Herbie Nayokpuk (June 12, 1929 – December 2, 2006) ( Iñupiaq pronunciation: ''Niiqpaq'') nicknamed the "Shishmaref Cannonball", was an Inupiaq musher, known for his cheerful and straight-ahead demeanor It is said that "no musher in Iditarod history has been more admired, more respected or better liked than Herbie Nayokpuk."

Life and career

Nayokpuk was born in

Shishmaref Shishmaref ( ; ik, Qigiqtaq, ; rus, Шишмарёв, p=ʂɨʂmɐˈrʲɵf) is a City (Alaska), city in the Nome Census Area, Alaska, Nome Census Area, Alaska, United States. It is located on Sarichef Island in the Chukchi Sea, just north of ...

in 1929. He was one of the original mushers to run the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1973. He also represented Alaska at the

presidential inauguration A presidential inauguration is a ceremonial event centered on the formal transition of a new president into office, usually in democracies where this official has been elected. Frequently, this involves the swearing of an oath of office. Examples o ...

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

in 1981. He ended up running the Iditarod 11 times. He never won, but he made some notably daring attempts in extreme weather conditions. He suffered a stroke after one race and competed in another despite having just recovered from a heart attack. He was also an accomplished Inupiaq artist.

Death and legacy

Nayokpuk died at the age of 77 at the Alaska Native Medical Center in

Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...

after suffering a massive stroke at his home in mid-November and then lapsing into a coma. He is buried in Shishmaref. Each year since 2007, an Iditarod musher is awarded with the "Herbie Nayokpuk Memorial Award", which goes to the musher "who best epitomizes Herbie Nayokpuk's spirit of mushing the Iditarod"

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nayokpuk, Herbie 1929 births 2006 deaths 20th-century American sportsmen 20th-century Native Americans 20th-century Native American artists American dog mushers Dog mushers from Alaska Inuit artists Inupiat people Native American sportspeople