Akiak ( esu, Akiaq) is a city in
Bethel Census Area
Bethel Census Area is a census area in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population is 18,666, up from 17,013 in 2010. It is part of the unorganized borough and therefore has no borough seat. Its largest community is the cit ...
,
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...
, United States. The population was 462 at the
2020 census,
up from 346 in 2010. It is the home of the Akiak Native Community.
Geography and climate
Akiak is located at (60.912220, -161.21389)
(Sec. 32, T010N, R067W, Seward Meridian), on the west bank of the
Kuskokwim River
The Kuskokwim River or Kusko River ( Yup'ik: ''Kusquqvak''; Deg Xinag: ''Digenegh''; Upper Kuskokwim: ''Dichinanek' ''; russian: Кускоквим (''Kuskokvim'')) is a river, long, in Southwest Alaska in the United States. It is the ninth l ...
, northeast of
Bethel, on the
Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta
The Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta is a river delta located where the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers empty into the Bering Sea on the west coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. At approximately in size, it is one of the largest deltas in the world. It is lar ...
. Akiak is located in the Bethel
Recording District.
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 32.58%, is water. Precipitation averages in this area, with snowfall of . Summer temperatures range from to . Winter temperatures range from to .
History and culture
In 1880, the village, then known as Akkiagamute, had a population of 175. The current name ''Akiak'' means "the other side," since this place was a crossing to the
Yukon River
The Yukon River ( Gwich'in: ''Ųųg Han'' or ''Yuk Han'', Yup'ik: ''Kuigpak'', Inupiaq: ''Kuukpak'', Deg Xinag: ''Yeqin'', Hän: ''Tth'echù'' or ''Chuu k'onn'', Southern Tutchone: Chu Nìikwän, russian: Юкон, Yukon) is a major watercourse ...
basin during the winter for area
Yupiit. The community established a post office in 1916. The
U.S. Public Health Service
The United States Public Health Service (USPHS or PHS) is a collection of agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services concerned with public health, containing nine out of the department's twelve operating divisions. The Assistant ...
built a hospital in the 1920s. The city was incorporated in 1970. Akiak is a Yup'ik village with a reliance on subsistence and fishing activities.
Akiak Native Community
The
Akiak Native Community
Akiak ( esu, Akiaq) is a city in Bethel Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 462 at the 2020 census, up from 346 in 2010. It is the home of the Akiak Native Community.
Geography and climate
Akiak is located at (60.912220, -16 ...
is a
federally recognized
This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States of America. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes were legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United ...
Alaska Native tribe located in Akiak.
Demographics
Akiak first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census as the unincorporated
Alaska Native (Inuit) village of "Akkiagamute." All 175 residents were Inuit. In 1890, it returned as "Akiagamiut" with 97 residents (all Alaska Native). It did not appear on the census again until 1920, then as Akiak.
[https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41084484v1ch5.pdf ] It has returned in every successive census. It formally incorporated in 1970.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 309 people, 69 households, and 54 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 76 housing units at an average density of 38.7 per square mile (14.9/km). The racial makeup of the city was 4.85%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 92.88%
Native American, and 2.27% from two or more races. 0.65% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race.
Of Akiak's 69 households, 53.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 20.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.7% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.48 and the average family size was 5.24.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 43.4% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 14.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females, there were 122.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,250, and the median income for a family was $36,875. Males had a median income of $21,875 versus $11,667 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $8,326. About 25.0% of families and 33.9% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 40.3% of those under the age of eighteen and 6.7% of those 65 or over.
Public services
A new well-water treatment plant and storage tank were recently completed. The school and clinic are connected directly to the water plant. Individual wells, septic systems and plumbing were installed in 14 HUD homes during 1997. Sewage disposal is currently by
septic tank
A septic tank is an underground chamber made of concrete, fiberglass, or plastic through which domestic wastewater ( sewage) flows for basic sewage treatment. Settling and anaerobic digestion processes reduce solids and organics, but the treatm ...
s,
honey buckets or
privies, but major improvements are underway. A piped water and
gravity sewer
A gravity sewer is a conduit utilizing the energy resulting from a difference in elevation to remove unwanted water. The term ''sewer'' implies removal of sewage or surface runoff rather than water intended for use;''Design and Construction of San ...
system is under construction, with household plumbing. 67 homes need water and sewer service. Most residents are dependent upon the washeteria for laundry and bathing. The city provides septic pumping services. Electricity is provided by the city of Akiak. There is one school located in the community, attended by 99 students.
The city is currently home to the world's third largest museum of
taxidermy
Taxidermy is the art of preserving an animal's body via mounting (over an armature) or stuffing, for the purpose of display or study. Animals are often, but not always, portrayed in a lifelike state. The word ''taxidermy'' describes the proc ...
. Local hospitals or health clinics include Edith Kawagley Memorial Clinic (907-765-7125). Edith Kawagley Memorial Clinic is a Primary Health Care facility. Akiak is classified as an isolated village; it is found in EMS Region 7A in the Yukon/Kuskokwim Region. Emergency services have river and air access and are provided by a health aide.
Economy and transportation
The majority of the year-round employment in Akiak is with the city, schools or other public services. Commercial fishing or
BLM
BLM most commonly refers to:
* Black Lives Matter, an international anti-racism movement and organization
* Bureau of Land Management, a U.S. federal government agency
BLM may also refer to:
Organizations
* BLM (law firm), United Kingdom and ...
fire-fighting also provide seasonal income. Twenty-seven residents hold commercial fishing permits. The community is interested in developing a fish processing plant and tourism. Subsistence activities are important to residents. Poor fish returns since 1997 have significantly affected the community.
The airport has a gravel runway in good condition, measuring long by wide, at an elevation of . The strip provides chartered or private air access year-round.
Arctic Circle Air Service
Arctic Circle Air was an American airline based in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. It operated scheduled commuter services and charter flights to over 16 Alaskan communities. It was established and started operations in 1973. Its main base was Fairbanks ...
,
Grant Aviation
Grant Aviation is a regional airline that serves the town of Kenai, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Bristol Bay, and the Aleutian Chain in Alaska, United States. The airline was formed in 1971 as Delta Air Services based in Emmonak. The current owner ...
, and
Hageland Aviation
Hageland Aviation Services (Defunct) was a regional FAR Part 135 airline based in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. It operated as the Ravn Connect component of Ravn Alaska, serving many destinations throughout Alaska.
History
The airline was e ...
offer passenger flight service. Snow machines, ATVs, and skiffs are used extensively for local transportation to nearby villages. There are no docking facilities.
The town has no sales tax, property tax, or special taxes. The sale or importation of
alcohol is banned in the village.
Notable people
*
Nora Guinn (1920–2005), judge
References
External links
Akiakat the Community Database Online from the
Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs
* Maps from the
Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development
The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) is a department within the government of Alaska which handles most of the state's labor and workforce issues, primarily at the administrative level.
Structure
Within the Departme ...
20002010
{{authority control
Cities in Bethel Census Area, Alaska
Cities in Alaska
Road-inaccessible communities of Alaska
Cities in Unorganized Borough, Alaska