The people of Newtok share a heritage with Nelson Island communities; their ancestors have lived on the Bering Sea coast for at least 2,000 years. The people from the five villages are known as Qaluyaarmiut, or "dip net people." Only intermittent outside contact occurred until the 1920s. Around 1949 the village was relocated from Old Kealavik ten miles away to its present location to escape flooding and to build a school. In the 1950s the Territorial Guard found volunteers from Newtok while they were traveling to Bethel. Tuberculosis was a major health problem during this period.
A school was built in 1958, although high school students traveled to Bethel, St. Mary's, Sitka or Anchorage for their education. This was often their first exposure to the outside, and students returned with a good knowledge of the English language and culture. A high school was constructed in Newtok in the 1970s. In 1997, the City government was dissolved. Due to severe beach erosion, the village is interested in relocating.
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History and map graphic used with permission from the Alaska Department of Community and Economic Development