This is Barrow, Alaska (Utqiagvik) - The Iñupiaq Town at the End of the World - In Winter!

Inupiat Culture is alive and kicking in Barrow, whatever the weather. With temperatures ranging from -29 to -40 degrees centigrade - filming in Barrow in early February was a challenge! But this is a special place - and well worth the effort to get there.

Alaska is known as the last frontier - so what do you call the northernmost point of the last frontier - at the very end of the world? Utqiagvik (the inupiat name), more commonly known as Barrow. The name Barrow celebrates John Barrow, the British Chief of Admiralty who sponsored exploration along the northern coast of Canada and Alaska. The town may always be known to the world as Barrow but locally it makes far more sense to have officially reverted to its original inupiat name - Utqiagvik.

Barrow sits 330 miles north of the Arctic circle. Although, not connected to any other settlements by road, it is the administrative centre for the North Slope Borough. A vast area with just a handful of traditional villages and a population of around 11,000, half of whom live in Barrow..

It is a predominantly Inupiat community with the economy being a mixture of cash and traditional subsistence. The town also benefits from Prudhoe Bay oil money, allowing, for example, the creation of the Unmissable inupiat heritage Centre. It is dedicated to preserving Inupiaq culture history and language. For me, what sets this Heritage Centre apart is that it is predominantly telling the story of long held traditions that are as important today as they were hundreds of years ago, in particular, whaling, not for profit, but to provide year round food and resources for the community. You can, of course, obtain modern American food here, but at a price, as almost everything has to transported to Barrow by plane from Anchorage. Small ships can only dock in the short summer months. None of them can bring alcohol however, the town having been officially dry since 1994.

I stayed at the largest hotel in town - the Top of the World. Big breakfasts, very warm rooms and arty lifts - what more could you want? It’s also adjacent to Liliana’s fresh bake - great for cakes.

The whale arch is the most famous symbol of the town but a few kms out of town a more dynamic symbol of 21st century Utqiagvik is the IlIsagvik College - the only tribal college in Alaska. Whilst some students live on campus the majority receive instruction online. Courses straddle everything from business to sewing. The film features interviews, together with music from Austin. My huge thanks to everyone at the College for being so welcoming.

Jonathan

Filmed February 2025
Jonathan Wheeler
‪@TravelObscurer‬
Additional music licensed through Artlist

#barrowalaska #utqiagvik #inupiat