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Concept
Utqiagvik, Alaska
Summary
Utqiaġvik (Utqiaġvik; utqe.ɑʁvik, ˌʊtkiˈɑːvᵻk , formerly known as Barrow (ˈbæroʊ), is the borough seat and largest city of the North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Located north of the Arctic Circle, it is one of the northernmost cities and towns in the world and the northernmost in the United States, with nearby Point Barrow which is the country's northernmost land.
Utqiagvik's population was 4,927 at the 2020 census, an increase from 4,212 in 2010. It is the 12th-most populated city in Alaska.
The location has been home to the Iñupiat, an indigenous Inuit ethnic group, for more than 1,500 years. The city's Iñupiaq name refers to a place for gathering wild roots. It is derived from the Iñupiat word utqiq, also used for Claytonia tuberosa ("Eskimo potato"). The name was first recorded, by European explorers, in 1853 as "Ot-ki-a-wing" by Commander Rochfort Maguire, Royal Navy. John Simpson's native map dated 1855 has the name "Otkiawik", which was later misprinted on a British Admiralty chart as "Otkiovik."
The former name Barrow was derived from Point Barrow, and was originally a general designation, because non-native Alaskan residents found it easier to pronounce than the Inupiat name. Point Barrow was named after Sir John Barrow of the British Admiralty by explorer Frederick William Beechey in 1825. A post office was established in 1901 helping the name "Barrow" to become dominant.
In an October 4, 2016, referendum, city voters narrowly approved changing its name to Utqiaġvik which became official on December 1. City Council member Qaiyaan Harcharek said the name change supports the use of the Iñupiaq language and is part of a decolonization process.
Another recorded Iñupiaq name is Ukpiaġvik (ukpi.ɑʁvik), which comes from ukpik "snowy owl" and is translated as "the place where snowy owls are hunted". A spelling which is a variant of this name was adopted by the Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation when it was established in 1973.
Archaeological sites in the area indicate the Iñupiat lived around Utqiagvik as far back as 500 AD.
Official source
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