hen Annette Erickson first put up a fence on their Unalakleet property, there was a bit of a stir in the village.

“You’re putting a barrier up between yourself and the community,” said Annette. “People aren’t used to fences here.”

While the local Native corporation had initially approved the fence, they formed another meeting after the community response. So why was a fence so important to Annette? Simply to encourage a healthy food garden.

“We explained that we wanted to inspire people and see what we can do with 6,800 square feet next to our house,” said Annette. “Maybe even help feed our community and answer questions.”

lexis Sallee (Iñupiaq), who is also Mexican American, is the host of Indigefi, a weekly one-hour radio show featuring Indigenous music that includes emerging and popular artists and music. More recently Alexis has ventured into a new podcasting media endeavor. In May, her podcast “Native Artists by Indigefi” premiered.

Alexis grew up in Anchorage and joined KNBA after graduating high school. While at KNBA she worked as a sound editor for the radio program, Earthsongs for two years. While there she worked alongside Shyanne Beatty (Athabascan), a local radio personality, learning about the technical aspects of producing radio.

Shyanne worked with KNBA for more than seven years as the Network Manager for Native Voice One (NV1) which distributes Native radio programming nationwide. The experience for Alexis had an influential impression, urging her to learn more about the radio business.

pproximately 1,100 people registered for 37th Annual First Alaskans Elders and Youth Conference from Oct. 11-14. The virtual conference was the first of its kind, and hundreds of participants attended daily from all over Alaska and the world.

Dr. Rev. Traditional Chief Trimble Gilbert (Gwich’in) from Vashrąįį K’ǫǫ (Arctic Village) was the Elder Keynote speaker and Kiley Kanat’s Burton (Eyak/Aleut/Iñupiaq/Koyukon) was the Youth Keynote speaker, while Conference Guides were Dustin Unignax Newman (Unangax̂/Deg Hit’an) and Andrea Ts’aak Ka Juu Cook (Haida) moved the event along.

ince the COVID-19 pandemic began, you’ve probably used video conferencing programs a lot more than normal. Perhaps you’ve held a meet-up with friends and relatives, tuned into a community meeting, or jumped around in an exercise class. But have you helped revitalize an Indigenous language?

This summer, 681 people enrolled in a Tlingit language massive open online course (MOOC) conducted via Zoom, a video conferencing platform. MOOCs are common worldwide, offering learners from disparate regions an opportunity to learn together online. The 38-hour, five-week course was offered by Outer Coast College in Sitka, in partnership with Sealaska Heritage Institute. It met online Monday-Friday evenings, offering beginner, intermediate, and advanced conversation and language instruction.

HIRLEY ESMAILKA-SAM remembers sitting outside the Koyukuk Tribal office building to access the internet for her distance education classes.

“Sometimes it would be raining, sometimes it would be cold, sometimes it would be hot,” said Shirley (Koyukon Athabascan), who is now completing her master’s degree in rural development at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. “I would have to sit outside the Tribal office building or in the washeteria so I could log into my online classes.”

Shirley’s story isn’t unique. Sluggish bandwidth speeds in rural Alaska make it necessary for some students to sit outside the entryway of their schools and Tribal offices at night to get Wi-Fi reception on their laptops to complete their homework and access their courses. Many of them work until their hands become numb from the cold making it almost impossible to type or log into online classes.

hen the 300-year-old red cedar log T.J. Young was recently carving was a seedling, a group of Haida people were making their first journey to Prince of Wales Island. The land around where Hydaburg now sits featured scattered villages behind sloping beaches, with wood smoke rising from large communal longhouses. Totem poles towered over dugout canoes parked above the tide.

Much has changed in the three centuries of that tree’s life. However — thanks to the careful stewardship and initiative of many passionate people — the bountiful natural resources of the area, and the proud arts and culture of the Haida, remain.

Over a period of four months, T.J. and three other artists have spent nearly 10 hours a day transforming that 27-foot, 30-inch-diameter log into a traditional dugout canoe.

Flu Vaccines:
More Important Than Ever

Receiving a flu vaccine this winter may be more important than ever. The vaccine not only reduces your risk of getting the flu, but protects children, Elders, and those who are most vulnerable. The flu vaccine may also help prevent being infected with both COVID-19 and influenza at the same time, which may cause severe illness or death for those who are at a higher risk. Getting vaccinated also helps to preserve health care resources.

The CDC recommended that people get a flu vaccine by the end of October. Getting vaccinated too early (for example, in July or August) is likely to be associated with reduced protection against flu infection later in the flu season, particularly among older adults.

“Flu vaccines are safe and are the best protection to prevent getting sick from the flu, and to help protect others. Now is the best time to get a flu vaccination,” said SCF Senior Medical Director of Quality Assurance Dr. Donna Galbreath.

Heat oil to medium-high in a large pan. Whisk eggs, milk, and flour together in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Stir bread crumbs, salt, garlic salt and dill in another shallow bowl or pie plate. Dip the halibut into the egg mix, coating all sides, and then place in the dry mix, coating all sides. Cook halibut in the oil until golden brown, about five minutes.

Mix all ingredients well and serve with fish.

TRHT, which stands for Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation, provides for critical space for our untold truths to be shared in Indigenous-led spaces that center healing, and locally-driven transformation for a better Alaska. The time has come to grow Alaskans’ understanding of our true history, right the past wrongs that inhibit our true potential as a state, and advance an equitable future for all Alaskans. At this years Smokehouse Gala, the Trustees and Staff of First Alaskans are honored to create a new tribute for global media makers and influencers who are drawing critical light to our Native peoples here at home in Alaska and across the world.

Our peoples have always stood up for racial and social justice and our inherent right to live our ways of life, action that has taken many forms over the last century and even earlier. This special tribute to the following groups uplifts their active work to change the narrative around racial equity, uplift the brilliance of Indigenous peoples across the world, and catalyze a new understanding of the Indigenous lands upon which this country is built. These influencers use their tremendous global platforms to lift up Alaska Natives and other Indigenous peoples in solidarity, every single day; fight for racial equity; and uplift a loving and true image of our peoples and our ways of life. We honor their efforts, are grateful for their work and those that lift them up and created them. We are proud to call them our relatives.