Indigenous organizations and local leaders were focusing on the destruction from the recent storm before the start of the convention.

The Alaska Native Customary Art Fair is a tradition at AFN, with artists from Alaska and the Lower 48 showcasing their work. The fair will be on the first and second floors of the Dena’ina Center on Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In Alaska, the second Monday of October is designated to recognize the state’s Indigenous people and their cultures. The Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage was one of several sites around the state that hosted events to commemorate the day.

Alaskans across the Last Frontier celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day. In Anchorage, Alaska Pacific University celebrated the state holiday by gathering to share in traditional knowledge and raise awareness of the contributions of Alaska Natives.

A U.S. Coast Guard official described the situation in remote villages Kipnuk and Kwigillingok as "absolute devastation."

Rain and wind were forecast Wednesday along Alaska’s coast, where two remote Native villages were left in ruins after the

This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with the Anchorage Daily News. Sign up for Dispatches to get our stories in your inbox every week. Leaders in Alaska and elsewhere have repeatedly promised action in recent ...

The disaster laid bare the Alaska Native village’s vulnerability to flooding and the consequences of the Trump administration’s cuts to environmental programs.