Nuchek Island
The old village of Nuuciq is located on an 800-acre island at the entrance to Prince William Sound. In the late 1790’s, the Russians came to this area and built a fortress and trading center that served all of Southcentral Alaska. This center was called Fort Saint Constantine and Helen.
At one time, this area was claimed by many nations. The Russians claimed this area by burying a bronze plate with a double-headed eagle. The Spaniards claimed this area by erecting a large cross. The English buried a wine bottle with coins and the Americans hoisted a flag. Now Nuchek is owned and controlled by the original landlords – the Chugach People.
Nuuciq is once again coming alive and emerging out of the history books as a location of beauty, history, and cultural pride. For over 30 years the Nuuciq Spirit camp has brought together the young and old in celebration of our thousands of years of occupation as the original settlers of this great land. The younger generation is coming from every community within our region to learn from the past and to enjoy the new friendship they have made.
In recent years Nuuciq has grown in leaps and bounds. Our ancestors would have been proud to see a village grow out of the ruins of the past with such a great opportunity for the future generations.
