Overview

Last seen: February 14, 2018 — Atqasuk, Alaska. Raleigh Kuvun Kowunna, 60, was last known to be riding a snow machine and was reported missing after he failed to return.

Main circumstances: Kowunna was an experienced Alaska Native subsistence hunter with extensive knowledge of Arctic and sea-ice conditions. Neither he nor his snow machine has been publicly reported recovered. No publicly released evidence establishes an accident, foul play, or homicide, and he remains listed as missing.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Raleigh Kuvun Kowunna Missing in Alaska: What Happened to the Atqasuk Hunter in 2018?

Raleigh Kuvun Kowunna was 60 years old when he disappeared from Atqasuk, Alaska, on February 14, 2018. The Alaska Native elder was last known to be riding a snow machine in the remote North Slope community. He has not been found, and his disappearance remains unresolved more than eight years later.

Official and public case databases continue to identify Kowunna as a missing person. There has been no publicly confirmed recovery of his remains, arrest, named suspect, or determination that he was the victim of homicide.

Raleigh Kowunna’s Disappearance in Atqasuk, Alaska

Kowunna was last seen on February 14, 2018, in Atqasuk, Alaska, a small North Slope community. Available case records say he was snow machining when he disappeared. His snow machine is also associated with his missing-person case.

The disappearance was reported to authorities the following day, February 15, 2018, according to publicly reproduced case information. The North Slope Borough Police Department is identified as the primary agency, while the Alaska State Troopers are also associated with the investigation.

Very little information about the original search has been made publicly available. There are no widely available official reports detailing where Kowunna was believed to be traveling, the planned length of his trip, the precise location where he was last observed, or whether investigators located any physical evidence connected to his route. The Charley Project likewise notes that few details have been released publicly.

An Experienced Hunter With Extensive Knowledge of the Arctic

Kowunna was not simply someone unfamiliar with Alaska’s demanding winter environment. Community accounts describe him as an experienced subsistence hunter with extensive knowledge of the land, sea ice and traditional hunting practices.

A 2020 social-media post featuring Kowunna described him as an elder and lifelong subsistence hunter whose fellow hunters consulted him about conditions on the ice. A later awareness article similarly described him as a hunter known within his community for knowledge of sea ice, whaling and the Arctic environment.

That background adds an important dimension to his disappearance. Although accidents and environmental dangers are an obvious concern whenever someone disappears while traveling by snow machine in Arctic Alaska, Kowunna was reportedly highly familiar with the conditions in which he traveled.

It does not, however, establish what happened to him. Publicly available law-enforcement information has not identified a particular accident, crime or other explanation for his disappearance.

Description of Raleigh Kuvun Kowunna

Kowunna was born March 5, 1957. At the time he disappeared, he was 60 years old, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall and 130 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He is identified in missing-person databases as American Indian/Alaska Native.

Additional information reproduced from NamUs records identifies scars near his left eye and on his right arm as well as a tattoo on his right forearm.

His NamUs identification number is MP56986. A law-enforcement case number associated with his disappearance is AK18010707.

What Happened to Raleigh Kowunna?

The publicly documented circumstances remain extremely limited.

Kowunna went snow machining in or around Atqasuk on February 14, 2018 and did not return. He was subsequently reported missing. No publicly released evidence establishes whether his snow machine went through ice, whether he became stranded or injured, whether weather or terrain contributed to his disappearance, or whether another person was involved.

The Charley Project classifies his disappearance as Lost/Injured Missing, but that is a case-directory classification rather than proof of a specific scenario.

Because neither Kowunna nor his snow machine has been publicly reported recovered, the circumstances remain unknown.

Latest Information on the Raleigh Kowunna Investigation

As of August 2026, Kowunna continues to appear in current missing-person resources.

NamUs maintains MP56986 for Raleigh Kuvun Kowunna and identifies his date of last contact as February 14, 2018. Alaska’s Department of Public Safety also continues to include Raleigh Kowunna in its missing-person dataset.

Crime Solvers Central, which aggregates public missing-person information, lists the case as open and shows its Raleigh Kowunna case page as last updated on August 7, 2026. That update does not report a new discovery or investigative breakthrough.

No credible public announcement located as of August 15, 2026 reports that Kowunna has been found. There is likewise no public announcement of an arrest, named suspect, recovered remains or reclassification of his case as a homicide. His current official status therefore remains missing.

Community Remembrance and Continued Awareness

Kowunna’s disappearance has continued to receive attention from Indigenous missing-person advocates and online communities.

An Indigenous Alaska social-media profile has referred to Kowunna as having been “lost on the tundra” in 2018 and memorialized his knowledge and contribution to his community. That language should be understood as a community remembrance rather than an official finding concerning what happened to him. Official missing-person systems continue to list him as missing.

A Websleuths discussion dedicated to his case was created in 2024, and Justice for Native People published a profile that year to renew awareness of his disappearance. CaseTrace, CrimeTea, Crime Solvers Central and Uncovered also maintain public case pages.

Raleigh Kowunna’s Case Remains Unsolved

More than eight years after Raleigh Kuvun Kowunna disappeared while snow machining in Atqasuk, the central question remains unanswered: What happened to Raleigh Kowunna?

Despite his extensive experience as a hunter and his familiarity with the Arctic environment, he vanished during a February trip and has never been publicly reported found. There is not enough publicly released evidence to determine whether Kowunna suffered an accident, became lost or injured, encountered dangerous ice or weather conditions, or disappeared under other circumstances.

Anyone with firsthand information concerning Raleigh Kowunna’s disappearance, his movements on February 14, 2018, or the location of his snow machine should provide that information directly to law enforcement rather than posting possible tips publicly. The North Slope Borough Police Department and Alaska State Troopers remain the agencies associated with his case.