Ouzinkie, Alaska Explained

Official Name:Ouzinkie
Native Name:Uusenkaaq, Узинки
Native Name Lang:ems
Settlement Type:City
Pushpin Map:Alaska
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Alaska
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Alaska
Subdivision Type2:Borough
Subdivision Name2:Kodiak Island
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Elijah m. Jackson.[1]
Leader Title1:State senator
Leader Name1:Gary Stevens (R)
Leader Title2:State rep.
Leader Name2:Louise Stutes (R)
Established Title:Incorporated
Established Date:October 23, 1967[2]
Area Footnotes:[3]
Area Total Km2:18.22
Area Land Km2:14.34
Area Water Km2:3.88
Area Total Sq Mi:7.03
Area Land Sq Mi:5.54
Area Water Sq Mi:1.50
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:109
Population Density Km2:7.60
Population Density Sq Mi:19.69
Timezone:Alaska (AKST)
Utc Offset:-9
Timezone Dst:AKDT
Utc Offset Dst:-8
Elevation M:13
Elevation Ft:43
Coordinates:57.9233°N -152.5019°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:99615[4]
Area Code:907
Area Code Type:Area code
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:02-58550
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Unit Pref:Imperial

Ouzinkie (Uusenkaaq[5] in Alutiiq, Russian: Узинки), is a hamlet on Spruce Island in Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 161, down from 225 in 2000.

Geography

Ouzinkie is located at 57.9233°N -152.5019°W (57.923, -152.502).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the hamlet has a total area of 7.7sqmi, of which 6sqmi is land and 1.6sqmi (21.48%) is water.

Climate

Demographics

Ouzinkie first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census as the unincorporated village of "Oozinkie."[6] All 45 of its residents were Creole (Mixed Russian and Alaskan Native).[7] In 1890, it reported as "Uzinkee" and included Yelovoi Village. All 74 residents were Creole.[8] It did not appear again until 1920 when it reported as "Ouzinkee." In 1950, the name was changed to "Uzinki." In 1967, it was incorporated as Ouzinkie, and has returned under that name in every census since 1970.

As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 225 people, 74 households, and 56 families residing in the hamlet. The population density was 37.3sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 86 housing units at an average density of 14.3/mi2. The racial makeup of the hamlet was 11.11% White, 80.89% Native American, and 8.00% from two or more races. 4.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 74 households, out of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples living together, 20.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.3% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.52.

In the hamlet the age distribution of the population shows 36.4% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.

The median income for a household in the hamlet was $52,500, and the median income for a family was $54,375. Males had a median income of $38,333 versus $45,625 for females. The per capita income for the hamlet was $19,324. About 6.1% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under the age of eighteen and 4.5% of those 65 or over.

Religion

One of the most unique features of Kodiak is Orthodox monasticism in America. Indeed, Saint Herman of Alaska, the member of the original Russian missionary team from Valaam Monastery and America's first canonized Orthodox saint, had lived here for more than twenty years, until his death in 1836. Today two monastic communities—Saint Archangel Michael Skete for men and Saint Nilus Skete for women—live in close proximity to St. Herman's hermitage and strive to follow St. Herman's example of prayer, simplicity, and living off the land and sea. The two sketes, affiliated with Saint Herman of Alaska Monastery in Platina, California, are under the jurisdiction of Bishop Maksim Vasiljević of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America.

Education

The Ouzinkie School, a K-12 rural school, is operated by the Kodiak Island Borough School District.[10]

Public services

In 2021, Ouzinkie became a part of the Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project via the Renewable Energy Alaska Project; the project will help the city (and several other remote villages in Alaska) develop renewable energy sources and increase its energy efficiency.[11]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Book: 2015 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory. Juneau. Alaska Municipal League. 2015. 121.
  2. Book: 1996 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory. Juneau. Alaska Municipal League/Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs. January 1996. 114.
  3. Web site: 2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. October 29, 2021.
  4. Web site: Ouzinkie AK ZIP Code. zipdatamaps.com. 2023. June 16, 2023.
  5. http://www.uaf.edu/anla/collections/map/names/ ANLC : Alaska Native Place Names
  6. Web site: Geological Survey Professional Paper. 1949.
  7. Web site: Statistics of the Population of Alaska . United States Census Bureau . 1880.
  8. Web site: Report on Population and Resources of Alaska at the Eleventh Census: 1890 . United States Census Bureau . Government Printing Office.
  9. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. January 31, 2008.
  10. "Our Schools." Kodiak Island Borough School District. Retrieved on February 15, 2017.
  11. Web site: McKinstry. Erin. April 26, 2021. New federal program to help remote Alaska communities with renewable energy infrastructure. April 28, 2021. KCAW. en-US.