Photo courtesy of Bert Adams Jr.
WELCOME TO KIVALINA!
Kivalina is located down the Northwest Coast of Alaska near the Chukchi Sea 120 miles above the Arctic Circle (estimated) and borders near the boundary of the North Slope. It is a 8-mile barrier reef and is now 27 acres. Population is 440 as of January 2012. An estimated 66 adults that were born and raised in Kivalina have moved away but with their children, it totals to 110. There are 8 who are incarcerated but return to Kivalina when they are released. Only 58 adults have regular year-round jobs of which 10 are employed by Red Dog. There are 106 structures in Kivalina with 86 being residential housing units. Not listed are uninhabitable stuctures that are still standing.
There are no hotels, restaurants, movie theatres, or recreation centers. The only public facilities are as follows: City Office/Tribal Office, US Post Office, Episcopal Church, Friends Church, bingo hall, clinic, washeteria, school, general store owned by ANICA, Inc., AVEC electric power plant, heavy equipment building, airport building, and an armory building. Visitors coming into Kivalina should call the City or Tribal Office for accommodations when staying more then a day. Generally, most are placed in the school where accommodations include flush toilets and showers.
The only form of entertainment for the adult age people is bingo and evening gym nights for the athletic ones. Entertainment for the school aged children are evening gym nights and on occasion, a movie sponsored by the McQueen School student council at the gymnasium. On a rare occasion, there will be a dance for the school age and young adult, which is self-sponsored by a responsible adult or two. For the non-athletic or non-bingo players, entertainment is staying at home doing their own thing. There is a new medium for entertainment - Inupiaq dance practice every other night.
Thanks to the Northwest Arctic Borough, the Village Police Office was funded in 2010. There was a position open for Village Protection Safety Officer but it remains open. After the discontinuation of Revenue Sharing, law enforcement became non-existent, although there is a position available under the State Troopers program; Village Police Safety Officer. Because of lack of housing and water and sewer, the two applicants chose not to accept the job so that position remains open.
Kivalina has two water tanks that provide water for it's residents. In the middle of town are two huge holding tanks that hold 500,000 and 670,000 gallons of water. That is the only source of drinking water for almost all the residents. They are refilled annually in the summer time between July and August. Those that can afford it choose not to drink the water because of the Teck Cominco's Red Dog Mines discharge into the Wulik River. Their personal choice of drinking water comes from the Kivalina River or during the fall season gather rain water in August. There is no water and sewer service in the residential housing units. The water services provided by the City of Kivalina is too small and cannot carry such a huge load.
Local governing bodies include the Kivalina City Council and the Kivalina IRA Council consisting of seven (7) members per entity. Other committees include the Kivalina Relocation Planning Committee, the Kivalina Advisory School Board, the Volunteer Fire Department, the Kivalina Search and Rescue, the Episcopal Church Committee and the Friends Church Committee. There are two church demoninations: the Kivalina Episcopal Church and the Kivalina Friends Church. Both hold services on Sunday and Wednesday.
The only available jobs are at the McQueen School, the Kivalina Native Store, the US Postal Service, the Kivalina City Office, the Kivalina IRA Office, the health clinic and a few jobs provided by outside agencies such as Maniilaq Association, NANA Regional Corporation and Northwest Arctic Borough. At least ten (10) work at the Red Dog Mine. There is one small store that sell snacks and other inventory. Many residents have moved away to other cities or communities to seek work or for a place to live in their own.
The Teck Cominco Red Dog Mine is 52 miles East of Kivalina. The Teck Cominco Port Site dock is 17 miles Southeast of Kivalina. Kotzebue is 80 miles Southeast of Kivalina. Kivalina is accessible only by air and sea in the summer and by air, sea and land in the winter time. Main mode of transportation are the snowmobiles, boat and the All-Terrain Vehicle's (4-wheeled). There are at six (6) cars in town. Commercial airlines such as Bering Air and ERA come to Kivalina on a daily basis to deliver mail and groceries. Barge services deliver bulk fuel and gas to the school, store and the powerplant on an annual basis.