On the banks of the Norton Bay, about 100 miles southeast of Nome along the Iditarod trail, there exists a village of 350 people .

Elim is set along the northern shore of the Norton Bay. The only way to get to the village is by air and water in summer months and air and snowmachine during winter. No inter-city road system connects the village to any other town, though trails exist for smaller vehicles to travel to nearby communities. The Aniguiin Elim School serves about 100 students K-12 and employs 23 staff members. The Elim Native Store serves the communities grocery needs, while Johnny’s Corner also provides many goods for shoppers. The land is owned the the people of Elim Native Cooperation. The village is a second class City of Elim run by an elected board. The people have a governing body called the IRA Council. The people live off the land: fishing, caribou, moose, game, crabbing, whaling, walrus, greens, gardening, salmon berries,blueberries, blackberries, and cranberries are just a few of the gathered resources available for subsistence-style living. Unemployment is a problem in the city, with the only major employers being the school, the stores, two airlines, and local maintenance. More jobs are open during the summer for commercial fishing.