1955 Map of Noatak A-1

About this map

The Noatak River dominates this mid-century subarctic landscape as it winds through a complex network of braided channels and marshes before reaching Hotham Inlet. Evidence of seasonal habitation and subsistence land use is visible in the presence of Cabins near the riverbank and a Reindeer Corral positioned between the river and the Mulik Hills. This area, mapped from aerial photography in the early 1950s, reveals a terrain defined by the transition from the high elevations of the Igichuk Hills to the saturated lowlands of Kinuk Island. A Winter Trail provides a overland connection through the marshy interior, while features like the Little Noatak Slough and Shiliak Creek illustrate the shifting hydrology of the delta. The proximity of the corral and cabins to the river's edge highlights the importance of the waterway for both transportation and the regional reindeer herding economy of the era.