The finger-like peninsula that forms the western-most extension of the northwest Alaska coast between Cape Thompson and Cape Beaufort is known to local residents as Tikigaq (Tikeraq), the Inupiat word for index finger.

Located 330 miles southwest of Barrow, Alaska and 4,359 miles Washington DC, this remote Northern village is reached by air from Fairbanks or Anchorage via Kotzebue. A state-owned 4,000-foot paved airstrip provides year-round access. Pickup trucks, four-wheelers, snow machines and skiffs are used for local transportation.

The peninsula, which encompasses six square miles of land, is well-situated to access the area’s abundant marine resources.

Harsh climate and severe weather conditions are a mainstay in Point Hope. Over the last 2,500 years, various processes of erosion have forced the community to relocate several times.

The point itself was at one time several miles longer, curving far around to the north, but the hook gradually wore away. As flooding and erosion battered the village, archeological records became buried and lost.

Settlements have included Old and New Tigara (Old and New Village), Ipiutak, Quzmiarzuq (Jabbertown), and the present community, Point Hope.

The most recent move was in the early 1970s when erosion and periodic storm-surge flooding forced the village to move to a site just east of the Old Village. Housing was moved on runners to the new site and the North Slope Borough constructed some new housing. Continuing erosion may necessitate yet another move in the future.

The Point Hope climate is Arctic. Summers are short and cool with temperatures ranging from 30 - 50 degrees F.

During the winter, temperatures average below zero — from -50 to usually above –30. Precipitation is light, 10-12 inches annually, with 36 inches of snowfall, which becomes hard pack by November. Strong northern surface winds bring storms of blowing snow. The Chukchi Sea is ice-free from late June until mid-September when the slush ice begins to form along the shoreline

The Chukchi Sea surrounds the Point Hope Promontory on three sides. Up to five miles from the shore, the water depth reaches depths of no more than 60 feet. Unlike other coastal areas, tides do not have a direct impact on the Point Hope Region, but ocean currents have significant influence. Strong currents bring waters north through the Bering Strait and the current accelerates to over one mile per hour as it nears the point.

The shoreline consists of cliffs and beach ridges. The cliffs, which rise from three to 1,000 feet, are paralleled by sand and gravel beaches. Sediments deposited by the Ipewik and Kukpuk branches of the Kuukpak River form the beach ridges that extend into the sea in a triangular shape.

Area mountains reaching elevations of 1,000-2,000 feet — the Lisburne Hills to the North and the Kemegrak Hills to south of the village.

Sea Ice can be present from October to early July. Local Native hunters bring centuries of experience and understanding of the different nuances of slush, grounded, land-fast and pack ice, and the effects of wind, weather.

Point Hope is located 90 miles north of latitudinal tree line and 40 miles north of the last alder shrubs. The tundra vegetation is comprised of: dwarfed ground willows, saxifrage, dandelion, reindeer moss, lichens and some flowers briefly.

Historically, berries and roots were significant for food, willows for house frames and moss and grass for lamp wicks and insulation.

The distribution and movement of game has directly impacted the land use patterns and other traditions of Point Hope inhabitants. The area is home to 120 species of birds, 25 species of terrestrial mammals,15 species of marine mammals, 55 species of fish and 100 species of benthic invertebrates.

Polar Bear Skin drying outside a Jabber town Hunting Camp

Approximately 70 of the 315 major species in the region are specifically important to the people, including: Bowhead whale, walrus, beluga, seal, caribou, fur-bearing animals, polar and grizzly bear, fish, birds, and invertebrates. Sea mammals are primarily abundant from December to June; caribou and fish from July to November.

The North Slope Borough provides all utilities in Point Hope.   Some homes have water tanks and water delivery.  Water is taken from a lake six miles to the east of the community, then treated and stored in large tanks. Electricity is provided by North Slope Borough Power & Light.

251 K-12 students attend the Tikigaq school.

You can access more information about Tikigaq school on their website. http://www.nsbsd.org/pho/default.cfm

The Point Hope Health Clinic provides local health care services. Auxiliary health care is accessible through the Point Hope Volunteer Fire Department. Any treatment requiring a physician must be provided at Kotzebue, 180 air miles away. Major healthcare is provided in Anchorage at the Alaska Native Medical Center.

In Point Hope 90.6 percent of the population are Alaska Natives or part Native.
Population is 850, approximately 174 families.
Housing: 215 total housing units with 29 vacant 2000 census.
22 units are inhabited on a seasonal basis.