Information About

Chernabura Island

Chernabura Island

Quick Facts
Region:
  • Aleutians East
Nearest City:
Elevation:
  • 1316 ft (401.12 m)
About

southernmost of Shumagin Is., Aleutian Range. 5 miles long.

History of Chernabura Island

Chernoburie is the Russian word for "black-brown" and sometimes refers to a priest clad in this color. The island was shown as "Chernobour Island" by U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (USC&GS) on an 1891 coast chart and was listed by Baker (1906, p. 173), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as "Chernabura Island." The Aleut name is "Nunik," meaning "porcupine." which was published as "Nunak" by Lieutenant Sarichev (1806, v. 2, p. 15), Imperial Russian Navy (IRN). Captain Lutke (1836, p. 267), Imperial Russian Navy (IRN), showed the island as "Nuniak" and "Tounak," the latter name probably a typographical error, where as Father Veniaminov (180, v. 1, p. 65) spelled the name "Nyunyak" and "Nunik."