Eklutna, Alaska

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The Russian Orthodox Eklutna Cemetery
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The Russian Orthodox Eklutna Cemetery

Eklutna (IPA pronunciation: [ɛ 'klut nə]) is a community within the Municipality of Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska. The state of Alaska estimates the population at 383.

Eklutna lies near the mouth of the Eklutna River at the head of the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet, at 61°27′29″N, 149°21′44″W in the Anchorage Recording District. It is 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Anchorage proper along the Glenn Highway.

The Dena'ina Athabascan village of Eklutna is the oldest inhabited location in the Anchorage area, having been inhabited for over 800 years. Its Dena'ina name is Idlughet ("by the objects", referring to two nearby hills); the name "Eklutna" derives from Idluytnu, the name for Eklutna River, meaning "(plural) objects river".

Russian Orthodox missionaries arrived in the 1840s. The melding of Orthodox Christianity and native practices resulted in the brightly-colored spirit houses which can be seen at the Eklutna Cemetery, in use since 1650 and now a historical park.

An Alaska Railroad siding and station were built at Eklutna in 1918. Hydroelectric plants at Eklutna Lake have provided electricity to Anchorage since 1929; the current plant was built in 1955.

The present population of the Eklutna area is 13.2% Alaska Native or part Native, most of whom are members of the federally recognized Native Village of Eklutna. The non-Native residents mainly commute to Anchorage, Eagle River, and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley.

The 2000 census showed 203 residents as employed, with an unemployment rate of 5.83%. The median household income was $77,355 and per capita income $29,375, with 2.36% of residents below the poverty line.

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