The Effect of Microhabitat on Inuit Habitat Selection in Nome, Alaska

• Published in: Environment and Behavior
• Main Authors: Burger, Joanna, Gochfeld, Michael
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publications 1991
• Subjects: inuit; Nome; Tundra; Alaska
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0013916591236003; https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0013916591236003

Settlement sites of hunter-gatherers and agricultural groups have been examined on a macroscale where social, political, and environmental factors influence the spatial pattern of settlements. This article examines microenvironmental characteristics of settlement sites in the vicinity of Nome, Alaska, and compares these with characteristics at nearby sites chosen by random numbers. Settlements investigated ranged in size from 1 to 31 houses. Compared with the random points, Inuit settlements were significantly closer to roads and to water, and were farther from high hills. They were on flatter sites with higher vegetation, and were more likely to be located in willow stands than on tundra. Doors faced predominantly in a southerly direction. Sites with larger villages tended to be on flatter ground than those occupied by smaller settlements.