Magnetic North: Jacob Anaġi Adams, Sr., Utqiaġvik

Jacob Anaġi Adams, Sr. is an Iñupiaq elder from Utqiaġvik, Alaska. He attended the Wrangell Institute boarding school and completed high school at Mount Edgecumbe High School in Sitka. Not only is Adams a successful whaling captain with his Anaġi Crew, but he is also an active participant in Utqiaġvik’s political and business arena.

Adams fought for passage of the 1972 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and helped establish Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. He was elected to the first assembly when the North Slope Borough was incorporated in 1972, was the first elected president of the Assembly in 1978, and was appointed mayor of the North Slope Borough in 1978.

From 1983-2006, Adams was President and CEO of ASRC, and currently is a member of their Board of Directors. He served as Chairman of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission from 1977-1980 and has been active in the Native sobriety movement, helping to create the Alaska Native Blue Ribbon Commission in the late 1980s.

Magnetic North: Jacob Anaġi Adams, Sr, is part of a documentary film project produced by Alaska Humanities Forum in partnership with Rasmuson Foundation. The series explores the personality and character of six Alaskans whose actions and ideas have shaped the history, spirit, and values of our state. Collectively, they challenge preconceived notions of the Last Frontier, promote a richer understanding of its unique identity, and speak to our shared experience of life in contemporary Alaska.

The films are written and directed by Marla Williams who has led filming projects in more than 100 communities across the state. Her work has appeared on ABC, NBC, CBS, ESPN and the Discovery Channel, as well as PBS.