Nightmute, Alaska

Nightmute (Central Yupik: Negtemiut or Negta[3]) is a city[4][5] and village in Bethel Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 208 at the 2000 census[6] and 280 as of the 2010 census.[4]

Nightmute
Negtemiut / Negta
City
Nightmute is located in Alaska
Nightmute
Nightmute
Location in Alaska
Coordinates: 60°29′29″N 164°49′34″W
CountryUnited States
StateAlaska
Census AreaBethel
IncorporatedApril 30, 1974[1]
Government
 • MayorClement George
 • State senatorLyman Hoffman (D)
 • State rep.Conrad McCormick (D)
Area
[2]
 • Total104.39 sq mi (270.38 km2)
 • Land98.96 sq mi (256.30 km2)
 • Water5.43 sq mi (14.08 km2)
Elevation
75 ft (23 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total306
 • Density3.09/sq mi (1.19/km2)
Time zoneUTC-9 (Alaska (AKST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-8 (AKDT)
ZIP code
99690
Area code907
FIPS code02-53930
GNIS feature ID1407008, 2419433

History

Negtemiut literally means ‘the people of the pressed-down place’.[7] The first element is negte- ‘to press down on’. The suffix is -miut ‘people’.[8]

It first appeared on the 1940 U.S. Census as the unincorporated native village of "Nigtmuit". In 1950 and 1960, it was spelled "Nigtmute". In 1970, the spelling used was "Nightmute". It formally incorporated in 1974.

In 1964, many of its residents relocated by dogsled and founded the bayside community of Toksook Bay about 15 miles (24 km) downriver.[3][9] The relocation was to avoid the yearly spring-winter migration to and from Umkumiut and Nightmute.[10]

Geography

Nightmute is located on Nelson Island near Toksook Bay. The two villages connect by snowmachine trail in winter.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 101.5 square miles (263 km2), of which 97.0 square miles (251 km2) is land and 4.6 square miles (12 km2) (4.50%) is water. Nightmute lies 15 to 17 miles east of the neighboring village of Toksook Bay.

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
194078—
195027−65.4%
1960237777.8%
1970127−46.4%
1980119−6.3%
199015328.6%
200020835.9%
2010280[4]34.6%
20203069.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 208 people, 47 households, and 38 families residing in the city. The population density was 2.1 inhabitants per square mile (0.81/km2). There were 54 housing units at an average density of 0.6 per square mile (0.23/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.83% Native American, 5.29% White and 2.88% from two or more races. 0.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 47 households, out of which 61.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were non-families. 10.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.43 and the average family size was 5.03.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 41.3% under the age of 18, 13.5% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 12.0% from 45 to 64, and 4.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,938, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $21,250 versus $23,125 for females. The per capita income for the city was $9,396. About 7.1% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.6% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those 65 or over.

Education

The school is Negtemiut Elitnaurviat School, a.k.a. Nightmute School, operated by the Lower Kuskokwim School District.[12]

Health

Sale, importation and possession of alcohol are banned in the village.[13]

Nightmute is the setting of the 2002 Christopher Nolan film Insomnia, starring Hilary Swank, Al Pacino, and Robin Williams. The film was not shot in the real Nightmute, but Squamish, British Columbia.

See also

References
  1. 1996 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory. Juneau: Alaska Municipal League/Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs. January 1996. p. 104.
  2. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  3. Miyaoka, Osahito (2010). "Number" (.DOC). A Grammar of Central Alaskan Yupik. Tuqsuk is a new name given after the river going from the Bay to Negta (Nightmiut) when a part of people moved from the latter village to the new site (David Chanar, p.c.).
  4. "Nightmute city, Alaska". Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
  5. "Alaska Taxable 2011: Municipal Taxation - Rates and Policies" (PDF). Division of Community and Regional Affairs, Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development. January 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 25, 2013.
  6. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  7. Fienup-Riordan, Ann (1983). The Nelson Island Eskimo. Alaska Pacific University Press. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-935094-09-1. Nightmute (Negtemiut, lit. people of the pressed down place)
  8. Bright, William (2004). Native American Placenames of the United States. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 326. ISBN 978-0-8061-3598-4. From Yupik (Eskimo) negtemiut, perhaps containing negte- 'to press down on'; the suffix -miut means 'people' (Jacobson 1984).
  9. Theata. University of Alaska. 1979. p. 45. Sixty dogs in a team, doesn't that sound like enough of a team? Well, that's the way many people moved their houses from the village in Nightmute to Toksook Bay, which is about 18 miles. In the spring of 1964, around March, the majority of the people of Nightmute decided to move to Toksook and voted [...]
  10. Ann Fienup-Riordan; et al. (2005). Yup'ik Words of Wisdom. U. of Nebraska Press. p. 13. ISBN 0-8032-6917-X. In 1964, Paul led a number of families to found the village of Toksook Bay to avoid the arduous annual move between the winter village of Nightmute and spring camp at Umkumiut.
  11. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  12. "Negtemiut Elitnaurviat School". Alaska Department of Education & Early Development. Retrieved on July 10, 2018.
  13. "Schedule of Local Option Communities" (PDF). Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
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