Editing Selawik, Alaska

{{short description|City in Alaska, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Selawik
|native_name              = {{ubl|{{langx|ik|Siiḷivik / Akuliġaq}}|{{langx|ru|Селавик}}}}
|settlement_type          = [[City (Alaska)|City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = 
<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = 2010-06-25-CPX-8566a.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = An aerial view of Selawik in 2010
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               = 
<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = Northwest Arctic Borough Alaska incorporated and unincorporated areas Selawik highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 260px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska|Northwest Arctic Borough]] and the state of [[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|Borough]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska|Northwest Arctic]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Patrick Foster, Jr.
|leader_title1            = [[Alaska Senate|State senator]]
|leader_name1             = [[Donny Olson]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
|leader_title2            = [[Alaska House of Representatives|State rep.]]
|leader_name2             = [[Robyn Burke]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
|established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date         = 1977<ref>{{Cite book|title=1996 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory|location=[[Juneau]]|publisher=Alaska Municipal League/[[Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development|Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs]]|date=January 1996|page=136}} (though an earlier source states December 23, 1963, see {{Cite journal|title=Directory of Borough and City Officials 1974|journal=Alaska Local Government|volume=XIII|issue=2|page=72|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           = 7.62
|area_land_km2            = 6.04
|area_water_km2           = 1.59
|area_total_sq_mi         = 2.94
|area_land_sq_mi          = 2.33
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.61

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 809
|population_density_km2   = 133.99
|population_density_sq_mi = 347.06
|timezone                 = [[Alaska Time Zone|Alaska (AKST)]]
|utc_offset               = -9
|timezone_DST             = AKDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -8
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 0
|elevation_ft             = 0
|coordinates              = {{coord|66|35|49|N|160|0|49|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 99770
|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               = 02-68230
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = {{GNIS 4|1413930}}  
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|pop_est_footnotes        = 
|population_est           = 
|unit_pref                = Imperial
}}

'''Selawik''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|ɛ|l|ə|w|ɪ|k}}) ([[Inupiat language|Iñupiaq]]: ''Siiḷ(i)vik'' or ''Akuliġaq''; {{langx|ru|Селавик}}) is a city in [[Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska]], United States. At the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]] the population was 829, up from 772 in 2000.

''Selawik'' comes from {{lang|ik|siiḷivik}}{{Pronunciation needed|date=July 2023}}, which means "place of [[sheefish]]" in [[Inupiaq language|Inupiaq]].

==Geography==
Selawik is located at {{coord|66|35|49|N|160|0|49|W|type:city}} (66.597043, -160.013674).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

Selawik is located at the mouth of the [[Selawik River]] where it empties into [[Selawik Lake]], about {{convert|112|km|mi|abbr=on}} southeast of [[Kotzebue, Alaska|Kotzebue]].

Selawik is near the [[Selawik National Wildlife Refuge]], a breeding and resting area for migratory waterfowl.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|3.4|sqmi|km2}}, of which, {{convert|2.5|sqmi|km2}} of it is land and {{convert|0.9|sqmi|km2}} of it (26.24%) is water.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 100
|1920= 274
|1930= 227
|1940= 239
|1950= 273
|1960= 348
|1970= 429
|1980= 535
|1990= 596
|2000= 772
|2010= 829
|2020= 809
|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>
}}
Selawik first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census as the unincorporated Inuit village of "Selawigamute."<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rr9RAQAAMAAJ&q=selawik&pg=PA49 |title = Geological Survey Professional Paper|year = 1949}}</ref> All 100 residents were Inuit.<ref>{{cite web |title=Statistics of the Population of Alaska |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1880a_v1-17.pdf |website=United States Census Bureau |date=1880}}</ref> It did not appear again on the census until 1920, that time as Selawik. It has appeared on every successive census to date. It formally incorporated in 1963.

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> of 2000, there were 772 people, 172 households, and 147 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|306.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 188 housing units at an average density of {{convert|74.5|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the city was 3.24% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.13% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 94.82% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.78% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.13% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], and 0.91% from two or more races. 0.13% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 172 households, out of which 68.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were married couples living together, 29.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.5% were non-families. 12.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.49 and the average family size was 4.78.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 48.1% under the age of 18, 12.7% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 10.6% from 45 to 64, and 5.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 19 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,625, and the median income for a family was $27,639. Males had a median income of $50,278 versus $40,417 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $8,170. About 34.6% of families and 34.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 36.2% of those under age 18 and 22.7% of those age 65 or over.

== History ==
A Lt. [[Lavrenty Zagoskin]] of the Imperial Russian Navy first reported the village in the 1840s as "Chilivik."  In his census study in 1880, [[Ivan Petrof]] counted 100 "Selawigamute" people.

Around 1908, the village site had a small wooden schoolhouse and church. The village now has expanded across the Selawik River onto three banks, linked by bridges.

==Education==
The Davis-Ramoth Memorial School, operated by the [[Northwest Arctic Borough School District]], serves the community. {{As of|2017}} it had about 270 students, with [[Alaska Natives]] making up the majority.<ref>[http://www.nwarctic.org/Domain/16 Home]. Davis-Ramoth Memorial School. Retrieved on March 26, 2017.</ref>

==References==
<references />

{{Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Alaska]]
[[Category:Cities in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska]]
[[Category:Populated places of the Arctic United States]]