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Community Culture and History
The culture,
commercial fishing, geographic location and weather shape this
community. The International Port of Dutch Harbor, part of the
community of Unalaska, is an industrialized fishing port. Long hours of
hard work and
weeks
without a day off are common. This is a workaholic community.
Unalaska is a remote bush community, far off the road system and an 800
mile flight from “town,”
(Anchorage). We are farther west than Hawaii, and closer to Tokyo,
Japan than Seattle, Washington! Travel to the mainland involves a 3 hour
flight, but the weather is quite often unpredictable. Fog, low-hanging
clouds and high winds often prevent landings and takeoffs, so seasoned
travelers expect the possibility of having to wait a day or two (or 3 or
4!) for flights. A 3 1/2 day ferry ride brings people to the island
once a month from the mainland, but only from May through August.
There are few paved roads; the longest is about 3 miles in length. Most
of the streets in the town are dirt/gravel, but generally in good
condition. There are some narrow gravel roads that take you to more
remote parts of the island, but these are closed during the winter.
 Generally,
people do not live here long term. The majority of people who come to
this island are seasonal workers. They work in the fish processing
plants 7 days a week, 12+ hours per day, for near-minimum wages, and
live in dormitories furnished by the processors. Fishermen from along
the Pacific Coast and from throughout Alaska frequent Unalaska as a home
base while fishing the Bering Sea. During peak fishing seasons, the
island’s population can grow from a base of around 4400 to as many as
15,000, only to return to normal levels within a few months.
Many church members work in the service
sector of the community, as teachers, policemen, machinists,
longshoremen and other community and marine fisheries related jobs. For
the most part, these people, too, come with ‘a plan’ to be part of the
community for a predetermined period of time before returning to the
mainland or Lower 48.
Some helpful web links:
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Last Update: February 16, 2012
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PO
Box 121,
Unalaska,
AK
99685
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Unalaska UMC Facebook Page
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