Utqiagvik, Alaska


Utqiagvik officially the City of Utqiaġvik, formerly known as Barrow, is the largest city of the North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska and is located north of the Arctic Circle. It is one of the northernmost public communities in the world and is the northernmost city in the United States. Nearby Point Barrow is the country's northernmost point. Utqiagvik's population was 4,581 at the 2000 census and 4,212 at the 2010 census.

Etymology

The location has been home to the Iñupiat, an indigenous Inuit ethnic group, for more than 1,500 years. The city's native name, Utqiaġvik, refers to a place for gathering wild roots. It is derived from the Iñupiat word utqiq, also used for "potato". The name was first recorded in 1853 as "Ot-ki-a-wing" by Commander Rochfort Maguire, Royal Navy. John Simpson's native map dated 1855, records the name "Otkiawik," which was misprinted on the subsequent British Admiralty Chart as "Otkiovik."
The name Barrow was derived from Point Barrow, and was originally a general designation, because non-native Alaskan residents found it easier to pronounce than the Inupiat name. A post office established in 1901 helped the name "Barrow" to become dominant. Point Barrow was named after Sir John Barrow of the British Admiralty by explorer Frederick William Beechey in 1825.
In an October 2016 referendum, city voters narrowly approved to change its name from Barrow to its traditional Iñupiaq name, Utqiaġvik. The governor had 45 days to rule on the name change and it was officially adopted on December 1, 2016. City Council member Qaiyaan Harcharek described the name change as supporting use of the Iñupiaq language and being part of a process of decolonization.
Another recorded Iñupiaq name is Ukpiaġvik, which comes from ukpik "snowy owl" and translates to "the place where snowy owls are hunted". A spelling variant of this name was adopted by the Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation when it was established in 1973.

History

Prehistory to the 20th century

sites in the area indicate the Iñupiat lived around Utqiaġvik as far back as AD 500. Remains of 16 sod dwelling mounds, from the Birnirk culture of about AD 800, can be seen on the shore of the Arctic Ocean. Located on a slight rise above the high-water mark, they are at risk of being lost to erosion.
Bill Streever, who chairs the North Slope Science Initiative's Science Technical Advisory Panel, wrote in his 2009 book Cold: Adventures in the World’s Frozen Places:
British Royal Navy officers came to the area to explore and map the Arctic coastline of North America. The US acquired Alaska in 1867. The United States Army established a meteorological and magnetic research station at Utqiaġvik in 1881.
In 1888, a Presbyterian church was built by United States missionaries at Utqiaġvik. The church is still used today.
In 1889 a whaling supply and rescue station was built. It is the oldest wood-frame building in Utqiaġvik and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The rescue station was converted for use in 1896 as the retail Cape Smythe Whaling and Trading Station. In the late 20th century, the building was used as Brower's Cafe.

20th century to the present

In 1901, a United States Post Office was opened.
circa 1960s|upright
In 1935, the famous humorist Will Rogers and pilot Wiley Post made an unplanned stop at Walakpa Bay south of Utqiaġvik, en route to the city. As they took off again, their plane stalled and plunged into a river, killing them both. Two memorials have been erected at the location, now called the Rogers-Post Site. Another memorial is located in Utqiaġvik, where the airport was renamed as the Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport in their honor.
In 1940, the indigenous Iñupiat organized as the Native Village of Barrow Iñupiat Traditional Government, which is a federally recognized Alaska Native Iñupiat "tribal entity", as listed by the US Bureau of Indian Affairs circa 2003. They wrote a constitution and by-laws, under the provisions of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. An IRA corporation was also created.
Utqiaġvik was incorporated as a 1st Class City under the name Barrow in 1958. Natural gas lines were brought to the town in 1965, eliminating traditional heating sources such as whale blubber.
Residents of the North Slope were the only Native people to vote on acceptance of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act; they rejected it. The Act was passed in December 1971 and, despite their opposition, became law. The Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation is the for-profit village corporation established under the Act.
In 1972, the North Slope Borough was established. With millions of dollars in new revenues from the settlement and later oil revenues, the borough has created sanitation facilities, water and electrical utilities, roads, fire departments, and health and educational services in Utqiaġvik and the villages of the North Slope.
In 1986, the North Slope Borough created the North Slope Higher Education Center. Renamed Iḷisaġvik College, it is an accredited two-year college providing education based on the Iñupiat culture and the needs of the North Slope Borough.
The Tuzzy Consortium Library, in the Iñupiat Heritage Center, serves the communities of the North Slope Borough and functions as the academic library for Iḷisaġvik College. The library was named after Evelyn Tuzroyluk Higbee, an important leader in the community.
Utqiaġvik, like many communities in Alaska, has enacted a "damp" law, prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages. It allows for import, possession and consumption of such beverages.
In 1988, Utqiaġvik became the center of worldwide media attention when three California gray whales became trapped in the ice offshore. After a two-week rescue effort, a Soviet icebreaker freed two of the whales. Journalist Tom Rose details the rescue, and the media frenzy that accompanied it, in his 1989 book Freeing The Whales. The movie Big Miracle is based on the rescue and was released on February 3, 2012.
In October 2016, a city referendum renamed the city from Barrow to its traditional Iñupiaq name, Utqiaġvik. The name change officially went into effect on December 1, 2016.

Geography

Utqiaġvik is roughly south of the North Pole. Only 2.6% of the Earth's surface lies as far and farther from the equator as Utqiaġvik.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of the area being land and being water. Water makes up 14% of the total area. The predominant land type in Utqiaġvik is tundra, which is formed over a permafrost layer that is as much as in depth.
Utqiaġvik is surrounded by the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska.
The city of Utqiaġvik has three sections, which can be classified as south, central, and north, and are known to residents as Utqiaġvik, Browerville, and NARL, respectively.
An ancient -sized crater, Avak, is situated near Utqiaġvik.

Climate

Owing to its location north of the Arctic Circle, Utqiaġvik's climate is cold and dry, classified as a polar climate. Winter weather can be extremely dangerous because of the combination of cold and wind, while summers are cool even at their warmest. Weather observations are available for Utqiaġvik dating back to the late 19th century. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Monitoring Lab operates in Utqiaġvik. The United States Department of Energy has a climate observation site in Utqiaġvik as part of its Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Climate Research Facility.
Despite the extreme northern location, temperatures at Utqiaġvik are moderated by the surrounding topography. The Arctic Ocean is on three sides, and flat tundra stretches some to the south. There are no wind barriers or protected valleys where dense cold air can settle or form temperature inversions in the lower atmosphere, as commonly happens in the interior between the Brooks and the Alaska ranges.
Utqiaġvik has the lowest average temperatures of cities in Alaska. Although it is rare for Utqiaġvik to record the lowest temperatures statewide during cold waves, extremely low wind chill and "white out" conditions from blowing snow are very common. Temperatures remain below freezing from early October through late May.
The high temperature is above freezing on an average of only 120 days per year, and there are 106 days with a maximum at or below. Freezing temperatures and snowfall can occur during any month of the year.
In terms of precipitation, Utqiaġvik has a desert climate, and averages less than "rainfall equivalent" per year. One inch of rain possesses approximately equal water content to of snow. According to 1971−2000 normals, this includes of snow,
compared to for Kuujjuaq in Nunavik, Quebec or and for much warmer Juneau and Kodiak, Alaska, respectively. Even Sable Island, at around 44 degrees latitude and under the influence of the Gulf Stream, receives, or 52 percent more snowfall than Utqiaġvik.
The first snow generally falls during the first week of October, when temperatures cease to rise above freezing during the day. October is usually the month with the heaviest snowfall, with measurable amounts occurring on nearly half the days and a 1981−2010 normal total accumulation of.
The sun sets on November 18 or 19, and it remains below the horizon for about 66 days. This creates a polar night that lasts until the Sun returns to lightly touch the horizon by January 22 or January 23. The sun then rises again completely over the horizon by January 27 or 28. During the first half of the polar night, there is a decreasing amount of twilight each day, and on the winter solstice, civil twilight in Utqiaġvik lasts for a mere 3 hours.
In addition to its low temperatures and polar night, Utqiaġvik is one of the cloudiest places on Earth. Owing to the prevailing easterly winds off the Arctic Ocean, Utqiaġvik is completely overcast slightly more than 50% of the year. It is at least 70% overcast some 62% of the time. Cloud types are mainly low stratus and fog; cumuli forms are rare. Peak cloudiness occurs in August and September when the ocean is ice-free. Dense fog occurs an average of 65 days per year, mostly in the summer months. Ice fog is very common during the winter months, especially when the temperature drops below.
Serious cold weather usually begins in January, and February is generally the coldest month, averaging. By March 1, the sun is up for 9 hours, and temperatures begin to warm, though winds are usually higher. April brings less extreme temperatures, with an average of, and on April 1 the sun is up for more than 14 hours. In May, the temperatures are much warmer, averaging. Beginning around May 11 or 12, the sun remains above the horizon the entire day, and the phenomenon known as the midnight sun is observed. The sun does not set for about 80 days, until around July 31 or August 1. In June, the average temperature rises above freezing, to, and the normal daily mean temperature remains above freezing until September 17.
July is the warmest month of the year, with a normal mean temperature of. Beginning in late July, the Arctic Ocean is relatively ice-free, and remains so until late October. The highest temperature recorded in Utqiaġvik was on July 13, 1993, while the lowest is on February 3, 1924; the highest minimum is on August 25, 1979 and August 13, 2005, while the lowest maximum is on January 3, 1975. Utqiaġvik records an average 24 days per year where the high reaches at least. Even in July and August, the low falls to or below the freezing mark on an average of 24 days.
Variation of wind speed during the year is limited, with the fall months being windiest. Extreme winds from have been recorded for all months. Winds average and are typically from the east.

Demographics

The town first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census as the unincorporated Inuit village of "Ootiwakh." All 225 of its residents were Inuit. In 1890, the community and area was returned as the "Cape Smythe Settlements", which was including the refuge & whaling stations, Pengnok, Utkeavie, Kugaru River villages, 4 other camps & Whaling Steamer Balaena. Of those 246 residents, 189 were natives, 46 were White, 1 was Asian and 10 were other races. This did not include nearby Point Barrow, which was a separate community. In 1900, it reported again as "Cape Smythe Settlements." In 1910, it first reported as Barrow, and in every successive census to 2010. It formally incorporated in 1959. The native name of Utqiaġvik was adopted in 2016 and will appear on the 2020 census.
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As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 4,212 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 60.5% Alaskan Native, 16.2% Caucasian, 0.9% African, 8.9% Asian, 2.3% Pacific Islander and 8.1% from two or more races. 3.1% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,683 people, 1,399 households, and 976 families living in the city. The population density was 249.0 people per square mile. There were 1,620 housing units at an average density of 88.1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city is 57.19% Alaska Native, 21.83% White, 9.41% Asian, 1.00% Black or African American, 1.35% Pacific Islander, 0.70% from other races, and 8.51% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3.34% of the population.
There were 1,399 households out of which 56.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.35 and the average family size was 4.80.
In Utqiaġvik, the age distribution shows 27.7% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 3.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $63,094.09, and the median income for a family was $68,223. Males had a median income of $51,959 versus $46,382 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,902. About 7.7% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under the age of 18 and 13.12% of those 65 and older.
As of March 3, 2009, the town's website wrote of the population: "The largest city in the North Slope Borough, Utqiagvik has 4,429 residents, of which approximately 61% are Iñupiat Eskimo."

Economy

Utqiaġvik is the economic center of the North Slope Borough, the city's primary employer. Numerous businesses provide support services to oil field operations. State and federal agencies are employers. The midnight sun has attracted tourism, and arts and crafts provide some cash income. Because transporting food to the city is very expensive, many residents continue to rely upon subsistence food sources. Whale, seal, polar bear, walrus, waterfowl, caribou, and fish are harvested from the coast or nearby rivers and lakes. Utqiaġvik is the headquarters of the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, one of the Alaska Native corporations set up following the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act in 1971 to manage revenues and invest in development for their people in the region.

Arts and culture

Special events

Singer-songwriter John Denver visited the town for his 1979 television special Alaska, The American Child.
Fran Tate, a local restaurant owner, was a frequent guest by telephone on a Chicago radio program, the Steve and Johnnie Show on WGN, during the 1990s. She also appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
The town is the setting for a series of horror comic books titled 30 Days of Night. The stories center on vampires who take advantage of month-long annual polar night in the town to openly kill and feed at will, massacring most of the townspeople. A commercially successful film, named after and based upon the comic, was released on October 19, 2007, followed by a straight-to-video on July 23, 2010.
Karl Pilkington is sent to the town in the second season of An Idiot Abroad.
On the Ice, a film released in 2011 about teenagers dealing with a tragic accidental death, was filmed entirely in the town, with locals acting in most roles.
Big Miracle, a 2012 film starring Drew Barrymore, is based on the true story of whales trapped under ice near Point Barrow, and features scenes in and characters from the town.
The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode "T.R.A.C.K.S." has Phil Coulson threaten Ward with a transfer to the town to guard Emil Blonsky's cryo-cell.
Stephen Fry visited the town and its people during the last segment of his documentary Stephen Fry in America.
In 2015, the NFL Network began an 8-part documentary series focusing on the Barrow High School Whalers football team.

Sports

Football

On August 19, 2006, the Whalers of Barrow High School played the first official football game in the Arctic against Delta Junction High School. Barrow High School recorded its first win two weeks later; the coaches and players celebrated the historic win by jumping into the Arctic Ocean, just from the makeshift dirt field.
On August 17, 2007, the Whalers football team played their first game of the season on their new artificial-turf field. The historic game, attended by former Miami Dolphins player Larry Csonka, was the first live Internet broadcast of a sporting event in the United States from north of the Arctic Circle.
Since the team's formation, it has gathered a record of 33–24, and most recently, the team reached the semi-final round of the Alaskan State Small School Football Championship.
In 2017, The Barrow High School Football team recorded their first ever state championship win over the Homer Mariners 20–14.

Basketball

In 2015, the Barrow High School boys' basketball team won the Alaska Class 3A State Championship with a 50–40 victory over two-time defending state champion, Monroe Catholic. The Whalers' team was led by 5-star recruit Kamaka Hepa. As a 6'7" freshman he was regarded as one of the top basketball recruits in the country. He was ranked as the #21 ranked basketball recruit in the country by ESPN for the class of 2018. Hepa transferred to Jefferson High School in Portland, Oregon, for his junior year. By October 2017, at 6'8" tall, he had committed to go to the University of Texas.
The Whalers' boys' basketball team finished the 2014–2015 season with a 24–3 record, the highest win percentage in school history. Guard Travis Adams was a standout as well. Coach Jeremy Arnhart's teams won 186 games in 10 seasons. Also in 2015, the Barrow High School girls' team easily won the ACS tournament.

Education

Utqiaġvik is served by the North Slope Borough School District. The schools serving the city are Ipalook Elementary School, Hopson Middle School, and Barrow High School.
Iḷisaġvik College, a two-year tribal college and the only tribal college in Alaska, is located in Utqiaġvik. The school offers associate's degrees in accounting, allied health, business and management, construction technology, dental health therapy, indigenous education, information technology, Iñupiaq studies, liberal arts, and office management. It also offers a bachelor's degree in business administration. The school additionally offers adult education courses for GED preparation and certificates in various programs.

Media

Radio

/KBRW-FM radio station broadcasts in Utqiaġvik on 680 kHz AM and 91.9 MHz FM. KBRW is also broadcast via FM repeaters in all of the North Slope Borough villages, from Kaktovik to Point Hope.

Newspaper

The Arctic Sounder is a newspaper published weekly by Alaska Media, LLC, which covers news of interest to the North Slope Borough, which includes Utqiaġvik, and the Northwest Arctic Borough, which includes Kotzebue, in northwestern Alaska.

Television

Appeared in Channel 4 from Alaska Rural Communications Service. The stations are K04KS and K11NN.
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Infrastructure

Transportation

The roads in Utqiaġvik are unpaved due to the permafrost, and no roads connect the city to the rest of Alaska. Utqiaġvik is served by Alaska Airlines with passenger jet service at the Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport from Anchorage and Fairbanks. New service between Fairbanks and Anchorage began from Era Aviation on June 1, 2009. Freight arrives by air cargo year round and by ocean-going marine barges during the annual summer sealift.
Utqiaġvik is the transportation hub for the North Slope Borough's Arctic coastal villages. Multiple jet aircraft, with service from Deadhorse, Fairbanks and Anchorage, provide daily mail, cargo, and passenger services, which connect with smaller single- and twin-engine general aviation aircraft that provide regular service to other villages, from Kaktovik in the east to Point Hope in the west. The town is also served by several radio taxi services, most using small four-wheel drive vehicles.

Health care

Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital, located in the City of Utqiaġvik, is the primary healthcare facility for the North Slope region of Alaska. Individuals in need of medical care in the Utqiaġvik are able to access the hospital by road. However, because no roads lead in or out of Utqiaġvik, individuals in surrounding communities and towns must be airlifted in by plane, helicopter, or air ambulance. The hospital underwent construction and was relocated across the city in 2013. It is now nearly four times larger than it was before. The facility operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is the northernmost hospital/medical facility in the United States.

Notable residents