Kaktovik is 280 miles southeast of Barrow and 90 miles west of the Canadian border. The village is on the coast in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

The residents of Kaktovik and their ancestors are the indigeneous inhabitants of the region. They rely on the bounty of the land and find sustenance within ANWR. The bowhead whale, caribou, dall sheep, muskoxen and the fish of the region are a vital food source to the Kaktovikmiut.

The Kaktovik Iñupiat Corporation is the Village Corporation established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Act of 1971. Kaktovik Iñupiat Corporation owns approximately 92,000 acres of surface lands in and around the community. All of the corporation’s land is within ANWR.