Programs

Michelle Rodriguez, Adrian Grenier and Linda Chavez all share Spanish colonial roots, yet each views their own identity very differently. In this episode we ask what it means to be Hispanic-and find that the answer lies in the tangled histories of European, Native American and African peoples. Crisscrossing Mexico, Spain, the Caribbean, and the Southwest, Professor Gates reveals stories of ancestral Conquistadors, Indian rebels, and "Crypto-Jews" (Spanish Jews who converted to Catholicism to survive the Inquisition, yet continued to practice their religion in secret)-showing that the American experience has been shaped by people who were in the New World long before the Mayflower. KAKM: Sunday, 5/20 at 7:00pm

At a Gathering last week of Alaska Native leaders and funders, the Alaska Conservation Foundation in partnership with the Alaska Native Fund Steering Committee announced $125,000 would be awarded this year to Indigenous projects that protect land, water and way of life. Learn more.

It was a gorgeous day for Alaska, or for most any other place I can imagine. Mom, my best friend Jack, and I had driven north from Anchorage to Big Lake. Even then, Big Lake was primarily a weekend, or summer retreat from the relatively fast paced life of Anchorage. Read more.

Like any good foodie, I love me some prosciutto. And baby arugula. A salad topped with dried figs, goat cheese, and a balsamic vinaigrette and I'm in heaven. A pinch of saffron to enhance color and flavor. Sometimes, even I'm just too pretentious for my own good. See the recipe.

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The Southeast town of Wrangell is filled with small locally owned businesses that rely on community support. And the importance of that support was one lesson learned last weekend when students opened their own lemonade stands around the city. The Wrangell kids participated in their first Lemonade Day- a national event to encourage young people to learn about business.

Some call him the "Wobbly Canary" because of his flying of a bright yellow plane, but most know him as Rev. Norm Elliott. He was flying around Interior Alaska holding church services, so long as the temperature was above -40 degrees. You could probably even argue that he is among the most experienced bush pilots in Alaska history, since flying himself around was just another part of the job. KAKM: Sun. 5/13 at 6:30 pm & Weds. 5/16 at 10:00 pm KSKA: Thurs. 5/17 at 1:00 pm

In Alaska, rhubarb is one of the crops that grows with a pretty high success rate. The yield is excellent, it is a perennial - that means it grows every year - and harvesting the stalks is absolutely satisfying. Some folks will even pull a shaker of salt out of their pocket at this moment, cover the stalk, and chomp in to it. Click for recipe ideas.

“Raising Kid Colt,” was filmed over a span of two summers by amateur videographer, Nina Faust, who was able to film the intimate details of the lives of two Sandhill Cranes. Click for more.

There was still ice on Pike Lake in front of Richard Ellmers’ house as we recently chatted about his new book over the phone. He had just put his King Salmon house up for sale and was planning to move to Anchorage after this winter’s record snowfall. Ellmers is a mesmerizing story teller both vocally and in print. Read more.

Fellow in the Energy and National Security Program at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, Edward Chow was recorded speaking on "Shifting International Petroleum Landscape" at the Alaska World Affairs Council on May 11, 2012.

Alaska Natives living in some Arctic coastal communities became the nation’s first climate change refugees when the loss of protective ice, exposed them to huge waves and storm surges, making it too dangerous to remain in their homes. But inland villages are also feeling the affects of global warming. Melting permafrost is devastating the delta community of Selawik. To find out how residents are coping, Johanna Eurich visited the village, where the land is sinking and eroding.

He always loved drawing and cartooning, but never really thought that he would be able to make a living off of it. So, Chad Carpenter decided law enforcement was the path he would take, until he got a little encouragement from an instructor and he decided to leave the trooper academy and take up cartooning full time. After getting "Tundra" off the ground in Alaska and hustling state fairs, his passion started to take off, making it into over 500 newspapers nationwide so far. KAKM: Sun. 5/20 at 6:30 pm & Weds. 5/23 at 10:00 pm KSKA: Thurs. 5/24 at 1:00 pm