Nightmute ( or
) is a
city
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
[
] and village in
Bethel Census Area, Alaska
Bethel Census Area is a List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska, census area in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population is 18,666, up from 17,013 in 2010. It is part of the unorganized boro ...
, United States. The population was 208 at the
2000 census and 280 as of the
2010 census.
History
literally means ‘the people of the pressed-down place’. The first element is ‘to press down on’. The suffix is ‘people’.
It first appeared on the 1940 U.S. Census as the unincorporated native village of "Nigtmuit". In 1950 and 1960, it was spelled "Nigtmute". In 1970, the spelling used was "Nightmute". It formally incorporated in 1974.
In 1964, many of its residents relocated by dogsled and founded the bayside community of
Toksook Bay about downriver.
[ The relocation was to avoid the yearly spring-winter migration to and from Umkumiut and Nightmute.
]
Geography
Nightmute is located on Nelson Island near Toksook Bay. The two villages connect by snowmachine trail in winter.
According to the United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (4.50%) is water. Nightmute lies 15 to 17 miles east of the neighboring village of Toksook Bay.
Demographics
As of the censusWhite
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
and 2.88% from two or more races. 0.96% of the population were Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race.
There were 47 households, out of which 61.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were non-families. 10.6% 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 4.43 and the average family size was 5.03.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 41.3% under the age of 18, 13.5% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 12.0% from 45 to 64, and 4.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,938, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $21,250 versus $23,125 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $9,396. About 7.1% of families and 10.7% 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 ...
, including 12.6% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those 65 or over.
Education
The school is Negtemiut Elitnaurviat School, a.k.a. Nightmute School, operated by the Lower Kuskokwim School District
Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD), or Bethel Public Schools, is a school district headquartered in Bethel, Alaska. it is the largest rural school district in the state, with 4,300 students.
Employment and teacher demographics
In 2017 it ...
.
Health
Sale, importation and possession of alcohol are banned in the village.
Popular culture
Nightmute is the setting of the 2002 Christopher Nolan
Sir Christopher Edward Nolan (born 30 July 1970) is a British and American filmmaker. Known for his Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters with complex storytelling, he is considered a leading filmma ...
film ''Insomnia'', starring Hilary Swank, Al Pacino
Alfredo James Pacino ( ; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans more than five decades, duri ...
, and Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedie ...
. The film was not shot in the real Nightmute, but Squamish, British Columbia
Squamish (; , ; 2021 census population 23,819) is a community and a district municipality in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the British Columbia Highway 99 ...
.
See also
* Nightmute Airport
References
External links
Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs: Nightmute
{{authority control
Bering Sea
Cities in Alaska
Cities in Bethel Census Area, Alaska
Populated coastal places in Alaska on the Pacific Ocean