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Savoonga
Savoonga is located on the northern coast
of St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea, 164 miles west of Nome. It
lies 39 miles southeast of Gambell. It lies at approximately 63° 42' N
Latitude, 170° 29' W Longitude (Sec. 08, T021S, R061W, Kateel River
Meridian). The community is located in the Cape Nome Recording District.
The area encompasses 7 sq. miles of land and 0 sq. miles of water.
 St.
Lawrence Island has been inhabited intermittently for the past 2,000
years by both Alaskan and Siberian Yup'ik Eskimos. The island had
numerous villages with a total population of around 4,000 by the 19th
century. A tragic famine occurred on the island in 1878-80, severely
reducing the population. In 1900 a herd of reindeer were moved to the
island and by 1917, the herd had grown to over 10,000 animals. A
reindeer camp was established in 1916 at the present site, where grazing
lands were better, and the herd tended to remain. Good hunting and
trapping in the area attracted more residents. A post office was
established in 1934. When the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA)
was passed in 1971, Gambell and Savoonga decided not to participate, and
instead opted for title to the 1.136 million acres of land in the former
St. Lawrence Island Reserve. The island is jointly owned by Savoonga and
Gambell.
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