noatak
noatak Lexical Profile
• noun
American A major, largely undisturbed river in northwestern Alaska that flows generally westward from the Brooks Range into the Chukchi Sea at Kotzebue Sound.
"Many experienced paddlers travel to Alaska to raft down the Noatak, drawn by its pristine wilderness ecosystem."
American A vast United States national preserve in northwestern Alaska established to protect the environmentally intact, roadless basin of the Noatak River.
"The biologists spent several weeks in the Noatak documenting the seasonal migration of the Western Arctic caribou herd."
American A traditional Inupiat village and census-designated place located along the Noatak River in the Northwest Arctic Borough of Alaska.
"Because it is not connected to the state road system, supplies are primarily flown or barged into Noatak."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Inupiaq word 'Nuataaq', historically translated as 'inland river' or 'new place', referring both to the prominent river in northwestern Alaska and the traditional Inupiat community residing there.