Sisualik

Sisualik has been inhabited by Iñupiaq for generations as a seasonal fishing camp.

NPS/Cait Johnson

Quick Facts

Location:

Cape Krusenstern National Monument

Significance:

Iñupiaq settlement

OPEN TO PUBLIC:

No

Sisualik is a traditional Iñupiaq settlement along the coast that is still active to this day. The name of the settlement means place of beluga whales.  

Belugas have historically frequented the area. They utilize the relatively shallow sound water of the area to molt, feed, and give birth. Each year, they shed the outer layer of epidermis, or maktak, and the warm water of the area speeds the process when compared to the sea, which is often still covered in pack ice.

Iñupiaq established a settlement in this spot as catching beluga in shallow water is much easier than in the deep, open waters found further up the coast. Harvesting beluga for subsistence purposes is vital for the people of the land, providing them important things, such as fat, for winter consumption. 

Sisualik Spit actually contains different settlements within it. Many groups within the Iñupiaq culture visit this area during its high season of June and July. Traditionally, people would set up their camps nearest to other people from their same villages. The tip of Sisualik Point, called Nuvuuraq, is the historic site for Noatak and Kotzebue hunters. 

Although beluga hunting is the subsistance activity that the area drew its name from, there are many other important hunting and gathering activities in the area. These activities have happened historically and continue to this day. Some hunters use pack ice for ugruk (bearded seal) hunting. Fishing is an imporatant activity all along the coast. Berries in the area include the aqpik (cloudberries), blueberries, crowberries, and lingonberries. Many plants are collected for medicinal purposes.   

Sisualik is a settlement that is still used to this day by local people for subsistence activities. The area is made up of private allotments, owned by Alaska Native peoples, whose ancestors inhabited the area for thousands of years before it became part of Cape Krusenstern National Monument. This area is not open to outside visitors as it is private property. The airstrips are also privately owned. The National Park Service has agreements in place with the land owners to access necessary air strips for business purposes only. 

On a clear day, the white tents of Sisualik are visible across the Sound in Kotzebue. Some of the best places to see them in town include Front Street and the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center.