The natural wealth of the Chugach region attracted early man from all areas of Alaska. It became a migration and trading route for people. Over time, many great Native cultures came together here.

The Alutiiq people were the predominant culture, settling Prince William Sound more than five thousand years ago. The eastern portion of the region was also occupied by a smaller nation of Eyak Athabaskans who migrated down the Copper River in cottonwood canoes.

The large and powerful Tlingit Indians, maritime peoples from Southeast Alaska, traveled north along the coastline of the Gulf of Alaska in large war canoes, settling around the eastern mouth of the Copper River Delta.
These three groups bonded in times of peace for trading purposes, yet fought each other vigorously in times of war.

Archaeological diggings show that the Chugach people have occupied the area for thousands of years, from the time when the Sound was still largely covered by glaciers during the last ice age. They were also the first Alaskans to meet the European explorer, Vitus Bering, who came to Alaska at Kayak Island in 1741 under the Russian flag. Since the founding of Fort Saint Constantine at Nuchek Village in 1793, the Russian culture has played an important role in Chugach history. Famous Spanish, English and American explorers have also left their mark on the history of the region. During the Early American period, the Region’s mineral and fisheries wealth attracted immigrants from all corners of the globe.