, settlement_type = CDP , nickname = , motto = , image_skyline = Noatak village on the Noatak river.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = Aerial view of a portion of Noatak village , image_flag = , image_seal = , image_map = Northwest Arctic Borough Alaska incorporated and unincorporated areas Noatak highlighted.svg , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Location in

Northwest Arctic Borough Northwest Arctic Borough is a borough located in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,793, up from 7,523 in 2010. The borough seat is Kotzebue. The borough was formed on June 2, 1986. Geography According to t ...

and the state of

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., ...

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United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

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State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

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Borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

, subdivision_name2 = Northwest Arctic , government_footnotes = , government_type = , leader_title = Borough

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

, leader_name = Clement Richards, Sr. , leader_title1 = State senator , leader_name1 =

Donny Olson Donald C. "Donny" Olson (born June 18, 1953) is an American physician, attorney, commercial pilot, reindeer herder, and politician, currently serving as a member of the Alaska Senate, representing the T district since 2001. Early life Olson was ...

( D) , leader_title2 = State rep. , leader_name2 = John Lincoln (D) , established_title = , established_date = , area_footnotes = , area_magnitude = , area_total_km2 = 43.65 , area_land_km2 = 41.52 , area_water_km2 = 2.13 , area_total_sq_mi = 16.85 , area_land_sq_mi = 16.03 , area_water_sq_mi = 0.82 , population_as_of =

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

, population_footnotes = , population_total = 570 , population_density_km2 = 13.73 , population_density_sq_mi = 35.55 , timezone = Alaska (AKST) , utc_offset = -9 , timezone_DST = AKDT , utc_offset_DST = -8 , elevation_footnotes = , elevation_m = , elevation_ft = , coordinates = , postal_code_type = ZIP code , postal_code = 99761 , area_code =

907 __NOTOC__ Year 907 ( CMVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Rus'–Byzantine War: Varangian prince Oleg of Novgorod leads the ...

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, blank_info = 02-54700 , blank1_name = , blank1_info = , website = , footnotes = , pop_est_as_of = , pop_est_footnotes = , population_est = , unit_pref = Imperial Noatak ( ik, Nuataaq) is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) in the

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

. The population was 570 at the 2020 census, up from 514 in 2010. It is served by

Noatak Airport Noatak Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located one nautical mile (1.85 km) southwest of the central business district of Noatak, in the Northwest Arctic Borough of the U.S. state in Alaska. Facilities Noatak Airport has one ...

History

Noatak was established as a

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

and

hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

camp in the 1800s. Two identifiable groups of Inupiat resided on the Noatak River. The (called "Noatagamut" in the 1880 census), Inupiaq for "inland river people", lived upriver, and the , meaning "people of the trees", lived downriver. By the early 20th century, the

missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

Robert and Carrie Samms settled in what they called "Noatak". A United States post office was established in 1940.

Geography

Noatak is located at (67.572031, -162.975085). Noatak is located on the west bank of the

Noatak River The Noatak River ( ik, Nuataam Kuuŋa) is a river in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Alaska. Description The Noatak River's headwaters are on the north flank of Mount Igikpak in the Schwatka Mountains of the Brooks Range in the Gate ...

, north of

Kotzebue Kotzebue ( ) or Qikiqtaġruk ( , ) is a city in the Northwest Arctic Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the borough's seat, by far its largest community and the economic and transportation hub of the subregion of Alaska encompassing t ...

. It is north of the

Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude at w ...

. Noatak village lies near the western boundary of the 6.6-million acre (270,000 km²)

Noatak National Preserve Noatak National Preserve is a United States National Preserve in northwestern Alaska that was established to protect the Noatak River Basin. The Noatak River system, located just north of the Arctic Circle, is thought to be the last remaining c ...

and is the only settlement on the over- long Noatak River. According to the

United States 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 CDP has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (5.40%) is water.

Demographics

Noatak first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census as an unincorporated Inuit village of "Noatagamute." All 400 of its residents were Inuit. It did not return again until 1910, this time as Noatak. It has returned on every successive census to date. It was made a census-designated place (CDP) in 1980. As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 428 people, 100 households, and 90 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 106 housing units at an average density of 9.2/sq mi (3.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 3.74%

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 on ...

, 0.23%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 93.69% Native American, and 2.34% from two or more races. 0.23% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

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. Inuit man by Curtis - Noatak AK

There were 100 households, out of which 69.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 22.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 10.0% were non-families. 9.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.28 and the average family size was 4.51. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 42.5% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 12.9% from 45 to 64, and 5.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.5 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $30,833, and the median income for a family was $31,667. Males had a median income of $25,833 versus $21,250 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 CDP was $9,659. About 25.0% of families and 22.0% 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 21.9% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Noatak has a gravel public airstrip and is primarily reached by air. No road goes to Noatak. Snowmobiles, ATV's, and small boats are important means of inter-village travel and for local subsistence activities.

Facilities

The Napaaqtugmiut School, operated by the Northwest Arctic Borough School District, serves the community. Its current building opened in 2008. it had 177 students, with

Alaska Natives Alaska Natives (also known as Alaskan Natives, Native Alaskans, Indigenous Alaskans, Aboriginal Alaskans or First Alaskans) are the indigenous peoples of Alaska and include Iñupiat, Yupik, Aleut, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, and a numbe ...

making up 95% of the student body.Home
Napaaqtugmiut School. Retrieved on March 26, 2017.

References

External links

Subsistence wildlife harvests in five northwest Alaska communities, 2001-2003 : results of a household survey / by Kawerak, Inc., Maniilaq Association, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game ; by Susan Georgette ... [et al.].
Hosted b
Alaska State Publications Program
{{authority control Census-designated places in Alaska Census-designated places in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska Chukchi Sea Populated places of the Arctic United States