Kodiak Kodiak is located near the eastern tip of Kodiak Island, south of Cook Inlet and the Kenai Peninsula in the Gulf of Alaska. Kodiak Island, "the emerald isle," is the largest island in Alaska, and is second only to Hawaii in the United States.  This island has been inhabited for the past 8,000 years. The first non-Native contacts were in 1763, by the Russian Stephen Glotov, and in 1792 by Alexander Baranov, a Russian fur trapper. Sea otter pelts were the primary incentive for Russian exploration, and a settlement was established at Chiniak Bay, the site of present-day Kodiak. At that time, there were over 6,500 Sugpiaqs (Koniags) in the area and the Island was called "Kikhtak." It later was known as "Kadiak," the Inuit word for island. Kodiak was the first capital of Russian Alaska, and Russian colonization had a devastating effect on the local Native population. By the time Alaska became a U.S. Territory in 1867, the Koniag region Eskimos had almost disappeared as a viable culture. Alutiiq (Russian-Aleut) is the present-day Native language. Sea otter fur harvesting was the major commercial enterprise, and eventually led to the near extinction of the species. However, in 1882 a fish cannery opened at the Karluk spit. This sparked the development of commercial fishing in the area. Two fisherman statues carry a huge salmon in Kodiak. The "Town of Kodiak" was incorporated in 1940. During the Aleutian Campaign of World War II, the Navy and the Army built bases on the Island. Fort Abercrombie was constructed in 1939, and later became the first secret radar installation in Alaska. Development continued, and the 1960s brought growth in commercial fisheries and fish processing. The 1964 earthquake and subsequent tidal wave virtually leveled downtown Kodiak. The fishing fleet, processing plant, canneries, and 158 homes were destroyed - $30 million in damage. The infrastructure was rebuilt, and by 1968, Kodiak had become the largest fishing port in the United States, in terms of dollar value. The Magnusson Act in 1976 extended the U.S. jurisdiction of marine resources to 200 miles offshore, which reduced competition from the foreign fleet, and over time, allowed Kodiak to develop a groundfish processing industry. A federally recognized tribe is located in the community -- the Shoonaq' Tribe of Kodiak; Kodiak Island Inter-Tribal Council (tribal contractor). 13.1% of the population are Alaska Native or part Native.  The local culture surrounds commercial and subsistence fishing activities. The Coast Guard comprises a significant portion of the community, and there is a large seasonal population. Kodiak is primarily non-Native, and the majority of the Native population are Alutiiq. Filipinos are a large subculture in Kodiak due to their work in the canneries. A Russian Orthodox Church seminary is based in Kodiak, one of two existing seminaries in the U.S. The Shoonaq' Tribe of Kodiak was federally recognized in January 2001.  Kodiak is located in the Kodiak Recording District.  The area encompasses 3.5 sq. miles of land and 1.4 sq. miles of water.  The climate of the Kodiak Islands has a strong marine influence. There is little or no freezing weather, moderate precipitation, occasional high winds, and frequent cloud cover and fog. Severe storms are common from December through February. Annual rainfall is 67 inches, and snowfall averages 78 inches. January temperatures range from 14 to 46; July temperatures vary from 39 to 76. Chamber of Commerce - Kodiak Area Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 1485, Kodiak, AK 99615, Phone 907-486-5557, E-mail: chamber@kodiak.org, Web: http://www.kodiak.org/ City - City of Kodiak, 710 Mill Bay Road, Room 220, Kodiak, AK 99615, Phone 907-486-8640, E-mail: clerk@city.kodiak.ak.us Village Corporation - Natives of Kodiak, Inc., 215 Mission Rd. #201, Kodiak, AK 99615, Phone 907-486-3606, E-mail: nokcak@ptialaska.net Village Council - Shoonaq' Tribe of Kodiak, 713 E. Rezanof, No. B, Kodiak, AK 99615, Phone 907-486-3361 Village Council - Uganik Village Council, General Delivery, Uganik, AK 99697 Borough - Kodiak Island Borough, 710 Mill Bay Road, Kodiak, AK 99615, Phone 907-486-9300