Visiting Kotzebue, Alaska, North of the Arctic Circle

Life in Kotzebue, Alaska, takes on a foreign feel to the average American visitor. Several aspects of the Eskimo village of Kotzebue fascinated me during my summer visit. Not only did visiting the remote village earn me the privilege of joining the "Arctic Circle Club", but it opened my eyes to life of a culture much different than how I lived in Michigan. This article shares some of the more unique aspects of Kotzebue, Alaska. Note: You can view a slide show illustrating key elements of this article showing life in Northwestern Alaska.

Flying into Kotzebue, Alaska, was definitely an interesting experience. Looking down from the airplane as we approached the village provided a pristine view of the landing strip which doubled as a runway. Water lay at both ends of the runway, making us a bit concerned but there was nothing we could do except trust in our pilot. We landed safely. At the small airport I received a certificate to the "Arctic Circle Club", as it was my first visit to a location north of the Arctic Circle.

We inquired about where our bed and breakfast was located. We hadn't realized that everything was within walking distance until we arrived. Thus, we struck out on a few block jaunt to find our bed and breakfast. The house itself was not fancy. It looked like an average home for the area. On the left side, however, the homeowners had blocked off a portion of their home and made it into a small apartment. This was where I stayed for two nights.

What was interesting about the bed and breakfast was the lack of a view. There was no view at all because the windows were covered with tinfoil. We inquired about this upon check-in, and the owners stated that guests sleep better with tinfoil covered windows since the sun does not set during June in Kotzebue. Sure enough, by 11 p.m. neighborhood children were still playing basketball in the twilight, making enough noise to keep me awake, but the room was plenty dark.

The next day, since drizzle and fog prevented me from taking the small plane trip I had planned, I went exploring around the village. As I walked, I discovered that the rain had almost no where to go due to the permafrost layer a few inches below the surface. Kids played in mud puddles. Many sled dogs slept on cars or on their dog house. Snowmobiles, boats, and sleds lay about people's yards seemingly missing the correct terrain for their travel. I saw no moving cars during my stay in Kotzebue.

Most unique to my explorations, however, were the caribou antlers strewn across villagers' rooftops. Local hunters displayed their prowess by mounting antlers on their roofs for others to witness. Kotzebue was a coastal village, so I spent some time along the waterfront. A piece of driftwood caught my eye as I stooped to pick it up. It felt smooth, worn from tumbling in the water, sand, and wind. I kept it as a souvenir of my unique destination.

Another interesting part of Kotzebue was their cemetery. Since the permafrost prevented villagers from digging deeply to create graves, their cemetery was an above ground version. It made sense, but being from Michigan the concept was foreign to me.

Upon leaving, the pilot taxied to the end of the runway preparing for take off. He let us know that he had just spotted a moose and had to wait for it to disappear into the brush further so we would not hit it. What an experience!

Remember to visit the slide show I posted which illustrates many of these experiences.

Have you ever traveled to Alaska? What do you think of the traditions of Kotzebue villagers? Please comment below.

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