OUR STORY
The business name "Unaatuq" is similar to: "Uunaqtuq" which is the Iñupiaq Qawiaraq dialect place name for Pilgrim Hot Springs. Unnaqtuq translates to English as: "it is warm or hot."
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A sub-Arctic oasis located in remote Northwestern Alaska, Pilgrim Hot Springs is nestled between Hen and Chickens Hill and the Kigluaik Mountain range. A lush tree oasis with an abundant geothermal resource, Pilgrim boasts hot bathing pools, warm fertile soil, and a unique history.
Pilgrim Hot Springs was purchased in late 2009 from the Catholic Bishop of Northern Alaska by a consortium of seven organizations in the Bering Strait region, including Bering Straits Native Corporation, Teller Native Corporation, White Mountain Native Corporation, Mary’s Igloo Native Corporation, Kawerak, Inc., Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation, and Sitnasuak Native Corporation. Later, Teller's share was sold to Council Native Corporation. The seven owners formed Unaatuq, LLC which is governed by a board of directors with representation from each owner-organization.
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In 2020, Kawerak, Inc. joined Bering Straits Native Corporation as a managing partner of Unaatuq and is committed to furthering the vision of the owners, their shareholders, and the residents of the Bering Strait Region.
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Unaatuq's vision:
An arctic oasis that provides for our people.
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Unaatuq's Mission:
To promote the wellbeing of our people through sharing, protecting,
and responsibly developing the resources of Pilgrim Hot Springs.
THE PROPERTY
Pilgrim Hot Springs is made up of 320 acres of warm soil with abundant geothermal activity.
This remote oasis on the Seward Peninsula was, and still is, sacred land to the Indigenous people of Mary's Igloo (Qawiaraqmiut), who lived nearest to the site and currently own the land bordering the property.
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When the homestead act of 1898 was passed and Pilgrim Hot Springs was later mapped out in 1905 and recorded by the U.S. Surveyor General's Office in 1907, no one asked the Qawiaraqmiut for permission.
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The property has only had a few "official" owners to date, however it has been owned by Alaska Natives in perpetuum.
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