Native Voices in Utqiagvik, Alaska
There are 229 federally recognized native villages in Alaska. With its rich history in indigenous culture, diverse landscapes ranging from a boreal rainforest to an Arctic desert resting along the icy ocean at the top of the world, Alaska lays claim to some of the most varied social traditions as well as the people who call it home. By comparison, the large state of Texas could fit nearly three times into the geographical Alaskan boundaries, yet it remains one of the least populated places in the United States with just over 733,000 residents according to the 2020 census report. Of those residents included more than 119,000 Native Alaskans recorded their permanent home within Alaska—and that was in an informal count more than 20 years ago. Today, the Native Alaskan population has expanded throughout the vast territories yet little is said of the worlds that build the engaging bridges of these groups.
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