Chevak (''Cevʼaq '', which means "cut-through channel" in
Chevak Cup’ik) is a city in
Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska
Kusilvak Census Area, formerly known as Wade Hampton Census Area, is a census area located in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,368, up from 7,459 in 2010. It is part of the Unorganized Borough and therefore ...
, United States. At the
2010 census the population was 938, up from 765 in 2000.
There is a tri-language system in Chevak; English, Cup’ik, and a mixture of the two languages. The people in Chevak speak a dialect of Central Yup'ik,
Cup'ik (pr. Chew-pick), and identify themselves as Cup'ik people rather than Yup'ik. This unique identity has allowed them to form a single-site school district, the
Kashunamiut School District, rather than joining a neighboring Yup'ik school district. The Cup'ik dialect is distinguished from Yup'ik by the change of "y" sounds into "ch" sounds, represented by the letter "c", and by some words that are completely different from Yup'ik words.
Geography
Chevak is located at (61.527673, -165.578702)
in the
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region of southwest Alaska, approximately 6 miles from the
Bering Sea coastline, 18 miles east of
Hooper Bay
Hooper Bay ( esu, Naparyaarmiut) is a city in Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2020 census the population was 1,375, up from 1,093 in 2010.
On August 3, 2006, a major fire destroyed approximately fifteen acres of the city in ...
and 26 miles south of
Scammon Bay. Transportation into, and out of, Chevak is by air or water, or regional ice roads in the winter. As with many communities in Alaska, Chevak is not connected to the national road network.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (1.71%) is water.
Infrastructure and utilities
![ChevakWindpower](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/ChevakWindpower.jpg)
Chevak is powered by four 30-meter-tall wind turbines. The wind generated in Chevak is classified as "Class 6 – Outstanding", and is owned and operated by AVEC (
Alaska Villages Electric Cooperative
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...
).
In addition, electrical power is supplied by four diesel generators capable of supplying up to a combined 1828
kilowatts
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James W ...
of electricity year-round, with the tank farm storing up to 302,000 gallons of diesel fuel. This, in addition to the 400 kilowatts generated by the wind turbines, gives Chevak’s electrical grid a total capacity of 2228 kilowatts.
As of 2022, all buildings in Chevak have running water and piped sewage, supported by a central water treatment facility built in 1984, and a central wastewater treatment plant built in 2001. An outage, due to the old school fire in 2021, affected service to the eastern half of Chevak, with many residents forced to resort back to
honey buckets as toilets.
Internet access is provided by
GCI via their TERRA microwave network. There is 3G cellular coverage as well as broadband available for residents and businesses.
Demographics
As of the census
of 2000, there were 765 people, 167 households, and 129 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 190 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 3.66%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 90.46%
Native American, 0.13% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 5.75% from two or more races. 0.65% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race.
There were 167 households, out of which 64.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 41.3% were married couples living together, 20.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.2% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 0.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.58 and the average family size was 5.38.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 51.8% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 11.5% from 45 to 64, and 4.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 17 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,875, and the median income for a family was $27,375. Males had a median income of $21,875 versus $18,125 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $7,550. About 26.7% of families and 29.5% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 32.5% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.
Old Chevak (1940)
Chevak first appeared on the 1940 U.S. Census as an unincorporated native village. At the time it was located above the junction of the Keoklevik & Kashunuk Rivers at an altitude of 7 feet. In the 1940s, residents relocated 9 miles northwest to a new village due to flooding from high storm tides. The old site became Old Chevak and was abandoned and did not report again on the census.
File:Old Chevak trading post building.jpg, Original trading post on the Keoklevik River at the old town of Chevak, 2006
File:Old town of Chevak on the Kashunuk river.jpg, Old town of Chevak on the Kashunuk river
New Chevak (1950)
The new Chevak appeared on the 1950 U.S. Census as an unincorporated village, relocated from its original site 9 miles away on higher ground. It formally incorporated as a city in 1967.
As of 2022, Chevak has a post office, community hall, radio station, three stores, a church, a clinic, a public safety building, and two restaurants. There are no public lodges or hotels in Chevak, although visitors invited by the Traditional Council are often provided housing.
The current Chevak school was built in 2005, and currently serves approximately 360 students via approximately 60 staff. In 2021, the old school, shut down for renovations and removal of toxins such as
asbestos, was destroyed in a fire. The old school was planned to be turned into a community center, before its destruction. Two individuals went missing at the time of the fire, which resulted in the
Alaska State Troopers
The Alaska State Troopers, officially the Division of Alaska State Troopers (AST), is the state police agency of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is a division of the Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS). The Alaska State Troopers is a full-se ...
launching an investigation. The cause of the fire is still unknown. The
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) is the state of Alaska's environmental regulatory agency. The Alaska Legislature established ADEC in 1971, and the agency's responsibilities were transferred from the Alaska Department ...
is providing 2.5 million dollars in funds towards the cleanup effort and removal of debris from the destroyed school.
Photo gallery
File:Chevak (14007657139).jpg, Chevak buildings, 2014
File:Chevak (8366260820).jpg, Winter at Chevak, 2013
File:Chevak (6690246575).jpg, Winter Sunrise at Chevak, 2012
File:Sunrise in Chevak (6690254217).jpg, Sunrise at Chevak, 2012
File:Chevak (14171181176).jpg, Chevak buildings, 2014
File:Chevak (7885662030).jpg, Chevak, August 2012
File:Sunset in Chevak, -30 F (6688585997).jpg, Chevak Winter Sunset at 30 below zero, 2012
File:Chevak.jpg, The school (blue), lake, and condemned old school (red)
File:Wayne Hill Store, Chevak (6688588417).jpg, Wayne Hill Store, Chevak, 2012
File:Board Walk (14194259844).jpg, Boardwalk at Chevak, 2014
File:Spring (14007651049).jpg, Spring in Chevak, 2014
File:Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (14188299215).jpg, Aerial view of Chevak, 2014
File:Very Cool (7031248789).jpg, Little Chevak girl bundled up, 2012
References
{{Authority control
Cities in Alaska
Cities in Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska
1967 establishments in Alaska