Tune in for annual broadcast of the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention LIVE from Anchorage, AK.The broadcast covers the convention as it happens from the main podium.Listeners are able to hear the important speeches by Native leaders, state, and community representatives who are addressing the Native community as a whole.

At 4pm (EDT), hear “Alaska’s Native Voice,” a one hour program providing the voices of AFN attendees, as well as commentary and discussions about AFN presentations and activities, with host Antonia Gonzales.  ANV airs at 4:30 PM (EDT) on Saturday, October 17, 2015.

Coverage includes a  five-minute daily newscast with  stories about presentations, news-makers, popular activities such as the arts and crafts fair, and much more, and a translated version in Yup’ik, Inupiaq, Athabascan, and Tlingit.

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Pope Francis speaking in the Congress. Oh his way to the chamber, the pontiff stopped to bless a statue of Junipero Serra, a controversial Spanish missionary. (House of Representatives photo)

Pope Francis spent the week in the United States — and in a solemn ceremony named Father Junipero Serra a saint. A saint? That’s a troubling idea for many in Indian Country.

The pope went on top praise Serra’s treatment of Native people, saying the missionary “sought to defend the dignity of the native community, to protect it from those who had mistreated and abused it. Mistreatment and wrongs which today still trouble us, especially because of the hurt which they cause in the lives of many people.”
But that’s where the historical record is hard to reconcile with the story of Serra as a saint.

Many American Indians — especially those from California — say how can any “saint” be a part of such a brutal regime. Indeed, the numbers of dead California Natives are staggering. During those years of the missions, more than two-thirds of the Native people died. Historian and author Elias Castillo once called the missions “death camps run by friars where thousands of California’s Indians perished.” And in his own letters, Serra described indigenous people as “barbarous pagans.”

Could we be near the moment to really address climate change?

A quick answer is “no.” Of course not.

But the idea of cheap gas could help sell climate action. If it’s not profitable to pump oil right now, perhaps, oil companies will find a reason to delay investments in new projects. That means leaving carbon products in the ground for a better return on investment.

The reason for the sharp decline in the price of oil is both demographic and structural. And it’s not likely to change soon.

Tune in for annual broadcast of the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention LIVE from Anchorage, AK.

Thursday, October 23: 2:00 pm – 9:00 pm (EDT)

Friday, October 24: 2:00 pm – 9:00 pm (EDT)

Saturday, October 25: 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm (EDT)

The broadcast covers the convention as it happens from the main podium.

Listeners are able to hear the important speeches by Native leaders, state, and community representatives who are addressing the Native community as a whole.

At 4pm (EDT), hear “Alaska’s Native Voice,” a one hour program providing the voices of AFN attendees, as well as commentary and discussions about AFN presentations and activities, with host Antonia Gonzales.

KNBA 90.3 FM and Koahnic Broadcast Corporation are in the 18th year of providing this unique service that connects Native communities in Alaska through public radio.