The Community
Atqasuk has long been established as a hunting and fishing ground. Abandoned sod houses, an old cellar and gravesite near the village provide evidence of an early settlement here.

During W.W.II, coal was mined in the community and freighted to Barrow. During the next 10 years, the village existed under the name of Meade River.

Although the population dwindled in the 1 960s, former residents from Barrow moved to the community in the 1970s and re-established the village under the name of Atqasuk. The village was incorporated as a second-class city in 1982.

Population and Economy
Atqasuk has a population of about 224 residents and a work force of 98. Inupiat Eskimos comprise approximately 92 percent of the population. Atqasuk's economy 15 largely based on subsistence caribou hunting and fishing. Fish in the Meade River include grayling, burbot, salmon, and whitefish. Local game includes caribou, an occasional brown bear, ptarmigan, ducks and geese.

The North Slope Borough employs close to 60 percent of the working population and the School District employs another 9 percent. Seventeen percent of the labor force works for the private sector or corporations. Some residents also produce arts and crafts for sale including masks, mittens, dolls, yo-yos, ulus and parkas.

Quality of Life
The North Slope Borough provides Atqasuk with public electricity and delivers lake water at minimum cost. The NSB also provides trash and sewage pick-up services free of charge. Most households have running water and flush toilets. A Laundromat is available in town.

Atqasuk has a public safety building and a fire station equipped with two fire engines and an ambulance. A health clinic, staffed by community health aides, is open during the day and is available 24 hours a day for emergencies.

The Meade River School offers public education from pre-school to grade 12 and adult basic education. Communications include phone, mail, public radio, and cable television.

The Village Corporation, Atqasuk Corporation, owns a grocery and merchandise store, which sells groceries, clothing, first-aid supplies, cameras, film and hardware. Propane, gas, diesel and motor oil fuel are also available. Atqasuk bans the sale and importation of alcoholic beverages.

A scheduled airline and air taxi service from Barrow provides passenger and cargo service to Atqasuk.

For More Information Contact:
City of Atqasuk
P.O. Box 91119
Atqasuk, AK 99791