Inupiat
Land: The Inupiat (or Inupiaq) are situated in
Alaska stretching from Norton Sound to the Canadian border.Language: InupiatBest Known Features: The one important
traditional ceremony still actively participated in is the nalukatak, or
spring whaling festival. This ceremony takes place at the end of the whaling
season. Formerly, one of the purposes of the festival was to propitiate the
spirits of the deceased whales and ensure through magical means the success of
future hunting seasons. Now, a modern adaptation of this religious belief can
be seen. Christian prayers of thanksgiving are now recited during the ceremony.Traditions: Prior to western contact, the
Inupiat lived as an egalitarian society (no specified leader), using the
available land and sea mammal population to support them. Disasters such as
tidal waves, diseases and unseasonable climatic changes sometimes caused
famine. Cooperative hunting linked
families together, even if they only saw each other once a year and served as a
major form of community solidarity. Common food sources for the Inupiat were
seal, ugruk, duck, ptarmigan, walrus, seal, caribou and fish. Trapping and
whaling were also important sources of food and trade goods. Groups of kin and
friends regularly played games, told stories, danced and participated in
various rituals.Subsistence: With colonization the need to
enter the wage labor system increased and the cooperative nature of Inupiat life
changed. Instead of hunting, most families bought their food at the village
store with their earnings. Not only were village members moving away to work
seasonally as common laborers or cannery workers, but new residents outside the
culture moved in as government public health centers were established for the
Inupiat. At this same time, there was a steady increase of white male military
personnel, construction workers, scientists and other outsiders. The
Inupiat have had to learn to balance traditional life with the effects of colonization.
Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not
claim expertise on the Inupiat.
Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the web address of this page.
If you are Inupiat, your feedback is much appreciated.
Inupiat Heritage Center: http://www.nps.gov/archive/inup/home.htm
North Slope Borough: http://www.co.north-slope.ak.us/
Inupiaq Phrasebook: http://www.alaskool.org/Language/inupiaqpb/ipbindex.asp
Inupiaq Culture
References:
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