Editing Chefornak, Alaska

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name                   = Chefornak
| native_name                     = Cevvʼarneq / Caputnguaq
| native_name_lang                = esu
| settlement_type                 = [[City (Alaska)|City]]
| nickname                        = 
| motto                           = 
<!-- Images -->
| image_skyline                   = Chefornak (9703826823).jpg
| imagesize                       = 
| image_caption                   = 
| image_flag                      = 
| image_seal                      = 
<!-- Maps -->
| image_map                       = AKMap-doton-Chefornak.PNG
| mapsize                         = 250px
| map_caption                     = Location of Chefornak, Alaska
| image_map1                      = 
| mapsize1                        = 
| map_caption1                    = 
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type                = Country
| subdivision_name                = United States
| subdivision_type1               = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1               = [[Alaska]]
| subdivision_type2               = [[List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska|Census Area]]
| subdivision_name2               = [[Bethel Census Area, Alaska|Bethel]]
| government_footnotes            = 
| government_type                 = 
| leader_title                    = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name                     = Robert Jimmy<ref>{{Cite book|title=2023 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory|date=January 2023|publisher=Alaska Municipal League|location=[[Juneau, Alaska|Juneau]]|page=53|url=https://www.akml.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Chefornak.pdf|access-date=November 12, 2023}}</ref>
| leader_title1                   = [[Alaska Senate|State senator]]
| leader_name1                    = [[Lyman Hoffman]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.alaskasenate.org/2020/member/lyman-hoffman/ |title=Senator Lyman Hoffman |publisher=Alaskasenate.org |website=Alaska Senate Majority |access-date=November 16, 2019 |archive-date=April 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200408143501/https://www.alaskasenate.org/2020/member/lyman-hoffman/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| leader_title2                   = [[Alaska House of Representatives|State rep.]]
| leader_name2                    = [[Conrad McCormick]] (D)
| established_title               = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date                = 1974<ref>{{cite book|title=1996 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory|location=[[Juneau]]|publisher=Alaska Municipal League/[[Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development|Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs]]|date=January 1996|page=36}}</ref>

<!-- Area -->
| area_magnitude                  = 
| area_footnotes                  = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_02.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
| area_total_km2                  = 15.51
| area_land_km2                   = 13.56
| area_water_km2                  = 1.95
| area_total_sq_mi                = 5.99
| area_land_sq_mi                 = 5.24
| area_water_sq_mi                = 0.75
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of                = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes            = 
| population_total                = 506
| population_density_km2          = 37.31

<!-- General information -->
| timezone                        = [[Alaska Time Zone|Alaska (AKST)]]
| utc_offset                      = -9
| timezone_DST                    = AKDT
| utc_offset_DST                  = -8
| elevation_footnotes             = 
| elevation_m                     = 0
| elevation_ft                    = 0
| coordinates                     = {{Coord|60|9|33|N|164|16|10|W|region:US-AK|display=inline}}
| postal_code_type                = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code                     = 99561
| area_code                       = [[Area code 907|907]]
| area_code_type                  = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
| blank_name                      = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info                      = 02-12680
| blank1_name                     = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info                     = {{GNIS4|1400188}}
| website                         = 
| footnotes                       = 
| pop_est_as_of                   = 
| pop_est_footnotes               = 
| population_est                  = 
| population_density_sq_mi        = 96.64
| unit_pref                       = Imperial
| name                            = 
}}

'''Chefornak''' ({{langx|esu|Cevvʼarneq}}) is a city in [[Bethel Census Area, Alaska|Bethel Census Area]], [[Alaska]], United States. At the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]] its population was 418,<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US0212680| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212180755/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US0212680| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Chefornak city, Alaska| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| accessdate=September 18, 2013}}</ref> up from 394 in 2000.

==Geography==
Chefornak is located at {{Coord|60|9|33|N|164|16|10|W|type:city}} (60.159070, -164.269437)<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> on the south bank of the [[Kinia River]], {{convert|16|mi}} upriver from its mouth in [[Etolin Strait]], an arm of the [[Bering Sea]]. The town is within the [[Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|16.6|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|14.8|km2|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|1.7|km2|order=flip}}, or 10.56%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

==Local geology==
Located in a region where the arctic [[tundra]] meets and interacts with the Bering Sea, as well as being in a region impacted by past [[volcanism]], Chefornak has many interesting local landmarks.

An extinct volcano, [http://www.mountainzone.com/mountains/detail.asp?fid=63934 Tern Mountain], is visible in the distance to the south. Large, blocky, [[igneous rock]]s are a common sight in the village and the surrounding tundra.

The Kinia River (Urrsukvaaq) and its many tributaries are important to the people of the village, because of water travel to hunting and fishing areas, as well as because of difficulties presented by flooding and erosion.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1950= 106
|1960= 133
|1970= 146
|1980= 230
|1990= 320
|2000= 394
|2010= 418
|2020= 506
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
Chefornak first appeared on the 1950 U.S. Census as an unincorporated village.<ref>{{cite web |title=Number of Inhabitants - Alaska |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41601749v2p51-54ch2.pdf |website=United States Census Bureau |date=1950}}</ref> It formally incorporated in 1974.

As of the [[census]] of 2000,<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> there were 394 people, 75 households, and 63 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|68.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 82 housing units at an average density of {{convert|14.3|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the city was 93.40% [[Race (United States Census)|Alaska Native]], 2.03% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], and 4.57% from two or more races.

There were 75 households, out of which 60.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.0% were non-families. 14.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 5.25 and the average family size was 5.98.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 45.2% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 16.5% from 45 to 64, and 4.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,556, and the median income for a family was $36,042. Males had a median income of $15,000 versus $20,833 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $8,474. About 21.3% of families and 25.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 36.0% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

==Cultural activities==
[[Yup'ik dancing]] is popular in the village. The high school has an Yup'ik Dance Team which often visits other villages for feasts and festivals. Often the village hosts a dance festival in the spring, and the large [[Cama-i]] festival in [[Bethel, Alaska|Bethel]] attracts many from Chefornak and the surrounding villages to display their dances and to see the dances of other regions.

==Subsistence living==
[[File:Scenic Chefornak (9685209295) (cropped).jpg|thumb|Aerial view of Chefornak]]
Many of the villagers live a [[subsistence economy|subsistence]] lifestyle, which means that they continue to carry out the [[hunter-gatherer]] activities that their ancestors developed adapted to the local ecosystem. Important staples include fish such as [[halibut]], [[salmon]], and [[herring]], which are dried and eaten like [[jerky]]. The [[Alaska blackfish]] is an important part of the local diet, and can be caught year round in the river. Residents gather berries such as [[Rubus chamaemorus|salmonberries (cloudberries)]], [[crowberry|black berries (crowberries)]], and [[Vaccinium uliginosum|blueberries (bog bilberries)]] are also gathered and used to prepare [[akutaq]], a whipped dessert. Other native foods that are gathered include [[mousefood]], [[Labrador tea]], and greens such as [[Rumex arcticus|sourdock]].

==Village buildings==
[[File:Chefornak town center.jpg|thumb|Center of the village in winter. The large building just left of center is the school, in front of it is the village complex, on the right is Chefarnrmute store.]]

Beside houses, public buildings in the village include:
* Chefarnrmute, Inc., the village corporation
* Avugiak's Store
* post office
* town hall/bingo hall
* school (elementary and high school are in one building)<ref>[http://chefornak.lksd.org/ Home]. Chaputnguak School & Amaqigciq School. Retrieved on July 10, 2018.</ref>
* The Old School (formerly [[Bureau of Indian Affairs|B.I.A.]] school)
* St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church
* power plant.

==Education==
[[File:Chefornak snowball fight.jpg|thumb|Kids recreating in the school playground]]
The [[Lower Kuskokwim School District]] operates the Chaputnguak School, an elementary school, and Amaqigciq School, a high school,{{citation needed|date=July 2018}} which share a building.

The Chaputnguak School was named for Chaputnguak, the original name for Chefornak and a Yup'ik word referring to an object or thing obstructing a pathway. The Amaqigciq School is named after Alexie Amaqigciq, a Yup'ik elder who selected the village site and first inhabitant of Chefornak,.<ref name=Chefornakschool>"[http://chefornak.lksd.org/about/chefornak/ Chefornak]." Chaputnguak School & Amaqigciq School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.</ref>

==Transportation==
[[File:CFK-b.jpg|thumb|Aerial photograph of old [[Chefornak Airport]] (FAA: CFK).]]
People access the village of Chefornak primarily by small aircraft but can also reach it via [[snowmobile]] in the winter. Goods and mail are brought into the village by plane and, during the summer months, up the Kinia River by barge. [[Chefornak Airport|Chefornak's airport]] has been moved further from the village due to concerns with its proximity to the school. The new airstrip has been constructed and is now in operation. Within the village, transportation options include four-wheel, bicycle, snow machine, and on foot.

== Notable people ==
* [[Paul John (Yupik elder)|Paul John]] (1929–2015), [[Yupik peoples|Yup'ik]] elder, fisherman

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927005148/http://www.lksd.org/Chefornak/ Chaputnguak School]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070905204755/http://www.dced.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CIS.cfm?Comm_Boro_Name=Chefornak Alaska Community Database]

{{Coord|display=title|60.15907|-164.269437}}
{{Bethel Census Area, Alaska}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Alaska]]
[[Category:Cities in Bethel Census Area, Alaska]]