Noorvik, Alaska

Noorvik (Inupiaq: Nuurvik, meaning "A place to move to") is an Iñupiat city in the Northwest Arctic Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 668, up from 634 in 2000. Located in the NANA Region Corp, Noorvik has close ties with the largest city in the region, Kotzebue. Residents speak a dialect of Iñupiaq known as Noorvik Inupiaq. Noorvik was the first town to be counted in the 2010 census.[6]

Noorvik Nuurvik
City
Nickname(s):  The Place to Move To
Location in Northwest Arctic Borough and the state of Alaska.
Coordinates: 66°50′00″N 161°2′45″W
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Borough	Northwest Arctic
Incorporated	March 11, 1964[1]
Government
• Mayor	Vern Cleveland[2]
• Tribal President	Wilber Howarth Sr.
• State rep.	John Lincoln (D)
Area [3]
• Total	1.26 sq mi (3.28 km^2)
• Land	0.84 sq mi (2.17 km^2)
• Water	0.43 sq mi (1.11 km^2)
Elevation	0 ft (0 m)
Population  (2010)[4]
• Total	668
• Estimate  (2019)[5]	675
• Density	805.49/sq mi (310.90/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-8 (AKDT)
ZIP code	99763
Area code	907
FIPS code	02-55140
GNIS feature ID	1413646

Noorvik, AK

Geography

Map showing Kotzebue Sound and the town of Noorvik

Noorvik is located at 66°50′14″N 161°2′12″W (66.837130, -161.036641).[7]

Noorvik is located on the right bank of the Nazuruk Channel of the Kobuk River, 76 km (47 mi) east of Kotzebue.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), of which, 1.0 square mile (2.6 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it (28.36%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1920	281		—
1930	198		−29.5%
1940	211		6.6%
1950	248		17.5%
1960	384		54.8%
1970	462		20.3%
1980	492		6.5%
1990	531		7.9%
2000	634		19.4%
2010	668		5.4%
Est. 2019	675	[5]	1.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]

Noorvik first appeared on the 1920 U.S. Census as an unincorporated village. It formally incorporated in 1964.

As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 634 people in 136 households, including 113 families, in the city. The population density was 658.7 people per square mile (255.0/km²). There were 157 housing units at an average density of 163.1 per square mile (63.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 4.89% White, 90.06% Native American, 4.89% from two or more races, and 0.16% Pacific Islander.

Of the 136 households 58.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 18.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.9% were non-families. 14.7% of households were one person and 1.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 4.66 and the average family size was 5.19.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 44.5% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 11.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% 65 or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females, there were 135.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 134.7 males.

The median household income was $51,964 and the median family income was $52,708. Males had a median income of $34,750 versus $24,583 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,020. About 9.4% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

History

Noorvik means "a place that is moved to" in Inupiaq. The village was established by Kowagmuit Inupiat fishermen and hunters from Deering in the early 1900s. Other settlers came from Oksik, a few miles upriver. The area had previously been inhabited by Kuuŋmuit Inuit up until the beginning of the 20th century, whose organized settlements had largely disappeared by the turn of the century due to famine and a flu outbreak.[10] However, the village tribal association has founded itself on "the legacy of the Kuuŋmuit Inuit," including basing their logo on a map of the Kuuŋmuit's former territory.

Education

The Aqqaluk Noorvik School, operated by the Northwest Arctic Borough School District, serves the community. As of 2017 it had 12 teachers and 186 students, with Alaska Natives and Native Americans, making up 94% and 1% of the student body respectively[11]

References

1. 1996 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory. Juneau: Alaska Municipal League/Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs. January 1996. p. 108.
2. Hopkins, Kyle (December 3, 2018). "Dunleavy sworn in as governor after a very Alaskan travel glitch". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
3. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
4. "2010 City Population and Housing Occupancy Status". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
5. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
6. The Associated Press. 2010 census to start in remote Alaska village. Anchorage Daily News. July 31, 2009.
7. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
8. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
9. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
10. Burch, Ernest (1998). Iñupiaq Eskimo Nations of Northwest Alaska. Fairbanks, Alaska: University of Alaska Press. pp. 171–189. ISBN 0-912006-95-1.
11. Home. Aqqaluk Noorvik School. Retrieved on March 26, 2017.

External links

• Subsistence wildlife harvests in five northwest Alaska communities, 2001-2003 : results of a household survey / by Kawerak, Inc., Maniilaq Association, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game ; by Susan Georgette ... [et al.]. Hosted by Alaska State Publications Program.