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Shungnak
 Shungnak
is located on the right bank of the Kobuk River about 150 miles east of
Kotzebue. The original settlement was 10 miles further upstream at
Kobuk. It lies at approximately 66° 52' N Latitude, 157° 09' W Longitude
(Sec. 09, T017N, R008E, Kateel River Meridian). The community is located
in the Kotzebue Recording District. The area encompasses 9 sq. miles of
land and 1 sq. miles of water.
Founded in 1899 as a supply point for
mining activities in the Cosmos Hills, this Inupiat Eskimo village was
forced to move in the 1920s because of river erosion and flooding. The
old site, 10 miles upstream, was renamed Kobuk by those who remained
there. The new village was named "Kochuk," but later reverted to
Shungnak. This name is derived from the Eskimo word "Issingnak," which
means jade, a stone found extensively throughout the surrounding hills.
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