Katie Kazmierski

With Art Exhibit, Former Nome Resident Addresses the ‘Collective Trauma’ of Indigenous Suicide

By Katie Kazmierski | August 16, 2019 |

An exhibit currently at the Yukon Arts Centre in Whitehorse, Canada, aims to open dialogue on the prevalence of suicide in the far north. Sonya Kelliher-Combs, from Nome and based in Anchorage, is the artist behind the display called “Goodbye.”

Nome Makes Do Without Animal Control Officer; City Looks for Replacement

By Katie Kazmierski | August 9, 2019 |

One Nome dog enjoys a mix of ham, chicken, broth and vegetables that PAWS provided for Thanksgiving. Photo courtesy of PAWS of Nome.

The city of Nome has been without an Animal Control Officer (ACO) for almost two months. Those duties have since fallen to a single Community Safety Officer at the Nome Police Department.

Nome Museum Exhibit Embraces Native Food Traditions, New and Old

By Katie Kazmierski | August 1, 2019 |

Silhouettes of museum visitors in front of bright screens displaying images of traditional, Alaska Native hunting and food gathering.

A new exhibit at the Carrie M. McLain Memorial Museum, “Aging With Change,” showcases traditional native foods, differences in how they are prepared throughout the Bering Strait region, and the ways these traditions are evolving with time.

With ‘Summit,’ Nome-Area Ranch Hopes to Interest Youth in Reindeer Herding

By Katie Kazmierski | July 30, 2019 |

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

Midnite Sun Reindeer ranch owners Ann and Bruce Davis held their third annual Reindeer Youth Summit earlier this month to teach the value of an age-old industry in the Bering Strait region.

Alaska State Council on the Arts Is Forced to Close Its Doors

By Katie Kazmierski | July 19, 2019 |

Orange wall decorated with stained-glass masks made by students.

The Alaska State Council on the Arts closed its doors until further notice on Monday, after 53 years of service. The loss of ASCA will be felt statewide, especially in the Bering Strait region, which has long utilized services and programs offered by the organization.

Dunleavy Vetoes Strip All State Funds from Head Start

By Katie Kazmierski | July 12, 2019 |

Facade of the Alaska State Capitol building, Juneau.

If Governor Mike Dunleavy’s line item vetoes to the state budget are not overridden by the Legislature, all state funding for the Head Start program will be eliminated. That means Kawerak’s regional Head Start program would be forced to make its own cuts.

Nome Plant Symposium Finds Sustenance in Indigenous Roots (and Flowers, Too)

By Katie Kazmierski | July 3, 2019 |

Last week, Norton Sound Health Corporation held its first ever Plant Symposium in Nome, funded by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. The event focused on implementing local knowledge on the natural healing powers of tundra plants.

‘There Is No Project’: Missing Paperwork Puts IPOP Mine Proposal in Limbo

By Katie Kazmierski | June 28, 2019 |

A California company’s ambitions to dredge for gold in Safety Sound and Bonanza Channel have been put on hold indefinitely due to missing or incomplete applications. According to the government agencies that oversee mining in Alaska, IPOP, LLC, is not much closer to getting an “ok” to commence dredging than it was nearly a year ago.

At Last Meeting of Year, Nome Schools Hires New Director of Federal Programs

By Katie Kazmierski | June 20, 2019 |

Starting this August, Nome Superintendent Jamie Burgess will no longer juggle two positions, as the district just hired a new Director of Federal Programs. This and several other items were part of the discussion at the final Nome School Board meeting of the 2018-2019 school year on Tuesday night.