The History of Chefornak
Chefornak is located on the south bank of the Kinia River, at its junction with the Keguk River, in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The village lies within the Clarence Rhode National Wildlife
Refuge, established for migratory waterfowl protection. Chefornak is 98 air miles southwest of Bethel and 490 miles southwest of Anchorage. It lies at approximately 60° 13' N Latitude,
164° 12' W Longitude (Sec. 19, T001N, R086W, Seward Meridian). The community is located in the Bethel Recording District. The area encompasses 32 sq. miles of land and 4 sq. miles of water.
The area has historically been occupied by Yup'ik Eskimos. In the early 1950s, Alexie Amagiqchik founded a small general store at the site. He had moved from a village on the Bering Sea to
the new location one mile inland to escape potential floodwaters. Others from the original village followed and settled in Chefornak.
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Alaska DCCED Community Database Online
History and map graphic used with permission from the Alaska Department of Community and Economic Development