A Glimpse into the Arctic Life

Barrow is the northernmost city in the United States, a fact that sets the stage for its extraordinary lifestyle. The city experiences more than two months of darkness in winter and a similar period of continuous daylight in summer. These unique conditions define every aspect of life here, from daily routines to social gatherings.

Surviving the Extremes

Life in Barrow is a testament to human resilience. The average temperature hovers around -12 degrees Fahrenheit in winter, challenging even the hardiest of residents. Buildings are specially designed to withstand the harsh climate, with insulation that battles the pervasive cold and wind. The local diet is heavily reliant on subsistence hunting, which provides nutritious, high-fat foods like whale, seal, and caribou, essential for surviving the bitter cold.

Cultural Richness Amid Isolation

Despite its isolation, Barrow is a vibrant hub of native Iñupiat culture. The community’s deep-rooted traditions are evident in everyday life and annual festivals. The Kivgiq (Messenger Feast) is a significant event, replete with traditional dances, drumming, and the sharing of food. This festival is not just a celebration but a vital means of strengthening bonds within the community and with visitors from other villages.

Modern Challenges and Adaptations

Balancing Tradition and Change

As modern amenities and technologies make their way into Barrow, the community faces the challenge of integrating these advances without diluting their rich cultural heritage. Schools teach both the Iñupiaq language and English, ensuring that the youth remain connected to their roots while being prepared for opportunities beyond their hometown.

Climate Change on the Front Lines

Barrow’s unique location makes it an excellent indicator of climate change, and the effects here are more pronounced than in most parts of the world. Thinning ice sheets and changing sea patterns affect local wildlife and, consequently, the subsistence hunting on which Barrow relies. The community actively participates in global climate dialogues, offering firsthand insights into the changes they witness every day.

Tourism in Barrow

Intrigued by its unique position and culture, tourists find Barrow a compelling destination. Visitors can experience the midnight sun, view the frozen Arctic Ocean, and learn about Iñupiat culture directly from the residents. However, tourism is managed carefully to respect the community’s lifestyle and environment.

What to Expect When Visiting

• Polar Bear Tours: These guided tours are a favorite, offering safe and respectful ways to observe one of the Arctic’s most majestic animals.
• Cultural Centers and Museums: Places like the Iñupiat Heritage Center not only display ancient artifacts but also host workshops where visitors can learn crafts like beadwork and carving from local artisans.
• Arctic Ocean Scenic Views: The point where the dark waters of the Arctic meet the endless horizon offers some of the most stunning vistas in the North.

Exploring Economic Activities

Despite its remote location, Barrow boasts a diversified economy, with traditional subsistence hunting coexisting alongside modern industries. The city is a center for scientific research, particularly in the fields of meteorology, climate science, and Arctic biology. Researchers from around the globe come to Barrow to study the effects of climate change in the Arctic environment—a setting that offers real-time data on the shifting patterns of our planet.

Oil and Gas Industry

Another significant contributor to Barrow’s economy is the oil and gas industry. The North Slope, where Barrow is located, holds some of the largest oil fields in North America. While this industry brings employment opportunities and economic benefits, it also poses environmental and cultural challenges. Balancing economic growth with the preservation of their natural habitat and way of life is a constant focus for the Iñupiat community and local governance.

Arts and Crafts

The artistic expression of the Iñupiat is another cornerstone of life in Barrow. Local artisans craft beautiful items from materials that are fully integrated into their surroundings—ivory, baleen, and other natural materials are transformed into intricate carvings, jewelry, and utilitarian objects. These crafts are not only sold locally and online, boosting the economy, but also serve as cultural ambassadors that tell the story of Barrow and its people to the world.

Educational Insights

Barrow is also an educational hub on the North Slope, providing resources and schooling for the region’s youth. The schools here are equipped to offer a curriculum that respects and incorporates local knowledge and traditions while ensuring students receive modern education that prepares them for future careers, whether within Barrow or beyond.

Barrow High School

A unique feature of Barrow High School is its football team, which is notable for being the northernmost football team in the United States. The team plays on a blue turf field, which stands stark against the often white, snowy landscape, symbolizing a blend of modern American culture with the distinctive local environment.

Community and Connectivity

Healthcare and Services

Healthcare services in Barrow are tailored to meet the needs of the community, with facilities capable of providing both routine and emergency care. The Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital serves as the primary healthcare provider, equipped with the tools necessary for addressing the unique medical challenges presented by the Arctic environment.

Communication and Internet Access

Modern communication technologies have bridged the gap between Barrow and the rest of the world. Despite its isolation, residents enjoy access to high-speed internet and satellite communications, allowing them to stay connected with global trends and maintain relationships with people thousands of miles away.

Looking to the Future

Barrow’s future is an exciting blend of tradition and innovation. As the community looks forward, there is a strong emphasis on sustainable development. Plans are in place to ensure that as the world becomes increasingly interconnected, Barrow maintains its cultural identity while embracing the changes that come with global participation.

The people of Barrow are a living example of adaptation and resilience. They have created a vibrant community that respects its past while looking confidently toward the future. For those who visit or study Barrow, the experience is transformative, offering profound insights into the power of human endurance and the spirit of the Arctic.

In conclusion, Barrow, Alaska, is more than just a town at the top of the world; it is a beacon of cultural persistence and ecological awareness. It stands as a testament to the strength of the human spirit, thriving in harmony with one of the earth’s most extreme environments. Whether as a visitor or a virtual explorer, encountering Barrow changes one’s perspective on survival, culture, and community at the edge of the world.

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The Northern Lights, or Aurora, is an atmospheric phenomenon caused by the interaction of the solar wind with the Earth’s magnetosphere. It occurs at polar latitudes where electrons from the solar wind collide with atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere, causing bright light effects.

Barrow, Alaska, is one of the best places in the world to observe the Northern Lights. Its extreme northern location provides unique opportunities to observe auroral flashes. During the winter months, when the nights are completely dark and the atmosphere is clear and cloud-free, the spectacle of the Northern Lights becomes even more spectacular.

Travelers and photographers from all over the world flock to Barrow to experience this unique phenomenon. They gather in open spaces, away from the artificial lights of the city, to enjoy the brightest and purest view of the aurora possible.

When visiting Barrow to see the Northern Lights, there are a few things to remember:

• Prepare for the cold: Winter nights in Barrow can be extremely cold, so dress warmly and prepare to be outside for long periods of time;
• Choose peak times: Although the Northern Lights may be visible throughout the winter season, some times are particularly bright and spectacular. Research solar activity forecasts and choose the time of your visit accordingly;
• Immerse yourself in the local culture: During your stay in Barrow, be sure to explore the local culture and traditions of Alaska Native peoples such as the Inuit. This can add depth and insight to your experience.

The Northern Lights in Barrow, Alaska, are more than just a natural phenomenon. It is a magical moment when the earthly and celestial elements come together, creating unique beauty and delight in those who have the good fortune to be here. If you dream of a unique trip where you get to witness one of nature’s most stunning shows, then Barrow, Alaska, is your perfect destination.

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The landmark consists of a series of approximately 20 mounds on coastal ridges. The mounds reach 14 feet in height and are dotted with the submerged remains of house ruins and hiding places. The mounds were formed by the construction of new houses on the ruins of old structures over hundreds of years.

The population at the site of Birnirk (Pignik) was small, perhaps two or three houses during one occupation. The houses at the site were square and approximately 12 feet wide. The walls and roofs were framed with driftwood and whalebones, and the roofs were covered with sod. The entrances were below the level of the plank floor to keep the heat in.

As people lived on the site of Birnirk (Pġniq) in ancient times, the lowering of sea levels left a series of ridges that were former gravel banks. Recently, as sea levels have been rising, much of the archaeological site has been washed away in the Elson Lagoon next to the site.

During the Birnirk period, the main animal resources were seals, fish, birds, caribou, and smaller land mammals. Whales were rarely caught. The artifacts found in Birnirk (Pġniq) were used for domestic life, hunting, fishing, and travel. A significant find in the Birnirk National Historic Site is the remains of a 1000-year-old umiyak. Some parts still have decorative ivory inlays and whisker binding. Boats made of wood and animal parts are extremely rare in archaeological sites.

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In the United States, BASC supports facilities in Barrow as well as in Atqasuk, an interior village 60 miles south of Barrow. In Russia, working with the Chukotka Science Support Group (CSSG), BASC supports facilities in the villages of Provideniye and Lavrentiya, both in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (state). In all of these locations, BASC works with local indigenous organizations to support science and help residents understand and participate in science initiatives.

The Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) is located adjacent to Elson Lagoon, south of the Point Barrow Spit. The BEO consists of 7,466 acres of land managed by BASC and set aside by the owners for scientific research. The owners are indigenous Inupiat Eskimos from Barrow, working through their village corporation, the Ukpeagvik Iñupiat Corporation
(UIC).

As part of its outreach program, BASC sponsors public presentations and researcher visits to schools, and encourages researchers to engage local students and residents in field research.

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Neither Rogers nor Post were strangers to Alaska. This particular flight was described by the Associated Press as a “happy air tour of Alaska” that would be a prelude to a planned important groundbreaking trans-Siberian flight to Moscow. The two men visited several Alaskan cities. On August 16, Rogers and Post were flying from Fairbanks to Barrow when they encountered fog and poor visibility. The two friends found a hole in the fog in Wallacpa Bay, disembarked, spent some time with a small group of Alaska Natives, and received directions to the short distance remaining to fog-shrouded Barrow. The last flight had barely gotten 50 feet in the air when the engine failed. The plane crashed into the lagoon and overturned. The Post-Rogers crash was the first fatal airplane crash Barrow knew of.

Wiley Post, born in Texas in 1899, gained international recognition in his career after his unexpected victory as an unknown in the 1930 National Air Races from Los Angeles to California. In the years leading up to the crash, Post had stopped in Alaska to refuel during his two round-the-world flights. In 1931, he landed his airplane, the Winnie Mae, in both Fairbanks and Solomon Beach, near Nome, with his navigator Harold Getty. Then, in a solo flight that improved his time by almost a day, he landed the Winnie the Pooh again at Fairbanks and then at Flathead in the summer of 1933. The airplane that Post and Rogers flew in 1935 was an improved version of the Winnie the Pooh, but designed by Post. It was a cantilevered low-wing monoplane of wood and fabric construction powered by a 55 horsepower Pratt and Whitney Wasp engine. The fuselage was a Lockheed Orion and the wing was a Sirius, similar to the airplane previously flown across the Pacific to Japan by Charles and Ann Lindbergh. For the conditions of Alaska and Siberia, it had interchangeable skis and pontoons in addition to landing wheels, and was described by the Army communications radio station from Barrow to Seattle as “the red Arctic Sky cruiser.”

The first monument at this site was consecrated only three years after the tragic disaster, organized through a public subscription by thousands of Americans. The Will Rogers-Wiley Post Monument was designed in Oklahoma and built on site from concrete using local aggregates. Essentially, the design was two cubes – a smaller one on top of a larger one – with a pink granite memorial marker quarried near the Rogers family homestead in Claremore, Oklahoma. The elaborate dedication ceremonies included a four-way Columbia Broadcasting radio program from the nation’s capital, the Oklahoma and Texas state houses, and from Barrow and Valakpa, Alaska. The second monument was built 15 years later by Jesse Stubbs. More slender and nearly 10 feet taller than the first, it was built as an obelisk, completely cast in concrete, in four rectangular, reduced blocks. Little is known about Stubbs, who arrived in Anchorage with the intention of walking from there to Barrow in the summer of 1953. Claiming to be a childhood friend of Rogers, although no records support this, the 72-year-old man personally erected the obelisk. It honors not only Rogers and Post, but also World War II veterans from Alaska. Both monuments overlook the site of the lagoon crash.

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