About Us

Nikolski School is located in the Qawalangin village of Nikolski on Umnak Island. Umnak is one of the Fox Islands, and the village of Nikolski lies at the southwestern end of the island. The village sits about the same latitude as Prince Rupert, Canada, but surprisingly enough, is further west than Hawaii. It can only be reached by boat or small plane, and is one of the most remote communities in the United States. The island itself is about 75 miles long and varies in width from 18 miles down to less than a mile at places. Here you'll find majestic, snow-covered mountains, rolling tundra, countless freshwater lakes, and several stunningly beautiful volcanoes. There are wild, rocky shores dwarfed by towering cliffs as well as picturesque, sandy beaches broken by wandering rivers and streams which teem with a variety of salmon species as they return to spawn each summer and fall. The island serves as home to several reindeer herds, brought to the island in the early part of the 20th century, and also several herds of wild horses, descendants of the original horses brought to the island to work as part of a cattle and sheep ranching operation that began many years ago. Scattered groups of cattle and sheep still roam free on the island today. A wide variety of ducks and geese, as well as other species of waterfowl make their home on Umnak, as do the Bald Eagle, the Rough-legged Hawk, and the Peregrine Falcon.