Alaska

Opinion: Closing the Alaska Native Language Center ends more than a program — it weakens language revitalization

Published

5 hours ago

March 13, 2026

Opinion: Closing the Alaska Native Language Center ends more than a program — it weakens language revitalization

Students are seen reflected in a mirror on a wall of traditional crafts as they spend half their day in a Yup’ik language immersion program at College Gate Elementary. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

After more than 50 years of service, the Alaska Native Language Center will close its doors this summer, a victim of realigned budget priorities at the University of Alaska. Though few Alaskans may have heard of ANLC, most have likely seen its most iconic output: the Native Peoples and Languages of Alaska Map — a full-color wall map depicting the traditional territories of Alaska’s Indigenous languages. Versions still hang in schools, homes and offices across the state.

The map is no mere work of art. It reflects years of research by ANLC staff in collaboration with Native speakers from Utqiaġvik to Maxłaxaała. Language boundaries are fuzzy things; they can’t be mapped like rivers or detected using GPS. As a state-funded organization dedicated to advancing Native languages, the center was uniquely positioned to undertake this work. Since 1974 the map has been revised and reprinted dozens of times. ANLC has also produced hundreds of Native language publications, from dictionaries to storybooks to audio CDs, all distributed at cost. Thousands of students have taken Native language courses at the center, and many have gone on to lead Native language education programs in their communities.

The Alaska Native Language Center is the product of a forward-thinking Legislature that recognized the significance of Alaska’s unique linguistic heritage. On June 9, 1972, the Legislature passed SB 241 establishing the center to study Native languages, develop literacy materials, disseminate Native language literature and train language teachers. The bill received near-unanimous support in the Senate, including from then-state Sens. Jay Hammond, Willie Hensley and Don Young. Coming close on the heels of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, the founding of the center heralded a major shift in official language policy. After decades of active suppression, Native languages would now be permitted to be taught in schools.

This shift continued over the following decades. Native language courses and degree programs were created. Immersion schools and language “nests” opened across the state. Dozens of Indigenous place names were reclaimed. Alaska Native languages were granted co-official status alongside English.

Of course, this growth in support takes place against a somber backdrop of language loss. By 1972, intergenerational transmission was already declining. Many parents were survivors of boarding schools that physically punished children for speaking Native languages. Still, there are now hundreds of dedicated language advocates working to repair what was broken, to reclaim what was taken. Even the Eyak language, whose last birth speaker passed in 2008, is reawakening with new speakers.

I struggle to understand why the University of Alaska Fairbanks has chosen to end 54 years of state-mandated Native language support. Perhaps the Alaska Native Language Center is the victim of its own success, having built the foundation on which current revitalization efforts stand. But I fear that just as the center’s founding in 1972 signaled a new era of support for Native languages, its closing may bring a new era of neglect. Just as it’s easy to ignore maintenance when your vehicle is running well, it’s easy to forget the foundation that the center provides for ongoing language work across the state.

There will always be those who fear diversity, who view language as a threat. Let us hope this is not their moment. Alaska is often described in superlatives, and this is no less true when it comes to language. Alaska is home to extraordinary linguistic diversity, the birthplace of two of the world’s major language families: Inuit-Yupik-Unangan and Dene. And it is these languages, their speakers and descendants who have given shape to this magnificent land. They deserve our support.

Gary Holton is the former director of the Alaska Native Language Archive.

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Alaska

USS Ted Stevens coming to Whittier for rare Alaska commissioning

Published

17 hours ago

March 13, 2026

Press Room

USS Ted Stevens coming to Whittier for rare Alaska commissioning

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The U.S. Navy has approved plans to commission the guided-missile destroyer USS Ted Stevens in Whittier, Alaska, a rare move for a ceremony typically held at major fleet hubs, according to the USS Ted Stevens Commissioning Committee. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan formally signed off on the location, with the commissioning now anticipated for fall 2026.

If held as planned, it would be the first Navy ship commissioning in Alaska since 2013, when the amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage was commissioned at the Don Young Port of Alaska in Anchorage.

The ship, designated DDG 128, is an Arleigh Burke-class Flight III destroyer that was delivered in December to the Navy by Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding. The destroyer is equipped with the AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar and the Aegis Baseline 10 combat system, designed to address modern and emerging threats, according to the company.

Commissioning mark the moment a ship officially enters the fleet and includes a formal ceremony recognizing the crew and the vessel’s namesake. The committee said the Whittier event is expected to draw the ship’s sailors and families, senior military leaders, elected officials and visitors from around the country.

The commissioning committee’s vice president, Rep. Chuck Kopp, called the planned Alaska commissioning “a profound honor” and said the event would reflect Stevens’ legacy and Alaska’s ties to the military.

The committee said additional details, including the official date, public events and ways for Alaskans and visitors to participate, will be announced in coming months.

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Alaska

Murkowski, Sullivan Announce $629 Million Funding to Boost Alaska’s Internet Connectivity

Published

1 day ago

March 12, 2026

Press Room

Murkowski, Sullivan Announce 9 Million Funding to Boost Alaska’s Internet Connectivity

Washington, DC—Tuesday, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-AK) welcomed the approval of Alaska’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Final Proposal by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), including more than $629 million in initial deployment awards to expand broadband access across the state. These investments will help narrow the digital divide in unserved and underserved communities and expand the economic opportunities that reliable internet connectivity brings to Alaskans.

The funding will support 29 broadband deployment projects carried out by 15 providers across Alaska. These projects—utilizing fiber, wireless, satellite, and hybrid technologies—are expected to bring high-speed internet service to more than 46,000 homes and small businesses across the state.

“For a state as vast and geographically diverse as Alaska, broadband access is not a luxury—it’s essential infrastructure,” said Senator Murkowski. “This investment will help connect more of our rural and remote communities to reliable, high-speed internet, opening the door to expanded economic opportunities, improved access to telehealth and education, and stronger connections between families and communities. I appreciate NTIA’s recognition of the importance of the BEAD program to our state and its efforts to ensure that we are able to maximize this initiative so that every Alaskan is connected.”

“As a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, the lack of Internet access in so many Alaskan communities was a driving force behind my work to ensure that the broadband provisions of the bipartisan infrastructure bill focused on the truly unserved, my work on improving Alaska’s broadband maps, and my relentless advocacy for Alaska with various federal officials who I have brought to see Alaska’s unique challenges,” said Senator Sullivan. “These funds will go a long way toward the goal of connecting every Alaskan, which will unlock possibilities of expanded telehealth, education and small business opportunities. Importantly, it will better allow Alaskans to connect with one another. I thank NTIA for working closely with Senator Murkowski and me to ensure that our unique geography was taken into account when determining this award.”

“Congratulations to the State of Alaska on the approval of its BEAD Final Proposal, which will enable universal broadband availability across the state while safeguarding taxpayer dollars,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth.“The Benefit of the Bargain rules ensured that each state and territory’s unique geography, terrain, and topography are accounted for when determining which technology solutions make the most sense to provide connectivity. No state presents more unique and formidable connectivity challenges than Alaska, and I commend the state broadband office for its tremendous work in bringing this Final Proposal over the finish line.”

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) established the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program to fund broadband expansion in unserved and underserved areas across the country. Alaska received a total BEAD allocation of more than $1.017 billion to support broadband infrastructure investments across the state.

Under the program, funding is first directed toward deploying broadband infrastructure to unserved locations, followed by underserved areas and eligible community anchor institutions. The initial $629 million in deployment awards announced today will fund broadband deployment projects across Alaska using a mix of fiber, wireless, satellite, and hybrid technologies.

After funding deployment projects, remaining BEAD funds may be used for additional eligible purposes that support broadband connectivity and digital access. NTIA is expected to provide additional guidance on the use of remaining funds later this month. Senators Murkowski and Sullivan are actively working with NTIA as they craft revised guidance, with the intent of ensuring that Alaska maintains the ability to use its entire allocation to continue modernizing the state’s telecommunications infrastructure.

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