Stories

Dena’ina Wellness Center uses special tape to ease pain, increase mobility

When Alexandra “Sasha” Lindgren went to the hospital because of lower-body pain so severe she couldn’t walk, she faced the possibility of needing a wheelchair.
A torn left meniscus and lymphedema growth under the same knee, plus anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) issues, had left her nearly immobilized.
Compounding those difficulties, Lindgren admits she is overweight.
“You can’t lose weight if you can’t exercise, Read More

Fiocla Wilson, the tribe’s eldest member, enjoys milestone birthday.

Connie Wilson remembers the moose-hunting trips and salmon-fileting sessions. Diana Zirul remembers playing piano in the entryway of her home. And Dan Hakkinen remembers the tasty soups cooking on her cast iron stove.
Longtime friends and five generations of family members filled the Heritage Place in Soldotna on June 30 to celebrate the 100th birthday of Fiocla Wilson, the tribe’s eldest member. Read More

Tribe hosts children’s art workshop

Some of the area’s youngest artists have taken their work to new heights.
The tribe’s Environmental Protection Program recently hosted an art workshop at the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center, offering instruction and encouragement to more than 25 children as they prepared paintings and drawings for the 2016 PEEPS Kids Art and Photo Exhibit. The exhibit, themed “Birds of the Kenai Peninsula,” was part of the 2016 Kenai Peninsula Birding Festival. Read More

Tribe celebrates official opening of the 2016 Educational Fishery

They danced. They ate. They laughed.
And for the first time this season, they put the net in the water.
The Kenaitze Indian Tribe celebrated the official opening of the 2016 Educational Fishery during a gathering May 1 under cloudy skies at the tribal fishery site in Kenai. This is the 28th year the tribe has operated the fishery.
Although no fish came to the net – the fishery crew set and pulled it once – there were plenty of highlights throughout the afternoon. Read More

Tribal program helps put former Nikiski High School student on a good path

It’s about 5:30 p.m. on a Tuesday in March, and Nico Castro finally has a chance to relax.
Life is busy for this 18-year-old living in Anchorage. When he isn’t working at the mechanic shop – like he did this day, from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – you can find him on campus at the University of Alaska-Anchorage, Read More

Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program is serious fun

Like many 11-year-olds, Blaine Hayes enjoys playing on the computer.
Unlike many 11-year-olds, Hayes knows how to build a computer.
“It’s cool to learn about technology,” he said.
Hayes, the grandson of tribal Elder Phyllis Bookey, recently attended the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program’s Middle School Academy at the University of Alaska-Anchorage. The two-week program gave 53 students from the Kenai Peninsula Borough and Lower Kuskokwim school districts hands-on experience in science, Read More

Easter party has kids hopping

Rosy-cheeked and catching her breath, 9-year-old Alyssa Anderson dropped to a knee and set down the bucket of plastic eggs. She reached inside and began popping off the lids, one-by-one, revealing a pile of treats.
Hershey Kisses. Snickers. Reece’s Pieces. Even a mini yo-yo.
Similar scenes played out across the playground and ballfields at Mountain View Elementary School in March as more than 200 people attended the tribe’s annual Easter celebration, Read More

Students walk a day in the shoes of Dena’ina Wellness Center employees

“Do what you love.”
“Be open.”
“Keep your grades up.”
Those were a just a few of the nuggets of advice employees at the Dena’ina Wellness Center recently offered to a group of young, aspiring medical professionals.
In March, the tribe participated in a job-shadow event organized by Kenai Central High School and the Kenai Chamber of Commerce. Read More

With pancakes and bacon cooking in the kitchen nearby, Rose Guilbeau leaned forward and gazed out the window.
“You can see the mountains, ocean and river,” she said. “This place looks really nice.”
On a recent Friday afternoon, Guilbeau enjoyed one of the first lunches served at the new Tyotkas Elder Center in Old Town Kenai. The 6,500-square-foot facility officially opened in March after about a year of construction.
The one-story structure includes many amenities. Read More

Dena’ina Wellness Center hosts health fair to promote Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

As Wilma Omnik stood beside a row of health displays, she thought of her family.
“I don’t think there’s been a death in my family, on my mom’s side, from anything but cancer,” Omnik said.
Omnik was among those who attended a health fair at the Dena’ina Wellness Center in March, which was Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in Alaska. Read More