Editing Tununak, Alaska

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Tununak
|native_name              = Tununeq 
     
|native_name_lang         = esu
|settlement_type          = [[Census-designated place|CDP]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Tununak1 (9726470242).jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Aerial view of Tununak
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
||pushpin_map            = Alaska
|pushpin_label_position = left <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption    = Location within the state of Alaska
|pushpin_mapsize        = 
|image_map                =  
|mapsize                  = 
|map_caption              = 
|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             = [[Alaska Senate|State senator]]
|leader_name              = [[Lyman Hoffman]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
|leader_title1            = [[Alaska House of Representatives|State rep.]]
|leader_name1             = [[Conrad McCormick]] (D)
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =

<!-- Area -->
|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_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 157.85
|area_land_km2            = 157.23
|area_water_km2           = 0.62
|area_total_sq_mi         = 60.95
|area_land_sq_mi          = 60.71
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.24

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 411
|population_density_km2   = 2.61
|population_density_sq_mi = 6.77

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Alaska Time Zone|Alaska (AKST)]]
|utc_offset               = -9
|timezone_DST             = AKDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -8
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 
|elevation_ft             = 
|coordinates              = {{coord|60|34|50|N|165|15|34|W|region:US-AK|display=inline}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 99681
|area_code                = [[Area code 907|907]]
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 02-79230
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|pop_est_footnotes        = 
|population_est           = 
|unit_pref = Imperial
}}
'''Tununak''' {{small|(Too-new-nak)}} ({{langx|esu|Tununeq}}) is a [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[Bethel Census Area, Alaska]], United States. At the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 411.

==Geography==
Tununak is located at {{coord|60|34|50|N|165|15|34|W|type:city}} (60.580477, -165.259486).<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>

It is located on the northwest side of [[Nelson Island (Alaska)|Nelson Island]] in the [[Bering Sea]]. It is approximately {{convert|5|mi|km}} from the closest village [[Toksook Bay]] and a year-round trail exists between the two villages.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the CDP has a total area of {{convert|60.7|sqmi|km2}}, of which, {{convert|60.5|sqmi|km2}} of it is land and {{convert|0.2|sqmi|km2}} of it (0.33%) is water.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 8
|1890= 48
|1940= 65
|1950= 112
|1960= 183
|1970= 274
|1980= 298
|1990= 316
|2000= 325
|2010= 327
|2020= 411
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 6, 2013}}</ref>
}}
Tununak was visited by [[Edward William Nelson|Edward Nelson]] in December 1878, where he reported 6 people living there.<ref name="dictionary">{{cite journal|last1=Orth|first1=Donal J.|date=1971|title=Dictionary of Alaska Place Names|url=http://dggs.alaska.gov/webpubs/usgs/p/text/p0567.pdf|journal=Geological Survey Professional Paper|publisher=United States Department of the Interior|volume=567|page=948|access-date=December 13, 2024}}</ref>
Two years later, it first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census as "Tanunak", an unincorporated village of 8 residents, all Inuit. It appeared on the 1890 census as the village of "Dununuk." A [[Roman Catholic]] mission was later established in 1891.<ref name=dictionary/> In 1940, it appeared again as "Tanunak" until it was incorporated as Tununak in 1975. It was disincorporated in 1997 and made a census-designated place (CDP) effective with the 2000 census.

As of the census<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> of 2000, there were 325 people, 82 households, and 59 families residing in the CDP. The population density was {{convert|5.4|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 93 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1.5|/mi2|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.77% [[Race (United States Census)|Central Yupik]], 3.08% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], and 2.15% from two or more races.

There were 82 households, out of which 47.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.96 and the average family size was 5.00.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 42.5% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 12.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females, there were 139.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 159.7 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $25,000, and the median income for a family was $26,500. Males had a median income of $18,125 versus $0 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the CDP was $7,653. About 29.6% of families and 30.8% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 37.9% of those under age 18 and 50.0% of those age 65 or over.

The naturalist [[Edward William Nelson|Edward Nelson]], who visited the island in 1878, noted 6 people living on Nelson Island: 5 [[Central Alaskan Yup'ik people|Yupik]] and one non-Yupik trader.

==Composition==
In 2003 there were seventy houses. There were also two shops and a video/DVD rental business.<ref name=Pricep43>Price, p. 43.</ref>

==Government and infrastructure==
In 2003 the community had a post office.<ref name=Pricep43/>

In 2003 "[[:Wikt:honey bucket|honey buckets]]" for human waste and wells for drinking water were used due to a lack of sewage and water systems.<ref name=Pricep43/>

==Education==
[[Lower Kuskokwim School District]] operates Paul T. Albert Memorial School, K-12. It is a bilingual English-Yugtun school. {{As of|2018}} there are about 108 students at the school, all Alaska Natives.<ref>"[http://tununak.lksd.org/about/paul_t__albert_memorial_school Paul T. Albert Memorial School]." Paul T. Albert Memorial School. Retrieved on July 13, 2018.</ref> In 2003 it was the building of the largest size in Tununak. Kimberly C. Price, who formerly taught at the school, stated that students are in mainly Yupik speaking houses and generally retain fluency of the language.<ref name=Pricep43/>

The [[Bureau of Indian Affairs]] (BIA) formerly operated a school in Tununak. It was converted into school district employee housing.<ref name=Pricep43/>

==Transportation==
* [[Tununak Airport]]

There was a single main road.<ref name=Pricep43/>

<gallery>
File:Tununak 2011-10-28 15.37.27 (8183155339).jpg|Tununak
File:Tununak 2012-02-08 16.09.33 (8183195818).jpg|Tununak in the winter
File:Tununak, Alaska (5069656997).jpg|View towards Tununak from the north
File:Tununak (8183198050).jpg|Houses in Tununak
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
Made by a former school district employee:
* {{cite journal|last= Price|first=Kimberly C. |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3650494|title=Teaching as Learning in a Yup'ik Eskimo Village|journal=[[The English Journal]]|volume=93|issue=2 Being and Becoming a Teacher|date=November 2003|pages=42–48|publisher=[[National Council of Teachers of English]]}}

{{Coord|display=title|60.580477|-165.259486}}
{{Bethel Census Area, Alaska}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in Alaska]]
[[Category:Former cities in Alaska]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Alaska on the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Bethel Census Area, Alaska]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Unorganized Borough, Alaska]]