Alaska town’s new Inupiat name to stay – for now

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Alaska voters in the nation’s northernmost town won’t get a chance at the polls after all to repeal the community’s new Inupiat Eskimo name.

The City Council in the town formerly known as Barrow voted 5-1 against the proposal by Mayor Fannie Suvlu last week. Suvlu was voted into office in the same October 2016 election that saw voters approve the town’s new name, Utqiagvik (oot-GHAR’-vik), by six votes.

Suvlu says the council’s Jan. 31 rejection of her proposal came after locals had several opportunities to address the issue.

The new name is being challenged by a local Alaska Native corporation, which filed a civil lawsuit after the election. The lawsuit claims city officials rushed the process with insufficient outreach to the public. That case has not been resolved.

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2/6/2017 3:08:39 PM (GMT -5:00)