UNALAKLEET
Archaeologists have dated house remnants along the beach ridge from 200 B.C. to 300 A.D. The name Unalakleet means “from the southern side.”
NATIVE VILLAGE OF UNALAKLEET IRA COUNCIL
DOCUMENTS & FORMS
Native Village of Unalakleet Contact Update
Please note, NVU telephone numbers has a new phone system with new phone and fax numbers. These have been updated to VOIP numbers. This means they cannot be dialed from landlines, but they may be dialed with cell phones or other VOIP telephones.
NVU Phone Numbers
907-615-4611 NVU Office
907-615-4601 Elders Lunch Program
907-615-4602 Elder Care Coordinator
907-615-4603 Gaming
NVU Fax Lines:
907-615-4604 NVU Office Fax
907-615-4605 ICWA Fax number
907-615-4606 Elders Lunch Fax number
Unalakleet
Unalakleet is located on Norton Sound at the mouth of the Unalakleet River, 148 miles southeast of Nome and 395 miles northwest of Anchorage.
Archaeologists have dated house remnants along the beach ridge from 200 B.C. to 300 A.D. The name Unalakleet means “from the southern side.” Unalakleet has long been a major trade center as the terminus for the Kaltag Portage, an important winter travel route connecting to the Yukon River. Indians on the upper river were considered “professional” traders with a monopoly on the Indian-Eskimo trade across the Kaltag Portage.
The Russian-American Company built a post here in the 1830s. In 1898, reindeer herders from Lapland were brought to Unalakleet to establish sound herding practices. In 1901, the Army Signal Corps built over 605 miles of telegraph line from St. Michael to Unalakleet, over the portage to Kaltag and Fort Gibbon. The city was incorporated in 1974.
Unalakleet has a history of diverse cultures and trade activity. The local economy is the most active in Norton Sound, along with a traditional Unaligmiut Eskimo subsistence lifestyle. Fish, seal, caribou, moose, and bear are utilized. The sale of alcohol is prohibited in the community, although importation and possession is allowed.
Source: State of Alaska DCRA
Native Village of Unalakleet Tribal Council
Seat Name Title Term
A Jolene Nanouk President 2026-2029
B Frank Katchatag Vice President 2026-2029
C Willa T. Eckenweiler Secretary 2025-2028
D Anthony Haugen Sr. Treasurer 2026-2029
E Christopher Masters, Jr Sergeant At Arms 2025-2028
F Melanie Sagoonick Council Member 2025-2028
G Renée Cooper Council Member 2025-2028
(updated 6/2026)
See more from the Native Village of Unalakleet on their website: https://www.nativevillageofunalakleet.org/.
Native Village of Unalakleet Contact Update
Please note, NVU telephone numbers has a new phone system with new phone and fax numbers. These have been updated to VOIP numbers. This means they cannot be dialed from landlines, but they may be dialed with cell phones or other VOIP telephones.
NVU Phone Numbers
907-615-4611 NVU Office
907-615-4601 Elders Lunch Program
907-615-4602 Elder Care Coordinator
907-615-4603 Gaming
NVU Fax Lines:
907-615-4604 NVU Office Fax
907-615-4605 ICWA Fax number
907-615-4606 Elders Lunch Fax number
Unalakleet
Unalakleet is located on Norton Sound at the mouth of the Unalakleet River, 148 miles southeast of Nome and 395 miles northwest of Anchorage.
Archaeologists have dated house remnants along the beach ridge from 200 B.C. to 300 A.D. The name Unalakleet means “from the southern side.” Unalakleet has long been a major trade center as the terminus for the Kaltag Portage, an important winter travel route connecting to the Yukon River. Indians on the upper river were considered “professional” traders with a monopoly on the Indian-Eskimo trade across the Kaltag Portage.
The Russian-American Company built a post here in the 1830s. In 1898, reindeer herders from Lapland were brought to Unalakleet to establish sound herding practices. In 1901, the Army Signal Corps built over 605 miles of telegraph line from St. Michael to Unalakleet, over the portage to Kaltag and Fort Gibbon. The city was incorporated in 1974.
Unalakleet has a history of diverse cultures and trade activity. The local economy is the most active in Norton Sound, along with a traditional Unaligmiut Eskimo subsistence lifestyle. Fish, seal, caribou, moose, and bear are utilized. The sale of alcohol is prohibited in the community, although importation and possession is allowed.
Source: State of Alaska DCRA
Native Village of Unalakleet Tribal Council
Seat Name Title Term
A Jolene Nanouk President 2026-2029
B Frank Katchatag Vice President 2026-2029
C Willa T. Eckenweiler Secretary 2025-2028
D Anthony Haugen Sr. Treasurer 2026-2029
E Christopher Masters, Jr Sergeant At Arms 2025-2028
F Melanie Sagoonick Council Member 2025-2028
G Renée Cooper Council Member 2025-2028
(updated 6/2026)
See more from the Native Village of Unalakleet on their website: https://www.nativevillageofunalakleet.org/.