Gambell, Alaska
Encyclopedia
Gambell is a village on St. Lawrence Island
in Alaska
, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 649.
in the Bering Sea
, 325 km (201.9 mi) southwest of Nome
. It is 58 km (36 mi) from the Chukchi Peninsula
in the Russian Far East
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 30.4 square miles (78.7 km²), of which, 10.9 square miles (28.2 km²) of it is land and 19.5 square miles (50.5 km²) of it (64.10%) is water.
, 3.54% White
, 0.46% Asian
, and 0.31% from two or more races. 0.31% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 159 households out of which 51.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 0.6% had someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.08 and the average family size was 4.82.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 38.5% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 5.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 132.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 143.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,458, and the median income for a family was $30,625. Males had a median income of $30,625 versus $22,250 for females. The per capita income for the city was $8,764. 28.5% of the population and 30.6% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 29.6% were under the age of 18 and 33.3% were 65 or older.
Gambell has a reputation for having some of the best ivory carvers in the world. They work primarily in walrus ivory.
name for St. Lawrence Island and for Gambell. It has also been called Chibuchack and Sevuokok.
St. Lawrence Island has been inhabited sporadically for the past 2,000 years by both Alaskan Yup'ik
and Siberian Yupik
people. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the island had a population of about 4,000.
Between 1878 and 1880 a famine decimated the island's population. Many who did not starve left. The remaining population of St. Lawrence Island was nearly all Siberian Yupik.
In 1887, the Reformed Episcopal Church
of America decided to open a mission on St. Lawrence Island. That year a carpenter, lumber and tools were left at Sivuqaq by a ship. The carpenter worked with local Yupik to build a wood building, the first they had ever seen. When the building was finished, the carpenter left the keys to the door with a local chief and departed. Since the carpenter had not spoken Siberian Yupik, the residents did not know the purpose of the building.
The Reformed Episcopal Church had not been able to find missionaries willing to live on St. Lawrence Island, so the building built for the mission was left unoccupied. In 1890, the building was acquired by Sheldon Jackson
. He spoke to the Reverend Vene and Nellie Gambell, of Wapello, Iowa
, about moving to St. Lawrence Island. Gambell was hired as a schoolteacher and the Gambells came to the island in 1894. They had a daughter in 1897. Nellie Gambell became ill and the Gambells spent the winter of 1897-1898 in the United States, where Nellie was hospitalized. In the spring of 1898 they embarked on a return journey to St. Lawrence Island on the ship Lady Jane Grey. The ship sank in a storm and 43 people on it drowned, including the Gambells and their daughter.
After their death, Sivuqaq was renamed in the Gambells' honor.
On June 22, 1955, during the Cold War
. a US Navy P2V Neptune with a crew of 11 was attacked by two Soviet fighters in international waters over the Bering Straits between Siberia and Alaska, and crashed near Gambell, where the crew was rescued (3 wounded by Soviet fire; 4 injured in crash.) The Soviet Government, in response to a US diplomatic protest, was unusually conciliatory, stating that:
The Soviet military was under strict orders to "avoid any action beyond the limits of the Soviet state frontiers."
The Soviet Government "expressed regret in regard to the incident."
The Soviet Government, "taking into account... conditions which do not exclude the possibility of a mistake from one side or the other," was willing to compensate the US for 50% of damages sustained—the first such offer ever made by the Soviets for any Cold War shootdown incident.
The US Government stated that it was satisfied with the Soviet expression of regret and the offer of partial compensation, although it said that the Soviet statement also fell short of what the available information indicated.
Gambell and Savoonga
received joint title to most of the land on St. Lawrence Island under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
of 1971.
On August 30, 1975, Wien Air Alaska Flight 99
crashed when trying to land in Gambell. 10 of the 32 passengers and crew on board were killed.
. Gambell School serves grades Pre-K through 12.
St. Lawrence Island
St. Lawrence Island is located west of mainland Alaska in the Bering Sea, just south of the Bering Strait, at about 63°30' North 173°20' West. The village of Gambell is located on the northwest cape, from the Chukchi Peninsula in the Russian Far East. The island is part of Alaska, but closer to...
in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 649.
Geography
Gambell is located on the northwest cape of St. Lawrence IslandSt. Lawrence Island
St. Lawrence Island is located west of mainland Alaska in the Bering Sea, just south of the Bering Strait, at about 63°30' North 173°20' West. The village of Gambell is located on the northwest cape, from the Chukchi Peninsula in the Russian Far East. The island is part of Alaska, but closer to...
in the Bering Sea
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
, 325 km (201.9 mi) southwest of Nome
Nome, Alaska
Nome is a city in the Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska, located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. According to the 2010 Census, the city population was 3,598. Nome was incorporated on April 9, 1901, and was once the...
. It is 58 km (36 mi) from the Chukchi Peninsula
Chukchi Peninsula
The Chukchi Peninsula, Chukotka Peninsula or Chukotski Peninsula , at about 66° N 172° W, is the northeastern extremity of Asia. Its eastern end is at Cape Dezhnev near the village of Uelen. It is bordered by the Chukchi Sea to the north, the Bering Sea to the south, and the Bering Strait to the...
in the Russian Far East
Russian Far East
Russian Far East is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i.e., extreme east parts of Russia, between Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia and the Pacific Ocean...
.
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 30.4 square miles (78.7 km²), of which, 10.9 square miles (28.2 km²) of it is land and 19.5 square miles (50.5 km²) of it (64.10%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 649 people, 159 households, and 121 families residing in the city. The population density was 59.5 people per square mile (23.0/km²). There were 187 housing units at an average density of 17.2 per square mile (6.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.69% Native AmericanRace (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 3.54% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.46% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.31% from two or more races. 0.31% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 159 households out of which 51.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 0.6% had someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.08 and the average family size was 4.82.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 38.5% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 5.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 132.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 143.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,458, and the median income for a family was $30,625. Males had a median income of $30,625 versus $22,250 for females. The per capita income for the city was $8,764. 28.5% of the population and 30.6% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 29.6% were under the age of 18 and 33.3% were 65 or older.
Gambell has a reputation for having some of the best ivory carvers in the world. They work primarily in walrus ivory.
History
Sivuqaq is the Yupik languageYupik language
The Yupik languages are the several distinct languages of the several Yupik peoples of western and southcentral Alaska and northeastern Siberia. The Yupik languages differ enough from one another that speakers of different ones cannot understand each other, although they may understand the general...
name for St. Lawrence Island and for Gambell. It has also been called Chibuchack and Sevuokok.
St. Lawrence Island has been inhabited sporadically for the past 2,000 years by both Alaskan Yup'ik
Yupik
The Yupik , are a group of indigenous or aboriginal peoples of western, southwestern, and southcentral Alaska and the Russian Far East...
and Siberian Yupik
Siberian Yupik
Siberian Yupiks, or Yuits, are indigenous people who reside along the coast of the Chukchi Peninsula in the far northeast of the Russian Federation and on St. Lawrence Island in Alaska. They speak Central Siberian Yupik , a Yupik language of the Eskimo–Aleut family of languages.They were also...
people. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the island had a population of about 4,000.
Between 1878 and 1880 a famine decimated the island's population. Many who did not starve left. The remaining population of St. Lawrence Island was nearly all Siberian Yupik.
In 1887, the Reformed Episcopal Church
Reformed Episcopal Church
The Reformed Episcopal Church is an Anglican church in the United States and Canada and a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America...
of America decided to open a mission on St. Lawrence Island. That year a carpenter, lumber and tools were left at Sivuqaq by a ship. The carpenter worked with local Yupik to build a wood building, the first they had ever seen. When the building was finished, the carpenter left the keys to the door with a local chief and departed. Since the carpenter had not spoken Siberian Yupik, the residents did not know the purpose of the building.
The Reformed Episcopal Church had not been able to find missionaries willing to live on St. Lawrence Island, so the building built for the mission was left unoccupied. In 1890, the building was acquired by Sheldon Jackson
Sheldon Jackson
Sheldon Jackson was a Presbyterian missionary who also became a political leader. During this career he travelled about 1 million miles and established over 100 missions and churches in the Western United States. He is best remembered for his extensive work during the final quarter of the 19th...
. He spoke to the Reverend Vene and Nellie Gambell, of Wapello, Iowa
Wapello, Iowa
Wapello is a city in Louisa County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,124 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Louisa County. It is pronounced whop-UH-low, and almost rhymes with Tupelo....
, about moving to St. Lawrence Island. Gambell was hired as a schoolteacher and the Gambells came to the island in 1894. They had a daughter in 1897. Nellie Gambell became ill and the Gambells spent the winter of 1897-1898 in the United States, where Nellie was hospitalized. In the spring of 1898 they embarked on a return journey to St. Lawrence Island on the ship Lady Jane Grey. The ship sank in a storm and 43 people on it drowned, including the Gambells and their daughter.
After their death, Sivuqaq was renamed in the Gambells' honor.
On June 22, 1955, during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. a US Navy P2V Neptune with a crew of 11 was attacked by two Soviet fighters in international waters over the Bering Straits between Siberia and Alaska, and crashed near Gambell, where the crew was rescued (3 wounded by Soviet fire; 4 injured in crash.) The Soviet Government, in response to a US diplomatic protest, was unusually conciliatory, stating that:
The Soviet military was under strict orders to "avoid any action beyond the limits of the Soviet state frontiers."
The Soviet Government "expressed regret in regard to the incident."
The Soviet Government, "taking into account... conditions which do not exclude the possibility of a mistake from one side or the other," was willing to compensate the US for 50% of damages sustained—the first such offer ever made by the Soviets for any Cold War shootdown incident.
The US Government stated that it was satisfied with the Soviet expression of regret and the offer of partial compensation, although it said that the Soviet statement also fell short of what the available information indicated.
Gambell and Savoonga
Savoonga, Alaska
Savoonga is a city in Nome Census Area, Alaska, one of two on St Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea. As of the 2000 census, Savoonga's population was 643.Savoonga was incorporated in 1969, and in 1971 became the joint owner with Gambell of the entire island....
received joint title to most of the land on St. Lawrence Island under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, commonly abbreviated ANCSA, was signed into law by President Richard M. Nixon on December 23, 1971, the largest land claims settlement in United States history. ANCSA was intended to resolve the long-standing issues surrounding aboriginal land claims in...
of 1971.
On August 30, 1975, Wien Air Alaska Flight 99
Wien Air Alaska Flight 99
Wien Air Alaska Flight 99 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight that crashed into Sevuokuk Mountain, when on approach to Gambell Alaska on 30 August 1975, killing 10 of the 32 crew and passengers on board, including the pilot and co-pilot...
crashed when trying to land in Gambell. 10 of the 32 passengers and crew on board were killed.
Education
Gambell is served by the Bering Strait School DistrictBering Strait School District
Bering Strait School District is a school district in northwestern Alaska, United States, serving approximately 1,700 students in grades K-12 in fifteen isolated villages...
. Gambell School serves grades Pre-K through 12.
External links
- Gambell Presbyterian Church with description of the village
- Video