Last updated: December 28, 2023
Place
Desperation Lake in Noatak
NPS/Nyssa Landres
Quick Facts
Location:
Noatak National Preserve
Significance:
Natural History
Amenities
2 listed
Scenic View/Photo Spot, Water - Non-Potable
Desperation Lake is located near the northern border of Noatak National Preserve and to the northwest of Feniak Lake. This area draws hunters and backpackers alike.
Desperation Lake is a site of a traditional Iñupiaq settlement and has been utilized for thousands of years. Archaeology is ongoing in the area.
A rock-lined qargi has been found near Desperation Lake. Qargi are traditional gathering spaces for the Iñupiaq. They served as a meeting space for the men of the community. These structures were larger than the average home to allow space for dancing, boat building, sporting competitions, and community gatherings. They also served as a place to share the oral history and traditions of the Iñupiaq with the next generation. Nearly every Iñupiaq settlement had a qargi.
Caribou hunting is among the many reasons this site has been utilized. Caribou would be driven into the lake by hunters using drive lines, or strategically positioned rocks. These rocks would trick the caribou into believing there were predators on high ridgelines and they would herd themselves onto lower ground and, eventually, into the lake. Caribou are much slower in the water, giving hunters the opportunity to get closer to them. The hunters would use umiaqs (boats) to get along side a caribou, allowing for the safe dispatching of a single animal without harm to the herd and the hunters.
Hunting by boat is still used to this day by many local subsistence hunters. In the fall, Desperation Lake continues to draw hunters for plentiful hunting opportunities it provides.
Desperation Lake is a site of a traditional Iñupiaq settlement and has been utilized for thousands of years. Archaeology is ongoing in the area.
A rock-lined qargi has been found near Desperation Lake. Qargi are traditional gathering spaces for the Iñupiaq. They served as a meeting space for the men of the community. These structures were larger than the average home to allow space for dancing, boat building, sporting competitions, and community gatherings. They also served as a place to share the oral history and traditions of the Iñupiaq with the next generation. Nearly every Iñupiaq settlement had a qargi.
Caribou hunting is among the many reasons this site has been utilized. Caribou would be driven into the lake by hunters using drive lines, or strategically positioned rocks. These rocks would trick the caribou into believing there were predators on high ridgelines and they would herd themselves onto lower ground and, eventually, into the lake. Caribou are much slower in the water, giving hunters the opportunity to get closer to them. The hunters would use umiaqs (boats) to get along side a caribou, allowing for the safe dispatching of a single animal without harm to the herd and the hunters.
Hunting by boat is still used to this day by many local subsistence hunters. In the fall, Desperation Lake continues to draw hunters for plentiful hunting opportunities it provides.