Community of Akutan

Akutan and Akun islands are located approximately 764 air miles from Anchorage in the Krenitzin Islands of the Fox Islands group, eastern Aleutian chain in southwest Alaska. The islands serve as an exciting backdrop to the rich cultural history of the Unangax̂ Indigenous Peoples (or Aleut - Russian language) who have lived in the region for thousands of years. 

The maritime climate ensures wind, rain, fog and stormy seas are part of the life on this isolated community that is only accessible by boat, or helicopter service from the airfield on Akun Island. 

The Aleutian Subduction Zone between the North America Plate in the Bering Sea and the Pacific Plate in the North Pacific Ocean resulted in the creation of more than 40 volcanoes on the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Chain. On occasion volcanic eruptions cause ash plumes interfering with air traffic, while earthquakes and resulting tsunamis create hazards for residents in this isolated region of the United States. 

Our community is perched on the slopes of Akutan Volcano leading to the city partnering with the State of Alaska Energy Authority and the federal Department of Energy to investigate potential geothermal resource development. As one of the most active volcanoes in the United States, the US Geological Survey published an investigation of the hydrothermal system on Akutan Island in 2012. 

The biodiversity of the Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean ecosystems creates an abundance of marine and bird life utilized by the Unangax̂ people for millennia.