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Chignik is located
at Anchorage Bay on the South side of the Alaska
Peninsula. It is roughly 450 miles southwest of
Anchorage and 250 miles southwest of Kodiak Island.
The people are of Russian, Aleut and Scandinavian
descent.
Chignik is a fishing village with a population of
less then 100 people during the winter months.
Salmon fishing is typically from June through
September. The most sought after is the red salmon,
(sockeye). We have the most pristine waters that
yield the biggest red salmon ever caught. Commercial
salmon fishing is the mainstay for the village,
although cod and halibut and crab are caught in our
waters, it's the red salmon that most fish for.

Our weather is usually wet and mild, with huge winds
that pick up water. Chignik means big wind in the
Aleut language. Summer temperatures range from the
40's to 60's. Winters are mild and wet and usually
around 20's to 40's. During the summer months we
work and play into the wee hours of the night as it
doesn't get dark till around 11 p.m. Sunrise is
about 4 a.m. We have a short beach that we use for
subsistence. Clam digging and octopus hunting are a
favorite past-time when the tide is out. Berry
picking is also another favorite subsistence
activity. Salmonberries and blackberries usually
ripen late July and early August. Employment drops
during the winter months but summers are bustling
with activity. Many people return to work in the
canneries or to commercial fish and many come "back
home" for the summer.
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