NANANordic is introducing the lifetime sport of cross-country skiing to rural Alaska through a sustainable Nordic ski program, starting with villages in the NANA region.
The NANA region, located in northwest Alaska, encompasses 38,000 square miles, most of which is above the Arctic Circle. The region includes 11 villages: Ambler, Buckland, Deering, Kiana, Kivalina, Kobuk, Kotzebue, Noatak, Noorvik, Selawik and Shungnak. Village populations range from 115 to 3,200 people. More than 90 percent of the region’s population is Iñupiaq, descendants of the people who inhabited the land more than 10,000 years ago. The Iñupiaq are hunters and gatherers – living off the ocean and rivers’ bounty as well as the tundra’s large game and fresh berries. Subsistence continues to play a key role in the life of the modern day Iñupiaq.
For more info, visit NANANordic.com or Facebook.com/NANA/Nordic
