Go to NPRB
Go to NSF

about Togiak

In 1880, "Old Togiak," or "Togiagamute," was located across the Bay. Heavy winter snowfalls made wood-gathering difficult at Old Togiak, so gradually people settled at a new site on the opposite shore. Many residents of the Yukon-Kuskokwim region migrated south to the Togiak area after the devastating influenza epidemic in 1918-19.

The Togiak Traditional Council, a federally-recognized tribe, is located in the community and is part of the Bristol Bay Native Association.

Find out more about Togiak, Alaska

a resident's take on change

Bering Sea Project investigator Nick Bond Interviews Togiak resident Frank Logusik (February 2010)

Frank Logusik was born in Togiak in 1950 and has lived there all his life. Here, he talks with Nick and describes changes he's seen in the climate along the southern coast of Alaska. (video courtesy University of Washington/JISAO)

Togiak

Read about Bering Sea Project PI Nick Bond's February 2010 visit to Togiak to meet the community and talk about climate science.

Togiak is located at the head of Togiak Bay, 67 miles west of Dillingham. It lies in Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, and is the gateway to the Walrus Islands State Game Sanctuary.

map of togiak, alaskaTogiak's economic base is primarily commercial salmon, herring, and herring roe-on-kelp fisheries. There is one on-shore fish processor and several floating processing facilities near Togiak.

The entire community depends heavily on subsistence activities. Salmon, herring, seal, sea lion, whale and walrus are among the species harvested.

See a larger map of Togiak

Study goals of the Bering Sea Project in Togiak

Read the Project Overview

This study is being done as part of a larger project which focuses on local traditional knowledge (LTK) in six Bering Sea communities: Akutan, St. Paul, Togiak, Nelson Island, Emmonak, and Savoonga. Some of the main research goals are:

Loading ...

Scenes from Togiak. Photos are from the State of Alaska Community Photo Library.

  • To make a comprehensive record about how the people of Togiak understand, harvest, and use wild resources.
  • To document, characterize, and quantify local harvest practices and changes to better understand the relationship between the Bering Sea ecosystem and its communities.
  • To document and characterize local understanding of Bering Sea ecosystem structure and function to allow comparison with biological understanding and sharing of knowledge between both ways of knowing
  • To integrate the results of the above goals across the communities involved, identifying key similarities and differences as well as regional trends or associations with particular environmental features.