(CHUATH-bah-luck)
Location and Climate
Chuathbaluk is located on the north bank of the Kuskokwim River, 11 miles upriver from Aniak in the Kilbuk-Kuskokwim Mountains. It is 87 air miles northeast of Bethel and 310 miles west of Anchorage. The community lies at approximately 61.571940 degrees North Latitude and -159.245000 degrees West Longitude. (Sec. 10, T017N, R055W, Seward Meridian.) Chuathbaluk is located in the Kuskokwim Recording District. The area encompasses 3.5 square miles of land and 1.8 square miles of water. A continental climate prevails in Chuathbaluk. Snowfall averages 85 inches per year, with a total precipitation of 17 inches per year. Temperatures range from -55 to 87 degrees Fahrenheit. Heavy winds can cause flight delays in the fall. The Kuskokwim River is ice-free from mid-June through October.
History, Culture and Demographics
Chuathbaluk was the site of an Ingalik Indian summer fish camp in the mid-1800s. The village has been known as Chukbak, St. Sergius Mission, Kuskokwim Russian Mission and Little Russian Mission. The village was often confused with Russian Mission on the Yukon, so in the 1960s the name was changed to Chuathbaluk, which is derived from the Yup’ik word “Curapalek,” meaning “the hills where the big blueberries grow.” The Russian Orthodox church built the St. Sergius Mission in 1894, and residents of Kukuktuk from 20 miles downriver moved to the mission. Tragically, much of the village was lost in an influenza epidemic in 1900. By 1929, the site was deserted, although Russian Orthodox members continued to hold services at the mission. In 1954, the Sam Phillips family from Crow Village resettled the mission, and were joined later by individuals from Aniak and Crooked Creek. The church was rebuilt in the late 1950s, and a state school opened in the 1960s. The city was incorporated in 1975. A federally recognized tribe is located in the community — the Chuathbaluk Traditional Council. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the community consists of 118 people, with 88.14 percent of the population Alaska Native, or part Native. Chuathbaluk residents have historical ties to Yup’ik Eskimos and Tanaina Athabascans. Subsistence is a crucial source of food, since employment opportunities are seasonal. During the 2000 U.S. Census, total housing units numbered 43, and vacant housing units numbered 10. Vacant housing units used only seasonally numbered 2. U.S. Census data for year 2000 showed 53 residents as employed. The unemployment rate at that time was 53.6 percent, although 41.1 percent of all adults were not in the work force. The median household income was $34,286, per capita income was $10,100 and 24.06 percent of residents were living below the poverty level.
Current Population: 118 (2017 DCCED Certified Population)
Incorporation Type: 2nd Class City
Borough Located In: Unorganized
Taxes/Sales: None
Property: None
Special: None
Insurance Program Participant: Yes
Coastal Management District: Ceñaliulriit CRSA
Contact Information
Chauthbaluk Traditional Council
P.O. Box CHU
Chauthbaluk, AK 99557
Phone: 907-467-4313
Fax: 907-467-4113
