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Tag Archives | Alaska Native

A special trip, in search of song

By on April 27, 2013 in Photos, The Nome Static, The Nome Static, 2013 (All), The Nome Static, May 2013

At the 2013 Cama-i Dance Festival

Volunteer Josh Cunningham recently took a very special trip as a correspondent for KNOM.

Josh went to the southwestern Alaska city of Bethel for the Cama-i (chuh-MY) Dance Festival, one of the largest and most significant annual cultural celebrations in the state. KNOM regularly sends its full-time volunteers to cover important regional and local events – these “village trips” are a staple of our program – although as Josh describes, his latest travel was unique:

Firstly, to call the experience a “village trip” isn’t entirely correct. After all, the population of Bethel, Alaska is more than double that of Nome. You’ll find within its borders a nationally known chain restaurant, paved roads, and even a stoplight intersection. Like a “normal” KNOM village trip, however, I was there for a very important mission: to collect Native drum and dance music from the annual Cama-i Festival.

Native Alaskan music is a very important part of KNOM’s daily programming. On my afternoon show alone, you can hear several Native songs from communities in our region, like Hooper Bay, St. Lawrence Island, and Unalakleet. I feel it is so important to feature Native songs in this way; at the end of the day, I hope a very special message comes across with these songs. I want people to know how important this music is, how much life and knowledge they hold.

Through your support, special trips like Josh’s continue to touch the lives both of our listeners and of our staff. Thank you for making them possible! (Photo: dancers at the 2013 Cama-i Festival.)

 

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The Last Great Race returns

By on March 29, 2013 in Photos, The Nome Static, The Nome Static, 2013 (All), The Nome Static, April 2013

In March, it was the news in Western Alaska: once again, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race was passing through our region. It was an exciting time for our listeners and staff, and KNOM was at the forefront of coverage for this inspiring and unique competition.

The Iditarod – the “Last Great Race” – is a 1,000-mile sled dog race from Anchorage to Nome; the finish line is just blocks from KNOM studios. The race is nearly as old as our mission; we’ve been covering the race every year since its inception in 1973.

Thanks to your support, we were able to bring the 2013 running of this epic race to our listeners, for whom the Iditarod is not just a sporting event but, also, an inspiration and a vital connection to traditional culture. Dog “mushing,” or the running of sled dogs, has deep roots in Alaska Native culture: a culture that both KNOM and the Iditarod celebrate.

KNOM’s coverage of the 2013 Iditarod included regular updates on the progress of the racers, or “mushers,” as they traversed the diverse and rugged Alaskan wilderness towards Nome. Many of the checkpoints through which the mushers passed were communities within KNOM’s listening range – further underscoring the importance of our race coverage.

As we’ve done for many years, we covered the Iditarod from the studio and from the trail, with news reporter Laureli Kinneen following the mushers, checkpoint by checkpoint, from Anchorage to Nome. (Laureli’s trip was subsidized with underwriting from local and regional organizations; their generosity made her on-location reporting possible.)

Back in the studio, KNOM rallied to cover the race with updates both on-air and online; regular broadcasts featured updates on mushers’ positions, weather conditions, and interviews, while our On the Trail blog showcased photos (a few of which are included here), audio from the finish line, and lots more.

To sample our coverage from this year’s Iditarod, we encourage you to visit our blog. Thank you so much for making this highlight of our broadcasting year possible!

Photos: the sled dogs of Iditarod 2013 champion Mitch Seavey pause a few miles outside the finish line in Nome and are silhouetted by the lights of the KNOM “spotter” vehicle; Laureli reports an Iditarod finish, live, from the finish line; musher Ramey Smyth – renowned for his dogs’ speed – mushes his team the final few feet of the race; a sled dog from the team of rookie Richie Diehl.

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A special sled dog race returns

By on February 28, 2013 in Photos, The Nome Static, The Nome Static, 2013 (All), The Nome Static, March 2013

A sled dog from the team of musher Pete Kaiser

February 2013 marked the second running of a sled dog race with special significance for Western Alaskans: the Paul Johnson Memorial Norton Sound 450. The NS450 honors the memory of Paul “Putty” Johnson, a dog musher and community leader from Unalakleet (YOU-nuh-luh-kleet), Alaska, a town well within KNOM’s listening range located on the coast of the eastern Norton Sound (it’s also the hometown of news director Laureli Kinneen).

Dog mushing is at the heart of the traditional culture of our region. It’s a common activity for many of our listeners and even a livelihood for some, and every winter, KNOM covers these sled dog races that so capture the imagination and affection of Alaskans.

Bethel musher Pete Kaiser interviews with KNOM's Laureli KinneenThis year’s NS450 was distinctively Alaskan in another way: it was adversely affected by severe weather. With brutal winds battering the race trail, officials decided to shorten the competition from a medium-distance 450 miles to a “sprint” of only 40 miles. It was but the latest example of the countless times weather shapes life – and changes plans – in our corner of the world. Thanks to you, we brought the latest race developments to our listeners.

(The photos above and at right are from the 2012 race, since the 2013 NS450, as described earlier, was re-routed at the last minute and did not finish in Nome. Top: an NS450 sled dog; right: Laureli interviews musher Pete Kaiser, who won both the full, 2012 race and this year’s abbreviated “sprint.”)

 

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February 2000: A “great gathering”

By on February 16, 2013 in History

February 22, 2000

Once again, it’s time for the Nome region’s great gathering: the Bering Strait Elders & Youth Conference. Now three days long, the 2000 conference explores the theme “Elders reviving traditional festivals and ceremonies.” This year, there are many round table discussions not suitable for airing. Still, KNOM’s live broadcasts total 14 hours.

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A spotlight on Native music

By on January 31, 2013 in Photos, The Nome Static, The Nome Static, 2013 (All), The Nome Static, February 2013

Lisa Ellanna Strickling in Studio A

Thanks to your support, the KNOM Radio Mission continues to mean so many different things to so many different people.

For many of our listeners, KNOM is a primary source of music: not just popular music but, also, the traditional music of Alaska Natives. Native culture is fundamental both to our mission and to our daily broadcasts, which is why we’re so thrilled to have Nome resident Lisa Ellanna Strickling as one of our volunteer community DJs.

Every Thursday afternoon, Lisa volunteers an hour of her time to play Native music on KNOM. As we detail in our Thursday program schedule, Lisa presents “a cross-section of songs, both contemporary and traditional, from different Native cultures, and she brings a special focus to the peoples of Alaska, the Arctic, and the North.” Native music holds such an important place in the traditional culture of our region, and we know that – thanks to your support! – Lisa’s show inspires countless listeners each week.

For more on Lisa’s show, explore our Thursday lineup (Lisa’s show is at 1pm!).

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Bright colors in the cold skies, and warm thanks from a listener

By on December 2, 2012 in Photos, Stories
Sunrise over Nome

Sunrise over downtown Nome, Alaska on a clear November morning.

The Northern sky has seen a thousand shades of red and yellow as the sun pokes up in the southeast and sinks into the southwest. There have been beautiful auroras streaming in the night sky: like sparkling, swirling curtains of green and red light. God has blessed us with a bounty of beauty, reminding us, every day, to delight in the splendor of His creation.

A local listener called KNOM on Thanksgiving and asked that her message be passed on to all who support KNOM:

Tell everyone thank you. Thank you for my radio station. Thank you to the volunteers who have traveled so far to be with us. Thank you for coming here. Thank you for the music, prayers, news, and announcements. Thank you for being my friend. God bless and quyanna*.

We pass on these thanks to the entire KNOM family.

*Quyanna means ”thank you” in the Alaska Native languages of our region.

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September 1981: Marilyn Koezuna joins KNOM

By on August 31, 2012 in History

September 6, 1981

Marilyn Koezuna joins the KNOM air staff.

Marilyn is a King Island Inupiaq Eskimo who helped the station while in high school. She returns as a Jesuit volunteer, the second Alaska Native to do so for a full year.

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