The Story of Arctic Village and Atka

Arctic Village was a semi-permanent spot used by the nomadic Gwich'in people until firearms were introduced and they began to permanently settle in Arctic Village in 1909. Robert McDonald, an Anglican Missionary brought literacy to the Tukudh language by translating the Bible, other religious material into the Gwich'in Tukudh language. Through the conversion of Albert E Tritt, a local Gwich'in man, the Episcopal Church in Arctic Village became a permanent part of the community. After legal battles with the US government, Arctic Village has worked to preserve their tradional ways of hunting caribou which continues to today. Atka is the westernmost community in the United States. It's waaaay out there on the Aleutian Island Chain. Only scant archeological evidence gives us hints at the first peoples which intrigues my interests. The Russian experlors made first contact followed by fur traders. When WWII struck, the US government forced all residents to leave and burned the village down to prevent the Japenese from using it. After the war, the residents returned, but were never the same again. St. Nicholas Orthodox Church has been there through almost all of the known history of Atka making it a key element in the story of Atka, AK! Contact the show at [email protected] TYSA Logo was created by Evan Van Kirk Music was created by Isaac Bedingfield