Alaska: Archaeologists discover remains of Ice Age infants in Alaska By MARMIAN GRIMES - The remains of two Ice Age infants, buried more than 11,000 years ago at a site in Alaska, represent the youngest human remains from that era ever found in northern North America, according to a new paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

University of Alaska Fairbanks professors Ben Potter and Josh Reuther excavate the burial pit at the Upward Sun River site.
UAF photo courtesy of Ben Potter

The site and its artifacts provide new insights into funeral practices and other rarely preserved aspects of life among people who inhabited the area thousands of years ago, according to Ben Potter, a researcher at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the paper’s lead author.

Potter led the archaeological team that made the discovery in fall of 2013 at an excavation of the Upward Sun River site, near the Tanana River in central Alaska. The researchers worked closely with local and regional Native tribal organizations as they conducted their research. The National Science Foundation funded the work.

Potter and his colleagues note that the human remains and associated burial offerings, as well as inferences about the time of year the children died and were buried, could lead to new thinking about how early societies were structured, the stresses they faced as they tried to survive, how they treated the youngest members of their society, and how they viewed death and the importance of rituals associated with it.

Potter made the new find on the site of a 2010 excavation, where the cremated remains of another 3-year-old child were found. The bones of the two infants were found in a pit directly below a residential hearth where the 2010 remains were found.

“Taken collectively, these burials and cremation reflect complex behaviors related to death among the early inhabitants of North America,” Potter said.

In the paper, Potter and his colleagues describe unearthing the remains of the two children in a burial pit under a residential structure about 15 inches below the level of the 2010 find. The radiocarbon dates of the newly discovered remains are identical to those of the previous find - about 11,500 years ago - indicating a short period of time between the burial and cremation, perhaps a single season. - More...
Wednesday PM - November 12, 2014

Alaska: More Votes Counted, Tight Races Continue - Yesterday, five regional Alaska Division of Elections offices around the state began counting remaining Early Vote and Absentee Ballots. By the end of Tuesday, workers had counted over 17,000 votes.

Over 220,000 votes were counted in the General Election held on November 4th and there are still more than 30,000 votes to be counted.

The deadline to receive absentee by mail ballots postmarked within the United States is November 14th and officials will count Absentee and Questioned Ballots that have not yet been counted on that day. Other counts of Absenttee and Questioned Ballots are scheduled for November 17-19th.

The Alaska Division of Elections has scheduled November 28th as the target election certification date. Until that time, election results are unofficial.

In a tight race for Alaska's Governorship, Independent candidate Bill Walker still maintained a lead over Republican Governor Sean Parnell after Tuesday's count.

In a prepared statement on November 4th, Governor Parnell said, “With the governor’s race still dependent on more than 30,000 absentee and questioned votes left to count, this is an extremely tight race.”

Governor Parnell said on that date, “We will make sure every Alaskan’s vote gets counted and we remain confident that the lead can switch with the number of ballots remaining.”

Following the tabulation of absentee and questioned ballots yesterday, with a 4,004 vote lead over Gov. Parnell, Bill Walker announced plans to proceed with organization of a transition team. Although there are several thousand votes yet to be counted, the Walker Mallott team has undertaken these preliminary steps in recognition of a constitutional deadline for swearing in on December 1st. - More...
Wednesday PM - November 17, 2014

Alaska: Tribe Joins My Brother’s Keeper Initiative and Holds Local Action Summit - Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska in collaboration with Sealaska, convened a local action summit last Friday in response to President Obama’s White House initiative, “My Brother’s Keeper” (MBK). The Tribe is one of only two tribes in Alaska and 15 tribes nationwide that have committed to the challenge.

Data presented during the summit revealed Alaska Natives suffer from disproportionately high rates of mortality (suicide and homicide), exposure to violent crimes, substance abuse, and high school dropout. While the statistics presented were difficult to hear, it was necessary for participants to review in order for the group to move forward with purpose and have a deep understanding of the many barriers our young Alaska Native males face.

The “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative is a call to action to community members (mayors, tribal leaders, schools, agencies/organizations, etc.), who offer a program or service that provides a vital resource and is an integral component to improving the life outcome for minority boys and young males. The initiative challenges communities to work together on developing a plan of action and safety net of resources to help young people reach their full potential.

Nearly 75 community leaders representing tribal, municipal, and state governments along with agencies/organizations participated in the summit. Andy Lee of Sitka facilitated the summit,

“There is a crisis with our young Alaska Native males – the crisis is real, ongoing, and growing. If action is not taken, we are going to lose more young men, which will lead to more dysfunctional households. The lack of support, opportunity, and the issues our young men face are leaving them hopeless. It is our responsibility to help our young Native boys succeed in life," said Andy Lee, MBK Summit Facilitator. - More...
Wednesday PM - November 12, 2104

Alaska: Alaska Health Care Commission seeks public comment on 2014 draft report - The Alaska Health Care Commission’s 2014 draft report has been released for public comment. The comment period will end November 28, 2014.

Comments received from the public on the 2014 draft will be considered by the commission at its next meeting on Dec. 9, 2014, and incorporated into the commission’s 2014 Annual Report, which will be submitted to the Governor and Legislature on Jan. 15, 2015.

The commission, authorized under AS 18.09.010, is charged with fostering the development of a statewide plan to address the quality, accessibility, and availability of health care for all citizens of the state.

The following topics are presented in the draft report for public review and comments: - More...
Wednesday PM - November 12, 2014