Nuiqsut
Nuiqsut is located on the Nechelik Channel in the North Slope Borough, about 35 miles from the Beaufort Sea coast. It was one of three abandoned Inupiat villages identified by ANCSA and was resettled in 1973 by 27 families from Barrow.
For 18 months, the families lived in tents while housing was built, gathering wood for heat, hauling water for drinking and cleaning, and hunting and fishing for food. Makeshift classrooms were set up in tents. Religious services and community events were held regularly. Despite not having medical clinics, law enforcement officers, or emergency services, life carried on much as it had in Barrow. There were no deaths from cold or starvation during the year, and half of the residents lived in tents.
Housing and facilities were constructed by federal agencies in the summer of 1973 and 1974, and goods were hauled from Barrow by tractor. These original residents were the first to receive dividends from the oil companies in exchange for land use. Nuiqsut was incorporated 1975.
The majority of the population of Nuiqsut is Inupiat Eskimo. Alaska Natives comprise more than 90 percent of the population. Currently, Nuiqsut is home to approximately 425 residents. Unlike most villages in rural Alaska, the majority of homes have running water, natural gas, and electricity. There is one school in the community attended by 106 students. Kuukpik, the school, borough service,s and the store provide most of the year-round employment in the village. Air travel provides the only year-round access. Snowmachines are used for local transportation.
Alpine
Abundant in petroleum and natural gas deposits, the Colville River Delta lies 50 miles west of Prudhoe Bay. It is the site of the 600-million-barrel Alpine oil field, operated by ConocoPhillips Alaska. Alpine is the fifth largest oil discovery on the North Slope and the first on Native-owned lands. Production started in late 2001. Kuukpik owns the surface rights to portions of the oil field and receives a small royalty from the production of oil and gas.
As the first Native village to be impacted in this way by the oil industry, Kuukpik was able to successfully negotiate a comprehensive surface-use agreement. This agreement established provisions for education, training, preferences in contracting, employment and the environment.
The corporation and its partners are involved in many types of projects, including gravel mobilization and stabilization, pipe transportation, placement of pipe and facilities, pipe welding, and transportation. Jobs and training opportunities for our shareholders are of paramount importance to Kuukpik. All state and federal environmental standards were incorporated by reference into the agreement, as well as the environmental standards and stipulations developed by the corporation.
Prior to the discovery of the Alpine oil field, Nuiqsut was primarily a subsistence-based economy. Subsistence remains the integral way of life for the Inupiat people of Nuiqsut, and so, as part of the surface-use agreement, the Kuukpik Subsistence Oversight Panel was created. This panel provides ongoing local input and oversight for the protection, promotion, and health of the subsistence resources in the area.
The traditional values of Care of the Land, Care of Resources, and Healthy, Safe Surroundings have always been part of the corporation’s goals and objectives. As a vital part of monitoring and protecting subsistence resources, Kuukpik has successfully produced scientific studies and subsistence harvest reports. We are committed to environmentally safe, economically feasible exploration, development, and production of our lands and ensuring subsistence users’ rights are protected.