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Iñupiat Cultural
Orientation
Prepared by Kuutuuq Fannie Akpik, Coordinator,
Iñupiaq Education Department
17 July 2015
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PEOPLE OF THE NORTH SLOPE .............................................. 3
TRANSPORTATION.................................................................. 4
NORTH SLOPE VILLAGES ........................................................ 5
FREQUENTLY USED ACRONYMS ............................................. 6
ALASKA NATIVE CLAIMS SETTLEMENT ACT ........................... 8
OTHER CONTROVERSIES WHEN ALASKA BECAME STATE ...... 8
FAMILY AND CULTURAL TIES ............................................... 10
ACCEPTED SOCIAL CONVENTIONS - ..................................... 11
CONNECT WITH PEOPLE ....................................................... 11
TIME AND PLANNING ............................................................ 14
CULTURAL CALENDAR .......................................................... 15
HOSPITALITY ....................................................................... 18
TEACHING AND LEARNING STYLES....................................... 19
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION ............................................ 22
FACTS ABOUT OUR LANGUAGE ............................................. 24
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ........................................................... 25
SURVIVAL WORDS AND PHRASES IN THE IÑUPIAQ LANGUAGE ... 26
BOROUGHS OF THE STATE OF ALASKA ................................ 33
ALASKA NATIVE LANGUAGES ............................................... 33
NORTHERN ALAKA PETROLEUM RESOURCES (USGS) ........... 34
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PEOPLE OF THE NORTH SLOPE
There are eight villages in the Arctic Region: Point Hope,
Wainwright, Nuiqsut, Anaktuvuk Pass, Barter Island, Point Lay,
Atqasuk, and Barrow.
The largest city in the Arctic Region, Barrow now has over 4,641
residents of which approximately 60 percent are Iñupiat. Village
populations are as follows:
Point Hope .................................. 805
Wainwright .................................. 649
Nuiqsut ....................................... 420
Anaktuvak Pass .......................... 314
Barter Island ............................... 256
Point Lay ..................................... 246
Atqasuk....................................... 224
residents
residents
residents
residents
residents
residents
residents
The North Slope Borough is the largest municipality in the world
and covers 89,000 square miles of Arctic territory, including the
Prudhoe Bay oil fields.
For the North Slope Borough as a whole, the population is 72.3%
Iñupiat and 27.7% non-Iñupiat. In the seven North Slope
communities outside Barrow, the population is 92.3% Iñupiat and
7.7 non-Iñupiat. For Barrow, the Iñupiat population comprises
56.54% and the non-Iñupiat comprises 43.46% of the total.
According to the enumeration of ethnicity in the 1998 North Slope
Borough Census, the following ethnic groups are represented in the
population:
Iñupiat, Caucasian, Athabaskan, Aleut, Tlingit, Haida,
Siberian Yupik, Yupik, Tsimshian, American Indian, Japanese,
Indian (sub-continental), Filipino, Hawaiian, Thai, Korean,
Samoan, Tongan, Puerto Rican, Italian, Israeli, Mexican,
Finnish, African American, Vietnamese, Macedonian,
Hispanic, Chinese, and Jamaican.
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Although the villages are modern communities, subsistence
hunting, fishing, and whaling are still very important to the local
economy. During the wee summer months with 24 hour sunlight,
edible and medicinal plants are a must to gather and preserve.
The latest Borough census indicates that 54% of all North Slope
households reported that 50% or more of their consumption came
from subsistence activities.
Anaqtuġvik, Atqasuk, Kali, Nuiqsat, Qaaktuġvik, Tikiġaq, Ulġuniq,
Utqiaġvik/Ukpiaġvik are the original names of all villages in the
North Slope.
TRANSPORTATION
Distances between the villages are great, and none are accessible by
road, so everything is air lifted by large and small planes. When
snow covers our massive land, snow machines are favored for mode
of transportation. Summer time, All terrain vehicles such as 6-8
wheelers, four wheelers are quite popular in all the villages.
During the summer open ocean season, people order bulk items via
barge from Seattle to help with costs of goods.
Once the ocean freezes, everything is airlifted from Fairbanks and
Anchorage.
Each village provides school bus transportation for our school
children 5 days a week.
NSB provides Village buses at a lesser cost than paying for taxi cab
fare. Senior vans are made available for our respected Elders.
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NORTH SLOPE VILLAGES
BRW
ATQ
AKP
NUI
KAK
AIN
PIZ
PHO
Barrow
Utqiaġvik/Ukpiaġvik
Atqasuk
Anaktuvuk Pass Anaqtuuvak
Nuiqsat
Kaktovik
Qaaktuvik
Wainwright
Ulġuniq
Pt. Lay
Kali
Pt. Hope
Tikiġaq
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FREQUENTLY USED ACRONYMS
AEF
AEWC
AFN
ASCG
ASNA
ASRC
AWIC
BASC
BHS
BUECI
BWCA
CHAP
CHR
CIPM
DFYS
EI
HMS
IC
ICAS
ICC
IHC
IHLC
IWC
NSB
NSBSD
NVB
PHS
PMC
Arctic Education Foundation
Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission
Alaska Federation of Natives
Arctic Slope Consulting Group
Arctic Slope Native Association
Arctic Slope Regional Corporation
Arctic Women in Crisis
Barrow Arctic Science Consortium
Barrow High School
Barrow Utilities and Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Barrow Whaling Captain’s Association
Community Health Aide Program
Community Health Representative
Capital Improvement Program Management
Dept. of Family and Youth Services
Eskimos, Inc.
Hopson Middle School
Iḷisaġvik College
Iñupiat Communities of the Arctic Slope
Iñuit Circumpolar Conference
Iñupiat Heritage Center
Iñupiat, History, Language, and Culture
International Whaling Commission
North Slope Borough
North Slope Borough School District
Native Village of Barrow
Public Health Service
Piquniq Management Corporation
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PSO
RELI
SSMH
TNHA
UAA
UAF
UIC
Public Safety Officer
Resident, Employment and Living Improvement
Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital
Taġiuġmiullu Nunamiullu Housing Authority
Utqiaġvigmiut Aġviqsiuqtit Aġnaŋich <BRW whalers’ women>
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation
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ALASKA NATIVE CLAIMS SETTLEMENT ACT
 Alaska became a state in 1959
 State government began selecting lands that Alaska Natives
felt belonged to them.
 Oil companies began selecting lands that were aboriginally
Native lands.
 Formation of Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN)
 Alaska Native Settlement Act (ANCSA) Dec 17, 1971
 Class A status: those born on or before 12/7/71
 43.7 million acres of surface area; about 1/10 of land
 Money settlement for lands lost $962.5 million
 Distributed to twelve (12) regional corporations within state. A
13 th corporation was formed for Alaska Natives who lived
outside of Alaska and did not wish to join their regional
corporation from their home towns they came from.
 They used the monies as a start up for regional and village
corporations and the non-profit corporations.
 Some corporations have done very well; some are still
struggling; as it has a very Western economic basis so some
are still on a learning curve.
 Those that have done well, such as ASRC, have included
“newborns” or those born after Dec 17, 1971; are able to
receive dividends from profits made by the corporation; these
cannot be inherited; they dissolve when the shareholder dies.
Only the original Class A stockholders are inheritable.
OTHER CONTROVERSIES WHEN ALASKA BECAME STATE
 Project Chariot: The US physicists wanted to build a harbor
30 miles south of Pt. Hope (in the shape of a polar bear!) by
bombing the area.
 There was no basis on why the harbor was needed: no
mining, or any natural resources
 Only possible explanation is that we were still at Cold War
with Russia and needed to let them know our atomic power
capabilities.
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 UAF scientists & Arctic Slope people, especially the Pt. Hope
people, became alarmed and fought it via the start of Tundra
Times by Howard Rock.
 Barrow Duck In: Treaty made by US & Mexico to have duck
hunting season open in November; forgetting about Alaska
when ducks are not here for us to hunt.
 In May, when ducks came back north & people went duck
hunting, there was a man arrested; Barrow men, women &
children grabbed ducks and turned themselves in; not enough
room to jail everyone; Eben Hopson, our State Senator at the
time, wrote a letter to Gov. Egan to protest. Eventually, the
Migratory Bird Treaty was changed.
 State Selection of Lands: The state government began
selecting lands that belonged to Alaska Natives; esp. Prudhoe
Bay, which we were able to prove that we had used it as a
traditional land site. Formation of AFN; NSB & ICC and two
prominent fishing and hunting camps, Atqasuk and Nuiqsat.

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FAMILY AND CULTURAL TIES
Relatives are strongly bonded together regardless of distance of
homes.
Responsibility to each other, caring and demonstrated actions of
love have been prevalent over the centuries. When there is a death
in the family, the whole community is affected and everyone takes
part in the grieving process.
Family bonding is extended to distant relatives, partners formed
after performing actions of helping in need, neighbors helping each
other out in time of hardships, family friendships that continue
from generation to generation and adoption by namesake.
Strong cultural ties among the Iñupiat people have long existed and
are expressed through personal, community, subsistence and other
activities.
We extend respect to someone’s authority because of his or her
expertise and knowledge.
Pressure, living up to expectations and evaluations are not limited
to work only; it is also to the whole community and the people.
Embracing and hugging each other in public is very common
among the Iñupiaq people.
Iñupiaq people laugh and joke around a lot because we truly believe
that laughter is the best medicine for all situations.
Disease, alcohol, and drugs have changed our way of life. They have
taken many of our loved ones and have caused a lot of pain and
sorrow to many of our communities.
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ACCEPTED SOCIAL CONVENTIONS CONNECT WITH PEOPLE
Iñupiaq people have experienced much change over the last 45
years and are still in the midst of change. The following points will
be helpful during social interactions.
 When shaking hands take gloves/mitts off. Some handshakes
are different <loose, no grip> but it’s ok. It does not mean that
the person is weak, just the way some Iñupiaq people do it.
 No equivalent to ‘How are you?’ so Iñupiaq people tend to take it
literally and may tell you exactly how they are.
 Atchu! Literally means ‘I don’t know’ so if we say ‘Atchu.’, maybe
ask in a different way where we both understand the question
and maybe you will have a proper answer.
 Iñupiaq people enjoy laughing.
 Iñupiaq people teach/learn by experiencing/doing.
 When Iñupiaq people are asked to get something done, they
understand it is needed right now, because that is the way most
of them were brought up. This is why Iñupiaq people don't like to
have to repeat themselves once they have asked for something.
They feel insulted when people keep them waiting after they have
asked for something. This is also why scheduling things far in
advance is hard to deal with for the Iñupiaq people.
 The way to get acquainted with people is being genuinely
interested in the language, dance celebrations, community
functions, etc.
 Smiling is a way of showing acceptance.
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 Hunting is very important. Schedule meetings to avoid conflicts
with the hunting seasons.
 If you’re interested in hunting - become well acquainted with the
State and Federal regulations. Wait until you get invited before
asking to go along with someone going hunting.
 Invitations to your homes are welcomed. People might ask you
when they should visit, or might even think you mean right now.
 Between families and close friends visit without calling first and
enter without knocking. Otherwise, it would be best to call first
and knock. When you knock on the door someone will usually
just yell out “come in.” Don’t expect someone to open the door for
you, or take your parka, and show you to a chair. So, find a
place for your parka and find a place to sit on. Don’t expect to
talk and talk and talk. People do enjoy each others’ company in
silence.
 Don't ask what the Iñupiaq names mean - they are just names
like yours. Some names may mean something but that is not why
the name was given. Since Iñupiaq has no equivalent terms or
titles, such as “sir,” “Mr.,” “Mrs.,” “Doctor,” “Reverend,” these
titles lack substantial meaning. People use first names when
talking to or about someone in Iñupiaq and will use your first
name and disrespect is not intended. Iñupiaq has no honorable
terms or titles.
 Relatives are strongly bonded. Many people are related to each
other. Get to know your co-workers and their families. Don't
hurt someone’s feelings unknowingly because you didn't know
who they are related to.
 Since most everyone is related, a death in any village affects
everyone. People will visit the family home from the time of death
until the funeral. They eat with the family so when people bring
food it is appreciated. Attending funerals is a way of paying
respect to that family; that is the reason why most everyone
attends. People are open about showing emotions so crying in
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public is no problem. Usually there’s a “Sing-spiration” after the
funeral at the family home.
 Maybe/might – probably means that it is most likely a yes
 Raising eyebrows means yes; in agreement
 None or not much eye contact when talking; direct eye contact
means the person is in opposition of; direct disagreement.
 Want something known; contact parents, elders, whaling
captains, well known hunters; organizations; broadcast in media:
radio, Arctic Sounder; etc.
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TIME AND PLANNING
Iñupiaq people take the seasons of the year very seriously especially
spring, summer and fall time for these are the months all migratory
birds, animals and mammals come and the share the land and sea
with us.
During spring, summer and fall seasons, many of our people take
subsistence leave to hunt, butcher, prepare and store, skin and
prepare hides, and gather and store edible plants.
When whaling begins and the whales are migrating in full force, all
other activities stop and concentration on the hunt becomes more
important than anything else. Barrow and Wainwright are the only
villages that harvests the bowhead whale during the spring and fall
migration. Pt. Hope, Pt. Lay and Wainwright hunts in the spring
while Nuiqsat and Barter Island hunts in the fall season.
When bird and animal migration starts, it is time to pack all
camping gear and hunting season begins. All the plans stop
especially when the weather is good.
The focus is on the PRESENT time and not solely on the future.
Discussion of long-range future planning may take time for an
Iñupiaq to sink in before one participates.
Weather takes a big part in planning and can change plans
drastically until mother nature calms down.
Winter months are a time to catch up with mending hunting gear,
clothing, making new clothing, carving, etc.
Timing is everything.
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CULTURAL CALENDAR
AUGUST
•Caribou hunting by boats, some by snow machines
•Ugruk and aiviq hunting continues
•Ugruk skins prepared for boats/boot bottoms
•Some people still in their summer camps fishing and hunting.
•Duck hunting at Piġniq.
•Some fishing with nets at Piġniq
•Boat frames built
•Geese hunting in Wainwright
•Tuktaq making time
•Fishing on the rivers
•Berry picking inland
SEPTEMBER
•Paŋmaksrak coming through
•Some duck hunting
•Beginning of fall bowhead whale hunt
•Moose hunting
•Whaling in Kaktovik/Nuiqsut/Barrow
OCTOBER
•Fall whaling continues
•Ice fishing on rivers and lakes
•Caribou hunting first part of the month
•Ice fishing along coastline for cod fish
NOVEMBER
•Polar bear hunting on the coastline
•Seal hunting
•Some hunters still at fish camps
•Traditional Thanksgiving Feasts
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DECEMBER
•Trapping season for fox, wolf, wolverine
•Seal hunting
•Polar bear hunting
•Traditional Christmas Feasts
•Traditional games of skill and endurance
•Time to clean ice cellars and houses for the new year
JANUARY
•Trapping continues
•Seal hunting
•Seal skins prepared for bleaching
•Polar bear hunting
•Build/repair skin boats
FEBRUARY
•Trapping continues
•Caribou skins drying outside
•Seal and ugruk skins also drying/bleaching
•Seal hunting
•Continue build/repair skin boats
MARCH
•Some polar bear hunting
•Seal hunting
•Trapping continues for fox, wolf and wolverine
•Women sew ugruk skins for skin boats
•New skins put on boat frames
•Hunting tools repaired
•Female polar bears bring out their young
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APRIL
•End of trapping season
•Whaling season begins
•Caribou and ground squirrel hunting inland
•Time to clean cellars if not done during winter
•Birth of young seals
MAY
•Whaling continues
•Geese/ptarmigan hunting inland
•Duck hunting on ice
•Ice breakup on rivers
•Seals on ice at Qaaktuġvik
•Ugruk have their young
JUNE
•Caribou fawning period
•Nalukataq in the whaling communities <Kak, Nui, Brw, Ain, Pho>
•Going off to Summer camps
•Fishing on rivers and lakes begins
•Seal hunting
•Fishing in Qaaktuġvik
JULY
•Camping and hunting continues
•Fishing continues
•Caribou hunting
•Gathering eggs in Pt. Hope
•Ugruk and walrus hunting
•Drying meat and making seal oil
•Preparing ugruk skins for boats
WHALING TOOLS
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HOSPITALITY
Accept the food given to you. You do not have to eat it if you are
unsure of the smell, taste or looks of it. You can always share it
with someone later.
Serve food and refreshments without asking what one would like, or
if one would like something to drink and eat.
Enjoying each other’s company even in silence is common.
Acknowledge and be aware of people around you.
Have an open, helpful attitude toward your host or visitors.
After one enters a house, standing at the doorway until told to come
in and sit down is common. This is in respect to the homeowner.
If you enter a family home, the first thing that the head of the family
will usually ask is “What are you her for?,” “Why are you here?,” or
“What do you want?” These are common, helpful questions so
he/she can do what he/she can to help you.
The way to become acquainted with people is by showing genuine
interest. When a new face is noticed, the people will be curious and
wonder what you are here for. Be truthful and do not act reluctant
to share the true purpose for coming, or you will lose the trust
needed to be accepted.
We enjoy celebrating with our songs and dancing for the success of
seasonal hunting, welcoming visitors, saying good-bye to longtime
friends who made a difference in our communities and to celebrate
the holidays. If an Iñupiaq Dance is scheduled and an unexpected
death in any of the communities happens, the dance may be
canceled in respect to the family and the spirit of the person who
died.
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TEACHING AND LEARNING STYLES
Our land and sea are our learning for survival. They provide for our
food, clothing and shelter.
When a young boy is ready and willing to learn, a skilled of
knowledgeable person will take in the boy and teach him according
to his abilities. Hunting skills, navigational skills, land, sea, and air
animals and our use and purpose for hunting them, when to hunt,
trap, and travel is taught. This will take place according to the
weather, time and place.
When a young girl is ready and willing to learn, a skilled or
knowledgeable person will take in a girl and teach her according to
her abilities. Sewing skills, land, sea, and air animals, and the use
and purpose when butchering them, how to prepare and use the
skins, etc., are taught. This will take place according to weather,
time and place.
The celebrations and traditional activities are tied in to our
environment around us. The teaching of these important aspects of
our lives is taught to everyone who participates.
The learner listens and observes in the beginning of teaching. Once
the learner is ready to take part in the activity, the teacher lets the
learner be part of the activity, observing carefully. If a mistake
happens, the learner is taught properly with reprimand to learn
from the mistake now and try not to make the same mistake twice.
It is said that learning must be taken seriously for survival’s sake
and shared with new learners, as the learner becomes an expert,
thus passing down our traditions.
When the teacher asks for something to be done or fetched, he or
she expects for the task to be done immediately. This is an
important lesson taught to reflect how quickly the weather can
change; therefore, quick decisions and actions must be practiced at
all times.
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The instructor during teaching expresses few words and the learner
is expected to participate without complaining, but instead to listen,
observe, and learn with respect.
Sharing is an integral part of our culture. We share the animal and
things nature provides for us all. Sharing is taught from youth to
adulthood for it is by sharing that we survive.
The first game a young hunter kills is shared and given to the elders
or those in need in respect to the teaching. The first catch of each
animal must be given away so that the spirit of the animal as “The
one who knows how to share” will remember the young hunter so
the spirits of the animal goes their way and share this information
with the other animals.
It is not right to go around and claim to be better in anything. We
are all equal and have equal rights to survive in harmony.
Belongings, which have been left behind at campus or at home,
must be left alone for they may have been left there for a reason. If
anything is taken, one must let the owner know right away and
replace what was taken.
The air, land and ocean are our gift from God. We must share and
welcome those who visit our place of birth without resentments.
One gains respect from the people by learning knowledge of survival
and doing good deeds for self, family, and the community.
Knowledge was passed down generation to generation through oral
historians and keepers of the knowledge. Nothing was written of our
culture until the outsiders came. Reading material is good if and
when material is adequate and will help a person.
Western education is not as important as learning our way of life to
many of our people. What was taught was forced and foreign to
many of us and did not make sense, thus creating reluctance and
resistance to change.
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Shameful and painful feelings were never talked about at home;
thus suppressing feelings was common and still is among our
people today.
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NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
When you are conversing with an Iñupiaq and you ask a question,
one will sit there and take time before responding. Do not take this
as an insult, for we carefully think of an answer that will be
important to your question before responding. (Often the silence will
feel very long to non-Iñupiat, do not feel you have to fill in the
silence! Wait . . . then wait some more.)
When talking with an Iñupiaq person, it’s acceptable to have eye
contact, for it is a way of acknowledging the feeling of conversation
and interest. We enjoy each others’ company in silence. Sometimes
people who talk too much are annoying and cause discomfort.
Shrugging shoulders is a gesture of not knowing what to do or
implying, “I don’t know.” “Atchu.” Is a verbal response meaning “I
don’t know.”
Smiling is a gesture of acceptance of approval of another person. It
is also a sign of appreciation if words are not used.
Raising eyebrows communicates an affirmative response.
Wrinkling of the nose communicates a negative response.
Taking gloves off even in the -50 degree weather to shake hands is
common. Performing handshakes with gloves taken off, and hands
touching skin to skin is regarded as a genuine acknowledgment of
each other.
Relatives come and go without knocking when visiting or to borrow
something.
If you see an elder or anyone struggling with something, do not ask
if they need help, just help with what you can.
When one becomes silent and refuses to talk with you anymore, you
might have offended the person in some way. Just leave the person
alone and maybe they will come back to you and let you know what
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happened and why they did what they did. There are many of us
who grew up being told “Never talk back to your elder or someone
older than you. It’s not acceptable.”
Never talk down to people regardless of how they may dress or
appear.
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FACTS ABOUT OUR LANGUAGE
Iñupiaq Elders and some middle age people have little
understanding of spoken and written English. Inupiaq Elders who
speak and understand English are few.
Middle aged and some younger family members speak both Iñupiaq
and English fluently, especially in the villages.
Young adults with children speak English to their children. If
Iñupiaq is used, it is usually mixed in with English.
There is little communication between elders or older people and
young adults or teenagers because the young adults or teenagers
have lost the usage of the language since English was introduced.
We are aware that once our Iñupiat language is lost, some of our
culture will be lost with it.
Middle aged and older adults of today were punished emotionally,
physically, and mentally if and when we spoke our language in
school. Because of this kind of treatment, we learned shame,
blame, and became resentful towards outsiders.
We have learned to live and survive with the western culture since
the whalers, missionaries, and government people arrived. In the
last forty five years we have seen and witnessed oil companies come
and take our land resources, thus changing our way of life
tremendously.
We can never go back to the old ways, for we are very dependent on
the technology and western culture today.
The word “iglu” means “a house, dwelling, or building.” Apuyyaq is
the term used to describe a snow house.
There significant dialectal differences between the Barrow area,
Point Hope, and Anaktuvuk Pass.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Thank you North Slope Borough School
District Bilingual Program
Administrators (Brenda Itta-Lee and
Molly Pederson for their leadership) and
Iñupiaq Language Teachers for coming
together and creating a Iñupiaq Way of
Life document to share with newcomers
and those who come to work with us.
Also want to acknowledge and thank the
City of Barrow Mayor, North Slope
Borough Mayor for the Census Reports
and Economic Profiles.
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SURVIVAL WORDS AND PHRASES
IN THE IÑUPIAQ LANGUAGE
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BOROUGHS OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
ALASKA NATIVE LANGUAGES
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NORTHERN ALAKA PETROLEUM RESOURCES (USGS)