Arts & Culture

How do you keep a language alive? On Tuesday, a state council is asking people to call in with their suggestions on how to do that with Alaska’s many Native languages. Retired UAF Alaska Native Studies professor Cecilia Martz has watcher the languages change over time, and she has some ideas after dedicating her career to teaching cross-culture studies.

John Active died one year ago, on June 4, 2018. KYUK misses him and works to continue his legacy of "Yup'ifying" the world. John was a translator, culture bearer, journalist, comedian, Elder, and National Public Radio's only Indigenous commentator. John identified as a storyteller, and made a career out of teaching people about the Yup'ik language and culture. KYUK reflects on John's legacy with his friends and colleagues.

This week marks one year since the death of public radio pioneer John Active. He helped create and define the bicultural and bilingual style of KYUK, and introduced the Yup’ik language and culture to the nation through his writing and storytelling. To this day, John remains the only Indigenous commentator to air on National Public Radio. 

It's been one year since John Active died on June 4, 2018. Of his many roles in broadcasting, John identified most as a storyteller, a craft he learned from his grandmother, Maggie Lind. KYUK is remembering John this week by listening to his stories. Here is a selection of some of our favorites. Quyana, John.

Graduations are in the air; BRHS celebrated theirs last Friday. In Kipnuk, seniors finished a week earlier, concluding a difficult school year in which senior basketball star Keoni Aliralria passed away from cancer. At graduation, diplomas were awarded to all the graduates, including Aliralria, who was nicknamed "Keo."

Bethel held its fourth ever Project Homeless Connect event last Friday at the cultural center. The purpose of the event was to connect Bethel’s homeless population with services they might not already know about. 

Yesterday, two Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta women were inducted into the Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame. Mary Ciuniq Pete was nominated because of her leadership in subsistence and education. Beverly Hoffman got the honor because of her work in the community and the long campaign she waged to get a fitness center built in Bethel. Many people from the hub community fished from boats in the Kuskokwim River, but did not know how to swim. They’ve been learning, because the fitness center that Hoffman helped get built has a swimming pool.