1955 Map of Shungnak

About this map

The Kobuk River valley defines this mid-century landscape of northern Alaska, serving as the primary corridor for movement between the settlement at Shungnak and the various cabins scattered along its banks. Surveyed in 1955, the map captures a remote frontier where the Arctic Circle bisects the Sheklukshuk Range and the vast Selawik River wetlands to the west. Evidence of human presence is sparse but significant, including a mine near Purcell Mtn and the Kalla (Site) upstream from the main village.