Alaska Native News

Alaska Native News

Rolling through a blank spot on the map

  RUBY — Beneath a bulbous waxing moon, we roll along on a ribbon of packed snow. The clear river ice beneath our tires is four feet thick. That ice we can’t see is the crystal memory of so many cold days of the winter of 2025-2026. The remaining spruce pile of our Tanana friends [...]

Alaska Native News

BLM Announces Temporary Trail Closure on Portion of Nome Creek Trail in the White Mountains National Recreation Area

  Closure starts July 6 for 1.5 miles of trail during summer stream restoration construction work   Fairbanks -The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Eastern Interior Field Office will begin a temporary trail closure on July 6 for Nome Creek Trail in the White Mountains National Recreation Area due to construction associated with summer stream restoration work. The temporary closure affects approximately 1.5 [...]

Alaska Native News

This Day in Alaskan History-June 5th, 1916

Alaska Native News

Exercise Red Flag-Alaska Launches Multinational Air Combat Training

  Exercise Red Flag-Alaska 26-2 commenced May 28, bringing together more than 2,100 service members from the U.S. and partner nations for realistic air combat training at Eielson Air Force Base and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. The exercise integrates joint and coalition forces into a realistic threat environment using the approximate 120,000 square miles of [...]

Alaska Native News

Murkowski Delivers 2026 Address to Alaska State Legislature

  Juneau, AK – Tuesday, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) delivered her 2026 address to the Alaska State Legislature during a joint legislative session at the Alaska State Capitol Building in Juneau. During her remarks, Senator Murkowski praised the steadfast partnerships that have led to meaningful progress across sectors around the state. Senator Murkowski reaffirmed her [...]

Alaska Native News

Acting Attorney General Mills Settles with Miner’s Gems over Fake Gold Quartz

  (Fairbanks, AK) – Tuesday, Acting Attorney General Cori Mills announced a settlement over fake gold quartz that was advertised as both from Alaska (false) and gold quartz (false). Acting Attorney General Mills emphasized that these types of actions are not only bad for consumers who believe they are getting an authentic Alaskan product but it [...]

Alaska Native News

Testing the waters of mariculture

  An Alaska Sea Grant partnership enabled a group of Alaska Natives to dip their proverbial toes into the mariculture industry. In February, Alaska Sea Grant collaborated with the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (Tlingit & Haida) to hold a one-day workshop in Juneau entitled “An Introduction to Mariculture [...]

Alaska Native News

John “J.P.” Buller Convicted of Multiple Sexual Felonies

  (Juneau, AK) – Monday, a Juneau jury found John “J.P.” Buller, 40, of Yakutat guilty of Sexual Assault in the Second Degree, Sexual Assault in the Third Degree, and Attempted Sexual Assault in the Second Degree following a three-day trial. Evidence at trial indicated that Buller had sexually assaulted one woman in Dec. 2023 [...]

Alaska Native News

Senate Republican Caucus Encourages Responsible Bill Allowing Gasline Development, Applauds Glenfarne for Releasing Essential Financial Information

  JUNEAU – Wednesday in the Senate Finance Committee the company spearheading the development and construction of the Alaska LNG Project, Glenfarne, provided detailed financial information regarding the cost and potential tax structure of the megaproject. Glenfarne has emphasized their commitment to ensuring Alaskans receive the lowest possible cost of gas while simultaneously maximizing the [...]

Alaska Native News

Working to ensure survivors of abuse receive legal support and protection

  Dear Alaskan, One of my top priorities as a U.S. Senator is ending domestic violence and sexual assault in Alaska. I brag about Alaska all the time, but this is one area where there is nothing to boast about. Alaska has some of the highest rates of domestic violence and sexual assault in America, [...]

Alaska Native News

‘The Agents Were Lying’: ICE Exposed Yet Again by Video of Minneapolis Shooting

  Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said “bare due diligence” would have exposed ICE officers’ falsehoods. Video footage obtained by The New York Times has exposed lies told by two federal immigration enforcement agents about the circumstances leading up to a non-fatal shooting in Minneapolis that occurred on January 14. According to a Monday report from the Times, the video [...]

Alaska Native News

BLM advances ANCSA land transfer near Flat to Doyon, Limited

  About 202,040 acres remain as Alaska Land Transfer Program progresses  ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Wednesday, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued an interim conveyance for approximately 1,085 acres of public land near Flat, Alaska, to Doyon, Limited, an Alaska Native regional corporation, under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). This conveyance reflects continued [...]

Alaska Native News

As Trump Threatens NATO Exit, Starmer to Host 35-Nation Talks on Strait of Hormuz—Without US

  “The unspoken implication of the focus on diplomacy is that if Trump walks away without reopening the strait and without a deal with Iran, then Tehran holds the cards,” said one observer. As President Donald Trump lambasts European allies over their reluctance to be dragged into his illegal war of choice against Iran and reportedly mulls leaving the [...]

Alaska Native News

House Passes Sullivan Legislation Protecting Alaska Native Artists’ Cultural Heritage and Economic Opportunities

  WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) Wednestoday celebrated the House passage of the Alaska’s Right to Ivory Sales and Tradition (ARTIST) Act, his legislation to protect the legal rights of Alaska Native artists who use walrus ivory in traditional handicrafts, art, ceremonial regalia, and clothing. The bill previously passed the Senate unanimously and now heads to the President’s desk [...]

Alaska Native News

National Park Service Employee Dies During Mountaineering Patrol on Mount McKinley

  DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE — A National Park Service employee on a climbing patrol died around 2 p.m. Thursday after falling into a crevasse near 14,000 Foot Camp on Mount McKinley. The ranger was identified as Robin Pendery of Enumclaw, Wash.; a seasonal mountaineering ranger assigned to Denali National Park and Preserve. Pendery [...]

Alaska Native News

SEARHC’s New Canoe Wrap Tells the Story of Native Resilience

  As the community prepares for the powerful Journey to Celebration, one canoe will be making the voyage with a visually captivating timeline of Tlingit history and collective wellness on its hull. The SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) is debuting a new look for its 2026 journey. Titled Ancestral Echoes, the piece was designed [...]

Alaska Native News

This Day in Alaskan History-June 4th, 1741

Alaska Native News

Utqiagvik man sentenced to 18 years for producing child pornography

  FAIRBANKS, Alaska - An Utqiagvik man was sentenced last Friday to 18 years in prison for sexually exploiting minor victims to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to court documents, in August 2024, the FBI received an anonymous tip suggesting that Donovan Nungasak, 32, had CSAM on his phone. The tip prompted an [...]

Alaska Native News

Coast Guard rescues 5 people near Aleutian Islands

  JUNEAU, Alaska – The Coast Guard rescued five people Thursday from a fishing vessel taking on water near Umnak Island, Alaska. No injuries were reported. The fishing vessel remains aground on the northern shoreline of Umnak Island. At approximately 4:45 a.m. Thursday, watchstanders at the Coast Guard Arctic District Command Center in Juneau received [...]

Alaska Native News

Rib-Alutiiq Word of the Week

  Rib — Raatateq Isuwim raatatii mangirnartuk. – Seal ribs are good to gnaw on. Animal ribs were once an important source of raw material for Alutiiq craftspeople. People used these long, narrow, naturally curved pieces of bone in manufacturing tasks both large and small. Studies of ancestral villages illustrate that whale ribs were used [...]

Alaska Native News

Member of local drug trafficking organization sentenced to 10 years for distributing drugs in Homeland Security Task Force case

  ANCHORAGE – An Anchorage man was sentenced Thursday to 10.8 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to traffic deadly drugs to Alaska and into the Anchorage community. According to court documents, Andrew Akulaw, 42, conspired with co-defendant, Rodney Godwin, 52, the leader of the drug trafficking organization. From April to December 2023, Godwin [...]

Alaska Native News

‘Crimes Against Humanity’: US Murders 2 More People in Pacific Ocean Boat Bombing

  The latest killing came a day after a Democratic senator revealed that “the presence of narcotics on the boat has never been a targeting criteria” in the boat bombings.  The Trump administration killed two more people in a boat bombing in the eastern Pacific Ocean Wednesday, bringing the total number of people killed in the [...]

Alaska Native News

This Day in Alaska History-April 3rd, 1898

  April 3rd of 1898 would go down in Alaska History as the deadliest day in the Klondike Gold Rush. It was a day of multiple avalanches caused by the heavy snowfalls that occurred in February and March of that year, as well as warm southerly winds occurring in the area. On the morning of [...]

Alaska Native News

U.S. Supreme Court Justice to speak at UAF

  U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson will speak at a free event Tuesday, July 14, at 7 p.m. at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in the Davis Concert Hall. Retired longtime radio journalist Robert Hannon will host the discussion with Jackson. Jackson took her seat on the Supreme Court of the United States [...]

Alaska Native News

Ready for the Next Site: The Evoluton of Aleut Environmental Consuling

  Anchorage, Alaska — The Aleut Corpora/on (Aleut) has introduced Aleut Environmental Consul/ng LLC (AEC) as a dedicated Alaska-based subsidiary, strengthening Aleut’s enterprise capabili/es in environmental consul/ng, remedia/on, and technical services across Alaska and the Pacific Rim. Headquartered in Anchorage, AEC brings together an experienced Alaska-based workforce and full lifecycle environmental services under a focused [...]

Alaska Native News

Alaska National Guard Human Resource Office modernizes to improve customer service

  JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska  –  Following two and a half years of extensive refitting at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, the World War II era aircraft carrier USS Midway was recommissioned in 1957 with an angled flight deck and steam catapults. Though it was technically the same ship, the extensive modifications transitioned the ship from propeller-driven [...]

Alaska Native News

UN Experts Denounce Trump’s Coercive Brutalization of Cuban People

  “The normalization of coercion and threats of regime change undermines the integrity of the entire international legal order,” said three top rights experts. A trio of United Nations rights experts on Tuesday demanded that the US government “cease all threats” against Cuba and accused President Donald Trump of furthering a “disturbing trend of lawlessness” with preparations to attack the island nation; a indictment of [...]

Alaska Native News

DMV Warns Alaskans to be Alert of Scam Text Messages

  (Juneau, AK) – The Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is alerting the public about fraudulent text messages claiming to originate from the Alaska DMV. These scam texts are in no way connected to the Alaska DMV and should be disregarded. The Alaska DMV does not request payments or sensitive personal information via text [...]

Alaska Native News

June 6th, 1914

Alaska Native News

Commenting Opportunity on Subsistence Hunting in National Parks System Units

The National Park Service is proposing an amendment to the rules governing hunting, fishing, and trapping in units of the National Park System in Alaska, including National Parks and Preserves. These rules govern the use of hunting methods within parks, such as bear baiting, and have been revised repeatedly over the years, including in 2015, [...]

Alaska Native News

Coast Guard Cutter Waesche Seizes over $65,000 in unreported pollock roe in Dutch Harbor

  JUNEAU, Alaska – The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL 751) seized approximately 5.4 metric tons of unreported pollock roe, valued at over $65,000, after uncovering significant violations of federal fishing regulations aboard the catcher-processor vessel Northern Eagle. The boarding occurred approximately 15 nautical miles north of Dutch Harbor on March 26. It [...]

Alaska Native News

Rep. Mccabe Welcomes Federal Support for Terra Energy Center and West Susitna Development

  BIG LAKE – Representative Kevin McCabe (R-D30), on Thursday, welcomed President Donald Trump’s announcement of approximately $89 million in federal grant funding for the Terra Energy Center project in West Susitna, calling it a major vote of confidence in Alaska’s energy future and economic potential. “Today’s (Thursday's) announcement is significant not simply because of [...]

Alaska Native News

Sullivan Chairs Hearing on The Blue Economy: Advancing American Fisheries, Maritime Strength, and Coastal Economies

   WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) Tuesday chaired a Senate Commerce Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries Subcommittee hearing on “The Blue Economy: Advancing American Fisheries, Maritime Strength, and Coastal Economies.” The hearing featured testimony from four expert witnesses, three of whom are Alaskan: Tommy Sheridan, director of the Alaska Blue Economy Center at the University [...]

Alaska Native News

This Day in Alaska History-April 2nd

  Disney's 25th episode of season 13 aired in a salute to Alaska's 100th anniversary on April 2nd, 1967. The animated episode, named just that, "A Salute to Alaska," aired a brief history of the state. It also aired the final episode that Walt Disney opened and introduced, he had died five months earlier. The [...]

Alaska Native News

Markey Demands Trump Cancel Plan to Give Private Companies Enough Plutonium to Build 2,000 Nuclear Bombs

  “Only Trump’s get-rich-quick bros would come up with this corrupt and moronic scheme,” wrote Democratic Sen. Ed Markey. A prominent US senator on Tuesday implored President Donald Trump to cancel his administration’s plan to give private companies enough plutonium to build around 2,000 nuclear bombs, warning the move raises “serious weapons proliferation concerns” along with potentially [...]

Alaska Native News

This Day in Alaskan History-April 7th, 1867

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Alaska Native News

Anchorage man sentenced to 5 years for receiving child pornography and possessing AI-generated images depicting child sexual abuse

  ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was sentenced Wednesday to 5.8 years in prison for receiving child pornography, as well as creating artificial intelligence (AI) generated images depicting the sexual abuse of minors. According to court documents, on Aug. 13, 2024, Anthaney O’Connor, 32, contacted law enforcement to report an active-duty airman’s sexual interest [...]

Alaska Native News

Fort Wainwright Soldier sentenced to 32 years in sadistic child pornography case

  FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A Fort Wainwright soldier was sentenced Friday to 32 years in prison for possessing thousands of images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and for producing CSAM. According to court documents, on Sept. 11, 2024, the Fort Eustis Resident Unit of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (Army CID) [...]

Alaska Native News

This Day in Alaska History-April 6th, 1933

  On April 6th, 1933, after two decades, non-natives in Alaska could drink liquor. Two weeks earlier, Governor George Parks repealed Alaska's Bone Dry Law that had been in effect since January 1st, 1918. But, before 1918, there had been multiple attempts to outlaw alcohol in the territory. Shortly after the purchase of Alaska from [...]

Alaska Native News

Jalonni Blackshear Sentenced To 150 Years for the Murders of His Wife and Daughter

  (Anchorage, AK) – On June 2, 2026, Anchorage Superior Court Judge Garton sentenced Jalonni Blackshear to 150 years to serve for his guilty plea to two counts of murder for the deaths of his wife Raechyl Blackshear and his 14-year-old daughter, J.B. The charges stemmed from actions taken by Blackshear after a March 30, 2022 [...]