Arts & Culture

Pennelope Goforth lived in Unalaska during the 1980s, and during the time, she fished, she worked as a photographer, and she founded The Aleutian Eagle newspaper – a weekly that would later turn into The Dutch Harbor Fisherman.

Though it’s been over 20 years since she left the island for Anchorage, she still spends a lot of time thinking about the Aleutians and its history. Recently, she made an important discovery of six logbooks written by Alaska Commercial Company agents stationed in the Aleutian Islands, and the ledgers give us greater insight into what life was like in the region during the 19th century.

She’s joined us this week on The Exchange to tell us more about these “Lost Aleutian Ledgers.”

Today, AC Value Centers are ubiquitous in rural parts of the state, selling everything from groceries to sporting gear to bedding. But a hundred years ago, the Alaska Commercial Company was a force that played a major role in the early development of Alaska. There are plenty of detailed records about their early operations in Kodiak and Cook Inlet, but information about their Aleutian outposts has been scarce, up until now.

KUCB’s Alexandra Gutierrez talks with Pennelope Goforth about a trove of primary source material from Unalaska Island that she recently discovered.

Chagudax: A Small Window Into the Life of an Aleut Bentwood Hat Carver.  That’s the name of a recently published book about Andrew Gronholdt, a renowned bentwood hat carver who passed away in 1998.

The book is a combination of Gronholdt’s diaries and illustrations of his artwork.   Sharon Gronholdt-Dye, co-editor of the book and daughter of the author says it tells the story of his life, growing up in the Shumigan Islands and discovering his passion for bentwood hats.

“There were a couple of people maybe that dabbled in it, but it never really went any place.  And I don’t really know that much about that path, but I think from our area in the Shumigans, Dad was the only one.”

This New Year’s Eve chrysanthemums, brocade crowns, weeping willows and maybe even some dancing monkeys will light up the night sky at one minute to midnight. 

Volunteers have been working hard all week over at Public Works to get the annual fireworks show set up.  There are hundreds of shells and mortars involved and they all have to be perfectly wired to fire at the right moment. 

That said, it’s a pretty simple set-up: thick tubes ranging from 3 to 12 inches in diameter mounted in wooden racks and stacked on a giant flatbed.  Inside each of the tubes is a brown-paper wrapped ball that when triggered will shoot into the sky and explode. 

A recent competition sponsored by the Ballyhoo Lions Club allowed local students to both express their creativity and think about the larger problems facing the world.

Unalaska City School Student Charity Haskins has this report for KUCB.

The Coast Guard cutter Sherman wrapped up its Bering Sea patrol December 11 with a flag-changing ceremony at Memorial Park.

KUCB’s Stephanie Joyce has more.

A stone that was used as a garden ornament for the last fifty years may turn out to be one of the most important archaeological finds in Aleutian history, offering new insights into Unangan culture.

The stone is two and half feet wide by three feet tall and weighs more than 250 pounds.  Lifting it requires a forklift.

But the elaborate etchings that cover one entire side are delicate.  Centuries, if not millennia, of erosion have smoothed any sharp edges, leaving a maze of ridges and valleys.

The symbols are hard to interpret.  Even the woman who owned the stone for more than fifty years says she can’t pick out much more than the fact that the outline looks like a seal. 

The Aleutian Islands are fertile grounds for archeologists, especially those looking to buck conventional wisdom.

KUCB’s Alexandra Gutierrez has this story on the Central Aleutians Upland Archeological Project.

It’s been over a hundred days since Matt Rutherford walked on dry land, and with any luck, it’ll be another 200 before he actually gets to. The 30-year-old Marylander is in the process of sailing around the North and South American continents. If he makes it, he’ll be the first person to do the 23,000-mile trip alone and without stopping.

KUCB's Alexandra Gutierrez has more.

Unalaskans spent this Independence Day marching in the parade, playing at the carnival, catching halibut, and watching fireworks. KUCB's Alexandra Gutierrez recorded this audio postcard.