Kijik, also known as Qizhjeh in the Dena’ina language, is a historic ghost town located within Lake Clark National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Below is detailed information about the town.
County: Lake and Peninsula Borough
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: Approximately 60°15′N, 154°00′W
Elevation: Not specified
Time Zone: Alaska Standard Time (AKST) (UTC-9)
Established: Prehistoric times; documented in the 1880 U.S. Census
Disestablished: Early 20th century
Comments: Kijik was an Athabascan village 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. The village was abandoned in the early 20th century, with residents relocating to nearby areas such as Nondalton. The site holds significant cultural importance for the Dena’ina people and is recognized as a National Historic Landmark and Archeological District.
Remains: The Kijik Archeological District contains more than a dozen archeological sites, including the remains of a village abandoned at the beginning of the 20th century. It is one of only three areas in Alaska designated as both a National Historic Landmark and an Archeological District.
Current Status: Kijik is uninhabited and preserved within Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. The area is of great cultural importance to the local Dena’ina people. Kijik is a ghost town in Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. An Athabascan village 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 after that, 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.
Remarks: The word “Kijik” is an English language spelling of “Qizhjeh,” which roughly translates to “place where people gather” in Dena’ina. The site offers valuable insights into the history and culture of the Dena’ina Athabascan people. 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”.
For more detailed information, you can visit the National Park Service page on Kijik.
