Kawerak, Inc. E-Commerce Center
Rural business plays a vital role in the economic well being of Alaska. The opportunities and technologies exist today to bring Alaska Native art and other manufactured products to the global marketplace. The E-Commerce center goals are to connect Alaska artisans and manufactures to the global marketplace, to provide the facilities and tools necessary to do business online, to provide technical and business training and assistance, and to establish a network of people to grow economic opportunity.
About the Bering Strait Region Kawerak, Inc. serves the 20 tribes in 15 communities in the Bering Strait Region of Alaska, which is located in Northwest Alaska, 60 miles south of the Arctic Circle. The region covers an area roughly the size of West Virginia. The region is home to three distinct linguistic and cultural groups of Eskimo people. The Inupiaq, Central Yupik, and Siberian Yupik. There is documented evidence of human habitation dating as far back as 10,000 and 11,000 years.
The population of the Bering Strait region is over 9,000 people. Eskimos make up 75% of the population. There are 16 year-round village settlements in the region that range in population from 144 to 741. Nome is the largest community with approximately 3,500 people. It is the transportation and service hub for the region.
A subsistence lifestyle of hunting, gathering, and dependence on environmental resources persists throughout the region. Food gathering is a year around activity. In the springtime whale and walrus are hunted, eggs are gathered, greens, berries, and roots are gathered; during the summer and fall fishing and waterfowl hunting take place; caribou and moose are hunted in the fall; in the winter tomcod and king crab fishing takes place. Seal hunting is a year-round activity. Reindeer herding was introduced to the region about a hundred years ago and continues to this day.
There are no roads connecting the villages of Bering Strait region with each other or the rest of the world. Nome’s road system connects with 4 tribal villages. Air travel in small aircraft is the most common method of transportation within the region. Snow machines and ATVs are used to transport people and to haul ice, water, wood, fuel, groceries and sanitary waste in the winter. Boats are be used in the summer for subsistence purposes and to haul freight. For large loads, barge and freighter service is available in the summer.
The climate of the region fluctuates between maritime in the summer to continental in the winter. Normal summer temperatures range from 45° to 55°F and normal winter temperatures are between -5° to15°F. Wind chill factors can drop to -100°F in the winter months. Precipitation is less than 20 inches per year occurring as rain in late summer. Yearly snowfall can ranges from 16 to 107 inches. The Bering Sea freezes over in October and remains frozen until May or June.
The amount of daylight changes dramatically from winter to summer because the Bering Strait region lies just south of the Arctic Circle. There is less than four hours of sunshine at the winter solstice and continuous daylight from the middle of May to the middle of July.
About the Services of Kawerak, Inc.
Kawerak currently operates an e-commerce center in Nome, and supports six village e-commerce centers in the region with technical support and training. The goal is to assist the remaining nine villages in developing e-commerce centers in the very near future.
Rural business plays a vital role in the economic well being of Alaska. The opportunities and technologies exist today to bring Alaska Native art and other manufactured products to the global marketplace. The E-Commerce center goals are to connect Alaska artisans and manufacturers to the global marketplace, to provide the facilities and tools necessary to do business online, to provide technical and business training and assistance, and to establish a network of people to grow economic opportunity.
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Assistance provided by the Kawerak E-Commerce Center includes:
- Basis Computer Skills – Using Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Publisher, etc. to develop flyers, business cards, business plan, and other documents to promote your business.
- Digital Photography – The Nome e-commerce center has digital camera, color printers, photo paper and supplies, and light tents to take quality photos of your products to be used in publications and online marketing.
- Artists Biographies and Portfolio Development – Templates provided to assist you in producing quality presentations that will be useful in promoting your products.
- Internet Marketing – Information about PayPal, e-Bay, online banking, Silver Hand and Made in Alaska applications, Sourcelink information, warnings about internet scams to avoid, etc.
- Business Training – During the year Kawerak provides various training opportunities and does workshops, or conference presentations on small business development or tourism. Travel scholarships are available so that village clients can participate.
- Village Trips – Our E-commerce Specialist and Business Development Specialist make regular village trips to conduct trainings and assist clients.
- Business Development Specialist on staff – Assists with research, tax information, licenses and patents, business plan development, grant writing, tuition assistance, training opportunities, and personal consultation at any stage of your business development.
- Kawerak is actively seeking grants to help upgrade e-commerce center software and equipment as needed.