AUUF Podcasts

Don Mitchell is an attorney and the author of Sold American: The Story of Alaska Natives and Their Land and Take My Land Take My Life: The Story of Congress’s Historic Settlement of Alaska Native Land Claims. He is a recognized expert on federal Indian law on Capitol Hill.

Emily Blahous, long time Anchorage School district teacher, has been teaching video and radio news and piano keyboarding at Mirror Lake Middle School since it opened 18 years ago. For the last 2 years, she has concentrated solely on her piano keyboarding classes. These classes incorporate much more than just teaching students how to play the piano. They include: technology, history, appreciation, composing, improvising, listening, performing, theory, audience etiquette, manners and learning how to play the piano. Grants partially support buses for evening field trips to free performances. Student fees are donations to the local food bank. The ultimate goal: Music enriches everyone's life. The Fine Arts are important and mustalways be a part of our curriculum.

Erik and Robin Hill are long-time members of the Fellowship who were raised to enjoy an adventure. Together they’ve traveled the former Soviet Union and Latvia, Europe, the Middle East and Japan. Their recent visit to Cuba was inspired by Robin’s mother, who has traveled extensively around the world and declared Cuba one of her all-time favorite destinations. It did not disappoint!

Consul Makoto Izakura has been the Consul for Japan in Anchorage since 2015. Born in Nigata City Japan in 1953, he entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1979. He holds a Degree in Russian Literature and has been stationed in Budapest Hungary, Tokyo, Atlanta, Edmonton, and Slovenia representing Japan. Consul Izakura is married and has one son and two daughters.

George Bryson has been attending AUUF for nearly a decade. He currently leads the Forum Planning Ministry Team, which recruits speakers for the 9:00 a.m. Sunday service; as well as the Free Thinkers Adult Religious Exploration Group, which meets at noon each Friday to discuss a wide variety of thought-provoking topics.George is well-suited to these investigative endeavors, given a 30-year journalism career as a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News, (1979 – 2009). In 1988, George earned a master of fine arts (MFA) degree in literary non-fiction and creative writing and from the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Margaret is the Anchorage Community Garden Coordinator.

Jack Roderick was born in Seattle in 1926, and served in the US Navy Air Corps in World War II and later earned degrees in political science (BA,Yale, 1949), law (JD,University of Washington, 1959), and public administration (MPA, Harvard, 1981). He moved to Anchorage in 1954, where he worked as a truck driver before getting involved in oil exploration, practicing law, and serving in many government positions, including Peace Corps Regional Director in India (1967-8), Anchorage Borough Mayor (1973-5), Alaska Department of Natural Resources Deputy Commissioner (1976-8), US Farmer's Home Administration's Alaska Director (1978-9), and Alaska State Energy Director (1984-5). He has taught at University of Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Pacific University. He is the author of Crude Dreams: A Personal History of Oil & Politics in Alaska.

At Lammas, also called Lughnasadh, the hot days of August are upon us, much of the earth is dry and parched, but we still know that the bright reds and yellows of the harvest season are just around the corner. Apples are beginning to ripen in the trees, our summer vegetables have been picked, corn is tall and green, waiting for us to come gather the bounty of the crop fields. Now is the time to begin reaping what we have sown, and gathering up the first harvests of grain, wheat, oats, and more.

Peter Dunlap-Shohl is a freelance cartoonist and animator whose latest projects are featured on his blog Frozen Grin. Previously, for over 25 years he produced four local-topic editorial cartoons per week for the Anchorage Daily News (ADN) and also created animated cartoons for the ADN website. Pete was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2002, and maintains Off & On, The Alaska PD Rag, a blog about  living with Parkinson's that features original cartoons and illustrations. His work has been recognized repeatedly, including a First Amendment Award from Alaska Press Club and first place in the 2002 Society of Professional Journalists Northwest regional editorial cartoon competition. Pete has lived most of his life in Anchorage, currently residing in the foothills of the Chugach Mountains with his wife Pamela and son Wiley. Hobbies include biking and playing the dobro. See Pete's Google Profile site for more information.

Martha “Marty” Herriott, Ph.D., ANP, is a long-time AUUF member and Chair of the Committee on Shared Ministry which integrates AUUF ministries, enhancing interaction, developing or modifying purpose, and initiating new ministry groups as needed. Marty has been a Psychiatric Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) in private practice for more than 25 years. She specializes in anxiety disorders, depression spectrum disorders including bipolar disorder and treatment-resistant depression, adult attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), and Bulimia Nervosa. Marty earned a master’s degree in Nursing and doctorate from the University of Washington School of Nursing and later served as the school’s faculty. Notable recognition includes receiving a National Mental Health Institute fellowship for her doctoral work; the first Washington State Award for Clinical Excellence for the Washington Association for Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses; and the 2013 American Association of Nurse Practitioner’s state (Alaska) Award for Excellence in Clinical Practice.  Professional affiliations include active membership in the in the Alaska Nurses Association; and providing leadership (including President in 2009) for the Alaska Nurse Practitioner Association.