1. The Width of a Day
2. Threads

a thread from chapters VIII and IX

Life on Little Diomede

The only village on either island: built on a steep slope on the west side, facing Russia and tomorrow.

2020 census83 people

The U.S. Census counted 83 people in Diomede in 2020, down from 115 in 2010 and 146 in 2000. Most residents are Alaska Native.¹

The village sits on the island's west side, so homes look straight across at Big Diomede and, on clear days, the Russian mainland.² Big Diomede has no civilians: only Russian border guards and a weather station.³

weeklyMail by helicopter

There is no room for an airstrip on the island's steep slopes.⁴ Mail, cargo and passengers arrive by helicopter from Nome, on a weekly schedule subsidized by the federal Essential Air Service program.^5,6 When it stops, the island is cut off: in early 2015 no flights or mail came for about three weeks.⁵

winterThe runway on the sea

For years, in the depths of winter, a runway was plowed on the frozen strait so that small planes could land, and it moved with the ice.^4,7 In recent winters the ice has sometimes been too thin to build one, and regular flights to it are now listed as suspended.^4,5

every seasonWalrus, seal and ivory

People hunt walrus, seal and other animals for food, and walrus is the staple.^8,7 Ivory carving is an old tradition here, passed down through families, and for many households in the region it is the main source of cash income.⁹

The school, run by the Bering Strait School District, teaches about two dozen students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Its teams have been called the Dateliners.^7,10

visitingGetting there

Little Diomede can be reached by the helicopter from Nome; lodging on the island is very limited.⁴ Crossing to Big Diomede is not allowed: it is a closed Russian border zone, and even walking across the winter ice could cause an international incident.⁶