A different kind of radio station

KBRW serves the people of Arctic Alaska in a way that few radio stations anywhere serve their communities. Messages are sent to and from people out in camps and on the ocean in its frozen or liquid state, there is a daily birthday program, where people call in from all across the Slope and beyond to give their best wishes to the different people who have birthdays that day. When a whaling crew is ready to leave, the word goes out over the radio and children come dashing to the house to receive candy from the crew as they leave. Many of the late elders have left stories behind as recordings which are often rebroadcast.

KBRW is very big in Barrow and the villages.

As part of the Mayors Office effort to help raise funds, Aqaq and Ora Elavgak join in and sing, "Farther along... Cheer up, my brother live in the sunshine, We'll understand it all by and by." As they sing, I am reminded why it is I love this place, so harsh in climate. It is the spirit that is here and that spirit comes out when the people sing these songs. I was not here 100 years ago, 200, 1000, 2000... But this same spirit was here then, too, held in the heart of the Iñupiat. I feel certain of it.

Text added at 5:08 PM. The Squarespace nightmare continunues - day 52 and counting.

As it happens, I came just in time to contribute to the KBRW fundraiser

Early this morning, I was in Fannie Akpik's office and the radio was on, tuned, of course to KBRW, the public radio station for Barrow and the eight villages of the entire North Slope Borough, nearly the size of the state of Utah. I heard what sounded to be a choir of people seeing gospel beautifully, backed up by guitar, in the Iñupiat voice. Fannie told me it was the NSB Mayor's Office staff, singing to help raise money for KBRW. So I went over and did my part to contribute - just a couple of weeks ago I had also contributed the same exact amount to KSKA in Anchorage. I then dropped in to KBRW to listen to the singing and to take a few pictures.

Pictured is Marlana Piedlow, her baby Gavyn, the elder Wesley Aiken, Seeseei Pili, Bernadette Neakok, Jack Frantz, Jacob Adams, Mayor Charlotte Brower and Kathy Ahgeak.

Text added at 5:01 PM. The Squarespace nightmare continues.