Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau, speaks during a House Education Committee meeting on May 3, 2024. (Eric Stone/Alaska Public Media)
Alaska lawmakers passed a bill last week that adds several Indigenous languages to Alaska’s official list of languages.
A version of the bill, sponsored by Juneau Rep. Andi Story, was approved by the Senate and then OK’d by the House last week. It was originally passed in the House last year. Now it heads to the governor.
Earlier this year, Story, a Democrat, called the changes included in the bill an important step in recognizing all of the 23 distinct Alaska Native languages in the state.
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“This reflects the goal of sustaining and reinvigorating Alaska Native languages, a concept that goes beyond preservation,” she said.
The languages that the bill adds to the official list are Cup’ig, Middle Tanana, Lower Tanana and Wetał. Middle and Lower Tanana were previously classified as just one language.
According to a recent report from the council, there are currently no high-proficiency speakers of the Wetał language. It comes from the Portland Canal region of Southeast Alaska and British Columbia.
The bill also expands and renames the Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council. The council advocates to promote the survival and revitalization of Indigenous languages in the state. It will now be called the Council for Alaska Native Language.
The bill adds two seats to the council and moves it from the Department of Commerce to the Department of Education and Early Development to better emphasize the council’s focus on education.
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In testimony earlier this year, the chairman of the council, X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell, said he supports the bill and argued Indigenous languages need to be a bigger priority for the state. Twichell teaches Alaska Native languages at the University of Alaska Southeast.
“Alaska Native languages are the oldest living resource in Alaska,” he said. “These languages are older than the trees, they’re older than some of the rocks, and none of us are qualified to make the decision that they should not exist anymore.”
He said it’s crucial that these languages are recognized as the valuable and historic resources that they are.
“Every single Alaska Native language is sacred and irreplaceable,” he said. “It contains concepts that cannot be translated, it contains things that cannot be replaced, and that give a sense of fulfillment and wholeness and health to Alaska Natives and to non-natives in Alaska.”
The bill passed unanimously in the Senate. In the House, only Rep. David Eastman, a Wasilla Republican, voted against it. He argued some of the languages proposed, like Wetał, are not spoken regularly and should not be added to the official list.
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A spokesperson for Gov. Mike Dunleavy did not directly respond to questions asking whether the governor plans to sign the bill.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Rainy, windy weather greeted southcentral on Friday. Unsettled weather will keep a dearth of clouds, rain showers, even some snow showers over the state through the weekend. Temperatures cooled considerably along the north slope and interior with the rain’s arrival.
Southcentral is on the lucky end of the weather pattern, expecting to see clearing skies, drying conditions and sunshine into the weekend.
An upper trough is driving the wet weather across the state.
This is the first round of wet weather, with another big storm arriving over the Aleutians and western Alaska on Sunday. Southcentral can anticipate the return of wet weather by Monday.
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Southeast will see showers, and cloudy skies. Highs in the low to mid 60s.
Aniak (Amazon River Adventure via Creative Commons)
Alaska State Troopers who were called to the village of Aniak on Thursday for reports of gunfire found a home engulfed by flames and later found human remains inside, they said.
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Several people in the village had reported hearing random gunshots, although there were no reports of threats or anyone being shot at, said troopers spokesman Austin McDaniel. Aniak-based troopers and wildlife troopers were patrolling the village near the slough around 11:30 a.m. to try to find the source of the sporadic gunfire when they saw a house fully engulfed by flames, McDaniel said.
They worked with community members to suppress the fire, and later the remains of the homeowner were found inside, troopers said.
During the investigation, troopers identified the homeowner as the person suspected to be firing a gun, McDaniel said. The remains will be sent to the State Medical Examiner Office for an autopsy to determine the cause of death, McDaniel said.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office will investigate the cause and origin of the fire.
Aniak is situated along the Kuskokwim River roughly 90 air miles northeast of Bethel.
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This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Tourism is an important part of life in Alaska. In fact, last year, tourism brought in nearly $158 million in revenue for the state.
As someone who’s lived in Alaska for over 35 years, it’s easy to see why tourists love traveling here. From the beautiful national parks to opportunities to see the northern lights, Alaska has something for everyone.
However, every year, I see many visitors make the same mistakes over and over. From expecting to drive everywhere to forgetting that some activities are seasonal, these are the six most common mistakes I’ve seen tourists make when visiting my home state.
Thinking Alaska is small and drivable
Alaska has a limited road network.
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Lisa Maloney
I’m always surprised by how many visitors think Alaska is small — but I guess if you’re used to seeing us tucked into a map inset right next to Hawaii, that makes sense.
In truth, Alaska is so big that if you split it into two states, both halves would be bigger than Texas. You can easily spend four to six hours — or more — just driving from one large community to the next.
However, Alaska has a shockingly limited road network for such a huge state. If we say a community is “off the road system,” it means you can’t drive there. Instead, you’ll have to catch a plane or, in some limited cases, a boat to get there.
Not learning the local vocabulary
In Alaska, we have lots of local lingo that can be helpful to know. For example, if someone says they’re going outside, they’re not just leaving the building — they’re leaving the state. To us, outside means anywhere that’s not Alaska.
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Another thing to remember is that we don’t typically use road numbers for our highways (no matter what your GPS tries to tell you). Instead, we use the names of highways.
Forgetting that some attractions and activities are seasonal
In Alaska, the northern lights can typically be seen between late August and late April.
biletskiyevgeniy.com/Shutterstock
Here in Alaska, some of our biggest attractions are only available for a few months of the year.
Two big ones to keep in mind are bear viewing season, which typically peaks with the salmon runs in July and August, and aurora viewing season, which runs from roughly late August to late April.
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Missing out on Alaska Native culture
The umbrella term for Alaska’s Indigenous people is Alaska Native. Most towns have at least one cultural center where visitors can learn about the Alaska Native traditions in that region.
These facilities are part visitor center and part museum, and offer a celebration of Native traditions and culture. I always recommend that tourists take the time to explore these centers.
Expecting the wildlife — or the weather — to be predictable
You never know where you might find wildlife in Alaska.
Lisa Maloney
Every year, Alaska tour guides field sincere questions like “When are the moose scheduled to show up?” That makes perfect sense in a controlled environment like a zoo, but Alaska’s wildlife are … well, wild … and come and go whenever they like.
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Our weather does pretty much the same thing, so if you’re determined to hide inside until the rain and wind stop or the sun comes out, you’ll miss out on a lot.
Dressing in layers can help visitors stay comfortable, no matter what the weather is doing. I recommend lighter layers in the summer and heavier layers in winter, but some sort of weatherproof outer layer is always a must.
Trying to do too much in one trip
When traveling to a new location, there’s a lot of pressure to visit as many destinations as possible. But if you never take a minute to enjoy just being here, you’re missing out on a big chunk of the Alaska experience.
Plus, having a little flex time in your schedule helps to accommodate inevitable weather days when excessive wind, rain, or rough seas keep you from doing planned activities. I recommend giving yourself two or three days in a community before moving on.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/adn/B4HY456RDFCC7NNPF7EGXSCF5E.jpg "Troopers responding to reported gunfire in Southwest Alaska village find a house fire and human remains")
