The Maniilaq Association is a tribally-operated health and social services organization serving the Northwest Arctic Borough and the

North Slope North Slope can refer to: * Alaska North Slope, a region encompassing the northernmost part of the U.S. state of Alaska * North Slope Borough, Alaska, a borough in Alaska whose boundaries roughly coincide with that of the region * North Slope, Tac ...

community of

Point Hope Point Hope ( ik, Tikiġaq, ) is a city in North Slope Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 674, down from 757 in 2000. In the 2020 Census, population rose to 830. Like many isolated communities in Alaska, the c ...

. Maniilaq has over 500 employees and is the largest employer in the region.

Etymology

"Maniiḷaq" is a word in the Iñupiaq language meaning "without money", reflecting the organization's nonprofit status. It is also the name of an early nineteenth century prophet who lived in the region.

History

The Northwest Alaska Native Association (NANA) was formed in 1966 to advocate for the land claims of the Native people of the northwest arctic. After the passage of the

Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 18, 1971, constituting at the time the largest land claims settlement in United States history. ANCSA was intended to resolve long-standing i ...

in 1971, NANA was renamed to the Mauneluk Association to avoid confusion with the new, for-profit

NANA Regional Corporation NANA Regional Corporation, Inc. (NANA) is one of thirteen Alaska Native Regional Corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) in settlement of Alaska Native land claims. NANA was incorporated in Alaska on June ...

. This spelling was later changed, giving the organization its current name. In 1975, Maniilaq merged with the Kotzebue Area Health Corporation, which had been formed in 1973. Between 1980 and 1981, Maniilaq underwent a significant expansion with the construction of a new health facility in Kotzeube. Maniilaq assumed management of the Indian Health Service's local hospital program on July 1, 1988.

Maniilaq Health Center

Maniilaq Health Center in Kotzebue is the primary health care facility for the residents of the Northwest Arctic Borough and Point Hope. The 80,000 square foot hospital houses facilities to provide primary, emergency, psychiatric, dental, and long-term care, as well as an inpatient wing with 17 beds for recovering patients.

Village Clinics

Maniilaq operates clinics in 11 outlying villages. These villages are staffed by Community Health Aide Practitioners (CHAPs), who are trained in basic health assessment and can treat common illnesses or use the Community Health Aide Manual to determine the best course of action. For more complicated cases, the CHAPs communicate with Maniilaq Health Center medical staff.

References

{{Reflist 1966 establishments in Alaska Alaska Native organizations Healthcare in Alaska Inupiat Native American health Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska