 Satellite image of the island | |
  Nunivak Island Nunivak Island (Alaska) | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Bering Sea |
| Coordinates | 60°05′42″N166°12′40″W / 60.09500°N 166.21111°W /60.09500; -166.21111 |
| Area | 1,631.97 sq mi (4,226.8 km2) |
| Length | 77 km (47.8 mi) |
| Width | 106 km (65.9 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 1,675 ft (510.5 m) |
| Highest point | Roberts Mountain |
| Administration | |
United States | |
| State | Alaska |
| Census Area | Bethel Census Area |
| Largest settlement | Mekoryuk (pop. 191) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 191 (2010) |
| Pop. density | 0.05/km2 (0.13/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Cup'itInuit |
Nunivak Island (Central Alaskan Yup'ik:Nunivaaq;Nunivak Cup'ig:Nuniwar;Russian:Нунивак,romanized: Nunivak) is apermafrost-coveredvolcanicisland lying about 30 miles (48 km) offshore from the delta of theYukon andKuskokwim rivers in the US state ofAlaska, at a latitude of about60°N. The island is 1,631.97 square miles (4,226.8 km2) in area, making it the second-largest island in theBering Sea andeighth-largest island in the United States. It is 76.2 kilometers (47.3 mi) long and 106 kilometers (66 mi) wide. It has a population of 191 persons as of the2010 census, down from 210 in 2000. The island's entire population lives in the north coast city ofMekoryuk.[1]
Nunivak has only one permanent settlement,Mekoryuk, on the north shore, with about 200 residents. In the 1880United States Census,Ivan Petrof recorded 702 residents in nine villages on the island. An epidemic in 1900 decimated the population of the island.Emigration keeps the population small. Noted persons who have visited Nunivak include journalistJon Lee Anderson, photographerEdward S. Curtis, Anne Makepeace, anthropologist Margaret Lantis, and the artist Muriel Hannah. Noted conservationist and outdoorsmanSteven Rinella aired an episode of his television showMeat Eater in 2015 where he experienced a muskox hunt and explored the history and culture of the island and its people.
Nearly all the permanent residents of Nunivak areCup'it Eskimo, whose traditional language is a dialect ofCentral Alaskan Yup'ik known as Cup'ig orNunivak Cup'ig. Cup'ig is the first language for many older islanders and is enjoying a dedicated revival among younger islanders as well, although nearly allNuniwarmiut (Nunivak people) speak English. The people of Nunivak Island still depend to a large degree on subsistence hunting, and also commercial fishing and industrial work on the mainland.
Nunivak Island is volcanic in origin; most of the island is dominated byvolcanic plateau 500 ft (160 m) or more above sea level. The island is dotted with about 60cinder cones and fourmaars. Much of its surface consists of widespread, thin flows ofpahoehoe lava from smallshield volcanoes, which spread oversedimentary rock of theCretaceous period. Volcanic eruptions took place during 5 periods of activity beginning 6.1 million years ago. Most of the volcanic field was formed during the two most recent eruptive periods during thePleistocene ending about 300,000 years ago.[2][3] Because of the history of volcanic activity, it is considered part of theBering Sea Volcanic Province.[4] The Ibkilwit Lava Bed is located on Nunivak Island.
Tundra is the main landscape feature; the largest trees on Nunivak are dwarfwillow trees, most less than 4 ft (1.2 m) tall. More than 40 rivers drain the tundra upland.Brackishlagoons ring the eastern and southern shores, and steep, volcanic cliffs dominate the northwest shores.
At least 89 migratoryseabird andwaterfowl species have seasonal homes on Nunivak Island, including several endangered and threatened species. Dense summer-breedingrookeries are found on all shores of the island, and in inland tundra lakes.
Prehistorically, Nunivak was home to a modest herd ofcaribou, but these were exterminated after the introduction of firearms in the late 19th and early 20th century. TheUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service introducedreindeer (the smaller Eurasian caribou) andmusk oxen onto the island in the 1930s and 1940s. Large herds of these animals are maintained by the local Native Corporation ofMekoryuk. The muskoxen are most valued for their wool, orqiviut, which is collected after the animals shed in springtime for spinning into yarn, with one skein sometimes selling for $100.
Most of the island is part of theYukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, administered by theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The southern half of the island (600,000 acres) is protected as the Nunivak Wilderness.[5]
The art of Nunivak Island has its roots in the ancient past. The oldest known sculpture is thousands of years old.
In the ancient times masks were made to sell or trade for goods needed to survive. Later masks were intended for festivities,dances, and traditional healing.
This type of mask (there are many types of masks carved today) represents the life surrounding Nunivak Island. The walrus is what the loon depends on for survival. And, in turn, man depends on the loon and the walrus for survival. These are two of the traditional animals that were hunted by the men of the village in order to provide for their families.
The walrus is what the Nunivak peoples depended on to survive. It held much of the necessities of living in the Bering Sea. The skin of the walrus was used for waterproofing kayaks, the soles of mukluks (Cup'ig boots), and the intestine was used as waterproof rain gear that were of great necessity in earlier times. The bones were used as tools, the ivory for spear heads, and harpoon heads and carvings were made for trade. Also the loon pelts were transformed into beautiful winter coats that were also waterproof.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 400 | — | |
| 1910 | 127 | — | |
| 1920 | 189 | 48.8% | |
| 1930 | 191 | 1.1% | |
| 1940 | 225 | 17.8% | |
| 1950 | 156 | −30.7% | |
| 1960 | 242 | 55.1% | |
| 1970 | 249 | 2.9% | |
| 1980 | 160 | −35.7% | |
| 1990 | 177 | 10.6% | |
| 2000 | 210 | 18.6% | |
| 2010 | 191 | −9.0% | |
| 2020 | 206 | 7.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] | |||
Nunivak Island first reported on the 1880 U.S. Census as an unincorporated island, with 400 Yupik residents.[7] In 1890, the villages on the island reported separately. It next reported in 1910 for the entire island through to 1940. Since 1950, any settlements on the island have reported separately again, though all residents now reside in Mekoryuk as of 2000 and 2010.
In 2004, 179 people lived on the island; According to the 2000 census, the population was 210. They all live in a single village on the island ofMekoryuk, located on the north coast of Nunivak. During the 1880 USCensus, 702 islanders in nine settlements were recorded. An epidemic in 1900 devastated the population of the island. The constant exodus of people prevents population growth. Although almost all local people in Nunivak speakEnglish; they speak theNunivak Chupik dialect of the central Yupik language. Preservation of theChupik language, which is taught in schools, is underway. Islanders still rely on hunting, as well as commercial fishing and seasonal work on the mainland.
60°05′42″N166°12′40″W / 60.09500°N 166.21111°W /60.09500; -166.21111
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