What is the history of Kotzebue, Alaska?
There is archaeological evidence that Inupiat people have lived at Kotzebue since at least the 1400s. Because of its location, Kotzebue was a trading and gathering center for the entire area. The Noatak RiverNoatak, Selawik RiverSelawik and Kobuk RiverKobuk Rivers drain into the Kotzebue Sound near Kotzebue to form a center for transportation to points inland. In addition to people from interior villages, inhabitants of the Russian Far East came to trade at Kotzebue. Furs, seal-oil, hides, rifles, ammunition, and seal skins were some of the items traded. People also gathered for competitions like the current World Eskimo Olympics http://www.weio.org/. With the arrival of the whalers, traders, gold seekers, and missionaries the trading center expanded. Kotzebue, known natively as Kikiktagruk or Qikiqtagruk, which means “almost an island” in Inupiaq, the language of the Inupiat, which is a reference to the spit. The name
