When planning a trip to Tununak, Alaska, you’ll need to know where to go. There are a few great places to visit, including the Yuraq (Native dance) and Native store. You can also take a ferry out to the island of Nightmute.
Yuraq (Native Dance)
Yuraq is a traditional Yup’ik dance that begins in October and lasts until the Yurarrpak, a huge dance festival. Local people from the surrounding villages travel to the village to perform in this traditional dance. Villages such as Toksook Bay, Nightmute, Newtok, Chefornak, and Chevak all take part in this event. In addition to yuraq, there are also sports activities available to local residents. A local school hosts open gym nights for men and women four days a week and the surrounding villages often sponsor city league basketball tournaments at the school.
The city of Tununak is situated on a peninsula. The downtown area faces the river and ocean. The town has two bridges spanning the river. One crosses at the mouth of the river while the other crosses near the town’s airport. The town is also known for its Rock People, manmade towers of rock that resemble human figures. The town’s population is approximately 327, with ninety-six percent Alaska Native residents.
The Yup’ik people perform traditional dances to honor their ancestors. During the midwinter ceremonies, dancers perform wearing their finest fur parkas. The parkas are decorated with glass beads, and are made from several types of furs. The dancers also wear caribou-hair fans.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks hosts an annual Festival of Native Arts, which features dancing, singing, and storytelling. Dancers from Dena’ Intertribal are invited to perform in traditional dress and moosehide vests. Other performances include traditional seal hunting stories and crafts.
Yuraq (Native Store)
There are only two main stores in Tununak. These stores sell groceries, gasoline, and other items. Often, the food is canned, frozen, or bagged. However, fresh produce is hard to come by in Tununak because it rots after sitting in an airline’s cargo hold. The main produce and vegetables found in these stores are potatoes, onions, carrots, apples, and celery. However, cherry tomatoes are quite expensive.
If you are in Tununak and want to learn more about the local culture, you can visit the Yuraq (Native Store). The store is a traditional marketplace for the Yup’ik people. The store is located in the town center. The store offers many souvenirs and gifts. It also has information on the Yup’ik language, which includes traditional stories and voeding traditions.
The town of Tununak is located on the northwest side of Nelson Island, in the Bering Sea. The downtown area faces the ocean, while the rest of the town is on the river. The river is crossed by two bridges: one at the mouth of the river, and one that connects the town with the new airport. Tununak also has Rock People, which are man-made towers of rocks that look like human figures. Tununak has a population of about 327 people, 96% of whom are Alaska Native.
The Yup’ik of Nelson Island gather on Nelson Island each year for dance festivals known as Yurarpak. The Yup’ik people celebrate the Yup’ik way of life by joining a group of people who speak their language. It is a way for them to connect with one another and exchange goods. The word yuraq means “dance” in the English language, but it has a deeper meaning.
Nelson Island
Tununak, Alaska is a small village in the Bering Sea, located in the northwest part of the island. It is approximately 115 miles northwest of Bethel and 519 miles north of Anchorage. Its land area is approximately eighty-three square miles. The population of Tununak is about four hundred and twenty-one.
There are several things to do on Nelson Island. First, there is the Stone People, a landmark that was created by the native people. They used moss-covered rocks to construct human-like shapes on Nialruq Mountain. These monuments are a great way to learn more about this unique culture.
The government is planning a $12 million grant to help create an extensive trail system on the island. The trail system will connect four villages on the island, as well as the traditional fishing village of Umkumiute. In December, the Newtok Village Council will vote on the trail project. The goal is to create a 50-mile system that will take people on a trail that will connect all four villages.
The herring fishing season on Nelson Island is similar to the one on Nunivak. Fishermen from these villages typically set their gillnets as soon as the adjacent shoreline is ice-free. They then wait for the herring runs to arrive. The fishing season lasts from mid May to early June.
Atmautluak
The town of Tununak is situated on a peninsula and is bordered by the river and ocean. There are two bridges crossing the river: an old one that crosses the river mouth, and a new one that connects the town to the new airport. Another interesting feature of the town is the Rock People, man-made towers of rocks that resemble human figures. The town has a population of about 327 people, and 96% of the population are native Alaskans.
The town of Tununak is the census-designated place (CDP) of Central Yupik. It is located on the northwest coast of Nelson Island in the Bering Sea and is about five miles from the nearby town of Toksook Bay. There is a year-round trail that connects the towns of Tununak and Toksook Bay. This small town has a total area of 60.7 square miles (157 square km2).