Editing Toksook Bay, Alaska

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Toksook Bay
| native_name              = Nunakauyaq, Tuqsuq/Tuqsuk
     
| native_name_lang        = esu
| settlement_type          = [[City (Alaska)|City]]
| image_skyline            = OOK-c.jpg
| image_caption            = Aerial photo of [[Toksook Bay Airport]]
| image_flag               = 
| image_seal               = 
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = 
| pushpin_map              = USA Alaska
| pushpin_map_caption      = Location in Alaska
<!-- Coordinates -->
| coordinates              = {{coord|60|31|50|N|165|06|12|W|region:US-AK|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes    = 
| 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]]
| established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date         = April 4, 1972<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=152}}</ref>
| government_type          = 
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes     = 
| leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name              = Sam Chanar
| 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)
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| 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_total_km2           = 182.67
| area_total_sq_mi         = 70.53
| area_land_km2            = 74.35
| area_land_sq_mi          = 28.71
| area_water_km2           = 108.32
| area_water_sq_mi         = 41.82
| elevation_footnotes      = 
| elevation_m              = 0
| elevation_ft             = 0
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 658
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| pop_est_footnotes        = 
| population_est           = 
| pop_est_as_of            = 
| population_density_km2   = 8.85
| population_density_sq_mi = 22.92
<!-- General information -->
| timezone                 = [[Alaska Time Zone|Alaska (AKST)]]
| utc_offset               = −9
| timezone_DST             = AKDT
| utc_offset_DST           = −8
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]
| postal_code              = 99637
| area_code_type           = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
| area_code                = [[Area code 907|907]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS]] code
| blank_info               = {{FIPS|02|78240}}
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = {{GNIS4|1411060}}, {{GNIS4|2418864}}
| website                  = 
}}

'''Toksook Bay''' {{smaller|(TOOK-sook or TUCK-sook)}}<ref name="CIS">{{cite web | url = http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CIS.cfm?comm_boro_name=Toksook%20Bay | title = Toksook Bay | publisher = Division of Community and Regional Affairs, [[Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development]] | access-date = January 23, 2013 }}</ref> is a [[City (Alaska)|city]]<ref name="2010 Census">{{cite web | url = http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US0278240 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20200212111422/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US0278240 | url-status = dead | archive-date = February 12, 2020 | title = Toksook Bay city, Alaska | work = Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data | publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]] | access-date = January 23, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url         = http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/osa/pub/11Taxable.pdf |title = Alaska Taxable 2011: Municipal Taxation - Rates and Policies|format = [[PDF]] |publisher = Division of Community and Regional Affairs, [[Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development]] |date = January 2012 |url-status = dead |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20130425132818/http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/osa/pub/11Taxable.pdf |archive-date = April 25, 2013}}</ref> and village on [[Nelson Island (Alaska)|Nelson Island]] in [[Bethel Census Area, Alaska]]. The population was 590 at the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]], up from 532 in 2000. As of 2018, the estimated population was 667,<ref name="2010 Census"/><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.city-data.com/city/Toksook-Bay-Alaska.html|title = Toksook Bay, Alaska|access-date = February 16, 2016|website = City Data}}</ref> making it the largest village on the island.

Toksook Bay (pronounced {{lang|esu|Tuqsuk Bay}} in [[Central Alaskan Yup'ik language|Yup'ik]]) was established in 1964 by residents of nearby [[Nightmute, Alaska|Nightmute]]. {{lang|esu|Nunakauyaq}} is its ‘real name’.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Dick Anthony |title=Toksook Mask Exhibit |url= https://uafanlc.alaska.edu/Offline/Riordan%20Floppies/Floppies/06%20Oral_Hist/MATT1.DOC |location=Negta/Nightmute, Alaska  |format=.DOC |date=January 1995 |quote=The village was called {{lang|esu|Nunakauyaq}} before people started calling it ''Toksook''.  When people relocated here, they started searching a new name for it.  When people met and began tossing different names around, one of them said—these places we call ''kangiqutat'', are they called ''bay'' in English?  Then these two young men said that we should call it ''Toksook Bay'' [{{lang|esu|Tuqsuk Bay}}].  Then that name was picked.  The real name [{{lang|esu|atpi-a}}] for the place was {{lang|esu|Nunakauyaq}}.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Miyaoka |first=Osahito |title=Number |url= https://uafanlc.alaska.edu/Offline/CY961M2010/2011-02-07/Ch%2021%20NUMBER.doc | format= .DOC |website=A Grammar of Central Alaskan Yupik |date=2010 |quote={{lang|esu|Nunakauyaq}} is the ‘real name’ ({{lang|esu|atpi-a}}) for Toksook Bay (on Nelson Island), while {{lang|esu|[[Toksook Bay|Tuqsuk]]}} is a new name given after the river going from the Bay to Negta (Nightmiut) when a part of people moved from the latter village to the new site (David Chanar, p.c.).}}</ref> Almost the entire population are members of the [[Alaska Native]] Nunakauyarmiut ("People of Nunakauyaq"), who rely on [[fishing]] and other [[subsistence]] activities.

==History==
The community was chosen as the site of first enumeration of the [[2020 United States census|2020 U.S. census]], due to the remoteness of the [[Alaskan Bush]] and the necessity of collecting census data early from remote sites. The enumeration started on January 21, 2020.<ref>{{cite web|author=Shoichet, Catherine E.|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/19/us/toksook-bay-alaska-census/index.html|title=Why the census is starting months early in this remote Alaskan fishing village|work=[[CNN]]|date=January 19, 2020|access-date=January 19, 2020}}</ref><!--Primary source: https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/2018/comm/toksook-alaska-factsheet.html and https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/07/alaska-remote-areas-always-first-counted-decennial-census.html-->

==Demographics==
[[File:Wind turbine in Toksook Bay, Alaska.jpg|thumb|left|Wind turbine in Toksook Bay]]
{{US Census population
|1970= 257
|1980= 333
|1990= 420
|2000= 532
|2010= 590
|2020= 658
|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>
}}

Toksook Bay first appeared on the 1970 U.S. census as an unincorporated village. It formally incorporated in 1972.

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 532 people, 106 households, and 94 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|16.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 110 housing units at an average density of {{convert|3.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 2.44% White, 94.36% Native American, and 3.20% from two or more races.

There were 106 households, out of which 68.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.1% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 11.3% were non-families. Of all households 10.4% were made up of individuals, and 0.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 5.02 and the average family size was 5.45.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 44.0% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 14.1% from 45 to 64, and 4.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 118.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 124.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,208, and the median income for a family was $32,188. Males had a median income of $22,813 versus $36,250 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $8,761. About 26.9% of families and 27.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 37.4% of those under age 18 and 28.6% of those age 65 or over.

{{wide image|Toksook Bay (3901721742) (cropped).jpg|600px|align-cap=center|View south toward Toksook Bay}}

==Education==
The [[Lower Kuskokwim School District]] operates Nelson Island School, K–12.<ref>"[http://toksookbay.lksd.org Home]". Nelson Island School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.</ref>

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

==Further reading==
* Brad Reynolds SJ and Don Doll SJ (photographs; June 1984): "Eskimo Hunters of the Bering Sea", ''[[National Geographic Magazine|National Geographic]]'', Vol. 165. No. 6, pp.&nbsp;814–834

{{Bethel Census Area, Alaska}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:1964 establishments in Alaska]]
[[Category:Cities in Alaska]]
[[Category:Cities in Bethel Census Area, Alaska]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Alaska on the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1964]]