Sledge Island, or Ayak Island, (Inupiaq: Ayaaq; Yup'ik: Asaaq) is a small island in the Bering Sea. It is located 5.3 mi (8.5 km) from the southwestern shore of the Seward Peninsula, off the shores of Alaska.
Sledge Island is of volcanic origin and is only 1.6 miles (2.6 km) across.[1] The average elevation is 410 feet (120 meters).[citation needed] Administratively this island belongs to the Nome Census Area, Alaska.
The island is 2.80 km (1.74 mi) long and 1.48 km (0.92 mi) wide.
This island was named on August 5, 1778, by Captain James Cook, who commented: "We found, a little way from the shore where we landed, a sledge, which occasioned this name being given to the island."[2] Martin Sauer, the secretary of the 1791 Russian expedition who sailed under orders from Catherine II of Russia, claimed in 1802 that the Inuit name of this island is "Ayak."
Captain Frederick Beechey observed: "It is singular that this island, which was named Sledge Island by Captain Cook, from the circumstances of one of these implements being found upon it, should be called by a word signifying the same thing in Esquimaux language."[3]
The island was featured in seasons 8 and 11 of Bering Sea Gold, as a site to prospect and mine for seafloor placer gold.[4]
Sledge Island first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census as the unincorporated Inuit village of Aziak.[6] All 50 of its residents were Inuit. It returned again in 1890 as Sledge Island, with 67 residents (all native). However, this included the residents of the island (listed as the village of "Ahyak") and three adjacent small villages on the mainland, including Okinoyoktokawik, Senikave & Sunvalluk.[7] These were located approximately 19–20 miles west of present-day Nome, near a feature called West Point.[8] It has not reported in any census since.
Referencesedit
^Tom Cade (1952). "Notes on the Birds of Sledge Island, Bering Sea, Alaska". The Condor. 54 (1): 51–54. doi:10.2307/1364528. JSTOR 1364528. from the original on 2022-02-20. Retrieved 2013-04-02.
^James Cook (1842). The Voyages of Captain James Cook. William Smith. p. 329.
^Frederick William Beechey (1831). Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Beering's Strait: To Co-operate with the Polar Expeditions Performed in His Majesty's Ship Blossom Under the Command of Captain F. W. Beechey, R. N., F. R. S. &c. in the Years 1825, 26, 27, 28. Colburn and Bentley. p. 400. from the original on 2022-02-20. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
^"Uncharted Waters". Bering Sea Gold. Season 8. Episode 1. 1 February 2017. Discovery Channel.
^"U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. from the original on July 19, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
^"Archived copy" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on 2017-08-17. Retrieved 2018-06-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"37192240v8.pdf" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on 2017-08-29. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
^"Geological Survey Professional Paper". 1949. from the original on 2022-02-20. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
sledge, island, confused, with, sled, island, ayak, island, inupiaq, ayaaq, asaaq, small, island, bering, located, from, southwestern, shore, seward, peninsula, shores, alaska, class, notpageimage, location, alaska, contents, geography, history, demographics, . Not to be confused with Sled Island Sledge Island or Ayak Island Inupiaq Ayaaq Yup ik Asaaq is a small island in the Bering Sea It is located 5 3 mi 8 5 km from the southwestern shore of the Seward Peninsula off the shores of Alaska class notpageimage Location in Alaska Contents 1 Geography 2 History 3 Demographics 4 References 5 External linksGeography editSledge Island is of volcanic origin and is only 1 6 miles 2 6 km across 1 The average elevation is 410 feet 120 meters citation needed Administratively this island belongs to the Nome Census Area Alaska The island is 2 80 km 1 74 mi long and 1 48 km 0 92 mi wide The island is part of the Bering Sea unit of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge History editThis island was named on August 5 1778 by Captain James Cook who commented We found a little way from the shore where we landed a sledge which occasioned this name being given to the island 2 Martin Sauer the secretary of the 1791 Russian expedition who sailed under orders from Catherine II of Russia claimed in 1802 that the Inuit name of this island is Ayak Captain Frederick Beechey observed It is singular that this island which was named Sledge Island by Captain Cook from the circumstances of one of these implements being found upon it should be called by a word signifying the same thing in Esquimaux language 3 The island was featured in seasons 8 and 11 of Bering Sea Gold as a site to prospect and mine for seafloor placer gold 4 Demographics editHistorical population CensusPop Note 188050 18906734 0 U S Decennial Census 5 Sledge Island first appeared on the 1880 U S Census as the unincorporated Inuit village of Aziak 6 All 50 of its residents were Inuit It returned again in 1890 as Sledge Island with 67 residents all native However this included the residents of the island listed as the village of Ahyak and three adjacent small villages on the mainland including Okinoyoktokawik Senikave amp Sunvalluk 7 These were located approximately 19 20 miles west of present day Nome near a feature called West Point 8 It has not reported in any census since References edit Tom Cade 1952 Notes on the Birds of Sledge Island Bering Sea Alaska The Condor 54 1 51 54 doi 10 2307 1364528 JSTOR 1364528 Archived from the original on 2022 02 20 Retrieved 2013 04 02 James Cook 1842 The Voyages of Captain James Cook William Smith p 329 Frederick William Beechey 1831 Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Beering s Strait To Co operate with the Polar Expeditions Performed in His Majesty s Ship Blossom Under the Command of Captain F W Beechey R N F R S amp c in the Years 1825 26 27 28 Colburn and Bentley p 400 Archived from the original on 2022 02 20 Retrieved 2016 02 29 Uncharted Waters Bering Sea Gold Season 8 Episode 1 1 February 2017 Discovery Channel U S Decennial Census Census gov Archived from the original on July 19 2018 Retrieved June 6 2013 Archived copy PDF Archived PDF from the original on 2017 08 17 Retrieved 2018 06 11 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link 37192240v8 pdf PDF Archived PDF from the original on 2017 08 29 Retrieved 2022 02 20 Geological Survey Professional Paper 1949 Archived from the original on 2022 02 20 Retrieved 2020 12 16 External links editUSGS GNIS Picture of the island from the air Martin Sauer s voyages 64 29 9 02 N 166 12 35 12 W 64 4858389 N 166 2097556 W 64 4858389 166 2097556 nbsp This article about a location in the Nome Census Area Alaska is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sledge Island amp oldid 1151109721, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
