Editing Mekoryuk, Alaska

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Mekoryuk
|native_name              = Mikuryarmiut / Mikuryar
|settlement_type          = [[City (Alaska)|City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = 
<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Mekoryuk, Alaska, 1978.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Mekoryuk in 1978
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               = 
<!-- Maps -->
|pushpin_map  = USA Alaska
|pushpin_map_caption  = Location in Alaska

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Alaska]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska|Census Area]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Bethel Census Area, Alaska|Bethel]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = 
Larry Nicholson<ref>{{Cite book|title=2015 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory|location=Juneau|publisher=Alaska Municipal League|year=2015|page=102}}</ref>
|leader_title1            = [[Alaska Senate|State senator]]
|leader_name1             = [[Lyman Hoffman]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
|leader_title2            = [[Alaska House of Representatives|State rep.]]
|leader_name2             = [[Conrad McCormick]] (D)
|established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date         = September 24, 1969<ref>{{cite journal|title=Directory of Borough and City Officials 1974|journal=Alaska Local Government|volume=XIII|issue=2|page=53|location=Juneau|publisher=[[Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development|Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs]]|date=January 1974}}</ref>

<!-- Area -->
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_02.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 18.34
|area_land_km2            = 18.30
|area_water_km2           = 0.03
|area_total_sq_mi         = 7.08
|area_land_sq_mi          = 7.07
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.01

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = {{citation needed|date=May 2023}}
|population_total         = 206
|population_density_km2   = 11.25
|population_density_sq_mi = 29.15
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|pop_est_footnotes        = 
|population_est           =

|timezone                 = [[Alaska Time Zone|Alaska (AKST)]]
|utc_offset               = -9
|timezone_DST             = AKDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -8
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 2
|elevation_ft             = 7
|coordinates              = {{coord|60|23|21|N|166|12|25|W|region:US-AK|display=inline}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 99630
|area_code                = [[Area code 907|907]]
|area_code_type           = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 02-47990
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = {{GNIS 4|1406211}}  
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
|unit_pref                = Imperial
}}

'''Mekoryuk''' ([[Nunivak Cup'ig language|Nunivak Cup'ig]]: ''Mikuryarmiut''; [[Central Yup'ik language|Central Yup'ik]]: ''Mikuryar'') is a city located on [[Nunivak Island]] in the [[Bethel Census Area, Alaska]], United States. At the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]] the population was 191, down from 210 in 2000.

==History==
Nunivak Island has been inhabited for 2,000 years by the Nuniwarmiut, or [[Nunivak Cup'ig people]].

The community's first contact with Europeans was in 1821 when explorers from the [[Russian-American Company]] arrived on their island. These Russians recorded 400 people living in 16 villages on the Nunivak Island.

While conducting the 1880 [[United States Census]], [[Ivan Petrof (explorer)|Ivan Petrof]] recorded 702 Yup'ik in 9 villages, including 117 people at "Koot", near the site of present-day Mekoryuk. An epidemic in 1900 left only four surviving families in the village.

In the 1930s, the Evangelical Covenant Church was built at Mekoryuk, followed by a school in 1939. People moved to the village from other areas of the island to be near the school. [[Reindeer]] herding was introduced in 1920 by an Eskimo-Russian trader. The operation was purchased by the United States government in the 1940s and a [[slaughterhouse]] was built in 1945. The reindeer were crossed with [[caribou]] from [[Denali Park]]. The resulting animals were larger and less tame than other reindeer. 34 [[musk ox]] from [[Greenland]] were transferred to the Nunivak Island in 1934 in an effort to save the species from extinction. Today, the musk-ox herd numbers around 500, and calves from this herd have been relocated and introduced to other areas of Alaska.

In the mid-20th century, Mekoryuk became the only permanent population center on the island. Until the 1940s, the traditional lifestyle and traditional ceremonies and religious beliefs were practiced.

The 1950s and 1960s brought considerable change. [[Mekoryuk Airport]] was built in 1957. When the [[Alaska Territorial Guard|Territorial Guard]] was formed, men were sent to [[Fort Richardson (Alaska)|Fort Richardson]] near [[Anchorage, Alaska|Anchorage]] for training. During this time, many families moved to [[Bethel, Alaska|Bethel]] during the winter to be near the high school, returning in the spring for fishing and sea mammal hunting. A high school was constructed in Mekoryuk in 1978.

==Geography==
Mekoryuk is located at the mouth of [[Shoal Bay (Alaska)|Shoal Bay]] on the north shore of [[Nunivak Island]] in the [[Bering Sea]]. The island lies {{convert|48|km|mi|abbr=on}} west of the Alaska coast. According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|7.4|sqmi|km2}}, of which, {{convert|7.4|sqmi|km2}} of it is land and 0.14% is water.

===Climate===
Mekoryuk has a [[polar climate|tundra climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''ET''), that borders on a [[subarctic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Dfc''). 
{{Weather box
| collapsed =
| location = Mekoryuk, Alaska
| single line = Y
| Jan record high F = 41
| Feb record high F = 38
| Mar record high F = 48
| Apr record high F = 48
| May record high F = 70
| Jun record high F = 71
| Jul record high F = 77
| Aug record high F = 70
| Sep record high F = 63
| Oct record high F = 54
| Nov record high F = 46
| Dec record high F = 47
|year record high F = 
| Jan high F = 19.2
| Feb high F = 16.8
| Mar high F = 21.1
| Apr high F = 28.4
| May high F = 38.6
| Jun high F = 47.8
| Jul high F = 53.7
| Aug high F = 54.5
| Sep high F = 50.0
| Oct high F = 39.0
| Nov high F = 30.4
| Dec high F = 20.0
|year high F = 
|Jan mean F = 12.1
|Feb mean F = 9.7
|Mar mean F = 13.6
|Apr mean F = 22.4
|May mean F = 34.0
|Jun mean F = 42.5
|Jul mean F = 48.4
|Aug mean F = 49.6
|Sep mean F = 45.3
|Oct mean F = 34.5
|Nov mean F = 25.4
|Dec mean F = 13.6
|year mean F = 
| Jan low F = 5.0
| Feb low F = 2.5
| Mar low F = 6.0
| Apr low F = 16.4
| May low F = 29.3
| Jun low F = 37.1
| Jul low F = 43.1
| Aug low F = 44.7
| Sep low F = 40.6
| Oct low F = 30.0
| Nov low F = 20.3
| Dec low F = 7.2
|year low F = 
| Jan record low F = −35
| Feb record low F = −30
| Mar record low F = −30
| Apr record low F = −12
| May record low F = 0
| Jun record low F = 27
| Jul record low F = 28
| Aug record low F = 23
| Sep record low F = 15
| Oct record low F = 9
| Nov record low F = −18
| Dec record low F = −39
|year record low F =

| Jan precipitation inch = 0.86
| Feb precipitation inch = 0.83
| Mar precipitation inch = 1.11
| Apr precipitation inch = 0.87
| May precipitation inch = 0.55
| Jun precipitation inch = 0.81
| Jul precipitation inch = 1.44
| Aug precipitation inch = 2.12
| Sep precipitation inch = 2.23
| Oct precipitation inch = 1.72
| Nov precipitation inch = 1.31
| Dec precipitation inch = 1.14
|year precipitation inch =

|Jan snow inch = N/A
|Feb snow inch = 2.9
|Mar snow inch = 6.8
|Apr snow inch = 2.6
|May snow inch = 3.1
|Jun snow inch = 1.7
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.7
|Oct snow inch = 7.4
|Nov snow inch = 10.7
|Dec snow inch = 10.0
|year snow inch = 46.0
|source 1 = WRCC <ref name="climate">[http://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ak6727 Mekoryuk, Alaska - Period of Record : 9/6/1923 to 8/28/1987] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525141220/http://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ak6727 |date=May 25, 2017 }}. Retrieved November 10, 2019.</ref>
|date=October 2019}}

==Demographics==
{{update section|date=May 2023|reason=Newer information is available in the 2010 and 2020 census reports}}
{{US Census population
|1950= 156
|1960= 242
|1970= 249
|1980= 160
|1990= 177
|2000= 210
|2010= 191
|2020= 206
|2020n={{citation needed|date=May 2023}}
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=May 2023|reason=No mention of Mekoryuk at the given link}}
}}
Mekoryuk first appeared on the 1950 U.S. Census as "Mekoryok." It appeared as the current spelling in 1960. It was formally incorporated in 1969.

As of the census<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>{{failed verification|date=May 2023|reason=No mention of Mekoryuk at the given link}} of 2000, there were 210 people, 73 households, and 48 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|28.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 96 housing units at an average density of {{convert|13.0|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the city was 3.33% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 90.48% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], and 6.19% from two or more races. 0.48% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 73 households, out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.77.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 32.4% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 116.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 136.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,833, and the median income for a family was $33,750. Males had a median income of $25,417 versus $11,667 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $11,958. About 13.7% of families and 21.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 36.7% of those under the age of eighteen and 15.8% of those 65 or over.

==Education==
[[Lower Kuskokwim School District]] operates the Nuniwarmiut School, K-12. In 1984 the building was constructed.<ref>"[http://mekoryuk.lksd.org/about/nuniwarmiut_school Nuniwarmiut School]." [[Lower Kuskokwim School District]]. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.</ref>

==Health==
Sale, importation and possession of alcohol are banned in the village.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/Portals/9/pub/ABC/DryDampCommunities/Local%20Option%20Communities%20-%20Rev%202.25.22.pdf |title=Schedule of Local Option Communities |publisher=Alcoholic Beverage Control Board |accessdate=May 3, 2023}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/historic_nunivak Historic photos of Mekoryuk]

{{Coord|display=title|60.389278|-166.207082}}
{{Bethel Census Area, Alaska}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Bering Sea]]
[[Category:Cities in Alaska]]
[[Category:Cities in Bethel Census Area, Alaska]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Alaska on the Pacific Ocean]]