Johnny Ned Nusunginya (March 13, 1927 – August 18, 1981) (Last name pronounced like Nusaŋiña in Iñupiaq) was an American politician from the state of Alaska.
[2] He also owned a delivery service business in Utqiagvik, where he also served as mayor as well as director of civil defense.
[4] On February 3, 1961, four people, including Nusunginya's wife, Vera (née Bolt), along with his six-year-old son and brother-in-law, were killed in a fire at the family home in Utqiagvik.
Apparently caused due to an explosion of an oil stove, the fire transpired while his other six children were at school; thus they were unharmed.
[5] In May 1961, Nusunginya was arrested and charged by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for hunting eider ducks out of season, which prompted protest from about 138 other Iñupiat, who presented 600 pounds of ducks to game wardens in the area in an act of civil disobedience, an unprecedented stand in solidarity by the Iñupiat people up until that time.