Deering, Alaska
{{short description|City in Alaska, United States}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name = Deering
|native_name = Ipnatchiaq
| native_name_lang = ik
|settlement_type = City
|nickname =
|motto =
|image_skyline = Deering Community (16349441556).jpg
|imagesize =
|image_caption = Houses along the Chukchi Sea in Deering
|image_flag =
|image_seal =
|image_map = Northwest Arctic Borough Alaska incorporated and unincorporated areas Deering highlighted.svg
|mapsize = 260px
|map_caption = Location in Northwest Arctic Borough and the state of Alaska.
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = United States
|subdivision_type1 = State
|subdivision_name1 = Alaska
|subdivision_type2 = Borough
|subdivision_name2 = Northwest Arctic
|government_footnotes =
|government_type =
|leader_title = Mayor
|leader_name = Kevin Moto, Sr.{{Cite book|title=2015 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory|location=Juneau|publisher=Alaska Municipal League|year=2015|page=50}}
|leader_title1 = State senator
|leader_name1 = Donny Olson (D)
|leader_title2 = State rep.
|leader_name2 = Robyn Burke (D)
|established_title = Incorporated
|established_date = October 28, 1970{{cite journal|title=Directory of Borough and City Officials 1974|journal=Alaska Local Government|volume=XIII|issue=2|page=28|location=Juneau|publisher=Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs|date=January 1974}}
|area_magnitude =
|area_total_km2 = 13.18
|area_land_km2 = 12.99
|area_water_km2 = 0.19
|area_total_sq_mi = 5.09
|area_land_sq_mi = 5.02
|area_water_sq_mi = 0.07
|population_as_of = 2020
|population_footnotes =
|population_total = 182
|timezone = Alaska (AKST)
|utc_offset = -9
|timezone_DST = AKDT
|utc_offset_DST = -8
|elevation_footnotes =
|elevation_m = 2
|elevation_ft = 7
|coordinates = {{coord|66|4|33|N|162|43|6|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type = ZIP code
|postal_code = 99736
|area_code = 907
|area_code_type = Area code
|blank_name = FIPS code
|blank_info = 02-18510
|blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
|blank1_info = {{GNIS 4|1412894}}
|website =
|footnotes =
|pop_est_as_of =
|pop_est_footnotes =
|population_est =
|population_density_sq_mi = 36.28
|unit_pref = Imperial
|population_density_km2 = 14.01
}}
Deering ({{langx|ik|Ipnatchiaq}}{{Pronunciation needed|date=July 2023}} or Ipnasiaq) is a city in the Northwest Arctic Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on a sandy spit on the Seward Peninsula where the Inmachuk River flows into Kotzebue Sound, {{convert|92|km|mi|abbr=on}} southwest of Kotzebue.
As of the 2020 census, the population was 182, up from 136 in 2000. {{As of|2003}}, the city includes a community hall, a clinic run by the U.S. Public Health Service, a post office, a church, two stores, and a National Guard armory.
Culture
The inhabitants are primarily Iñupiat. The people are active in subsistence. The sale or importation of alcohol is banned in the city.
History
The city was established in 1901 as a supply station for interior gold mining called "Yutica" near the historic Malemiut Eskimo village of Inmachukmiut. The name probably comes from the schooner Abbie M. Deering, which was present in the area at that time; see #The Abbie M. Deering. Deering incorporated as a second-class city in 1970. It also has a city council, organized under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934.
Geography
Deering is located at {{coord|66|4|33|N|162|43|6|W|type:city}} (66.075713, -162.718229).{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}
=Climate=
{{Weather box
| collapsed =
| location = Deering, Alaska (1991–2020)
| single line = Y
|Jan high F = 3.8
|Feb high F = 9.1
|Mar high F = 8.1
|Apr high F = 21.9
|May high F = 40.4
|Jun high F = 55.7
|Jul high F = 62.0
|Aug high F = 57.3
|Sep high F = 48.4
|Oct high F = 33.6
|Nov high F = 20.5
|Dec high F = 9.5
|year high F= 30.9
|Jan mean F = -3.9
|Feb mean F = 0.7
|Mar mean F = -0.1
|Apr mean F = 14.4
|May mean F = 33.1
|Jun mean F = 46.9
|Jul mean F = 53.7
|Aug mean F = 49.8
|Sep mean F = 41.4
|Oct mean F = 27.5
|Nov mean F = 12.8
|Dec mean F = 1.7
|year mean F= 23.2
|Jan low F = -11.6
|Feb low F = -7.8
|Mar low F = -8.3
|Apr low F = 6.9
|May low F = 25.8
|Jun low F = 38.1
|Jul low F = 45.4
|Aug low F = 42.4
|Sep low F = 34.4
|Oct low F = 21.3
|Nov low F = 5.1
|Dec low F = -6.1
|year low F= 15.5
| Jan avg record high F = 32.8
| Feb avg record high F = 36.0
| Mar avg record high F = 30.4
| Apr avg record high F = 41.0
| May avg record high F = 56.5
| Jun avg record high F = 70.9
| Jul avg record high F = 75.7
| Aug avg record high F = 69.9
| Sep avg record high F = 59.6
| Oct avg record high F = 47.7
| Nov avg record high F = 36.1
| Dec avg record high F = 33.5
|year avg record high F = 76.7
| Jan avg record low F = -35.5
| Feb avg record low F = -33.5
| Mar avg record low F = -27.6
| Apr avg record low F = -14.2
| May avg record low F = 10.5
| Jun avg record low F = 27.7
| Jul avg record low F = 35.8
| Aug avg record low F = 30.5
| Sep avg record low F = 21.9
| Oct avg record low F = 5.3
| Nov avg record low F = -16.0
| Dec avg record low F = -29.5
|year avg record low F = -39.2
|Jan record high F = 52
|Feb record high F = 57
|Mar record high F = 49
|Apr record high F = 54
|May record high F = 70
|Jun record high F = 78
|Jul record high F = 85
|Aug record high F = 81
|Sep record high F = 65
|Oct record high F = 58
|Nov record high F = 46
|Dec record high F = 45
|Jan record low F = -47
|Feb record low F = -48
|Mar record low F = -36
|Apr record low F = -25
|May record low F = -9
|Jun record low F = 21
|Jul record low F = 29
|Aug record low F = 25
|Sep record low F = 16
|Oct record low F = -15
|Nov record low F = -30
|Dec record low F = -43
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.11
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.14
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.03
|Apr precipitation inch = 0.17
|May precipitation inch = 0.21
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.43
|Jul precipitation inch = 1.68
|Aug precipitation inch = 1.82
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.87
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.37
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.13
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.08
|year precipitation inch= 6.04
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 3.4
|Feb precipitation days = 3.4
|Mar precipitation days = 1.5
|Apr precipitation days = 3.2
|May precipitation days = 4.4
|Jun precipitation days = 6.3
|Jul precipitation days = 12.9
|Aug precipitation days = 13.4
|Sep precipitation days = 11.6
|Oct precipitation days = 6.7
|Nov precipitation days = 3.7
|Dec precipitation days = 3.1
|year precipitation days=
| source 1 = NOAA{{cite web |url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=ajk |title = NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date = February 16, 2022}}
}}
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|5.3|sqmi|km2}}, of which, {{convert|5.1|sqmi|km2}} of it is land and {{convert|0.1|sqmi|km2}} of it (2.28%) is water.
Demographics
{{US Census population
|1910= 100
|1920= 73
|1930= 183
|1940= 230
|1950= 174
|1960= 95
|1970= 85
|1980= 150
|1990= 157
|2000= 136
|2010= 122
|2020= 182
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}
}}
Deering first appeared on the 1910 U.S. Census as an unincorporated city. It incorporated in 1970.
As of the census{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }} of 2000, there were 136 people, 42 households, and 28 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|26.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 61 housing units at an average density of {{convert|11.9|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 93.38% Native American (Iñupiat), 5.88% White, and 0.74% from two or more races.
There were 42 households, out of which 40.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 21.4% were married couples living together, 33.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.24 and the average family size was 3.90.
In the city the age distribution of the population shows 39.7% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 7.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,333, and the median income for a family was $43,438. Males had a median income of $26,875 versus $25,625 for females. The per capita income for the village was $11,000. None of the families but 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line. No one under the age of 18 or over 64 were living below the poverty line.
The ''Abbie M. Deering''
A [https://archive.org/details/captjdwinchest00winc first-hand account] written by Captain James D. Winchester and published in 1900 tells that the Abbie M. Deering was bought by a company of twenty men who wanted to sail to the "Alaskan Gold Fields" during the Klondike Gold Rush. They left Lynn, Massachusetts in November 1897, passed through the Straits of Magellan, and arrived at San Francisco five months later, where they sold the ship. [https://web.archive.org/web/20040411212745/http://www.mms.gov/alaska/ref/ships/shipdb/a_ships.asp Records] kept by the Minerals Management Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior show the schooner did make it to Alaska, where it was lost in the Aleutian Islands in September 1903.
Rudyard Kipling's 1897 novel Captains Courageous mentions the Abbie M. Deering by name.
Education
The Deering School, operated by the Northwest Arctic Borough School District, serves the community. {{As of|2017}} it had 4 teachers and 50 students, with Alaska Natives making up 100% of the student body.[http://www.nwarctic.org/Domain/10 Home]. Deering School. Retrieved on March 26, 2017.
References
External links
- [https://www.maniilaq.org/northwest-alaska/deering/ Maniilaq Association web page for Deering]
{{Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Cities in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska
Category:Mining communities in Alaska
Category:Populated coastal places in Alaska on the Arctic Ocean