Nanwalek, Alaska facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nanwalek, Alaska
Census-designated place
Location of Nanwalek
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Borough	Kenai Peninsula
Area
• Total	8.40 sq mi (21.75 km2)
• Land	8.38 sq mi (21.72 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation	50 ft (20 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	247
• Density	29.46/sq mi (11.37/km2)
Time zone	UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-8 (AKDT)
ZIP code	99603
Area code(s)	907
FIPS code	02-52210

Nanwalek is a small community in Alaska, United States. Its name means 'place by lagoon'. It used to be called Alexandrovsk and later English Bay. Nanwalek is a special kind of community called a census-designated place (CDP). It is home to a traditional Alutiiq village.

In 2020, about 247 people lived in Nanwalek. There is one school in the village, and about 76 students attend it. Many local people get their food by hunting and fishing. This is a big part of their culture. They often catch salmon and seals. Selling alcohol is not allowed in the village, but people can bring it in for their own use.

Where Nanwalek is Located

Nanwalek and another village called Port Graham are very close. They are less than 5 miles (8 km) apart. Both villages are at the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula. You can only reach them by plane or boat. They are about 23 miles (37 km) southwest of Homer.

The Alaska Marine Highway System offers boat service to nearby Seldovia. Seldovia is only about 10 miles (16 km) up the coast. Nanwalek has a gravel airstrip that is 1,850 feet (564 m) long and 50 feet (15 m) wide. This airstrip is on a natural strip of land. It separates a small lagoon from the southern part of Cook Inlet.

From Nanwalek, you can see large volcanoes across Cook Inlet. Mount Iliamna is about 60 miles (97 km) away. Mount Redoubt is further north, about 80 miles (129 km) away. These volcanoes usually do not cause problems for the villagers. Iliamna often lets out smoke, and Redoubt's ash usually affects other towns. However, Augustine Volcano is different. It is about 50 miles (80 km) west across Cook Inlet. Augustine is the most active volcano in its area. When it erupts, it can cause problems for Nanwalek and nearby towns. Its last big eruptions were in 1986 and 2006.

Nanwalek is located at coordinates 59°21′13″N 151°54′45″W. The total area of Nanwalek is about 8.4 square miles (21.8 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a very small part being water.

Nanwalek's Early History

The first Russian outpost on mainland Alaska was built in Nanwalek. It was a fortress called Aleksandrovsk. This fortress was set up in 1786 by men from Grigorii Shelikhov’s company.

In 1793, another Russian company tried to take over the Aleksandrovsk fortress. They had 60 men and some Dena'ina warriors. These men caused trouble and took furs from local Native people. But they could not capture the fort.

In the summer of 1794, the fortress was moved to a new, higher spot. The old buildings were rotting and falling apart because of high tides. This suggests the first fortress was on the Nanwalek spit. V. I. Malakhov was in charge of the fortress at this time.

In 1798, the Dena'ina Indians fought against the Russian company in other areas. A group from Aleksandrovsk, led by V. I. Malakhov, arrived just in time. They saved the Russian settlement in Kenai from being completely destroyed. However, other settlements in Tyonek and Iliamna were destroyed.

By 1818, the fortress in Nanwalek was closed. It was moved to Nushagak. There, it was known as the Novo-Aleksandrovskii fortress, meaning 'New Aleksandrovskii fortress'.

People of Nanwalek

Many people living in Nanwalek today have mixed Russian and Sugpiaq (Alutiiq) backgrounds. Villagers speak Sugt'stun. This is an Eskimo language that is very similar to Yup'ik.

The population of Nanwalek has changed over the years:

Nanwalek first appeared on the U.S. Census in 1880 as Alexandrovsk. It had 75 Sugpiaq people, 12 Creole (mixed Russian and Sugpiaq), and 1 White person. In 1890, it was called English Bay. It had 107 residents, including 100 Sugpiaq, 6 Creole, and 1 White person. The village did not appear on the census again until 1930. In 1980, English Bay became a census-designated place (CDP). In 1991, its name was officially changed to Nanwalek.

In 2000, there were 177 people living in Nanwalek. There were 45 households and 32 families. The population density was about 20.8 people per square mile (8.0 people per square kilometer). Most of the people were Native American (89.27%). About 6.78% were White.

Many households (55.6%) had children under 18 living with them. The average household had about 3.93 people. The average family had about 4.79 people.

The population was quite young. About 42.9% of the people were under 18. The average age was 22 years old. For every 100 females, there were about 113.3 males.

The average income for a household in Nanwalek was $42,500. For a family, it was $45,750. About 17.5% of the people lived below the poverty line. This included 12.6% of those under 18.

Religion

A Russian Orthodox church was built in Nanwalek in 1870. It was named after Saints Sergius and Herman of Valaam. This was only three years after Russia sold Alaska to the United States. A new church building was built in 1930. This building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Orthodox Church in Alaska has a long history. It started with early Russian missionaries. Important figures like Herman of Alaska, Saint Innocent of Alaska, and Peter the Aleut helped the church grow. Because of them, the Orthodox community remains strong in villages like Nanwalek.

Travel and Transportation

Nanwalek has a public airport called the Nanwalek Airport. This airport helps people travel to and from the village.

See also

In Spanish: Nanwalek (Alaska) para niños