. state, representing distinct indigenous cultures including the Yup'ik, Inupiaq, Athabascan, Tlingit, Haida, Eyak, and Aleut (Unangax/Sugpiaq).    These peoples are deeply tied to their ecosystems.  The major Alaskan ecosystems include: tundra, taiga (boreal forest), coastal rainforests, marine ecosystems (including the Gulf of Alaska, the Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea and the Aleutian Islands), mountains/glaciers; and wetlands and freshwaters. The image used is from Fairbanks, Alaska, on the winter solstice. It depicts the short height and the narrow range of the sun on the winter solstice, when Fairbanks receives 3.5-4 hours of sunlight.  Photo: Todd Paris courtesy of University of Alaska Fairbanks.Send us a messageSupport the showLearn more about Sara Jolena Wolcott and Sequoia SamanvayaMusic Title: Both of Us Music by: madiRFAN Don't forget to "like" and share this episode!

Tonight on the KRBD Evening Report….A Tlingit clan has been reunited with a sacred item, and how some Alaskans fight the winter blues. All that and more coming up.

Today I am chatting with Ash Winton. Ash has lived in Queensland, Australia for the last 12 years, but is originally from Alaska, and is of the indigenous Tlingit people. She and her husband, who run a trail building company, have a four and half year old son, who they unschool and plan to continue doing so. Among lots of things, we talk about what natural learning looks like, how social norms can often be in direct opposition to our intuition, and the importance in all this of being in touch with our own nervous systems, and what it means to be our true selves. I hope you enjoy the conversation.You can find my blog, workshops and courses at:www.esther-jones.comOr, connect with me onInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/estherjones.unschoolingFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace

A group on Prince of Wales Island may be the only arm wrestling club in Alaska. Plus, a lawsuit from the Metlakatla Indian Community will proceed despite objections of other Southeast tribes, and a photographer who documented Tlingit community and culture in Sitka is the subject of a new book.

Deep in the mist covered wilderness of Southeast Alaska lies Thomas Bay, a remote inlet surrounded by glacial peaks and endless forest. Locals call it Geey Náxw, “the Bay of Death,” a name earned after a catastrophic landslide in the 1700s wiped out a Tlingit village and for the strange, terrifying stories that followed.The BOOKBY US A COFFEEJoin Sarah's new FACEBOOK GROUPSubscribe to our PATREONEMAIL us your storiesJoin us on INSTAGRAMJoin us on TWITTERJoin us on FACEBOOKVisit our WEBSITESources:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Bay,_Alaskahttps://wrangellhistoryunlocked.com/harry-colp-and-the-devils-country/https://www.legendsofamerica.com/alaska-thomas-bay-devils-country/https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/alaska/devils-country-ak/https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/thomas-bay-devils-country-alaskahttps://alaskabeacon.com/2023/10/31/the-haunting-history-of-thomas-bay-alaskas-bay-of-death/https://www.historicmysteries.com/thomas-bay-alaska/https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Thomas_Bayhttps://www.strangerdimensions.com/2016/08/16/thomas-bay-alaska-the-bay-of-death-and-its-devil-creatures/Sarah and Tobie xx"Spacial Winds," Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licenced under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licencehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/;;;SURVEY Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Native peoples of the Pacific Northwest, including groups like the Tlingit, Haida, Makah, and Chinook, lived along the coast from northern California to Alaska. They built strong cedar plank houses, carved beautiful totem poles, and traveled in wooden canoes. The ocean and forests provided salmon, shellfish, berries, and tall trees for tools and shelter. They held potlatches, special gatherings with storytelling, feasts, and gift-giving. This video explores the culture, traditions, and art of the Pacific Northwest Indians and how they worked with nature and honored the land they lived on.

In the Spring, the Herring Protectors -- an Indigenous women-led grassroots movement -- invited We Rise and our friends at Movement Generation to what is known as Sitka, Alaska or Sheet'ká Kwáan for the yaaw koo.eex, a Lingit ceremony honoring the herring and Lingit ways of life.In this series, we share teachings from our time together in Sheet'ká Kwáan. We honor grief, confront colonialism, navigate pathways forward together, and make space for celebration & the cacophony of joy.In part one, we meet Louise Brady, one of the creators and stewards of Herring Protectors, whose wisdom and generosity guides us in this series. We also join Paulette, Indigenous wisdom keeper, on a whale watching boat, and learn more about the conditions of life for the herring.This We Rise Production is a collaboration with Movement Generation & Herring Protectors.Learn more & connect ~herringprotectors.orgmovementgeneration.orgweriseproduction.com

In the Spring, the Herring Protectors -- an Indigenous women-led grassroots movement -- invited We Rise and our friends at Movement Generation to what is known as Sitka, Alaska or Sheet'ká Kwáan for the yaaw koo.eex, a Lingit ceremony honoring the herring and Lingit ways of life.In part two, we spend most of our time with the Kaayani Sisters Council, led by indigenous women wisdom keepers, learning original teachings, especially about plant relatives and protocol for respectful harvesting.Cacaphony of Joy is a series where we share teachings from our time together in Sheet'ká Kwáan. Guided by the Herring Protectors, we honor grief, confront colonialism, navigate pathways forward together, and make space for celebration & the cacophony of joy.This We Rise Production is a collaboration with Movement Generation & Herring Protectors. Learn more & connect ~herringprotectors.orgmovementgeneration.orgweriseproduction.comKaayani Sisters Respectful Harvesting Guidelines

In the Spring, the Herring Protectors -- an Indigenous women-led grassroots movement -- invited We Rise and our friends at Movement Generation to what is known as Sitka, Alaska or Sheet'ká Kwáan for the yaaw koo.eex, a Lingit ceremony honoring the herring and Lingit ways of life.In the last episode of this series, we return to Totem Square with Louise, honorary Movement Generation member Ila, the ravens and gulls, and reflect on what it means to be in relationship with one another in these times that require immense healing, vision & awareness of our interconnectedness.Cacaphony of Joy is a series where we share teachings from our time together in Sheet'ká Kwáan. Guided by the Herring Protectors, we honor grief, confront colonialism, navigate pathways forward together, and make space for celebration & the cacophony of joy.This We Rise Production is a collaboration with Movement Generation & Herring Protectors.Learn more & stay connected ~herringprotectors.orgmovementgeneration.orgweriseproduction.com

In this episode, Fred from Alaska hosts a conversation with special guest Sonny Grant from Juno, Alaska. Sonny, a full Tlingit, shares his deep family history in the region, recounting personal and ancestral stories about sightings of Sasquatch and cannibal giants.The discussion includes detailed accounts from Sonny's youth and his family, including notable encounters in the Knick River Valley, Mount Juno, Thomas Bay, and other locales. Sonny also touches on cultural traditions such as canoe building, and highlights the ways in which these creatures have been a part of Tlingit folklore for generations. Get Our FREE NewsletterGet Brian's Books Leave Us A VoicemailVisit Our WebsiteSupport Our Sponsors00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:09 Sonny Grant's Background and Early Sightings 01:52 Thomas Bay Expedition 02:53 Encounters and Strange Phenomena 07:02 Cannibal Giants and Family Stories 11:36 Hunting Stories and Sasquatch Nests 15:58 Warrior Clan and Cannibal Giant Battles 20:14 Burning the Cannibal Giant 21:20 Ancient Stories of Cannibal Giants 22:13 Wolf Pack Behavior and Human Encounters 22:45 Sasquatch Sightings and Encounters 30:24 Cultural Significance of Carving and Canoe Building 37:23 Hunting Traditions and Techniques 40:32 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sasquatch-odyssey--4839697/support.

Caskey Russell's novel The Door on the Sea (Solaris, 2025) follows Elan, the youngest member of once revered Flicker Clan, on a journey to find a weapon that can defend his people from the shapeshifting Koosh invaders threatening their existence. To reach his goal, Elan must captain a canoe crewed by an unlikely team and force the cooperation of a raven who is the only one who knows the weapon's location. Throughout their journey, the crew must navigate an increasingly hostile political landscape, as the Koosh invasion throws old laws and alliances into disarray. In this interview, Russell describes the process of developing the novel over several years and the ways that he built a world inspired by nineteenth century Tlingit culture. We discuss survivalist elements in fantasy, shifting relationships with violence, and the role of journeys and quest in fantasy. The Door on the Sea is an engaging, thoughtful story and it was so much fun discussing it with the author. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Seattle-based Indigenous funk/jazz band Khu.éex' is an ensemble full of storytellers and their stories carry a punch. They are back with another double album titled, “Red Cedar in the Hour of Chaos.” They carry on their unique P Funk-inspired sound and blend it with hip-hop, doom metal and psychedelia, all while drawing from Tlingit, Haida, and other Native roots. Another band, this one from the Southwest, weaves Diné stories and concepts into their just-released album filled with neo-soul and jazz influences. “Yáágo Dootliźh” is the second album from the Indigenous soul collective Earth Surface People. We'll talk with members of both these groups about the power of Native storytelling through music. GUESTS Preston Singletary (Tlingit), co-founder of Khu.éex', musician, and glass artist Sondra Segundo (Haida), lead female vocalist for Khu.éex', author, and educator Dakota Yazzie (Diné), leader of Earth Surface People

Nicholas Galanin is a Tlingit and Unangax̂ artist and activist whose work includes sculpture, installation, music and performance — and it's always in conversation with history, land and power. He creates art that honors Indigenous traditions and confronts the structures that have sought to erase them; it challenges colonial narratives while inviting reflection on language, identity and the legacy of removal. He says that art can be a driver of change, a way to shift perspectives and push systems toward accountability and transformation. Whether he's calling out institutional inaction, reclaiming ancestral knowledge or amplifying a suppressed language, his work insists that Indigenous culture is not a relic of the past, it's a living, evolving force for justice and transformation. Nicholas is also a musician, a collaborator in projects like Ya Tseen and Indian Agent. He talks about music as something fleeting but emotionally precise, capable of transmitting what words often can't — that it's a mindful practice rooted in listening, gratitude and presence. He describes the creative process as a kind of alchemy, where different skills and experiences come together in unexpected ways to produce something that transcends the moment. Be it through art or music, his work challenges artificial boundaries — between genres, between people and between past and future. He unravels divisions that are often rooted in systems of control rather than necessity, and makes room for something more fluid and expansive — something grounded in genuine connection, shaped by feeling and driven by the possibility of imagining a different way forward.

Two films take on real life accounts with strong Native cultural themes. One is a major Hollywood drama. The other is a smoldering independent documentary. The Hulu documentary “Blood & Myth” follows Iñupiaq musician and writer James Dommek Jr.'s obsession with a bizarre 2012 string of violence. Dommek digs into the motivations of the fellow Alaska Native man acting on the influence of supernatural beings known as Iñukuns. The Apple TV+ series, “Chief of War” stars Jason Momoa in the epic account of a real-life Hawaiian leader working to unite warring factions against the threat of Western colonization. GUESTS James Dommek Jr. (Iñupiaq), creator and executive producer of “Blood & Myth” Kahlil Hudson (Tlingit), filmmaker and director of “Blood & Myth” Thomas Pa'a Sibbett (Native Hawaiian), writer, producer, and co-creator of “Chief of War” Rick San Nicolas (Native Hawaiian and Chamorro), master Hawaiian featherwork artist and an advisor on “Chief of War”

In this episode, Fred from Alaska interviews Sonny Grant, a Tlingit native from Juneau, Alaska, who shares his lifetime of outdoor adventures and chilling encounters with the mysterious 'Wild Man'—commonly known as Sasquatch. Sonny recounts vivid memories of his first sighting in 1966 while hiking in Mount Juneau and a terrifying nighttime encounter near the West Glacier Trail.He ties his experiences to Tlingit tribal lore and the stories passed down from elders, highlighting the deep-seated cultural significance of these creatures.The episode transitions to a story about Greg, a European visitor, whose ski joring trip on the Iditarod trail turns nightmarish with a close encounter involving a massive, menacing 'Wild Man.' This gripping narrative intricately weaves cultural legends, personal testimonies, and the haunting mysteries of the Alaskan wilderness. Get Our FREE NewsletterGet Brian's Books Leave Us A VoicemailVisit Our WebsiteSupport Our Sponsors00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction 00:07 Early Life and Outdoor Adventures 01:02 First Encounter with the Wild Man 06:05 The Cannibal Giant and Tribal Stories 06:39 A Terrifying Experience in the Woods 16:02 Revisiting the Site and Overcoming Fear 17:05 Reflections on Size and Strength 18:28 Toughness of the Older Generations 20:22 Family Stories and Sasquatch Sightings 20:47 Interactive Map and Creepy Behaviors 21:05 Lured by a Baby's Cry 21:54 Oral History and Elders' Stories 22:25 Introduction to Greg's Encounter 22:58 Ski Joring on the Iditarod Trail 25:20 Strange Movements and Nervous Dogs 26:59 Eye Shine and Growing Fear 29:55 A Terrifying Encounter 33:44 Morning After and Dog Behavior 36:37 Returning Home and Lingering FearBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sasquatch-odyssey--4839697/support.

Fog Woman is a figure of Tlingit folklore. She has the power to turn from human form into fog and conjure up salmon. In Tlingit legends, Fog Woman is the creator and ruler of salmon. Her stories explain the annual salmon run. For Further Reading: Tlingit Women in Leadership: One Culture, Two Worlds The Legend of the Fog Woman Tlingit Indians of Southeastern Alaska: Raven and the Fog Woman This month, we’re talking about Maritime Madams. Whether through scientific study, aquatic exploration, or legendary prowess, they harnessed the power of the bodies of waters that cover our earth. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should. Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures. Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, Luci Jones, Abbey Delk, Adrien Behn, Alyia Yates, Vanessa Handy, Melia Agudelo, and Joia Putnoi. Special thanks to Shira Atkins. Original theme music by Brittany Martinez. Follow Wonder Media Network: Website Instagram Twitter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.