Utqiagvik, Alaska

Utqiagvik<ref group="upper-alpha" name="official" /> (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Langx, Template:IPA), formerly known as Barrow (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell), is the borough seat and largest city of the North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> Located north of the Arctic Circle,<ref>Template:Cite video</ref> it is one of the northernmost cities and towns in the world and the northernmost in the United States, with nearby Point Barrow as the country's northernmost point.

Utqiaġvik's population was 4,927 at the 2020 census, an increase from 4,212 in 2010.<ref name="2020 Census Data">Template:Cite web</ref> It is the 12th-most populated city in Alaska.

Name

File:Welcome to Barrow, Alaska.jpg

English (Welcome to Barrow) and Iñupiaq (Template:Lang) (2004)

The location has been home to the Iñupiat, an indigenous Inuit ethnic group, for more than 1,500 years. The city's Iñupiaq name refers to a place for gathering wild roots. It is derived from the Iñupiat word Template:Lang, also used for Claytonia tuberosa ("Eskimo potato").<ref>Demer, Lisa (October 29, 2016). "Barrow's new name is its old one, Utqiagvik. Local Iñupiaq leaders hope its use heals as it teaches." Alaska Dispatch News.</ref> The name was first recorded by European explorers in 1853 as "Ot-ki-a-wing" by Commander Rochfort Maguire, Royal Navy.<ref>(Great Britain, 1854, map facing p. 186).</ref> John Simpson's native map dated 1855 has the name "Otkiawik", which was later misprinted on a British Admiralty chart as "Otkiovik."<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref>

The former name Barrow was derived from Point Barrow and was originally a general designation because non-native Alaskan residents found it easier to pronounce than the Inupiat name. Point Barrow was named after Sir John Barrow of the British Admiralty by explorer Frederick William Beechey in 1825.Template:Cn A U.S. post office was established in 1901, which helped the name "Barrow" to become dominant.

Following a referendum approved by residents on October 6, 2016, the city's name was formally changed from Barrow to Utqiaġvik on December 1, 2016.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> City Council member Qaiyaan Harcharek said the name change supports the use of the Iñupiaq language and is part of a decolonization process.<ref name="walker">Template:Cite web</ref>

Another recorded Iñupiaq name is Template:Lang (Template:IPA), which comes from Template:Lang "snowy owl" and is translated as "the place where snowy owls are hunted". A spelling variant of this name was adopted by the Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation when it was established in 1973.

History

File:Ukpeagvik mounds.jpg

The Ukpeakvik mounds are the site of ancient sod houses in Utqiagvik

Prehistory to the 20th century

Archaeological sites in the area indicate the Iñupiat lived around Utqiagvik as far back as 500 AD. Remains of 16 sod dwelling mounds, from the Birnirk culture of about 800 AD, can be seen on the shore of the Arctic Ocean. Located on a slight rise above the high-water mark, they risk being lost to erosion.

Bill Streever, who chairs the North Slope Science Initiative's Science Technical Advisory Panel, wrote in his 2009 book Cold: Adventures in the World's Frozen Places:

File:Whalebone arch in Utqiagvik Alaska.png

Whalebone arch in Utquiagvik. Whales were a subsistence resource in the region,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and whalers would return to this arch near the waterfront when returning from hunts.

British Royal Navy officers came to the area to explore and map the Arctic coastline of North America. The US acquired Alaska in 1867 by purchasing it from Russia. The United States Army established a meteorological and magnetic research station at Utqiagvik in 1881.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1888, a Presbyterian church was built by United States missionaries at Utqiagvik. The church is still in use today. In 1889, a whaling supply and rescue station was built. It is the oldest wood-frame building in Utqiagvik and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The rescue station was converted in 1896 for use as the retail Cape Smythe Whaling and Trading Station. In the late 20th century, the building was used as Brower's Cafe.

20th century to the present

A United States Post Office was opened in 1901.

File:Rogers-Post Memorial at Barrow, Alaska.jpg

Will Rogers–Wiley Post Memorial

File:Inupiat child at Point Barrow, Alaska circa 1960s.jpg

Iñupiaq child at Point Barrow c. 1960s

In 1935, famous humorist Will Rogers and pilot Wiley Post made an unplanned stop at Walakpa Bay, Template:Convert south of Utqiagvik, en route to the city. As they took off again, their plane stalled and plunged into a river, killing them both. Two memorials have been erected at the location, now called the Rogers–Post Site. Another memorial is located in Utqiagvik, where the airport was renamed the Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport in their honor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1940, the Indigenous Iñupiat organized as the Native Village of Barrow Iñupiat Traditional Government (previously, Native Village of Barrow), a federally recognized Alaska Native Iñupiat "tribal entity" as listed by the US Bureau of Indian Affairs around 2003. They wrote a constitution and by-laws under the provisions of the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) of 1934. An IRA corporation was also created.

Utqiagvik was incorporated as a first-class city under the name Barrow in 1958. Natural gas lines were brought to the town in 1965, eliminating the need for traditional heating sources such as whale blubber.<ref name=burks>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Barrow Duck-In was a civil disobedience event that occurred in the spring of 1961.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During the Duck-in, the Iñupiat protested a federal hunting ban on ducks, which threatened their livelihood and access to food security.

The residents of the North Slope were the only Native people to vote on the acceptance of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act; they rejected it. The Act was passed in December 1971 and, despite their opposition, became law. The Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation is a for-profit village corporation established under the Act.

In 1972, the North Slope Borough was established. The borough has built sanitation facilities, water and electrical utilities, roads, and fire departments, and has established health and educational services in Utqiagvik and the villages of the North Slope with millions of dollars in new revenues from the settlement and later oil revenues.

In 1986, the North Slope Borough created the North Slope Higher Education Center. Renamed Iḷisaġvik College, it is an accredited two-year college providing education based on the Iñupiat culture and the needs of the North Slope Borough.

The Tuzzy Consortium Library, in the Iñupiat Heritage Center, serves the communities of the North Slope Borough and functions as the academic library for Iḷisaġvik College. It was named after Evelyn Tuzroyluk Higbee, an influential community leader.

File:Traditional Clothing at Iñupiat Heritage Center in Barrow.jpg

Traditional clothing at Iñupiat Heritage Center in Utqiagvik

Utqiagvik, like many communities in Alaska, has enacted a "damp" law prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages. However, the import, possession, and consumption of such beverages are still allowed.<ref name=comdata/>

In 1988, Utqiagvik became the center of worldwide media attention when three California gray whales became trapped in the ice offshore.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After a two-week rescue effort (Operation Breakthrough), a Soviet icebreaker freed two of the whales.<ref name="ANDwhales">Template:Cite web</ref> Journalist Tom Rose details the rescue, and the media frenzy that accompanied it, in his 1989 book Freeing The Whales.<ref name="booksite">Template:Cite web</ref> The movie Big Miracle is based on the rescue and was released on February 3, 2012.<ref name="ADNmovie">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

File:Barrow Milepost.jpg

Utqiagvik Milepost

File:Barrow AK.jpg

Aerial photograph of Utqiagvik

Utqiagvik is roughly Template:Convert south of the North Pole. Only 2.6% of the Earth's surface lies as far or farther from the equator as Utqiagvik.<ref>Area of a spherical cap: <math>S = 2 \pi r h = 2 \pi r^2 (1-\sin \phi)</math>, where <math>\phi</math> is latitude, <math>h</math> if height of the cap, and <math>r</math> is radius of the sphere. Ratio of this area to area of all the sphere is <math>(1-\sin \phi) / 2</math>.</ref>

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert are covered by water (14% of the total area). The predominant land type in Utqiagvik is tundra, which is formed over a permafrost layer that is as deep as Template:Convert.<ref name=2doe>Template:Cite web</ref>

Utqiagvik is surrounded by the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska.

The city of Utqiagvik has three sections, which can be classified as south, central, and north. They are known to residents as Utqiagvik, Browerville, and NARL, respectively.

• The southernmost section, known historically as the "Barrow side", is the oldest and second-largest of the three; it serves as downtown. This area includes Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport, Barrow High School, North Slope Borough School District, and Fred Ipalook Elementary School, as well as restaurants, hotels, the police station, the Utqiagvik City Hall, a Wells Fargo bank branch, and numerous houses.

• The central section is the largest of the three and is called Browerville. This has traditionally been a residential area for the City of Utqiagvik, but many businesses have opened or moved into this area in recent years. Browerville is separated from the south section by a series of lagoons, with two connecting dirt roads. In addition to houses, this area includes Tuzzy Consortium Library, the US Post Office, Eben Hopson Middle School, Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital, the Iñupiat Heritage Center,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> two grocery stores, one hotel, and two restaurants.
• The north section, the smallest and most isolated of the three, is known to residents as NARL because it was originally the site of the Naval Arctic Research Lab (NARL). It is only connected to the central section by Stevenson Street, a two-lane dirt road. The federal government transferred the NARL facility to the North Slope Borough, which adopted it as Iḷisaġvik College. This area also includes a small broadcasting station, run by the college students.<ref name="Home">Template:Cite web</ref>

An ancient Template:Convert-sized crater, Avak, is situated near Utqiagvik.

Climate

File:Barrow-icebow.jpg

Probable fogbow in Utqiagvik

File:Arctic Shore at Barrow Alaska.jpg

Homes along the Arctic Ocean in Utqiagvik

File:NOAA-barrow-ice.jpg

Utqiagvik sea ice, July 2006, 2007

Owing to its location Template:Convert north of the Arctic Circle, Utqiagvik's climate is cold and dry, classified as a tundra climate (Köppen ET). Winter weather can be hazardous because of the combination of cold and wind, while summers are cool even at their warmest. Weather observation records are available for Utqiagvik, dating back to the late 19th century. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Monitoring Lab operates in Utqiagvik. The United States Department of Energy has a climate observation site in Utqiagvik as part of its Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Climate Research Facility.

Despite the extreme northern location, temperatures at Utqiagvik are moderated by the surrounding topography. The Arctic Ocean is on three sides, and flat tundra stretches some Template:Convert to the south. No wind barriers or protected valleys exist where dense cold air can settle or form temperature inversions in the lower atmosphere, as commonly happens in the interior between the Brooks and the Alaska ranges.<ref name=3fgi>Template:Cite web</ref>

Utqiagvik has the lowest average temperatures of cities in Alaska. Although Utqiagvik rarely records the lowest temperatures statewide during cold waves, extremely low wind chill and "white out" conditions from blowing snow are prevalent. Temperatures remain below freezing (32 °F or 0 °C) from early October through late May, and below Template:Convert from December through March.

The high temperature reaches or tops the freezing point on an average of only 136 days per year, and 92 days have a maximum at or below Template:Convert.<ref name=4wxd>Template:Cite web</ref> Freezing temperatures and snowfall can occur during any month of the year.<ref name=3fgi/>

As of 2023, Utqiagvik falls within USDA Hardiness Zone 2B.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Regarding precipitation, Utqiagvik has a desert climate and averages less than Template:Convert "rainfall equivalent" per year. One inch of rain has an estimated water content equal to Template:Convert of snow. According to 1981−2010 normals, this includes Template:Convert of snow,<ref name=comdata>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=noaa2>Template:Cite web</ref> compared to Template:Convert for Kuujjuaq in Nunavik, Quebec,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> or Template:Convert and Template:Convert for much warmer Juneau and Kodiak, Alaska, respectively. Even Sable Island, at around 44 degrees latitude and under the influence of the Gulf Stream, received Template:Convert, or 20 percent more snowfall than Utqiagvik. Snowfall in Utqiagvik has increased in recent years, with an average annual snowfall of Template:Convert according to the more recent 1991–2020 normals.<ref name=4wxd/>

The annual first snow (defined as snow that will not melt until the next spring) generally falls during the first week of October, when temperatures cease to rise above freezing during the day. October is usually the month with the heaviest snowfall, with measurable amounts occurring on over half the days and a 1991−2020 normal total accumulation of Template:Convert.<ref name=4wxd/> Sunlight is around 6 hours per day by the end of October.

When the sun sets on November 18, it stays below the horizon until January 23, resulting in a polar night that lasts about 66 days.<ref name=Night>Template:Cite news</ref> When the polar night starts, about 6 hours of civil twilight occur, with the amount decreasing each day during the first half of the polar night. On the winter solstice (around December 21 or December 22), civil twilight in Utqiagvik lasts 3 hours.<ref name=4wxd/><ref name=5day>Template:Cite web</ref> After this, the amount of civil twilight increases each day to around 6 hours at the end of the polar night.

Particularly cold weather usually begins in January, and February is generally the coldest month, averaging Template:Convert. By March 1, the sun is up for 9 hours, and temperatures begin to warm, although winds are usually higher. Starting on March 23, astronomical night ceases to occur, with only daylight and twilight until the start of the midnight sun in May. This is also true from the end of the midnight sun at the beginning of August until September 22. April brings less extreme temperatures, with an average of Template:Convert, and on April 1, the sun is up for more than 14 hours. By May 1, the sun is up for 19 hours, and by May 10 or 11 (depending on the year's relationship to the nearest leap year), the sun stays above the horizon for the entire day. This phenomenon is known as the midnight sun. The sun does not set for 83 days, until August 1 or 2 (again, depending on the year's relationship to the nearest leap year).<ref name=Night/> In May, temperatures are much warmer, averaging Template:Convert. On June 6, the daily mean temperature rises above freezing, and the normal daily mean temperature remains above freezing until September 21.<ref name=4wxd/>

File:Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020) - Barrow Area, AK(ThreadEx).svg

Climate chart for Utqiagvik

July is the year's warmest month, with an average temperature of Template:Convert. Beginning in mid-July, the Arctic Ocean is relatively ice-free until late October.<ref name=4wxd/> The highest temperature recorded in Utqiagvik was Template:Convert on July 13, 1993, while the lowest was Template:Convert on February 3, 1924; the highest minimum was Template:Convert on August 5, 2023, while the lowest maximum was Template:Convert on January 3, 1975.<ref name=4wxd/><ref name=5day/><ref name=6sun>Template:Cite web </ref> On average, during the 1991 to 2020 reference period, the coldest winter maximum was Template:Convert and the warmest summer minimum was Template:Convert.<ref name=4wxd/> Utqiagvik records an average 26 days per year where the high reaches at least Template:Convert.<ref name=4wxd/> Temperatures above Template:Convert are rare but have been recorded in most years. Even in July and August, the low falls to or below the freezing mark on an average of 18 days.<ref name= 4wxd/>

In addition to its low temperatures and polar night, Utqiagvik is one of the cloudiest places on Earth. Owing to the prevailing easterly winds off the Arctic Ocean, it is completely overcast slightly more than 50% of the year. It is at least 70% overcast around 62% of the time. Cloud types are mainly low stratus and fog; cumuli forms are rare. Peak cloudiness occurs in August and September when the ocean is ice-free. Dense fog occurs an average of 65 days yearly, mostly in summer. Ice fog is very common during the winter months, especially when the temperature drops below Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Wind speed variation during the year is limited, with the fall days being windiest. Extreme winds from Template:Convert have been recorded every month.<ref name=3fgi/> Winds average Template:Convert and are typically from the east.<ref name=comdata/><ref name=noaa2/>

Template:Weather box<section end="weather box" />

Consequences of global warming

The Arctic region is warming at a rate that is three times the global average,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> forcing major adjustments to life on the North Slope with regard to hunting and whaling practices over the prior millennium, as well as to habitation. Thinner sea ice endangers the landing of bowhead whale strikes on offshore ice by springtime whalers. Caribou habitat is also affected while thawing soil threatens homes and municipal and commercial structures. The city's infrastructure is endangered, particularly water, sanitation, power, and road stability. The shoreline is rapidly eroding and has been encroaching on buildings for decades. According to Dr. Harold Wanless of the University of Miami, an anticipated rise in sea level and consequent global warming is inevitable, meaning the existence of Utqiagvik at its current location is doomed in the relative geological short term.<ref>As the Arctic warms, the Inupiat adapt, High Country News, Jenna Kunze, July 31, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Smoothed data from NOAA show that Utqiagvik has warmed by more than Template:Convert since 1976.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On December 5, 2022, Utqiagvik broke its previous record for the warmest winter temperature, hitting Template:Convert.

Demographics

Template:US Census population The town first appeared in census records in the 1880 U.S. Census as the unincorporated Inuit village of "Ootiwakh".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> All 225 of its residents were Inuit.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1890, the community and area were returned as the "Cape Smythe Settlements", which included the refuge and whaling stations, Pengnok, Utkeavie, Kugaru (Inaru) River villages, four other camps, and Whaling Steamer Balaena. Of the 246 residents, 189 were Natives, 46 were White, one was Asian, and 10 were other races.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This did not include nearby Point Barrow, which was a separate community. In 1900, the community reported again as "Cape Smythe Settlements".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1910,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> it first reported as Barrow and did so in every successive census to 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The community formally incorporated in 1959. The native name Utqiagvik was adopted in 2016 and was used in the 2020 census.

File:Barrow-Alaska-skyview.jpg

Homes built on pilings

File:Barrow household.jpg

A typical home in Utqiagvik

In the 2010 United States Census, 4,212 persons were reported living in the city. The city's racial makeup was 60.5% Alaskan Native, 16.2% White, 8.9% Asian, 8.1% from two or more races, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 2.3% Pacific Islander, and 0.9% African.

In the census<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, 4,683 persons, 1,399 households, and 976 families were reported living in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 1,620 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 57.2% Alaska Native, 21.8% White, 9.4% Asian, 1.0% African American, 1.4% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, 8.5% from two or more races, and 3.3% Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 1,399 households, 56.5% had children under 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were not families. 23.0% of all households were individuals, and 1.8% had someone 65 or older living alone. The average household size was 3.35, and the average family size was 4.80.

In Utqiagvik, the age distribution was 27.7% under 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 3.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $63,094.09, and the median income for a family was $68,223. Males had a median income of $51,959 versus $46,382 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,902. About 7.7% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under 18 and 13.1% of those 65 and older.

As of December 2022, the city's website says: "The largest city in the North Slope Borough, Utqiagvik, has 4,429 residents, of which approximately 61% are Iñupiat Eskimo."<ref name="Home"/>

Economy

Utqiagvik is the economic center of the North Slope Borough, the city's primary employer. Many businesses provide support services to oil field operations. State and federal agencies are employers. The midnight sun has attracted tourism, and arts and crafts offer some cash income. Because transporting food to the city is expensive, many residents continue relying on subsistence food sources. Whale, seal, polar bear, walrus, waterfowl, caribou, and fish are harvested from the coast or nearby rivers and lakes.<ref name=akdced1>Template:Cite web</ref> Utqiagvik is the headquarters of the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, one of the Alaska Native corporations set up following the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act in 1971 to manage revenues and invest in development for their people in the region.

Politics

The city is the center of the North Slope borough and has been a swing city for presidential elections. A substantial number of third-party voters have resided there from time to time.

Arts and culture

Special events

File:Nalukataq Blanket Toss Barrow.jpg

Blanket Toss during a Nalukataq in Utqiagvik

• Kivgiq, the Messenger Feast, in more recent times, has been held almost every year, but "officially" is held every two or three years in late January or early February, at the discretion of the North Slope Borough mayor. Kivgiq is an international event that attracts visitors from around the Arctic Circle.
• Piuraagiaqta, the Spring Festival, celebrates breaking a path in the ice for boats to hunt whales. Held in mid-April, it includes many outdoor activities.
• Nalukataq, the Blanket Toss Celebration, is held on multiple days beginning in the third week of June to celebrate each successful spring whale hunt.
• July 4, Independence Day, in Utqiagvik is time for Eskimo games, such as the two-foot high kick and ear pull, with the winners going on to compete at the World Eskimo Indian Olympics.
• Whaling generally happens during the second week of October.
• Qitik, Eskimo Games, also known as Christmas Games, are held from December 26 through January 1.

Depictions in popular culture

Singer-songwriter John Denver visited the town for his 1979 television special Alaska, The American Child.Template:Citation needed

The ABC TV special The Night They Saved Christmas was filmed here and first aired on December 13, 1984.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Fran Tate, a local restaurant owner, was a frequent guest by telephone on a Chicago radio program, the Steve and Johnnie Show on WGN, during the 1990s. She also appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The town is the setting for a series of horror comic books titled 30 Days of Night. A commercially successful film, named after and based upon the comic, was released on October 19, 2007, followed by a straight-to-video sequel on July 23, 2010.Template:Citation needed

Karl Pilkington is sent to the town in the second season of An Idiot Abroad.Template:Citation needed

On the Ice, a film released in 2011 about teenagers dealing with a tragic accidental death, was filmed entirely in the town, with locals acting in most roles.Template:Citation needed

Big Miracle, a 2012 film starring Drew Barrymore, is based on the true story of whales trapped under ice near Point Barrow and features scenes in and characters from the town.Template:Citation needed

Stephen Fry visited the town and its people during the last segment of his documentary Stephen Fry in America.Template:Citation needed

In 2015, the NFL Network began an eight-part documentary series focusing on the Barrow High School Whalers football team.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sports

Football

File:Barrow-Whalers-turf-field.jpg

Artificial turf field for the Barrow High School's football team

On August 19, 2006, the Whalers of Barrow High School<ref>[1] Template:Webarchive</ref> played the first official football game in the Arctic against Delta Junction High School.<ref>[2] Template:Webarchive</ref> Barrow High School recorded its first win two weeks later; the coaches and players celebrated the historic win by jumping into the Arctic Ocean, just Template:Convert from the makeshift dirt field.

On August 17, 2007, the Whalers football team played their first game of the season on their new artificial-turf field. The historic game, which was attended by former Miami Dolphins player Larry Csonka, was the first live Internet broadcast of a sporting event in the United States from north of the Arctic Circle.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Since the team's formation, it has gathered a record of 33–24, and most recently, the team reached the semifinal round of the Alaskan State Small School Football Championship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2017, the Barrow High School football team won its first-ever state championship by beating the Homer Mariners 20–14.

Basketball

In 2015, the Barrow High School boys' basketball team won the Alaska Class 3A State Championship with a 50–40 victory over two-time defending state champion Monroe Catholic. The Whalers' team was led by 5-star recruit Kamaka Hepa.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As a 6'7" freshman he was regarded as one of the top basketball recruits in the country. He was ranked as the #68 basketball recruit in the country by ESPN for the class of 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Hepa transferred to Jefferson High School in Portland, Oregon, for his junior year. By October 2017, at 6'8" tall, he had committed to go to the University of Texas.<ref>Kamaka Hepa, Jefferson 4-star PF, commits to Texas Longhorns, Oregon Live, October 31, 2017. Retrieved December 16, 2017.</ref>

The Whalers' boys' basketball team finished the 2014–2015 season with a 24–3 record, the highest win percentage in school history. Guard Travis Adams was a standout as well. Coach Jeremy Arnhart's teams won 186 games in 10 seasons.<ref>Basketball fans come to watch Hepa, but leave talking about Adams as well, ASAA365, Van Williams, March 23, 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2016.</ref> In 2015, the Barrow High School girls' team also easily won the ACS tournament.<ref>ACS boys, Barrow girls capture basketball titles, Alaska Dispatch News, January 15, 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2016.</ref>

Education

File:Barrow High School 2007-12-08.jpg

Barrow High School

Utqiagvik is served by the North Slope Borough School District. The schools serving the city are Ipalook Elementary School, Hopson Middle School, Barrow High School, and an alternative learning center known as the Kiita Learning Community.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Iḷisaġvik College, which is a two-year college and the only tribal college in Alaska, is located in Utqiagvik. The college offers various certificates and associate's degrees in accounting, allied health, business and management, construction technology, dental health therapy, Indigenous education, information technology, Iñupiaq studies, liberal arts, and office management. It also offers a bachelor's degree in business administration. The college additionally provides adult education courses for GED preparation and certificates in various programs. Local students may attend University of Alaska Fairbanks and other colleges in Alaska and other states.

Media

Newspaper

The Arctic Sounder<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> newspaper is published weekly by Alaska Media, LLC, covering news of interest to the North Slope Borough, which includes Utqiagvik, and the Northwest Arctic Borough, which provides for Kotzebue in northwestern Alaska.

Radio

File:Barrow Radio.jpg

The front entrance of the KBRW studios

KBRW (AM)/KBRW-FM<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> broadcasts in Utqiagvik on 680 kHz AM and 91.9 MHz FM. KBRW is also broadcast via FM repeaters in all of the North Slope Borough villages, from Kaktovik to Point Hope.

File:Barrow-alaska-terminal.jpg

Alaska Airlines Terminal at Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport

File:Air Force station Point Barrow.jpg

Sign and facilities of the Point Barrow Long Range Radar Site

Infrastructure

File:Alaska Airlines B737-490 (N768AS) at Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport.jpg

Alaska Airlines 737-400 combi aircraft at Post–Rogers Airport in December 2007. Note that it is twilight; the sun does not rise in December, but is close enough to the horizon to illuminate the sky.

Transportation

The roads in Utqiagvik are unpaved due to the permafrost. No roads connect the city to the rest of Alaska.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Utqiagvik is served by Alaska Airlines with passenger jet service at the Wiley Post–Will Rogers Memorial Airport to and from Anchorage and Fairbanks. New service between Fairbanks and Anchorage began from Era Aviation on June 1, 2009. Freight arrives by air cargo year-round and by ocean-going marine barges during the annual summer sealift.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Utqiagvik is the transportation hub for the North Slope Borough's Arctic coastal villages. Multiple jet aircraft, with service from Deadhorse (Prudhoe Bay), Fairbanks, and Anchorage provide daily mail, cargo, and passenger services, which connect with smaller single- and twin-engine general aviation aircraft that provide regular service to other villages, from Kaktovik in the east to Point Hope in the west.<ref name=akdced1/> The town is also served by several radio taxi services, most using small four-wheel drive vehicles.

Health care

Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital, located in the City of Utqiagvik, is the primary healthcare facility for the North Slope region of Alaska. Individuals in the city needing medical care can access the hospital by road. Because no roads lead in or out of Utqiagvik, individuals in surrounding communities and towns (including Point Hope, Prudhoe Bay, and Wainwright) must be airlifted in by plane, helicopter, or air ambulance. The facility operates continuously, and is the northernmost hospital or medical facility in the United States.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notable people

• Harry Brower Sr. (1924–1992), a whaling captain, community leader
• Kamaka Hepa (born 2000), college basketball player for the Texas Longhorns and Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
• Eben Hopson (1922–1980), a former member of the Alaska Senate
• Morgan Kibby (born 1984), actress, singer, songwriter
• Edna Ahgeak MacLean (born 1944), linguist, educator, and former President of Iḷisaġvik College
• Sadie Neakok (1916–2004), the first female magistrate in Alaska
• John Nusunginya (1927–1981), a former member of the Alaska House of Representatives
• Josiah Patkotak (born 1994), a former member of the Alaska House of Representatives, mayor of the North Slope Borough
• Tara Sweeney (born 1973), former Assistant Secretary for Native American affairs at the United States Department of the Interior.

See also

• Arctic Slope Regional Corporation
• The blob (Chukchi Sea algae)
• National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska
• Native Village of Barrow Iñupiat Traditional Government
• Naval Arctic Research Laboratory
• Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation
• Umiak

Further reading

• Template:Cite magazine
• National Science Foundation Barrow area cartography
• The Papers of Palmer W. Roberts on Eskimos at Point Barrow at Dartmouth College Library
• The Papers of Albert Dekin on the Recovered Remains of the Barrow Inuit Population at Dartmouth College Library
• The Papers of Charles D. Brower, Postmaster of Barrow at Dartmouth College Library

External links

• Template:Official website
• Utqiagvik Sea Ice Webcam
• Iñupiat Heritage Center (IHC) - Official museum website
• CAC (Civil Applications Committee)/USGS Global Fiducials Program web page containing scientific description and interactive map viewer featuring declassified high-resolution time-series imagery
• Barrow, Alaska Visitor's Guide
• July 1993 weather record
• Barrow land development Template:Webarchive