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Shungnak
(SHUNG-nack)
For Photos of Shungnak click here
For a Map of Shungnak click here
| Current Population: |
272
(2008 DCCED Certified Population)
|
| Incorporation Type: |
2nd Class City |
| Borough Located In: |
Northwest Arctic Borough |
| Taxes: |
Sales: None,
Property: None, Special: None
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| National Flood Insurance Program Participant: |
Yes |
| Coastal Management District: |
Northwest Arctic Borough |
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| Location
and Climate |
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Shungnak is located on the west bank of the Kobuk River, about 150 miles east of Kotzebue. The original settlement was 10 miles further upstream at Kobuk. The community
lies at approximately 66.888060° North Latitude
and -157.136390° West Longitude.
(Sec. 09, T017N, R008E, Kateel River Meridian.)
Shungnak is located in the
Kotzebue Recording District.
The area encompasses 8.4
sq. miles of land and 1.3 sq. miles
of water.
The community is located in the transitional climate zone. Temperatures average -10 to 15 °F during winter and 40 to 65 °F during summer. Temperature extremes have been recorded from -60 to 90 °F. Snowfall averages 80 inches, with 16 inches of total precipitation per year. The Kobuk River is navigable from the end of May to mid-October. |
Topographic
map of
Shungnak
area
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| History, Culture
and Demographics |
| Founded in 1899 as a supply point for mining activities in the Cosmos Hills, this Inupiat Eskimo village was forced to move in the 1920s because of river erosion and flooding. The old site, 10 miles upstream, was renamed Kobuk by those who remained there. The new village was named "Kochuk" but later reverted to Shungnak. This name is derived from the Eskimo word "Issingnak," which means jade, a stone found extensively throughout the surrounding hills. The city government was incorporated in 1967.
A federally-recognized tribe is located in the community -- the Native Village of Shungnak.
The population of the community consists of 94.5%
Alaska Native or part Native.
It is a traditional Inupiat Eskimo village with a subsistence lifestyle. The sale or importation of alcohol is banned in the village. High School students from Kobuk attend school in Shungnak.
During the 2000 U.S. Census,
total housing units numbered 64, and vacant housing units numbered 8.
Vacant housing units used
only seasonally numbered 1.
U.S. Census data for Year
2000 showed 79 residents
as employed. The unemployment rate at that time was
27.52 percent,
although
52.12 percent of
all adults were not in the work force. The median household
income was $44,375, per capita income was $10,377, and
35.79 percent of residents
were living below the poverty level.
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| Facilities,
Utilities, Schools and Health Care |
| A reservoir is intermittently filled from the Kobuk River -- a portable pump fills a 200,000-gallon steel storage tank through 1,110' of buried arctic pipe. Groundwater wells have proven unsuccessful. Piped water and sewer are provided to 53 homes (those at the top of the bluff) and the clinic, school and community building. Shungnak has a 6-inch buried gravity sewage main, which drains into a small diked lake one-half mile northwest of the city. The effluent is chlorinated before discharge. A landfill is available.
Electricity is provided by AVEC.
There is one school located in the community,
attended by 75
students.
Local hospitals or health clinics include Shungnak Clinic (907-437-2138).
Shungnak is classified as an isolated village, it is found in EMS Region 4A in the Maniilaq Association Region. Emergency Services have river and air access. Emergency service is provided by volunteers and a health aide
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| Economy
and Transportation |
Shungnak subsists mainly on fishing, seasonal employment, hunting, and trapping. Subsistence food sources include sheefish, whitefish, caribou, moose, ducks, and berries. Most full-time employment is with the school district, city, Maniilaq Association, two stores, and a lodge. BLM provides seasonal employment in firefighting, hiring over 30 residents each year. Shungnak also has a strong arts and crafts industry; residents make and sell finely-crafted baskets, masks, mukluks, parkas, hats, and mittens. The community wants to develop a visitor center, mini-mall, post office, and clinic complex at Dahl Creek.
Shungnak is accessible by plane, barge, or small boat. The state-owned lighted gravel runway is 4,000' long by 60' wide and has scheduled regional air services. Major airport improvements are under construction. Fuel and supplies are barged in each summer by Crowley Marine Services of Kotzebue. Small boats, ATVs, snowmachines, and dog sleds are used for local travel and subsistence activities. Trails along the river are still used for inter-village travel. |
Organizations
with Local Offices
City -
City of Shungnak
P.O. Box 59
Shungnak, AK 99773
Phone 907-437-2161
Fax 907-437-2176
Village Council -
Native Village of Shungnak
P.O. Box 64
Shungnak, AK 99773
Phone 907-437-2163
Fax 907-437-2183
Regional
Organizations
Borough - Northwest Arctic Borough
P.O. Box 1110
Kotzebue, AK 99752
Phone 907-442-2500
Fax 907-442-2930 & 3740
E-mail hhildreth@nwabor.org or mwhiting@nwabor.org
Web http://www.nwabor.org
Regional Native Corporation - NANA Regional Corporation
P.O. Box 49
Kotzebue, AK 99752
Phone 907-442-3301
Fax 907-442-2866
E-mail info@nana.com
Web http://www.nana.com
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