Diomede, Alaska
Diomede
Iŋaliq ( ZIP code | 99762 | |
---|---|---|
Area code | 907 | |
FIPS code | 02-19060 | |
GNIS ID | 1401213 |
Diomede (
Its native name Iŋaliq means "the other one" or "the one over there".[5][6] It is also imprecisely spelled Inalik.
History
The current location of the city is believed by some archaeologists to have been inhabited for at least 3,000 years.
1648–1867
The first European to reach the Diomede Islands was Russian explorer
The United States
1880s–1920s
According to naturalist John Muir, who visited the Diomede Islands in the 1880s, natives were eager to trade away everything they had. The village was perched on the steep rocky slope of the mountain, which has sheer drops into deep water. Huts were mostly built of stone with skin roofs.[11]
During the Nome gold rush at the turn of the 20th century, Diomede villagers traveled to Nome along with the gold seekers, even though Nome was not a native village. People from Diomede arrived in umiaks and stayed in Nome for the summer, trading and gathering items before they returned to their isolated village.[12]
1940s
According to Arthur Ahkinga, who lived on Little Diomede island at the turn of the 1940s, the Iñupiat on the island made their living by hunting and carving
Despite being separated by the new border after the
At the beginning of the Cold War in the late 1940s, Big Diomede became a USSR (Soviet Union) military base, and all its native residents were removed to mainland Russia.[4] When people from Little Diomede went too close to the Russian side or tried to visit their relatives on the neighboring island during World War II, they were taken captive. According to one of the survivors, Oscar Ahkinga, after 52 days of internment and interrogation, the Iñupiat were banished and told not to come back.[15]
1950s
The school year 1953–1954 on Little Diomede Island was adapted to better serve the local needs. Teaching took place throughout the holidays and also on some weekends in order to complete the 180 days of schooling before the
1970s
During the seventies, the village on Little Diomede was gradually inhabited as a permanent settlement and the entire island was incorporated into the city of Diomede in 1970.[17][18]
1990s
In 1992, Little Diomede was formally recognized as a whaling community, per the AEWC. Little Diomede, though a whaling community prior to this, was not included in the formation of the AEWC and its needs were not taken into account in determining the bowhead quota for Inupiat and Yupik because of its remote location.[19] After the Cold War ended in December 1991, interest in reuniting with families across the Bering Strait grew. In 1994, the people of Little Diomede island collected cash and groceries while local dancers practiced almost every night. The islanders prepared for a visit of more than one hundred friends and relatives from Siberia, and they wanted to be hospitable and generous hosts.[4]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.43 square miles (6.3 km2), all of it land.
Little Diomede Island is located about 25 miles (40 km) west from the mainland, in the middle of the Bering Strait. It is only 0.6 miles (0.97 km) from the International Date Line and about 2.4 miles (3.9 km) from the Russian island of Big Diomede.
Geology
The Little Diomede island is composed of Cretaceous age granite or quartz monzonite.[20][21] The city is located in the only area that does not have near-vertical cliffs to the water. Behind the city and around the entire island, rocky slopes rise at about 40° up to the relatively flattened top at 1,148–1,191 feet (350–363 m). The island has scant vegetation.
Climate
Diomede, although slightly south of the Arctic Circle, has a dry-summer polar climate (Köppen ETs), because the driest high-sun month (April) has less than one-third as much precipitation as the wettest high-sun month (October). The winters are icy and cold – colder than those of Nome despite the island location due to greater proximity to extremely cold Siberian air masses. The extreme moderating effect of the thawed Bering Sea produces very cool summers, with the result that most plants are unable to grow. The hottest summer ever experienced temperatures up to only 73 °F (22.8 °C).
Climate data for Diomede, Alaska | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 53 (12) |
47 (8) |
42 (6) |
48 (9) |
56 (13) |
67 (19) |
72 (22) |
73 (23) |
65 (18) |
54 (12) |
45 (7) |
44 (7) |
73 (23) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 7 (−14) |
4 (−16) |
5 (−15) |
16 (−9) |
32 (0) |
43 (6) |
52 (11) |
55 (13) |
44 (7) |
33 (1) |
22 (−6) |
10 (−12) |
27 (−3) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −7 (−22) |
−9 (−23) |
−8 (−22) |
3 (−16) |
23 (−5) |
34 (1) |
43 (6) |
43 (6) |
37 (3) |
25 (−4) |
11 (−12) |
−2 (−19) |
16 (−9) |
Record low °F (°C) | −44 (−42) |
−44 (−42) |
−42 (−41) |
−32 (−36) |
−11 (−24) |
20 (−7) |
24 (−4) |
30 (−1) |
23 (−5) |
−5 (−21) |
−28 (−33) |
−35 (−37) |
−44 (−42) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.41 (10) |
0.45 (11) |
0.48 (12) |
0.27 (6.9) |
0.54 (14) |
0.73 (19) |
1.47 (37) |
2.46 (62) |
1.99 (51) |
1.41 (36) |
0.68 (17) |
0.52 (13) |
11.41 (288.9) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.3 (11) |
4.1 (10) |
6 (15) |
3 (7.6) |
2.8 (7.1) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0 (0) |
1.2 (3.0) |
6.3 (16) |
8 (20) |
5.3 (13) |
41.5 (103.97) |
Source: [22] |
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1880 | 40 | — | |
1890 | 85 | 112.5% | |
1910 | 90 | — | |
1920 | 101 | 12.2% | |
1930 | 139 | 37.6% | |
1940 | 129 | −7.2% | |
1950 | 103 | −20.2% | |
1960 | 89 | −13.6% | |
1970 | 84 | −5.6% | |
1980 | 139 | 65.5% | |
1990 | 178 | 28.1% | |
2000 | 146 | −18.0% | |
2010 | 115 | −21.2% | |
2020 | 83 | −27.8% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[23] |
Diomede first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census as the unincorporated Inuit village of Inalit. It returned as "Ignaluk" on the 1890 census.[24] It next appeared on the 1910-40 censuses as "Little Diomede Island." In 1950, it returned as Diomede. It was incorporated as a city in 1970. Diomede also appears on the census as Inalik, designated as an Alaska Native Village Statistical Area (ANVSA).
As of the
There were 43 households, out of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 20.9% were married couples living together, 32.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.40 and the average family size was 4.00.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 43.8% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 6.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 121.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,750, and the median income for a family was $24,583. Males had a median income of $41,250 versus $26,875 for females. The
Community
The location of the city is believed to have been used for at least 3,000 years as a hunting campsite. In the late 19th century, travelers reported people living in huts made out of rocks and with skin roofs. (see History).
The first square building in the island was a small Catholic church, which was planned by Father Bellarmine Lafortune in 1935 and built by Father Thomas Cunningham during his residency on the island between 1936 and 1947. It was built from donated lumber from Nome.[26] The next square building in the island was a one-room schoolhouse,[27] which also served as a home for the teacher's family. A new, larger church building built by Father Thomas Carlin and Brother Ignatius Jakes was completed on March 3, 1979.[26][13]
Today there are about 30 buildings
Electricity
An electric system was built on the island in the 1970s,
Water and disposal
Water for winter use is drawn from a mountain spring, then treated and stored in 434,000-U.S.-gallon (1,640 m3) storage tanks. Because the permafrost prevents pipelines from being installed underground, residents must manually carry water from the tank.[8][13] Even with a tank this size, the water supply usually runs out by March, the laundromat is closed and residents must melt their drinking water from snow and ice.
Funds for improving the water system have been requested both by the city and the school. Having a separate tank for the school would decrease the usage of city water and would also serve as a backup water supply for the whole city. Funds have also been requested for improvements to refuse collection and for an
Education
The island's only school is likely the most isolated school in the United States. The Diomede School has approximately 40 students from grades pre-K through 12 and five teachers. It is part of the Bering Strait School District. The number of teachers fluctuates based on the student population.
Health care and emergency services
There is no hospital on the island, and emergency services are limited due to the remoteness of the island. A city council-owned clinic operates in the laundromat building, providing basic health care.
While other emergency services are provided by volunteers and a health aide, the fire and rescue service is provided by Diomede Volunteer Fire Department and First Responders.[30] In case of a major health emergency, patients are airlifted to the mainland hospital in Nome, weather permitting.[29] The closest law enforcement are dispatched from the Alaska State Troopers barracks on the mainland in Nome.
Frozen ground and lack of soil on the rocky island prevents digging graves, so rocks are piled on top of the burial sites instead.[31]
On November 7, 2009, it was announced that one inhabitant was infected with H1N1 swine flu.[32]
Economy
Employment
Employment on the island is mostly limited to the city, post office, and school. There have been a few seasonal jobs, such as mining and construction, but recently these have been in decline. The Diomede people are excellent ivory carvers and the city serves as a wholesale agent for the ivory.
Taxes
The city levies a 3% sales tax,[36] but there are no property taxes on the island.
Transportation
History
When Alaska was still connected to Siberia over 10,000 years ago by the
In the early 1940s, one of the Little Diomede villagers wrote "No airplane comes to Diomede except for some very special reason, during the winter. The MS North Star brings groceries for the people on the island from Nome. At the same time she unloads freight for the school teachers. The Coast Guard cutter Northland comes in twice during the summer to look after the natives".[14]
Internal transport
There are no roads, highways, railroads, or internal waterways on the island. There are ancient but faint rocky trails heading north and south from the City of Diomede. There are also trails between the buildings. In the fall of 2008, many of the footpaths within the city were replaced by a system of boardwalks and stairs.[37] On the small island with total land area of only 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2), the only ways to get from place to place are by foot, ski, or snowmobile. Because only the city is inhabited, no internal transport systems have been constructed.
External transport
Due to the remoteness and
Mail has been delivered to the island by helicopter since 1982 and is currently delivered weekly (up until 2013, mail was delivered by plane more frequently in winter months when the ice runway allowed for more deliveries). The postal contract is one of the oldest in the nation, the only one that uses helicopters for delivering mail, and with a cost of over $300,000 annually, is the most expensive in Alaska.[38]
An annual delivery of goods and supplies is made by
Due to its location and weather conditions, transportation to the island is very expensive. Having very few economic development opportunities and a tight budget, the city charges non-business visitors arriving by plane or boat a $50.00 fee.[12]
When U.S.
Helicopter
The main access to the island is by
Since 2012, the United States Department of Transportation has subsidized scheduled weekly passenger service via helicopter between Diomede Heliport and Nome Airport.[39][40]
Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
Pathfinder Aviation | Nome |
Airplane
Currently there are no airports on Little Diomede Island because of the island's rocky, steep slopes. Most winters a temporary runway is cleared on top of the
Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
Bering Air | Seasonal: Nome |
Boat
There is no port in Little Diomede Island, and surrounding thick Arctic sea ice limits boat access to the island to only a few summer months. High waves and huge blocks of ice in the area make navigation very risky and difficult. Landing by boat is also difficult and dangerous because of the rocky shoreline of Little Diomede Island. The barge delivering supplies once a year and occasional other watercraft usually stay offshore due to conditions of the shoreline.
Transportation improvements
There have been studies of improving the transportation system within and out of the island. Proposals and studies vary between a port, a runway, and the
Air and water
There have been multiple studies of navigation improvements, a
Bridge or tunnel
There have been proposals to construct an
See also
References
- Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs: 30. January 1974.
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
- ^ "SUB-IP-EST2021-POP-02.xlsx". US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Diomede", alaskaweb.org, The American Local History Network, 2005
- ISBN 978-0-88240-289-5.
name for the city is Inalik, meaning "the other one" or "the one over there
- ^ Indigenous Peoples and Languages of Alaska Map
- ^ Barry, Paul C. (2001). "Native American nations and languages". turtletrack.org. Archived from the original on April 14, 2018. Retrieved March 5, 2008.
- ^ a b c "Bering Strait CEDS 2019-2024" (PDF). commerce.alaska.gov. Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ Patowary, Kaushik. "Diomede Islands: Two Islands Split by the US-Russian Border and the International Date Line". amusingplanet.com. Amusing Planet. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ Patowary, Kaushik (February 28, 2014). "Diomede Islands: Two Islands Split by the US-Russian Border and the International Date Line". amusingplanet.com. Amusing Planet. Archived from the original on March 4, 2014. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ Muir, John (1881). "Chapter 3: Siberian Adventures". The cruise of the Corwin – via yosemite.ca.us.
- ^ a b "Nome census area tourism". State of Alaska. Archived from the original on September 16, 2004.
- ^ a b c "Diomede" (PDF). kawerak.org. Kawerak Community Planning and Development Department, City of Diomede. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ a b Ahkinga, Arthur. Alaska Villages 1939–1941.
- ^ Iseman, Peter A. (1988). Lifting the Ice Curtain.
- ^ Berliner, Jeff (December 15, 1988). "Remote Alaska Island Dials the Right Number". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ Carr, Everette (2005). "Diomede". American Local History Network – via rootsweb.com.
- ^ "The Native Village of Diomede - History". Kawerak, Inc. Native Village of Diomede IRA Council. Archived from the original on October 14, 2006. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ "Our Whaling Villages". aewc-alaska.org. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
- ^ Till, A. B., et al., Bedrock Geologic Map of the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, and Accompanying Conodont Data, Pamphlet to accompany Scientific Investigations Map 3131, USGS
- ^ Gualtieri, Lyn and Julie Brigham-Grette, The Age and Origin of the Little Diomede Island Upland Surface, Arctic, Vol. 54, No. 1 (March 2001) pp. 12–21
- ^ "Intellicast | Weather Underground".
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "Geological Survey Professional Paper". 1949.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ a b "St.Jude". walaskacatholic.org. eCatholic. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ Building completion date missing, but was already being used by teachers Gerald F. and Donna Carlson in 1953
- ^ Google satellite image of the City of Diomede
- ^ a b c State of Alaska, Northwest Arctic Subarea Contingency Plan (2001)
- ^ a b c State of Alaska, Community Database Online / Diomede Archived April 19, 2013, at archive.today
- ^ Travelogue associated with the St. Roch II Voyage of Rediscovery expedition (2000) / Arianne Balsom Includes pictures
- ^ "Swine flu scare hits Diomede: Swine flu (H1N1) | adn.com". Archived from the original on November 8, 2009. Retrieved November 10, 2009.
- ^ Northwest Arctic Subarea Contingency Plan (2001)
- ^ (Personal searches from eBay during Oct 2007 – Mar 2008)
- ^ Alaskan Whaling Villages – Diomede Information
- ^ Alaska Division of Community Advocacy Archived April 19, 2013, at archive.today
- ^ a b Trembly's Travels: Little Diomede Island and Gambell Archived March 7, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Diomede mail run is often a white-knuckle ride Archived July 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine James Macpherson, Alaska Journal of Commerce (2002) interviews a former Army pilot Eric Penttila
- ^
"Order 2012-9-25". Docket DOT-OST-2009-0260. United States Department of Transportation. September 28, 2012. – selecting Evergreen Helicopters, Inc., to provide Air Transportation to Noneligible Places (ATNEP) at Diomede, Alaska, for $377,520. Following this Order, the Department will enter into a contract with Evergreen and the applicable non-Federal party or parties (i.e., Kawerak, Inc., a relevant State of Alaska government entity, etc.) responsible for payment of its 50 percent share to ensure funding for ATNEP at Diomede based on BO-105, 4-seat, twin-engine helicopter.
- ^
"Order 2013-6-11". Docket DOT-OST-2009-0260. United States Department of Transportation. June 11, 2013.
re-selecting Evergreen Helicopters, Inc., to provide Air Transportation to Noneligible Places (ATNEP) at Diomede, Alaska, with an annual subsidy of $377,520 per year for the period July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014. Service is to consist of one round trip per week, 44 weeks per year, routed Nome to Diomede to Wales to Diomede to Nome with 4-seat B-105 helicopters.
- ^ The National Association for State Community Services Programs (NASCSP) (2004), FY 2004 Accomplishments and Coordination of Funds, p. 2-3. Also includes plans and accomplishment report of public utility and housing improvements on the Little Diomede Island
- ^ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2006) Federal Register / Volume 71 / No. 247, p. 77392-77393. Also includes a draft of feasibility study of constructing a small boat harbor and air transportation capability to the Little Diomede Island
External links
- Diomede community page
- Census 2000 information
- Diomede School
- You CAN see Russia from here! Archived October 3, 2011, at the Anderson Cooper 360