Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska
Encyclopedia
Anaktuvuk Pass is a city in North Slope Borough, Alaska
, United States. The population was 249 at the 2007 Census Bureau estimate.
on the divide between the Anaktuvuk River
and the John River
, located at an elevation of 2200 feet (670.6 m). Anaktuvuk Pass is the last remaining settlement of the Nunamiut
(People of the Land) Inupiat Eskimo
in Alaska.
The community lies at approximately 68.143330° North Latitude and 151.735830° West Longitude. It lies in Section 18, Township 15 South, Range 2 East, Umiat Meridian
, and is located within the Barrow Recording District
. According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 4.9 square miles (12.7 km²), of which 4.8 square miles (12.4 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (1.63%) is water.
There were 84 households of which 44.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.36 and the average family size was 4.26.
Age distribution was 38.7% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 5.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 107.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 121.8 males.
The median household income
was $52,500, and the median family income was $56,250. Males had a median income of $42,500 versus $32,250 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,283. About 3.2% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line
, including 0.8% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those sixty five or over.
, the language of the Inupiat.
There was a nomad
ic group of Inupiat called Nunamiut that lived inland in northern Alaska and lived by hunting caribou
instead of the marine mammal
s and fish hunted by the rest of the Inupiat, who live on the coast. The Nunamiut traded with the coastal people for other items they needed. A decline in caribou populations in about 1900 and in the 1920s caused many Nunamiut to move to the coastal villages. In 1938, several families of Nunamiut moved back to the Brooks Range, around Tulugak and the Killik River
. In 1949 the Tulugak group moved to Anaktuvuk Pass
and later the Killik River group moved there also. Anaktuvuk Pass is the only Nunamiut settlement.
This settlement attracted Nunamiut from many other locations, and villagers today lead a somewhat more sedentary lifestyle
than in earlier nomadic times. The City was incorporated in 1959. A Presbyterian Church was constructed in 1966.
A federally-recognized tribe is located in the community - the Village of Anaktuvuk Pass (a.k.a. Naqsragmiut Tribal Council). The population of the community consists of 88.3% Alaska Natives
or part Native. Anaktuvuk Pass is a Nunamiut Eskimo community dependent upon subsistence activities. Sale, importation and possession of alcohol are banned in the village.
Anaktuvuk Pass post office
was established in January 1951. The first postmaster was Homer Mekiana.
There is one school located in the community, attended by 94 students.
The only local health clinic is the Anaktuvuk Pass Health Clinic, which is a primary health care facility. Anaktuvuk Pass is classified as an isolated village, it is found in EMS Region 6A in the North Slope Region. Emergency services have access to the town via river and air. Emergency service is provided by volunteers and a health aide, there are no doctors on site. Auxiliary health care is provided by Anaktuvuk Pass Volunteer Fire Dept.
The Nunamiut's culture is described and preserved through photographs and artifacts at the Simon Paneak Memorial Museum in Anaktuvuk Pass.
or clothing provides income, though some residents have sought seasonal employment outside the town.
Caribou is the primary source of meat with other subsistence foods including trout
, grayling
, moose
, sheep
, brown bear
, ptarmigan and water fowl
.
Anaktuvuk Pass Airport
, consisting of a 4800 feet (1,463 m) gravel airstrip, is owned and operated by the North Slope Borough, and provides Anaktuvuk Pass with year-round access. A $3.4 million airport improvement project was completed by fall 1999, allowing many air companies to provide passenger flight service to Anaktuvuk Pass. There is no road to Anaktuvuk Pass, but "Cat
-trains" transport cargo from the Trans-Alaska pipeline
haul road during winter months. Snowmobile
s and all-terrain vehicle
s are used for local transportation, though some standard vehicles are used.
of KBRW-FM
, a public radio
station in Barrow
and K232DU, a rebroadcast of KYKD, a religious station from Bethel
. Anaktuvuk Pass also has two low-power translators of the state-wide Alaska Rural Communications Service
on K04IX and K09RS.
North Slope Borough, Alaska
-National protected areas:* Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge ** Cape Lisburne** Cape Thompson* Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ** Mollie Beattie Wilderness * Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve...
, United States. The population was 249 at the 2007 Census Bureau estimate.
Geography
Anaktuvuk Pass is slightly north of the Brooks RangeBrooks Range
The Brooks Range is a mountain range in far northern North America. It stretches from west to east across northern Alaska and into Canada's Yukon Territory, a total distance of about 1100 km . The mountains top out at over 2,700 m . The range is believed to be approximately 126 million years old...
on the divide between the Anaktuvuk River
Anaktuvuk River
The Anaktuvuk River is a river in Alaska's North Slope. One hundred and thirty-five miles long, it flows west from glaciers in the Endicott Mountains changing direction just north of Anaktuvuk Pass to flow north to the Arctic Coastal Plain where it joins the Colville River...
and the John River
John River (Alaska)
The John River is a river in the northern part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It was named after John Bremner, a prospector and explorer who was one of the first non-native persons to go there. It flows south from Anaktuvuk Pass in Alaska's Brooks Range, into the Koyukuk River at a point near the...
, located at an elevation of 2200 feet (670.6 m). Anaktuvuk Pass is the last remaining settlement of the Nunamiut
Nunamiut
The Nunamiut people are a semi-nomadic inland Inupiaq Eskimos located in northern and northwestern Alaska, mostly around the Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska, whose ancestors date back hundreds of years.-History:...
(People of the Land) Inupiat Eskimo
Eskimo
Eskimos or Inuit–Yupik peoples are indigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the circumpolar region from eastern Siberia , across Alaska , Canada, and Greenland....
in Alaska.
The community lies at approximately 68.143330° North Latitude and 151.735830° West Longitude. It lies in Section 18, Township 15 South, Range 2 East, Umiat Meridian
Principal meridians of Alaska
The five principal meridians of Alaska are the Copper River Meridian , Fairbanks Meridian , Kateel River Meridian , Seward Meridian and Umiat Meridian ....
, and is located within the Barrow Recording District
Recorder of deeds
Recorder of deeds is a government office tasked with maintaining public records and documents, especially records relating to real estate ownership that provide persons other than the owner of a property with real rights over that property.-Background:...
. According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 4.9 square miles (12.7 km²), of which 4.8 square miles (12.4 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (1.63%) is water.
Climate
The climate of Anaktuvuk Pass is strongly continental, due to its high elevation, summers are cool. The average temperature in January is -14 F while temperatures in the summer only reach 50 °F (10 °C). Extremes recorded in Anaktuvuk Pass are the maximum low being -56 F and the maximum high being 91 °F (32.8 °C). Anaktuvuk Pass receives about 11 inches (27.9 cm) of rain a year, with snowfall averaging about 63 inches (160 cm) per year. The area is known for its intense winds and 50-below winters and the generic, framed houses built there in 1970s. The houses are inefficient for such a climate, according to a Fairbanks Daily News Miner story. Anaktuvuk Pass is also the only place in the US to record a subzero June temperature, with a record low of -1.Demographics
At the 2000 census, there were 282 people, 84 households, and 57 families residing in the city. The population density was 58.2 per square mile (22.5 per km2). There were 101 housing units at an average density of 20.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 9.57% White, 1.42% Black or African American, 87.59% Native American, 0.71% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races, 0.71% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.There were 84 households of which 44.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.36 and the average family size was 4.26.
Age distribution was 38.7% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 5.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 107.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 121.8 males.
The median household income
Median household income
The median household income is commonly used to generate data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more...
was $52,500, and the median family income was $56,250. Males had a median income of $42,500 versus $32,250 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $15,283. About 3.2% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line
Poverty threshold
The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate standard of living in a given country...
, including 0.8% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those sixty five or over.
History
Anaktuvuk Pass was named after the Anaktuvik River. Anaktuvuk is the English way of spelling annaqtugvik place of caribou droppings in InupiaqInupiaq language
The Inupiat language, also known as Inupiatun, Inupiaq, Iñupiaq, Inyupiaq, Inyupiat, Inyupeat, Inyupik, and Inupik, is a group of dialects of the Inuit language, spoken in northern and northwestern Alaska. The Iñupiaq language is a member of the Eskimo languages group. There are roughly 2,100...
, the language of the Inupiat.
There was a nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
ic group of Inupiat called Nunamiut that lived inland in northern Alaska and lived by hunting caribou
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
instead of the marine mammal
Marine mammal
Marine mammals, which include seals, whales, dolphins, and walruses, form a diverse group of 128 species that rely on the ocean for their existence. They do not represent a distinct biological grouping, but rather are unified by their reliance on the marine environment for feeding. The level of...
s and fish hunted by the rest of the Inupiat, who live on the coast. The Nunamiut traded with the coastal people for other items they needed. A decline in caribou populations in about 1900 and in the 1920s caused many Nunamiut to move to the coastal villages. In 1938, several families of Nunamiut moved back to the Brooks Range, around Tulugak and the Killik River
Killik River
The Killik River, which has its headwaters in the northern portion of Gates of the Arctic National Park and flows north on to the property of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, is a river on the North Slope of the central Brooks Range in Alaska. The Killik is a tributary of the Colville River,...
. In 1949 the Tulugak group moved to Anaktuvuk Pass
Anaktuvuk Pass
The Anaktuvuk Pass is a mountain pass located in Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in North Slope Borough in northern Alaska...
and later the Killik River group moved there also. Anaktuvuk Pass is the only Nunamiut settlement.
This settlement attracted Nunamiut from many other locations, and villagers today lead a somewhat more sedentary lifestyle
Sedentary lifestyle
Sedentary lifestyle is a medical term used to denote a type of lifestyle with no or irregular physical activity. A person who lives a sedentary lifestyle may colloquially be known as a couch potato. It is commonly found in both the developed and developing world...
than in earlier nomadic times. The City was incorporated in 1959. A Presbyterian Church was constructed in 1966.
A federally-recognized tribe is located in the community - the Village of Anaktuvuk Pass (a.k.a. Naqsragmiut Tribal Council). The population of the community consists of 88.3% Alaska Natives
Alaska Natives
Alaska Natives are the indigenous peoples of Alaska. They include: Aleut, Inuit, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Eyak, and a number of Northern Athabaskan cultures.-History:In 1912 the Alaska Native Brotherhood was founded...
or part Native. Anaktuvuk Pass is a Nunamiut Eskimo community dependent upon subsistence activities. Sale, importation and possession of alcohol are banned in the village.
Anaktuvuk Pass post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
was established in January 1951. The first postmaster was Homer Mekiana.
Facilities, utilities, schools, health care and museum
The North Slope Borough provides all utilities to Anaktuvuk Pass. Two central wells and a treated watering point at Nunamiut School serve the town for water. Most households have water delivered by truck to holding tanks. A few residents haul their own water. Almost 80% of homes have running water in the kitchen. A $17 million project, to provide piped water and sewer and household plumbing, began construction in 1996 which will provide flush toilets and showers for all residences. A new landfill is also near completion. Electricity is provided by North Slope Borough.There is one school located in the community, attended by 94 students.
The only local health clinic is the Anaktuvuk Pass Health Clinic, which is a primary health care facility. Anaktuvuk Pass is classified as an isolated village, it is found in EMS Region 6A in the North Slope Region. Emergency services have access to the town via river and air. Emergency service is provided by volunteers and a health aide, there are no doctors on site. Auxiliary health care is provided by Anaktuvuk Pass Volunteer Fire Dept.
The Nunamiut's culture is described and preserved through photographs and artifacts at the Simon Paneak Memorial Museum in Anaktuvuk Pass.
Economy and transportation
Economic and employment opportunities are limited in Anaktuvuk Pass, due to its isolation. Hunting and trapping for sale of skins, guiding hunters, or making traditional caribou skin masksMasks among Eskimo peoples
Masks among Eskimo peoples served a variety of functions. Masks were made out of driftwood, animal skins, bones and feathers. They were often painted using bright colors...
or clothing provides income, though some residents have sought seasonal employment outside the town.
Caribou is the primary source of meat with other subsistence foods including trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
, grayling
Grayling (species)
The grayling is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It is the type species of its genus. Native to the Palearctic ecozone, the grayling is widespread throughout northern Europe, from the United Kingdom and France to the Ural Mountains in Russia...
, moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
, sheep
Domestic sheep
Sheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries...
, brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
, ptarmigan and water fowl
Anatidae
Anatidae is the biological family of birds that includes ducks, geese and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica and on most of the world's islands and island groups...
.
Anaktuvuk Pass Airport
Anaktuvuk Pass Airport
-Top Destinations:- External links :*...
, consisting of a 4800 feet (1,463 m) gravel airstrip, is owned and operated by the North Slope Borough, and provides Anaktuvuk Pass with year-round access. A $3.4 million airport improvement project was completed by fall 1999, allowing many air companies to provide passenger flight service to Anaktuvuk Pass. There is no road to Anaktuvuk Pass, but "Cat
Snowcat
A snowcat is an enclosed-cab, truck sized, fully tracked vehicle designed to move on snow. Snowcats are often referred to as 'trail groomers' because of their use for grooming ski trails or snowmobile trails...
-trains" transport cargo from the Trans-Alaska pipeline
Trans-Alaska Pipeline System
The Trans Alaska Pipeline System , includes the Trans Alaska Pipeline, 11 pump stations, several hundred miles of feeder pipelines, and the Valdez Marine Terminal. TAPS is one of the world's largest pipeline systems...
haul road during winter months. Snowmobile
Snowmobile
A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...
s and all-terrain vehicle
All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
s are used for local transportation, though some standard vehicles are used.
Media
Anaktuvuk Pass is home to two low-power FM translators. K268AB (FM 101.5) is a rebroadcasterBroadcast relay station
A broadcast relay station, relay transmitter, broadcast translator , rebroadcaster , or repeater is a broadcast transmitter which relays, repeats, or reflects the signal of another radio station or television station, usually to an area not covered by the signal of the originating station...
of KBRW-FM
KBRW-FM
KBRW-FM is a non-commercial radio station in Barrow, Alaska, broadcasting on 91.9 FM. The station airs public radio programming from the National Public Radio and WFMT networks...
, a public radio
Public broadcasting
Public broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
station in Barrow
Barrow, Alaska
Barrow is the largest city of the North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is one of the northernmost cities in the world and is the northernmost city in the United States of America, with nearby Point Barrow being the nation's northernmost point. Barrow's population was 4,212 at the...
and K232DU, a rebroadcast of KYKD, a religious station from Bethel
Bethel, Alaska
Bethel is a city located near the west coast of the U.S. state of Alaska, west of Anchorage. Accessible only by air and river, Bethel is the main port on the Kuskokwim River and is an administrative and transportation hub for the 56 villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.Bethel is the largest...
. Anaktuvuk Pass also has two low-power translators of the state-wide Alaska Rural Communications Service
Alaska Rural Communications Service
The Alaska Rural Communications Service is a statewide network of low-powered television stations, serving 235 communities throughout the Alaskan Bush areas. The network is based in Anchorage, Alaska and is operated by Alaska Public Broadcasting, a joint venture of Alaska Public Media and AlaskaOne...
on K04IX and K09RS.
Further reading
- Cline, Michael S. Tannik School: The Impact of Education on the Eskimos of Anaktuvuk Pass. Anchorage: Alaska Methodist University Press, 1975.
- Gubser, Nicholas J. The Nunamiut Eskimos, Hunters of Caribou. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965.
- Ingstad, HelgeHelge IngstadHelge Marcus Ingstad was a Norwegian explorer. After mapping some Norse settlements, Ingstad and his wife Anne Stine, an archaeologist, in 1960 found remnants of a Viking settlement in L'Anse aux Meadows in the Province of Newfoundland in Canada...
Nunamiut - Among Alaska's Inland Eskimos. New York City: W. W. NortonW. W. NortonW. W. Norton & Company is an independent American book publishing company based in New York City. It is well known for its "Norton Anthologies", particularly the Norton Anthology of English Literature and the "Norton Critical Editions" series of texts which are frequently assigned in university...
, 1954
External links
- Community Photos from the Alaska Division of Community Advocacy Community Photo Library
- Weather Cam from the Alaska FAA website
- Photo of the Anaktuvuk Pass airport and the town of Anaktuvuk Pass from the air
- Documentary- 50 Years of Northern Light, a look at Anaktuvuk Pass as reflected by the village church building. Directed by Caven Keith, 2011
