Our Land / Culture





Welcome to Kaktovik, or Inuuniagviat Qaaqtuvigmiut, the ancestral homelands of the native Kaktovikmiut of the Arctic Coast of Alaska. These lands we have called home for thousands of years extend from the continental divide in the Brooks Range to approximately 100 kilometers offshore in the Arctic Ocean, from the Sagavanirktok River on the west, well into present-day Canada on the east.

Legend has it that Kaktovik got its name from the story of Pipsuk, grandson of Tiqutaaq, who used to live around the nearby Canning River and would often come to this area to fish.  One day Pipsuk was out fishing these waters alone when his boat capsized. Although a capable young fisherman, the treacherous waters proved too cold for him and he was unable to right his boat.   When his family came to look for him, his body was fished out of the ocean with a seining net, hence the name Qaaqtugvik (Kaktovik) which means "seining place."

We Kaktovikmiut are native Inupiat, often referred to as Eskimo here in the US, or Inuit into Canada.  For centuries, we made our home along the coast as we harvested the land between the Arctic Ocean and the mountains to the south.  We are the only indigenous people of this land, and to that end we help define this place, along with the air, sea, mountains, tundra and wildlife.  To remove one of these elements from the other would be impossible, and we see ourselves as no different. For thousands of years our culture has been defined by our connection with this place and all of the bounty it provides.  This synthesis between land and people is one of the things that has maintained us here for eons, along with our sense of community and willingness to support one another.

In the earlier part of the 20th century our lives here were much different from what they are today.  We lived in sod houses and the harsh winters were not at all forgiving, making it hard for us to hunt and survive off the land.  Life was very difficult then and many people suffered.  Now we are fortunate enough to have access to certain life sustaining amenities, including modern housing, plumbing, firearms, motorboats and snow machines, all which allow us much more freedom to live and prosper here.  We are also able to teach our children in our own schools about life in the world, as well as the history and knowledge of their own culture as Kaktovikmuit.
City of Kaktovik, Alaska.
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