Paralytic shellfish poisoning, caused by eating seafood contaminated with toxins from harmful algal blooms, can be deadly to humans. Now, using marine samples from Unalaska, scientists are trying to understand if those harmful algal blooms could also be responsible for seabird die-offs . There's not much data on how saxitoxin — a harmful compound produced by algal blooms that cause PSP — spreads through the larger food web. But in July, a group of biologists with the United States Geological

A two-year project honoring Alaska’s veterans is finally complete. A few hundred people sat for five hours in the rain to witness the raising of a totem pole honoring the community’s service men and women. There are a lot of veterans in Hoonah. At least 10 percent of the population has served in the military — one of the highest numbers per capita in the country. Even before Alaska was a state, many Alaska Natives stepped up to fight for the United States. Local artist Gordon Greenwald designed

Mabel Baldwin-Schaeffer is the first Tribal coordinator for the Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s Communications Program . She was born and raised in Kiana, a small Iñupiaq village on the Kobuk River in northwest Alaska, and said she will bring that perspective with her. "Near and dear to my heart has always been to improve local participation and to engage rural communities and research development," she said. "I am most excited to work with Elders and local people in the community." As a

When the COVID pandemic closed the Haines’ Senior Center, the lunch program turned into a daily delivery , and it’s become a vital service for local seniors in Haines and Klukwan, and there’s room for expansion. The Haines Senior Center is still closed, due to the COVID pandemic. But each morning, meals are prepared there by a dedicated staff with Southeast Senior Services, packed in insulated bags, and loaded onto one delivery van. Paul Graf is one half of the friendly duo who deliver lunch

Qacung Stephen Blanchett’s new album may be solo, but it has some big Indigenous pop super group energy . Qacung, who is one of the co-creators of the Inuit band Pamyua, brought several other Indigenous Alaska musicians along for the ride on his inaugural solo album, including Juneau’s Arias Hoyle who goes by Air Jazz. The result is Miu: a record imbued with the polish of decades in the music industry, the rich texture of soul, funk, rock and hip hop, and the wisdom shared across generations of

Former Bethel elementary school principal Christopher Carmichael received a 25-year sentence in Bethel on July 21, 2021, for a state charge of sexual assault of a minor in the second degree. (Photo by Dean Swope/KYUK) Edit | Remove On July 21, a state judge sentenced former Bethel elementary school principal Christopher Carmichael to a 25-year sentence with 10 years suspended . The judge imposed what he called a severe sentence because the former principal had abused the trust he cultivated in

U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm announced 13 Tribal energy grants, about half of which are going to Alaska Native communities. Granholm said the grants from the Office of Indian Energy will help meet President Biden’s climate goals. In total, she said, they will fund some seven megawatts of clean power generation and battery storage. “That will power 1,300 Tribal buildings and save these 13 communities a combined $1.8 million annually,” she said. On a Zoom conference call with reporters,

Fifty years ago, the federal government recognized the Kenaitze Indian Tribe as a sovereign nation. This anniversary year, the Tribe is expanding. It’s raising a new building on the corner of the Kenai Spur Highway and Forest Drive in Kenai to house its educational programming . “The Kahtnuht’ana Duhdeldiht Campus," said Bernadine Atchison, chair of Kenaitze’s Tribal council. "Which is called, 'The Learning Place.'" Atchison said the Tribe has outgrown its current spaces, like the Dena’ina

The COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted just about everything, including food shipments to grocery stores. all over Alaska. Last year, Alaskans really felt it, with some products just not available. Alaska depends on shipments for about 95 percent of its food, which makes the state fragile when those supply lines are interrupted. Reportedly, interest in local food has grown during the pandemic as well—good news for the Kenai Peninsula, which was home to more than 250 farms in 2017, according to

First Lady Jill Biden visited Anchorage on Wednesday to talk with health officials and get a glimpse of how Tribal health care works in Alaska. During First Lady Jill Biden’s visit to the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, she called Alaska’s Tribal health care system the gold standard. “The consortium is setting the gold standard in supporting rural communities,” Biden said. “I'm so excited to see what this organization does under your leadership and to share what I've learned here with