AKAUCHAK/KAUłIQ
The place known today as Council is also known in Inupiaq as Akauchak or Kaułiq. Council is a portion of the Tribe’s traditional territory, where Inupiaq lifeways included sites for villages, homes, camps, fishing, hunting, gathering, graves, and seasonal homes as people migrated with the fish and animals.
INUPIAQ VILLAGE OF COUNCIL
DOCUMENTS & FORMS
Download the application:
https://kawerak.org/download/native-village-of-council-arpa-application/?tmstv=1793745703
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT 2026 Financial Assistance Program Application
ELIGIBILITY
1. Must be a current, enrolled NVC Tribal Member effective 10/01/2026 or prior.
2. Must submit a completed, signed application.
THE FUNDING BEING DISPERSED IS TO ASSIST NVC TRIBAL MEMBERS WITH INCREASING COSTS SUCH AS:
• Heating Fuel, Electric, Transportation, Home Appliances, Groceries, Insurance Costs (auto, health, home,etc.), Delivery Costs
BENEFIT AMOUNT
The amount will depend on funding available and the number of applicants.
HOW TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION
• Email to [email protected] (preferred)
• Drop off at the NVC Office, 606 E 5th Ave, Nome, AK, Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm. (preferred)
• Mail to Native Village of Council, P.O. Box 2050, Nome, AK 99762. Although, mailing is not recommended due to recent delays in the USPS system. It is the applicant’s responsibility to arrange for NVC’s physical receipt of the application prior to the deadline. Postmark date does not constitute receipt. NVC will not be responsible for applications lost, mutilated, stolen, or delayed in the mail.
NVC encourages applicants to verify with NVC that their applications have been received by the deadline.
DEADLINE
The deadline for applications to be received by NVC is 11/30/2026 by 2:00pm Alaska Standard Time.
The Native Village of Council (NVC) is a federally recognized tribe of Inupiat peoples who originated in the Niukluk River and Fish River. The original inhabitants of this area were a blend of Iġałuiŋmiut, Ayasaaġiaġmiut, and Iġniqtaġmiut peoples—Inupiat from the Fish River and surrounding areas.
The place known today as Council is also known in Inupiaq as Akauchak[1] or Kaułiq. Council is a portion of the Tribe’s traditional territory, where Inupiaq lifeways included sites for villages, homes, camps, fishing, hunting, gathering, graves, and seasonal homes as people migrated with the fish and animals. Today, tribal territory is in and around Council, up and down the Niukluk River.
Descendants remained rooted in the Niukluk River and neighboring areas throughout the 1800s while settlers came to the region. In 1897, gold discovery resulted in a rush of mining prospectors. From 1897 to 1899, Council City’s mixed population of Inupiat peoples, their kin, and settlers was estimated to be 15,000. Council City had modern facilities such as lodging, a post office, and a twenty-bed hospital.
In 1900, many gold prospectors migrated out of Council to Nome. By 1910, the population of Council City was 686. Other factors contributing to the outmigration of settlers were the flu epidemic of 1918, the United States’ economic depression, and World War II. According to the 1950 Census[2], 36 people resided in Council/Council Village. Still, NVC families remained rooted, maintaining year-round homes in Council and Ophir Creek through the 1980s, and continued to welcome their kin traveling from other villages along the Fish River.
In the 1990s, with the support of Kawerak and neighboring Fish River tribes, the descendants of Niukluk River peoples and their kin gained federal recognition as the Native Village of Council (NVC). Today, NVC tribal members live in Nome, neighboring villages along the Fish River, throughout the state of Alaska, and outside Alaska.
Today, Council has summer camps owned by tribal and nontribal peoples who utilize lands in and around Council, the Niukluk River, and the Fish River for subsistence, cultural connection, recreation, and camping.
Council is connected by the 73-mile gravel Nome/Council road. There is a state-owned 3,000′ long by 60′ wide gravel airstrip, which is not maintained in the winter. Snowmachines are the main means of transportation during the winter.
Written with thanks to our ancestors, grandparents, neighbors, and special thanks to co-author Ukallaysaaq Okleasik, Northwest Planning, LLC.
[1] Kawerak, Inc, retrieved from Council – Kawerak, accessed December 8, 2022.
[2] National Archives, 1950 Census, Enumeration District 2-5A, Alaska Second Judicial Division, retrieved from Search | 1950 Census (archives.gov), accessed December 8, 2022.
Download the application:
https://kawerak.org/download/native-village-of-council-arpa-application/?tmstv=1793745703
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT 2026 Financial Assistance Program Application
ELIGIBILITY
1. Must be a current, enrolled NVC Tribal Member effective 10/01/2026 or prior.
2. Must submit a completed, signed application.
THE FUNDING BEING DISPERSED IS TO ASSIST NVC TRIBAL MEMBERS WITH INCREASING COSTS SUCH AS:
• Heating Fuel, Electric, Transportation, Home Appliances, Groceries, Insurance Costs (auto, health, home,etc.), Delivery Costs
BENEFIT AMOUNT
The amount will depend on funding available and the number of applicants.
HOW TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION
• Email to [email protected] (preferred)
• Drop off at the NVC Office, 606 E 5th Ave, Nome, AK, Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm. (preferred)
• Mail to Native Village of Council, P.O. Box 2050, Nome, AK 99762. Although, mailing is not recommended due to recent delays in the USPS system. It is the applicant’s responsibility to arrange for NVC’s physical receipt of the application prior to the deadline. Postmark date does not constitute receipt. NVC will not be responsible for applications lost, mutilated, stolen, or delayed in the mail.
NVC encourages applicants to verify with NVC that their applications have been received by the deadline.
DEADLINE
The deadline for applications to be received by NVC is 11/30/2026 by 2:00pm Alaska Standard Time.
The Native Village of Council (NVC) is a federally recognized tribe of Inupiat peoples who originated in the Niukluk River and Fish River. The original inhabitants of this area were a blend of Iġałuiŋmiut, Ayasaaġiaġmiut, and Iġniqtaġmiut peoples—Inupiat from the Fish River and surrounding areas.
The place known today as Council is also known in Inupiaq as Akauchak[1] or Kaułiq. Council is a portion of the Tribe’s traditional territory, where Inupiaq lifeways included sites for villages, homes, camps, fishing, hunting, gathering, graves, and seasonal homes as people migrated with the fish and animals. Today, tribal territory is in and around Council, up and down the Niukluk River.
Descendants remained rooted in the Niukluk River and neighboring areas throughout the 1800s while settlers came to the region. In 1897, gold discovery resulted in a rush of mining prospectors. From 1897 to 1899, Council City’s mixed population of Inupiat peoples, their kin, and settlers was estimated to be 15,000. Council City had modern facilities such as lodging, a post office, and a twenty-bed hospital.
In 1900, many gold prospectors migrated out of Council to Nome. By 1910, the population of Council City was 686. Other factors contributing to the outmigration of settlers were the flu epidemic of 1918, the United States’ economic depression, and World War II. According to the 1950 Census[2], 36 people resided in Council/Council Village. Still, NVC families remained rooted, maintaining year-round homes in Council and Ophir Creek through the 1980s, and continued to welcome their kin traveling from other villages along the Fish River.
In the 1990s, with the support of Kawerak and neighboring Fish River tribes, the descendants of Niukluk River peoples and their kin gained federal recognition as the Native Village of Council (NVC). Today, NVC tribal members live in Nome, neighboring villages along the Fish River, throughout the state of Alaska, and outside Alaska.
Today, Council has summer camps owned by tribal and nontribal peoples who utilize lands in and around Council, the Niukluk River, and the Fish River for subsistence, cultural connection, recreation, and camping.
Council is connected by the 73-mile gravel Nome/Council road. There is a state-owned 3,000′ long by 60′ wide gravel airstrip, which is not maintained in the winter. Snowmachines are the main means of transportation during the winter.
Written with thanks to our ancestors, grandparents, neighbors, and special thanks to co-author Ukallaysaaq Okleasik, Northwest Planning, LLC.
[1] Kawerak, Inc, retrieved from Council – Kawerak, accessed December 8, 2022.
[2] National Archives, 1950 Census, Enumeration District 2-5A, Alaska Second Judicial Division, retrieved from Search | 1950 Census (archives.gov), accessed December 8, 2022.