ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Alaska Native Heritage Center staff gathered on the Cook Inlet mudflats on Monday to honor a whale that washed ashore over a week ago.

“We came here today to offer some prayers and ceremony to the whale that washed up,” Ben Baldwin, with the Alaska Native Heritage Center, said.

Baldwin was one of several staff who took part in the blessing ceremony for the nearly 50-foot fin whale.

“The reason that we’re here as Native people is to be respectful of all living things,” Marilyn Balluta, with the center, said. “This [the whale] is your non-human relative.”

During the ceremony, Baldwin performed both a prayer and a song for the whale. According to Baldwin, this was the first time he had done a blessing like this in front of a large crowd of people. Traditionally, he said he tends to do blessings like this when he is out hunting.

“I offered a prayer in smoke inside an abalone shell and that [shell] had plants from here, from the Cook Inlet basin,” Baldwin said. “It’s the medicine of the land that we’re offering to our non-human relatives from the land as well.”

According to Baldwin, whales are significant in the Alaska Native culture. Both for sustainability purposes and their spirituality.

“They’re very spiritually strong and they carry a lot of meaning,” Baldwin said. “And we felt that it was really important to offer a prayer as a community, offer it a final drink and make sure that we are interacting with our non-human relatives in a really good way.”

Monday’s blessing was also a somber moment for some people who gathered around the whale. Emily Edenshaw, the CEO of the Alaska Native Heritage Center, shared how she struggled with seeing images surface that showed chunks of meat missing as well as its fin chopped off.

“I know for myself it was really hard to see the photos and to see the post, but understanding that this is an opportunity to apply what we’ve learned but also show our respect,” Edenshaw said.

It’s a similar feeling for Baldwin, who asks that people pay their respects when visiting the whale.

“It’s more than just flesh and bones, it’s spirit, it’s a relative and it should be respected,” he said.

See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com

Copyright 2024 KTUU. All rights reserved.

The Alaska Republican Party said on Sunday that it will be asking the Division of Elections for a recount of the votes on Ballot Measure 2, which gave Alaskans the option of repealing ranked-choice voting.

Although dark money from Outside Alaska overwhelmed proponents of the repeal, it ended up failing to be repealed by just 664 votes, a tiny margin.

Of the 340,110 votes cast on the measure, the margin of “No” votes to “Yes” votes was 160,619 to 159,955, or 50.1% to 49.9%. The state must cover the costs of a recount when the margin is this close.

“We will submit this request, along with the names of the requisite Alaskan voters required to initiate this process, once the election is certified, which is scheduled for November 30, 2024,” said the statement issued by the Alaska Republican Party.

The party has hired the Dhillon Law Group, led by Harmeet K. Dhillon, to be on the ground during the recount and review, along with Alaska-based party counsel and observers.

“Ms. Dhillon and her firm are a nationally recognized, seasoned election integrity legal team, and bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to this recount process. Ms. Dhillon is an expert in election law. She and her colleagues Michael Columbo and Mark Meuser were recently on the legal teams in Arizona, Pennsylvania, and other crucial locations nationally to ensure a fair, transparent, and thorough process,” said Party Chairwoman Carmela Warfield. “Our Party Counsel, Ms. Stacey Stone and her team, are experienced Alaskan election law practitioners, and in September 2024, they successfully intervened on the Alaska Republican Party’s behalf in the case of Alaska Democratic Party v. State of Alaska Division of Elections, ultimately prevailing in the Alaska Supreme Court.”

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Norma Aldefer didn’t expect to turn 100. Now, one day after her 101st birthday, she’s even more surprised.

Inside her pristine apartment, Aldefer’s table is full of cards wishing her a happy birthday. She points out a favorite, which reads “You’re how old?”

Celebratory messages from loved ones, along with congratulations from state officials Senator Lisa Murkowski and Governor Mike Dunleavy. Aldefer said last year’s centennial birthday even brought in regards from President Joe Biden.

Aldefer moved to Alaska to marry her husband, who was originally from her hometown. The photograph she has at her side is of her as a younger woman posing with her mother in 1948.

“We took pictures of ourselves and and I’m all dressed up in high heels and a hat and a purse. And my little bag that I was carrying.” Aldefer said she was scared leaving the small farm she grew up on, but by working as a telephone operator for Southwestern Bell, she expanded her horizons.

Multiple times Aldefer stated she’s remained curious all her years. She said it’s the reason she’s been able to maintain herself rather than losing her faculties, and believes it’s the way to feel fulfilled.

“Sometimes people get into things they don’t enjoy, but they think, ‘Oh, I have to make a living.’ Don’t do that. If you’re not comfortable, go do something else,” Aldefer said.

“May not make a good living for a while, but you might enjoy life.”

Aldefer says she still enjoys life, and continues to enjoy a nightly martini alongside cheese and crackers before she begins to cook dinner.

Over the course of the interview, she marveled at her gratitude for her world – calling herself blessed.

“I know I’m not going to be here much probably much longer, but I’ve had such a good life, you know. I’m not afraid of it.”

See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com

Copyright 2024 KTUU. All rights reserved.