Kake, Alaska

Kake, Alaska
Name	Kake
Native name	Ḵéex̱ʼ
Settlement type	City
Coordinates	56°58′N 133°59′W
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	United States
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision name1	Alaska
Subdivision type2	Borough
Subdivision name2	Petersburg Borough
Established title	Incorporated
Established date	1951
Area total km2	38.5
Population total	543
Population as of	2020
Timezone	AKST
Utc offset	−9
Postal code type	ZIP code
Postal code	99830

Kake, Alaska Kake is a city on Kupreanof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of Southeast Alaska, United States, inhabited predominantly by members of the Tlingit community of the Kake people. The city serves as a cultural center for regional Tlingit clans and maintains strong connections to nearby communities and institutions such as Juneau, Sitka, and the Tongass National Forest. Kake is accessible by water and air, positioned within traditional territories that intersect historic routes used during the era of the Maritime fur trade, Russian America, and later United States acquisition of Alaska.

History

Kake lies within lands traditionally occupied by the Tlingit and features ancestral ties to the Raven moiety and the Shark (killer whale) and Wolf clans; these social structures are comparable to clan systems described in anthropological works like those of Franz Boas and Edward Sapir. Contact-era histories tie the area to the Russian-American Company presence in Southeast Alaska and to events following the Alaska Purchase in 1867, including interactions with agents of the United States Navy and settlers linked to the Hudson's Bay Company. The community experienced disruptions during the 19th and early 20th centuries, including displacement related to infectious disease outbreaks noted in contemporaneous accounts by William Duncan (missionary) and responses by institutions such as the U.S. Public Health Service. In the 20th century, Kake was involved in regional developments like ferry routes of the Alaska Marine Highway and cultural revitalization movements influenced by figures connected to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act dialogues and the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 debates involving entities such as Sealaska and tribal organizations.

Geography and climate

Kake sits on a sheltered inlet of the Frederick Sound system, within the Alexander Archipelago and surrounded by islands including Kosciusko Island and Wrangell Island across the channel. The city is within the maritime temperate rainforest biome dominated by Sitka spruce and Western hemlock, characteristic of the Tongass National Forest landscape managed in federal policy discussions involving the U.S. Forest Service and environmental groups like Sierra Club and Audubon Society. Kake experiences a subpolar oceanic climate with heavy precipitation influenced by Pacific storms, comparable to climate data used by the National Weather Service and analyzed in studies by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Local marine conditions are shaped by currents tied to the Gulf of Alaska and support marine species cataloged by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Demographics

Census figures record a population predominantly of Alaska Native descent, with many residents tracing lineage to Tlingit families and clans connected to wider networks in Hoonah, Angoon, and Yakutat. Population trends have been evaluated by the United States Census Bureau and reflect broader regional patterns of rural Southeast Alaska communities affected by employment in sectors tracked by agencies such as the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Social services and health statistics for Kake are monitored via statewide programs administered through the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and regional tribal health entities that interface with federal bodies like the Indian Health Service.

Economy and infrastructure

Kake's economy historically centered on subsistence practices and resource harvesting documented in ethnographies and contemporary assessments by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the Federal Subsistence Board. Commercial activities include fisheries for species managed under regulations involving the North Pacific Fishery Management Council and the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, with seasonal work tied to salmon runs and permits administered through agencies such as the National Marine Fisheries Service. Transportation infrastructure includes connections via the Alaska Marine Highway ferry network and air service through seaplane operators that coordinate with entities like the Federal Aviation Administration. Utility and broadband initiatives in Kake have been part of state and federal programs involving the Rural Utility Service and grant efforts tied to the Denali Commission.

Culture and notable sites

Kake is noted for totem poles and clan houses that embody artistic traditions parallel to collections in institutions like the Smithsonian Institution and the Alaska State Museum. Local carving and dance are part of cultural education tied to organizations such as the Sealaska Heritage Institute and collaborations with academic programs at the University of Alaska Southeast. Notable sites include community monuments and ceremonial sites that draw researchers from museums and programs associated with the National Park Service and ethnographic projects archived in repositories like the Library of Congress. Festivals and potlatches in Kake engage networks with other Southeast Alaska cultural centers including Ketchikan, Wrangell, and Petersburg.

Government and services

Kake is incorporated under Alaska law and interacts with the Petersburg Borough and state agencies such as the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development for municipal services and planning. Tribal governance operates alongside city administration through a federally recognized entity that liaises with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and participates in regional tribal consortia. Public services including primary education coordinate with the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development and healthcare is delivered through regional clinics affiliated with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and federally linked programs like the Indian Health Service.

Category:Cities in Alaska