- Details
- By Kaili Berg
A pair of Inupiaq brothers from Nome, Alaska, Oliver and Wilson Hoogendorn, have won a grand prize of $500,000 in the first season of a national reality TV show series competition called “Race to Survive: Alaska."
The episode aired on USA Network on Monday, June 5. The show kicked off in April showcasing eight different two-person teams and six races that took place across uncharted terrain in Ketchikan, Kodiak, and Cordova, Alaska. The brothers competed over the summer across the 50-day survival course, traversing more than 100 miles and ultimately became the first winners of the show.
The brothers faced tremendous challenges, including terrain and wilderness, but preserved and brought the win home to Nome, where they were born and raised. Teams were only allowed to use what they could carry on their back and used their wilderness skills to make it through the race.
Oliver works as a commercial fisherman and Wilson works as a gold diver. The two were the first Native Alaskan team to summit Denali in 13 days and skied down the highest peak in North America in one day. They have honed their wilderness skills their whole lives hunting moose, seals, and whales using traditional indigenous methods.
In an interview with TV Insider, the brothers said they plan to use their winnings to give back to the Nome community — providing lumber, uniforms for the cross-country team, as well as building houses and donating to a food bank.
More Stories Like This
Actor Jonathan Joss, Voice of John Redcorn, Killed in Texas ShootingCelebrate Summer and Father’s Day at the Chickasaw Cultural Center – June 14
After 30 Years, Berkeley's Turtle Island Monument Foundation Will Be Built
Chris Eyre's Jim Thorpe Documentary to Debut on The HISTORY Channel on July 7
Muscogee Opera Soprano Kirsten Kunkle Stars in Tosca Production in June
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
