RED DOG TOUR PART TWO: NOATAK VILLAGE

After leaving Kotzebue, we flew north with Bering Airlines to the village of Noatak located, appropriately on the Noatak River, west bank, seventy miles north of the Arctic Circle. The population was about 430 folks in 2000, with a 94% native population.

We visited the Noatak Napaaqtugmiut School. I was impressed. I’m a retired public school teacher – among other adventures – and I know a good school when I see one! One can feel a real vitality to the village of Noatak. A new school is under construction for occupancy, hopefully, in late August next year.

Villagers hope a road can be constructed west from Noatak to connect with the Red Dog Mine road that goes between the mine and the port on the Chukchi Sea. Currently access is only by river (and it’a running low), air, snow machine, or dog sled. There are three potential routes for a road. The village chief told us such a road would enable diesel fuel and other goods to be delivered to the village from the Red Dog mine port, at greatly reduced costs.

It was interesting g for me to fly up the Noatak River to the village. In September 1964 when I was stationed at Kotzebue, I went up some 40 miles up the Noatak River with the late Sam Lauser (a civilian contractor), in Sam’s wooden river boat on a hunting trip. I’m from East Los Angeles, and had never before seen such a big wild river. We stayed overnight in a deserted cabin. In the morning the boat had almost frozen to the river bank. After much pushing and rocking the boat, and not a few expletives, we finally got it loose and headed back down the Noatak River to Kotzebue – with ice chips from the river biting our faces all the way. We were delayed so much that we had to cross the channel at night, with me poling the channel to keep from us from being stuck. For me at the time, it was quite an adventure – and would be today. Earlier Sam Lauser had taken me and another contractor out on an extended seal hunting trip on Chukchi Sea – also quite an adventure.

The photo shows the students greeting us, the new school under construction, and
the chief briefing us on the potential road.