Mertarvik (Mug-TUG-vik; Central Yupik: Mertarvik [məg'təgvɪk]) is a village in the Bethel Census Area, Alaska. In 2019 the first residents from the town of Newtok, which is eroding, began to arrive.[1]
By 2020, about 130 residents were there. In 2020, the State of Alaska had not sent voting primary forms to the village because of how new it was.[2]
Education
[edit]The Lower Kuskokwim School District operates the Mertarvik Pioneer School, which is a continuation of Newtok's Ayaprun School.[3] As of 2020, it uses temporary facilities in the Mertarvik Education Center (MEC) before a permanent school is to be constructed. The school has teachers using English and Yugtun as mediums of instruction.[4] The Mertarvik school's initial enrollment was 10 and it began operations on October 14, 2019.[5] It initially had four teachers, with half using each language as a medium.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ Kim, Greg (2019-10-22). "After 20 Year Wait, Newtok Residents Leave Home To Pioneer Mertarvik". KYUK. Bethel Broadcasting, Incorporated. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
- ^ Kim, Greg (2020-09-30). "Mertarvik Residents Didn't Receive Primary Ballots Because State Didn't Know People Lived There". KYUK. Bethel Broadcasting, Incorporated. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
- ^ "Home". Ayaprun School. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
- ^ a b "Newtok Planning Group Newtok Relocation News". Alaska Department of Commerce. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
- ^ "First Residents Move to Mertarvik" (PDF). Alaska Department of Commerce. Retrieved 2020-10-01.