About

History

The Native Village of Kotzebue is the Federally-recognized Tribal government representing the Qikiqtaġruŋmiut, the original inhabitants of the area of northwest Alaska surrounding modern-day Kotzebue (Qikiqtaġruk). The Tribe, a sovereign entity, is commonly called the Kotzebue IRA due to its organization pursuant to the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act and as amended for Alaska in 1936. 

Membership of the Kotzebue IRA is estimated at 4,000 persons, most of who belong to the original families of Qikiqtaġruk, although native peoples from other Tribes are members of the Kotzebue IRA.

Mission

The main goal and driving force of the Tribe is to serve our members by providing them the maximum amount of benefit possible with the resources available. A large part of the Tribe’s responsibility is the administration of Federal programs and services directed at Native Americans. Besides the social and service programs such as Realty, General Assistance, Child Welfare, Enrollment, and Education, efforts are being made to expand the Tribes mission through the creation of a Tribal immersion school (Nikaitchuat Iḷisaġviat), development of a housing program, and creating economic projects, such as a facility to manufacture foam house panels and a game meat/fish processing business.

The Tribe is also involved with the management of the Natural Resources that sustain our members and provide the base for our culture, which includes cooperative research efforts and Environmental Protection. Legislative issues that may impact the lives of Tribal members are monitored and the Tribe advocates for policies that will result in the greatest social justice for our members. The Tribe also promotes Iñupiaq celebrations and incorporates Iñupiaq values whenever the opportunity presents itself (Iñupiaq Iḷitqusiat).

Location

Qikiqtaġruk is located in northwest Alaska, 30 miles above the Arctic Circle on the Baldwin Peninsula, which is bordered on one side by a large estuarine environment called Kobuk Lake by local residents. The other side of the Peninsula, and the side that the community of Kotzebue is located on, borders the Chukchi Sea by way of Kotzebue Sound. Other major features of the area include the deltas of three large rivers, the Kobuk, Noatak, and Selawik, and the presence of mountain ranges on the mainland across from the peninsula, these being part of a larger group of mountains collectively referred to as the Brooks Range or Minumirauq and Qipaluq.

To learn more about our country use your search engine and the keywords such as: Kotzebue, Noatak National Preserve, Cape Krusenstern, Kobuk Valley National Park and Selawik Wildlife Refuge.

Because of the historical anthropological significance of a large part of the Tribes traditional territory, and due to its undeveloped nature, it was designated of national significance in the 1980 Alaska National Interest Land Claims, to become the Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Noatak National Preserve, and the Kobuk National Park. Our members continue to camp and harvest natural resources from these area’s and in fact a large part of the designating legislation is dedicated to the importance of these places to local residents and their continued use and access to meet their cultural and nutritional needs.

Inupiat Iḷitqusiat

Every Iñupiaq is responsible to all other Inupiat for the survival of our cultural spirit, and the values and traditions through which it survives.

Through our extended family, we retain, teach and live our Iñupiaq way: