Friday, December 26, 2025

The Alaska chapter of Safari Club International took a group of men from Kipnuk deer hunting last month. The hunters were evacuees from a storm that ravaged the Western Alaska coast, unleashed by Typhoon Halong. After more than a month of staying in shelters and hotel rooms in Anchorage, they were quick to accept the invitation. As KNBA’s Rhonda McBride tells us, what transpired turned out to be more than just a hunt. The Safari Club and Alaska Native subsistence hunters have often been on the opposite side in debates over fish and game management. And some who have followed the politics over the years find it puzzling that the Safari Club reached out to help Kipnuk hunters displaced by the storm. But John Sturgeon, a longtime Safari Club member, says it should not be a surprise. “The Safari Club and the subsistence people are much closer together than most folks would think. We’re hunters. They’re hunters.” Sturgeon helped to organize the hunt. “We have the resources to help. And them eating wild game and going out after wild game is really important to them. And we just said, ‘Well, this is something we can do to help, especially at Christmas time.’ So we’re hoping this will make a few people happy.” What started out with five hunters snowballed. The evacuees had no clothes or gear, which they either lost in the storm or had to leave behind. Club members loaned them guns and scopes. One dug into his own pocket to outfit them for the hunt. The Safari Club bought them hunting licenses and chartered a boat from Whittier, Alaska to Montague Island, where the men took nine Sitka black-tailed deer. It’s the first time Darrell John had gone hunting since an ocean surge carried his house away. “We were hunting deer on a beach, which I never ever thought I would be hunting.” “When I was gutting deer, I knew my family was going to eat something. Made me feel like I was providing for my family again.” Although John never dreamed he’d go hunting in a such in a faraway place like Prince William Sound, he suddenly felt more like his old self. When the hunters returned, they wanted to share their catch with others displaced by the storm. Suddenly plans mushroomed into a feast to feed more than 200. The Safari Club collected donations of fish and wild game, which included a seal from Kodiak Island. John’s wife Lacey John knew right away what was cooking. “Seals have a strong scent. The seal that was baking. It smelled like home. I just breathed in. (laughter) ” Karson Apodaca. (Courtesy Sayetsitty Family / gofundme) A Christmas parade on the Navajo Nation was suddenly cut short this week after a suspected drunk driver struck and killed a child and injured three bystanders. KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio has details. The Kayenta Township near Monument Valley shared joy on social media ahead of its annual Christmas market and parade at the rodeo grounds. “The parade is going to start on Navajo Route 591, which is right behind Chevron, okay? It’s like you’re going to the flea market here if you live in Kayenta … That one’s gonna start right at 5:00 p.m., so be ready.” But about 10 minutes later, that holiday cheer came to an abrupt halt after an alleged drunk driver entered the parade route and hit four people, including a child and a pregnant woman. The Navajo Police Department confirmed three-year-old Karson Apodaca died and a suspect is in custody. The Kayenta community and guests came together to honor and remember Karson Apodaca with a peaceful vigil walk, the singing of Christmas carols, and the decoration of a Christmas tree in his honor, followed by prayer circle. (Courtesy Sayetsitty Family / GoFundMe) The sale of alcohol, as well as possession and consumption, is prohibited on tribal land. Josephine Romines, a volunteer from Unconquered Life, during the Holiday Resource Rally on December 10 in Ada, Okla, which served about 800 families during the event. (Courtesy Chickasaw Nation) This year, the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma and Feed the Children partnered to bring holiday packages to an estimated 800 Ada, Okla. area families. The recent drive-thru distribution included a 25 lbs. box of food, and a 15lbs box of personal care items, books, toys, and other products. This is the 10th year the tribe and organization have partnered to help families during the holidays.   Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today. Download our NV1 Android or iOs App for breaking news alerts. Check out the latest episode of Native America Calling Friday, December 26, 2025 – For all its promise, AI is a potential threat to culture