Kaktovik is the ancestral home of the Kaktovikmiut, a branch of the Inupiat Eskimos, going back at least 11,000 years. Today, Kaktovik’ s population is still about 88% Inupiat. Kaktovik was a traditional fishing place but the area offered many sources for subsistence including caribou, moose, Dall sheep, and whales. Even today, the village maintains its Inupiat Eskimo traditions to the extent that it can.

Kaktovik only became a tourist destination for viewing polar bears early in this century. The people of Kaktovik expressed very mixed feelings about the tourist polar bear viewing business. Some people don’t like it since many tourists just fly in for the day, view the polar bears, eat their own lunch that they brought, and leave, which does not benefit the town’s economy. Others, like us, stayed four days. But the town is definitely gaining a reputation as you can see in the first photo.

The largest building in town, by far, is the Harold Kaveolook School which is in the second photo. It offers education from pre-school through grade 12 plus adult basic education. Our guide told us that the large portion of the building on the left side is the “new gymnasium”. Yes, their school in a town of 250 people now has 2 gymnasiums. I guess you have to spend that oil money somehow and education and community benefits are probably the best way. I just had to go inside and take a look. You can see the inside in the third photo. I had a chat with the coach. At the time, he was coaching their cross-country team. Most of the students were running around on the upper level. They have to run inside the gym rather than outside, despite it being a gorgeous day, due to the presence of the polar bears in town.

We heard that the Waldo Arms Hotel was the best hotel in town, so we had to go and take a look. They only have two hotels in Kaktovik. The Waldo Arms in in the fourth photo. We toured it which didn’t take too long. I photographed their food menu which you can see in the last photo. I thought that the prices were pretty good considering where we were in the world.