Denakkanaaga is an organization that serves as the voice for the native elders of Interior Alaska. Mary TallMountain was one of our elders. We believe her lifelong struggle to exist in two worlds can help people facing similar struggles today. Mary was born in 1918 in a tent on land drained by the Yukon River in Interior Alaska. She was only six when she was adopted out of her native village of Nulato. Cut off from her family and her people, she managed to survive by grounding herself in her native culture and developing her talent for writing.

State Elections officials are planning to release more votes today and Tuesday as the high-profile statewide races for U.S. Senate and governor remain uncalled. // Mary Peltola’s campaign went to court Friday in an attempt to force the state Elections Division of to reveal absentee ballots it’s rejecting in her race against Sen. Dan Sullivan. // The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District Board of Education last week again unanimously rejected a charter application by Pearl Creek STEAM Charter School. // Friends and family gathered last week to remember Buddy Bendixen. He died this month at age 101, and was the last known member of the Alaska Territorial Guard.

The word Cynosure carries a double meaning. Originating in late 16th-century France, it first denoted the constellation Ursa Minor—the “Little Dipper.” At the end of its handle shines Polaris, the North Star, a guiding light and the central symbol of the Alaska state flag. In its other sense, cynosure means “something that irresistibly draws attention by its brilliance and fascination.” Both definitions hold deep resonance for the members of this trio.

Denakkanaaga is an organization that serves as the voice for the native elders of Interior Alaska. Mary TallMountain was one of our elders. We believe her lifelong struggle to exist in two worlds can help people facing similar struggles today. Mary was born in 1918 in a tent on land drained by the Yukon River in Interior Alaska. She was only six when she was adopted out of her native village of Nulato. Cut off from her family and her people, she managed to survive by grounding herself in her native culture and developing her talent for writing.

The state House and Senate will continue to be governed by bipartisan coalitions following Tuesday’s midterm elections. But they’ll have some new leaders.//Denali Borough Mayor Chris Noel was re-elected Tuesday to another three-year term, according to unofficial results,// 91-year-old, Hannah Takak has spent decades helping her community of Shaktoolik to participate in elections. But she’s thinking about retiring.//Almost 50 resolutions were passed at the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention in Anchorage last month, including one about Benny Benson, the designer of the Alaska flag.

Dan Bross and Rick Thoman talk about an early season disruption in the high-altitude Polar Vortex.

Denakkanaaga is an organization that serves as the voice for the native elders of Interior Alaska. Mary TallMountain was one of our elders. We believe her lifelong struggle to exist in two worlds can help people facing similar struggles today. Mary was born in 1918 in a tent on land drained by the Yukon River in Interior Alaska. She was only six when she was adopted out of her native village of Nulato. Cut off from her family and her people, she managed to survive by grounding herself in her native culture and developing her talent for writing.

It’ll be at least a week before the most competitive races in Tuesday’s election come into focus. // Unofficial election results suggest a slim majority of Alaskans were inclined to keep ranked-choice voting.// As the Iran War pushes oil prices higher, the cost of staying warm is a growing concern for Alaskans who heat their homes with fuel oil. // A state energy regulatory agency OK'd deal that allows Enstar to buy 1.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas for its customers. //Alaska Airlines will launch direct flights from Anchorage to Tokyo next summer, and add nonstop routes to three more U.S. cities.

“Folks that have been here for decades plus are bailing,” one Fairbanksan said.

In Delta Junction, hundreds of voters turned out at the Delta Community Center polling place. A poll watcher said there was a steady flow of voters at the community center throughout the day.