Sights in Kotzebue
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NANA Museum of the Arctic
Kotzebue is named after Polish explorer Otto von Kotzebue, who stumbled onto the village in 1816 while searching for the Northwest Passage on behalf of the Russians. Much of the town's history and culture can be viewed at the NANA Museum of the Arctic, at the western end of town. The centre is owned and operated by the Northwest Alaska Native Association (NANA), and a two-hour programme of indigenous culture is held at 4pm and 6.30pm daily in summer. The programme includes demonstrations of Inupiat handicrafts and a nalukataq, the traditional blanket toss, which historically allowed people to gain enough elevation to observe vast distances of terrain. Although the present…
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Shore Avenue
Perhaps the most interesting thing to do in Kotzebue is just stroll down Shore Avenue, where the old and new Arctics collide. On the beach, elders gut seals and dry salmon in preparation for the long winter ahead; meanwhile, youth skim their supercharged snowmachines across the water, wowing their buddies on shore. Across the road, a long line of caribou antler-adorned, weather-battered shacks stands as testament to the endurance of this place. Shore Ave also offers the best views of the midnight sun as it rolls along the horizon, painting the sea reddish gold with reflected light. From early June the sun doesn't set for almost six weeks.
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cemetery
Also of interest is a large cemetery in the center of town, where spirit houses have been erected over many of the graves.
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