© 2024 KUCB

Winter in Unalaska by Sam Zmolek

Your voice in the Aleutians.

Donate

Play Live Radio

Next Up:

0:00

0:00

0:00 0:00

Available On Air Stations

Our Candidates Forum is coming soon: What do YOU want to hear from candidates this year?

Arts & Culture

Island Interviews

Blankets and Alaska Native history: educational program stops in Unalaska for the first time

By Sofia Stuart-Rasi

Published July 24, 2024 at 8:29 AM AKDT

The Alaska Blanket Exercise program, organized by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, aims to educate Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults about Alaska Native history and historical trauma. The statewide program began in 2019 and is scheduled to be in Unalaska for the first time at 6 p.m. on Friday, August 2.

ANTHC's Alice Michaelson, the Alaska Blanket Exercise program coordinator, and Michael Livingston, a healthy relationships coordinator with the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, are co-presenting this session at the Unalaska Public Library.

In this episode of "Island Interviews," they’ll discuss the program's significance, origins, and the importance of recognizing historical trauma.

Tags

Island Interviews Alaska Native alaska native tribal health consortium APIA ALEUTIAN PRIBILOF ISLANDS ASSOCIATION

Sofia Stuart-Rasi

Sofia was born and raised in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. She’s reported around the U.S. for local public radio stations, NPR and National Native News. Sofia has a Master of Arts in Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism from the University of Montana, a graduate certificate in Documentary Studies from the Salt Institute and a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Arts from the University of Colorado Boulder. In between her studies, Sofia was a ski bum in Telluride, Colorado for a few years.

See stories by Sofia Stuart-Rasi

Related Content

Arts & Culture

Historian shares how Unalaska is uniquely tied to the Alaska state flag design

Sofia Stuart-Rasi

In this episode of "Island Interviews," Historian Dr. Michael Livingston, who recently wrote a paper about Benson, discusses the state flag contest and some challenges Benson faced while competing. He also shares how Benson's Unangax̂ heritage might have influenced his design for the state flag and that some say the design originated in Unalaska.
Regional

Historians correct details about Benny Benson’s heritage nearly a century after he designed Alaska’s flag

Maggie Nelson

Historians announced Thursday that they’ve uncovered evidence that key details about the teenager who designed Alaska’s state flag have been wrong for more than a century.Benny Benson, a Seward boarding school resident, won the state’s flag design contest in 1927. But he was a year older than previously thought, according to Michael iqyax̂ Livingston, who works for the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association’s community health services.“I've been working for several years with several other family tree researchers focused on Benny Benson's cultural heritage,” Livingston said. “And in the process of that research, we found what we believe were errors in his date of birth and his mother's maiden name.”
Health

AMSEA highlights fishermen’s mental health during Mental Health Awareness month

Sofia Stuart-Rasi

In this episode of "Island Interviews," Dr. Leann Cyr, executive director of Alaska Marine Safety Education Association, discusses the stressors fishermen face, and offers some mental health self-care tips.

Load More