Hearing set for lawsuit challenging new name of Alaska town

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A court hearing is set for Thursday in Alaska for a lawsuit challenging the new Inupiat Eskimo name of the nation’s northernmost town.

Voters in the town formerly known as Barrow approved the new name, Utqiagvik (oot-GHAR’-vik), by six votes last October.

Just before the name became effective in December, the civil lawsuit was filed by a local Alaska Native corporation, Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corp., which says city officials rushed the process with insufficient outreach to the public. Plaintiffs also maintain the new name isn’t even the area’s traditional place name.

Mayor Fannie Suvlu, who was voted into office in the same October election, had proposed an ordinance to consider asking voters if the new name should be repealed. But the City Council turned down the proposal in January.

Suvlu has said the council’s rejection of her proposal came after locals had several opportunities to address the issue.

In the lawsuit, plaintiffs say the lack of input from the public led to a flawed law being passed, one that didn’t even use the correct traditional name for the city. They maintain the correct word is Ukpeagvik, which means “the place where we hunt snowy owls.”

City Council member Qaiyaan Harcharek, who is Inupiat on his mother’s side, introduced a local ordinance in August that began the process ultimately ratified by voters. He has said the new town name essentially means a place for gathering potatoes.

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