A special visitor touched down at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport on April 24. Daren Herman, grandson of Alaska flag designer Benny Benson, was in the state for the first time to accept an honorary degree on his late grandfather’s behalf. It had been almost a century since Benson’s unlikely win in a flag design contest for Alaska schoolchildren.
Herman descended the airport lobby escalator to a crowd cheering, singing the Alaska Flag Song, waving the iconic blue and gold starred banner, and performing traditional Unangax̂ dances. He knew there would be a reception, but not how big it would be.
“I can't even put words to it. I would have never dreamt anything like this,” he said. “This is just awesome, it’s crazy.”
Herman is from North Dakota, but has deep family roots in Alaska. His grandfather was the boy who overcame unlikely odds and prejudice to become the first and only known Native person to design an American state flag. Benson died in 1972 at age 59, and received an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Alaska Pacific University on April 26.
Mike Livingston, a regional historian whose work centers on overlooked Alaska Native stories in the Aleutians and beyond, served as Herman’s guide. He showed Herman around Anchorage, bringing him to local landmarks, including those named after Benson.
Livingston is a fixture of cultural justice efforts in the region he calls home. He played a part in recognizing the World War II service of Unangax̂ soldier Pfc. George Fox, and in bringing traditional Unangax̂ names back to Aleutian sites with offensive monikers like “Nip Hill” and “Nazi Creek.” He was also part of a team recognized by the Alaska press corps last month for shedding light on the state’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous People.
“It brings me a lot of satisfaction to recognize our heroes who have, in a real sense, been forgotten,” Livingston told KUCB.
He spent years researching Benson’s life and heritage, and was the lead author of a 2022 paper that sought to correct a misconception that Benson was Alutiiq or Sugpiaq, not Unangax̂. Livingston pushed to have Benson posthumously enrolled as a member of the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska, which was approved the same day Benson’s grandson landed in Alaska.
Livingston said Benson receiving an honorary doctorate is “pretty dang cool.”
“He really should have received it when he was still with us, but it's never too late to correct wrongs,” he said.
Benson grew up in the Jesse Lee Home for Children, a boarding school in Unalaska that later moved to Seward. He experienced firsthand discrimination during the flag design contest when a panel of judges, some of whom were members of the Seward press, wrote offensive things about him based on his ethnicity. This lit a spark in him, and in the 1960s, he successfully advocated for his inclusion in the Kodiak Elks Lodge, opening the door for other Alaska Natives to join the Elks.
Livingston called Benson “a positive role model.”
“He was a brave young man who stayed in the contest and won the contest,” he said. “If it hadn't been for Benny, we probably would have another boring state flag with a blue background and the state seal in the middle of it.”
At the commencement, around 120 graduates were recognized, including Benson.
Alaska Pacific University President Janelle Vanasse credited his contributions to the state.
“Today, we Alaskans are proud of our flag. Our state song echoes the words that young Benny submitted with his very design,” she said. “We have our flag because of Benny’s resolve.”
The room was packed with family and friends of the graduates, many of whom are Alaska Native. Herman walked onstage and accepted his grandfather’s doctorate to applause.
After the ceremony, Herman said as busy as it was, his first visit to Alaska was “awesome” and a learning experience.
“A lot of this stuff's new to me, and it's great to hear the story and be a part of it,” he said.
KTOO’s Adelyn Baxter contributed reporting.
