NELSON LAGOON
POPULATION: 70 (2005)
LOCATION: On the northern coast of the Alaska Peninsula, on a narrow sand spit that separates the lagoon from the Bering Sea, 580 miles southwest of Anchorage.
DESCRIPTION: A community with a largely Native culture focused on commercial fishing and subsistence activities. Alaska Natives are about 82 percent of the population. There is a strong community pride and loyalty among the residents, with a desire to maintain their lifestyle with slow, monitored growth and development that can be well-managed by the residents. The village sits in the middle of a rich and productive salmon fisheries area; 24 residents hold commercial permits. Subsistence activities balance the seasonal nature of the fishery. Some trapping occurs. There is one school, attended by about 10 students.
HISTORY: Nelson Lagoon has been used historically as an Unangan summer fish camp thanks to excellent resources in the lagoon and at nearby Bear River. The lagoon was named in 1882 for Edward William Nelson of the U.S. Signal Corps, an explorer in the Yukon Delta region between 1877 and 1920. A salmon saltery operated from 1906 to 1917 and attracted Scandinavian fishermen, but there has been no cannery since. In 1965, a school was built and the community began to be occupied year-round.
