Kijik Archeological District
National Historic Landmark

Kijik Archeological District

Nondalton, Bristol Bay County, Alaska
Listed
October 11, 1994
Type
District
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
94001644

About this property

Kijik (Dena'ina: Qizhjeh) is a ghost town in Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. An Athabascan village that was established on the shores of Lake Clark in the Alaska Range, its population was recorded at 91 in the 1880 United States census and declined thereafter, falling to approximately 25 individuals by 1904. Today, the village has been abandoned. The ghost town is located within the bounds of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. The historic portion of the village was the subject of archaeological and ethnological research in the 1960s. Interviews with Dena'ina elders in Nondalton established that the people of Kijik relocated to Old Nondalton (not far from present-day Nondalton) in the early 20th century, probably to be closer to trading posts and the canneries of Bristol Bay. A survey expedition that visited the site in 1909 reported it to be abandoned. A major archaeological excavation of the historic village took place in 1966, exposing twelve foundational remnants of log houses (many of the houses having apparently been moved to Old Nondalton at the time of the relocation), and two of what appeared to be larger communal structures. In 1979, twelve acres of the village site were added to the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district. A much larger area, encompassing a significant number of archaeological sites related to the habitation and use of the area from at least the 12th century forward, was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1994, for the unique concentration of sites related to the inland Dena'ina people. The community was known by many other names than "Kijik" during its history, including "Lake Clark Village", "Nijik", "Nikhkak", "Nikhak", and "Old Keegik". Its current name has been spelled in a wide variety of ways, including "Keechik", "Keeghik", "Keejik", "Keggik", "Keygik", "Kichak", "Kichik", "Kilchik", and "Kilchikh".

Location

Nondalton, Bristol Bay County, Alaska

Categories

HISTORIC - ABORIGINALPREHISTORIC
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
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Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Literature
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Questions about this property

When was Kijik Archeological District listed on the National Register?

Kijik Archeological District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 11, 1994.

What type of historic resource is Kijik Archeological District?

Kijik Archeological District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Kijik Archeological District a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Kijik Archeological District has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Kijik Archeological District?

The period of significance for Kijik Archeological District is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1880.

Can I research the history near Kijik Archeological District?

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