Storyknife, January/February 2025 edition
The foundation of the traditional and modern ways of life in the Calista Region is our two rivers—the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers.
In Yugtun, the Yukon River is Kuigpak, which means ‘big river’ and the Deg Xinag Athabascan name is Yeqin.
The Yugtun name for the Kuskokwim is Qusquqvak, which means “big slow moving thing” and the Upper Kuskokwim Athabascan name is Dichinanek’ which means ‘river of sticks/trees.’
In English, the rivers are often called “mighty” and for good reason: The Yukon is the third-longest river in North America and the longest river in Alaska (1,982 miles). The Kuskokwim is the longest undammed river in the United States and the second-longest river in Alaska (~900 miles).
At their closest point, near Upper Kalskag, the two rivers are approximately 26 miles apart and there is a long history of portaging and winter trails in that area and other areas. Downriver, the two river deltas support over 40 species of fish, and breeding populations of 7 million shorebirds, over 1 million ducks, and half a million geese.
Here are some additional impressive facts about our two mighty rivers.
YUKON RIVER
+ One-third of all flowing water in Alaska flows into the Yukon.
+ The Yukon discharges ~60 million tons of sediment annually to the Bering Sea, providing nutrients that support the marine ecosystem.
+ Geological evidence indicates the ancient Yukon River drained to the Gulf of Alaska (modern-day British Columbia). Glaciation during the ice ages forced it to find a new path to the Bering Sea. Quyana, glaciers!
+ The Lower Yukon River has some of the highest moose densities in Alaska. Moose numbers downriver of Mountain Village increased from 674 in 2002 to 8,226 in 2017. This has led to the most liberal hunting seasons and bag limits for moose in Alaska history.
KUSKOKWIM RIVER
+ The Kuskokwim River basin is 50,000 square miles, about 11 percent of the total area of Alaska.
+ The tidal influence on the Kuskokwim River reaches all the way up to Kwethluk, and to Bethel during extreme weather events. This can cause the river to back up, and in severe weather, can lead to flooding.
+ Historically, subsistence fishing for king salmon on the Kuskokwim accounted for more than half of the annual statewide subsistence king harvest.
+ Aniak experienced 35 ice jams between 1953 and 2022—significantly more ice jams than any other Y-K community during that period.
