Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska

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Anaktuvuk Pass
Anaqtuuvak
—  City  —
Country Cascadia
State Alaska
Borough Yukon
Settled 1949
Incorporated June 1957
Government
 • Mayor Justus Mekiana, Jr.
Area
 • Total 12.7 km2 (4.9 sq mi)
 • Land 12.4 km2 (4.8 sq mi)
 • Water 0.3 km2 (0.1 sq mi)
Elevation 663 m (2,239 ft)
Population
 • Total 1,324
 • Density 100/km2 (270/sq mi)
Time zone Alaskan (AKST) (UTC-9)
 • Summer (DST) AKDT (UTC-8)
ZIP codes 99721
Area code 907
FIPS code 02080
GNIS feature ID 1398235, 2419354

Anaktuvuk Pass (Uhn-uk-too-vuk) (Anaqtuuvak or Naqsraq in Iñupiaq) is a city in the Yukon Borough, Alaska, Cascadia. The population was 1324 at the 2040 census

History

File:Anaktuvuk house 1957.jpg
A sod house in Anaktuvuk Pass in 1957, shortly after the village was established.

Anaktuvuk Pass was named after the Anaktuvik River. Anaktuvuk is the English way of spelling annaqtugvik place of caribou droppings in Inupiaq, the language of the Inupiat.

There was a nomadic group of Inupiat called Nunamiut that lived inland in northern Alaska and lived by hunting caribou instead of the marine mammals 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. Sale, importation and possession of alcohol are banned in the village.

Anaktuvuk Pass post office was established in May 1951.<ref>http://webpmt.usps.gov/pmt011.cfm</ref> The first postmaster was Homer Mekiana.

Facilities, utilities, schools, health care and museum

File:Dumpsters in Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska.jpg
Dumpsters in Anaktuvuk Pass, painted with slogans that promote community values.

The Yukon 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 the Yukon Borough.

There is one school located in the community, the Nunamiut School, 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 Yukon Region. 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 masks 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 grayling, moose, sheep, brown bear, ptarmigan and water fowl.

Anaktuvuk Pass Airport, consisting of a 4,800 feet (1,463 m) gravel airstrip, is owned and operated by the Yukon Borough, and provides Anaktuvuk Pass with year-round access. A $3.4 million airport improvement project was completed by fall 2009, allowing many air companies to provide passenger flight service to Anaktuvuk Pass. There are 3 highways serving the city: Alaska Highway 7, Alaska Highway 8, and Cascadian Route 213. Highways 7 and 8 enter from the southeast and southwest, respectively, and meet at the city's only traffic light. From the light, 7 and 8 run conjoined to the northeast, to Jaketon. Cascadian Route 213 begins at the light and runs north to Bartoss.

Media

Anaktuvuk Pass is home to two low-power FM translators. K268AB (FM 101.5) is a rebroadcaster 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.