The University of Arizona recognized Friday roughly 70 Native American graduates with a special celebration.

As KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, an Indigenous actor was the event’s keynote speaker.

Dallas Goldtooth (Diné and Mdewakanton Dakota) is arguably best known for his role in the Peabody Award-winning FX series, “Reservation Dogs”.

Goldtooth plays a comedic spiritual guide to a teen living in an Oklahoma rez town.

He co-founded the 1491s, an all-Native sketch comedy group that uses humor as a way to tackle stereotypes of Indigenous people and complex social issues.

Native Americans make up about 4% of the university’s student body.

Ice is seen held in place on the Kuskokwim River downriver from Aniak on May 8, 2026. (Photo: Samantha Watson / KYUK)

The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs says it is distributing $20 million in emergency funding to more than a dozen Alaska Native communities in response to shortages of essential supplies and urgent infrastructure needs.

As KYUK’s Evan Erickson reports, the lion’s share of the funding, $16 million, is going to the Kuskokwim Delta coastal village of Chefornak to address the impacts of severe erosion, permafrost thaw, and failing infrastructure.

According to a press release, the funds are intended to restore damaged wetlands, address unsafe structures, relocate at-risk homes, and reconstruct the community’s barge landing.

Chefornak and 15 other communities spread across a vast swath of the state will also receive a portion of an additional $4 million that the federal government is using to purchase thousands of gallons of heating fuel, along with potable water supplies, and firewood.

The press release says delayed spring barge deliveries, restricted water systems, and extreme winter conditions led to supply shortages in the communities receiving assistance.

The announcement comes after Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Billy Kirkland was in Alaska to meet with tribal leaders.

Kirkland appeared alongside U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) in Anchorage and Bethel as part of hearings of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on federal disaster support and the question of climate-driven village relocation.

Students learn about Mark 3 pumps as part of their field day during spring training. (Courtesy Alaska DNR Division of Forestry and Fire Protection / Facebook)

Alaska Native organizations and wildfire officials are preparing for another challenging fire season as communities face growing climate-related threats.

Officials say dry spring conditions and warming temperatures are increasing wildfire risks in rural communities across the state.

The Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection says many Alaska wildfires are caused by human activity, including escaped burn piles, campfires, and sparks from equipment or vehicles.

Officials are urging residents to prepare emergency kits, create evacuation plans, and clear brush and other flammable materials away from homes and buildings.

Alaska Native organizations are also working with communities on climate adaptation, emergency preparedness, and public health planning efforts tied to wildfire smoke and extreme weather.

Meanwhile, tribal leaders in western Alaska are calling for stronger tribally led disaster response systems as communities face increasing wildfire and environmental threats.

Some rural communities are also concerned about how major wildfires could impact subsistence activities, travel routes, and deliveries of food, fuel, and other critical supplies during the summer months.

Fire officials say even a single spark can quickly ignite dry grass during spring conditions.

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Monday, May 11, 2026 – What’s in the near future for urban elder health care?