Unangax have occupied Atka for thousands of years. Their first contact with Russians occurred in 1747, when Atka became an important trade site and safe harbor for the Russians. Atka has been rebuilding since the Aleut evacuation and internment during World War II. The village was burnt to the ground by the U.S. government to prevent the Japanese forces from using it.
Atka is located on Atka Island, 1,100 miles from Anchorage on the southwest shore of Nazan Bay near a deep, protected anchorage. The location of the island allows relatively easy access to the Bering Sea to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The community is adjacent to rich Pacific cod, pollock, sablefish, Atka mackerel, and Aleutian Islands golden king crab.
APICDA investments in Atka include funding for the health clinic, Atka Pride Seafoods, the floating dock, the city dock, playground equipment, the hydro plant, Fishermen’s Association grants, clinic boiler replacement, post office improvements, culture camp sponsorships, school grants, water and sanitation improvements, generator repairs, street lighting upgrades, city duplex, and fuel subsidies.
