Alaska Native

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.

Laresa Syverson, who served as the Ounalashka Corporation’s technical lands manager for the last five years, took the leadership reins from Denise Rankin on May 2.

The Federal Subsistence Board manages how wild foods are harvested on federal lands and waters in Alaska, and is looking to better reflect the needs of rural subsistence users by incorporating more Indigenous input into its membership.

Weaving has been part of Unangax̂ heritage for thousands of years, from large baskets to small ornaments. An exhibit at the Museum of the Aleutians in Unalaska shows the art form’s evolution.

The Alaska Blanket Exercise is a traveling history lesson designed to show how Alaska Native sovereignty has changed over time. It came to Unalaska Aug. 2, encouraging participants to walk through the history of colonization from the Russian fur trade to the modern day.

In this episode of "Island Interviews," ANTHC's Alice Michaelson and APIA's Michael Livingston discuss the program's significance, origins, and the importance of recognizing historical trauma.

A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a year-old lawsuit by the state of Alaska against the federal government over liability for contaminated land given to Alaska Native corporations under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

On Saturday, around 300 Unalaskans gathered at the high school gymnasium to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Ounalashka Corporation. Chairman Vince Tutiakoff Sr. spoke about the organization’s growth over the last half-century, and past and present board members were recognized for their service.

Dozens of people gathered in northern California last month to help tie lashings on an Unangax̂ open skin boat. Marc Daniels facilitated the build in his workshop, with the participation of Unangax̂ and local California tribal members. The vessel will be launched May 27, during the Alaska Native Day celebration at Fort Ross.

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.”