Public Radio for Alaska's Bristol Bay
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Bristol Bay and Beyond, Dec 26

Clark Fair

Thoughts on healthy choices for 2015, a visit to Port Heiden, a look at the history of reindeer in Bristol Bay, and more.

Coming up in this week's Bristol Bay and Beyond on KDLG, we’ll take a look at some ambitious projects underway in Port Heiden, plus a look back at the history of reindeer in Bristol Bay. Lois Schumacher has some tips for healthy new year’s resolutions, and Elijah Hunt tells us what's happening in the world of entertainment.

Credit Alex Tallekpalek (UAF)
Nushagak men with a reindeer pulled sled, near Levelock. Date unknown.

In Bristol Bay, nearly 300 people have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, and more than 200 are known to be in the pre-diabetes range. Without some lifestyle choices, they may well become diabetic in the years ahead. 

The number of people who have pre-diabetes, is growing, which Commander Lois Schumacher, the Diabetes Program Coordinator at the Kanakanak Hospital, says is concerning.  I spoke with Schumacher Friday morning for some advice for all of us about improving our health and keeping diabetes at bay as we look to 2015:

122614_web_Diabetes,_new_year's_resolutions.mp3
Listen here ...

Credit KDLG
John Christensen in front of a new reindeer corral in Port Heiden. The village is waiting to take possession of 64 reindeer purchased from Stebbins/St. Michael.

The plucky little village of Port Heiden on the Alaska Peninsula is embarking on a pair of ambitious projects right now. They hope that their efforts will create more jobs, more income, and more food security for the village of just over a hundred residents:

122614_web_Port_Heiden_segment.mp3
John Christensen have me a tour last week of Port Heiden's fish processing plant under construction, and the village's new corral, where they intend to house 64 reindeer purchased from Stebbins and St. Michael.

Credit courtesy of Alex Tallekpalek / UAF
/
UAF
Three men from Nushagak with sled pulled by reindeer, near Levelock. (date unknown)

Reindeer herding, as many know, has a storied past in Bristol Bay, and that past is being restudied by researchers in the Anthropology Department at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Credit Foss, Bert and Edna, 1995 / UAF
/
UAF
First reindeer station at Johnny Nielsens' homestead at Kokhanok. Circa 1910.

Postdoctoral fellow Amber Lincoln is among those who has been sifting through archives and gathering oral history to better document the history of reindeer on the Alaska Peninsula. She and others presented some of their findings recently at the Katmai National Park and Preserve office in King Salmon. Bristol Bay reindeer, says Lincoln, were an offshoot of Sheldon Jackson’s reindeer wider experiment beginning just before the turn of the century, and they arrived in Bristol Bay on account of an uncompleted journey. I spoke with Lincoln earlier this week to hear more:

122614_web_History_of_Reindeer_Bristol_Bay.mp3
Amber Lincoln talks about the history of reindeer herding in Bristol Bay

 Click here to read more about the research being done at UAF.

Credit UAF
The late Victor Monsen showing photo of self as a herder in the 1930s.

Student intern Elijah Hunt is keeping his "iON" entertainment for KDLG.

Finally, our student intern Elijah Hunt has been tracking the world of entertainment for us this week, and agreed to share a few thoughts.

122614_web_Eye_on_Entertainment.mp3
Elijah Hunt tells KDLG listenerland about new movies in theaters, those coming out on DVD, and what he's looking forward to down the road.

Traveling to the big city? KDLG's student intern Elijah Hunt says this is the new (and kid-friendly) movie to see.