David Dodman

Photo of smiling family and community member in Solomon.

“We all want the same thing. We want to become a community again. We want to live here; we want our youth to know exactly where we’re from instead of just one word: ‘Solomon.’” That’s Deilah Johnson, a young woman from Solomon, a seasonal, historic community about an hour’s drive east of Nome. She wears…

Western Alaska has been breaking one climate record after another in recent years. On August 2, Nome set a new record, for most precipitation in a 24-hour period: 2.43 inches of rain, exceeding the previous record set in 1956. The rain caused coastal flooding in places, such as near Solomon at the “Last Train to…

In Alaska Native communities, the oral history and wisdom passed down through elders is highly revered. Over the years, KNOM has collected and produced dozens of long-form interviews for the series Elder Voices, inviting elders in Western Alaska to share their insights and life stories. In recent months, the show has returned to air with…

Photo of the Anchorage Kingikmiut Dancers and Singers dancing at the Kingikmiut Dance Festival in Wales.

Among Western Alaska’s most joyous annual events is the Kingikmiut Dance Festival. It’s a gathering of drumming and dancing ensembles from throughout the region for a weekend of happy reunions, fellowship, community-building, and song late into the night. Kingikmiut takes place in Wales, the westernmost community in the North American mainland and a village within…

Woman in camouflage jacket stands on grassy tundra next to huddle of children.

Earlier this summer, Ann and Bruce Davis hosted a “summit” introducing local youth to their distinctively Western Alaska line of work: reindeer herding at their Midnite Sun Reindeer Ranch.

Man in green kuspuk holds green bottle while standing on beach on cloudy day

When Tyler Ivanoff and a few friends strolled along the shore near Shishmaref on August 5, they were looking for firewood and picking berries. What Ivanoff found, instead, was a half-century-old message in a bottle that had washed up after a long, long journey from the opposite side of the Pacific Ocean.

KNOM listeners have ample opportunities for daily reflection.

Sunset landscape of gold dredge in small pond in rural Alaska town

Massive gold dredges dot the Nome landscape. The long-dormant structures have become curiosities and tourist attractions.

Drumming ensemble outside on a sunny day

It’s no easy feat to travel to places like Provideniya, Nome’s “sister city” in the Russian district of Chukotka.

Two young men stand smiling in front of a grey building on a sunny, summer day

Nome brothers Oliver and Wilson Hoogendorn were the first mountaineers to successfully summit Mount Denali this year. Summiting the 20,310-foot mountain is an immense challenge for any hiker. Being the first of the season is an even greater accomplishment.