Yupik peoples

The Yupik (/ˈjuːpɪk/; Russian: Юпикские народы) are a group of Indigenous or Aboriginal peoples living in western, southwestern, and southcentral Alaska and the Russian Far East. They share many traditions and languages with the Inuit and Iñupiat.

Yupik peoples include several groups. The Alutiiq, also called Sugpiaq, live on the Alaska Peninsula and coastal areas of southcentral Alaska. The Yupʼik or Central Alaskan Yupʼik live in areas such as the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, the Kuskokwim River, and along Bristol Bay.

There are also Siberian Yupik people, including groups such as the Naukan and Chaplino, who live in parts of the Russian Far East and on St. Lawrence Island in western Alaska. These groups have rich cultures and histories that continue to influence their communities today.

Population

The Yupʼik people are the largest group of Alaska Native groups. They speak the Central Alaskan Yupʼik language, which is part of the Eskaleut language family.

In 2002, over 24,000 Yupik people lived in the United States. Most lived in Alaska, especially in the western and southwestern parts. Some Yupik also live in Russia and in cities like Seattle and Washington.

Etymology of name

The name Yupʼik (plural Yupiit) comes from the Yupik word yuk, which means "person," and the word -pik, which means "real" or "genuine." So, it literally means "real people." Sometimes, people also call them Yuk or Yuit.

In some dialects, like Hooper Bay–Chevak and Nunivak, the people and their language are called Cupʼik. The apostrophe in "Yupʼik" shows a special way of writing in Central Alaskan Yupʼik, where it makes the "p" sound longer.

Origins

The ancestors of the Indigenous peoples of Siberia, Aleut, and other groups came from eastern Siberia. They arrived in the Bering Sea area about 10,000 years ago. Studies of blood types, language, and DNA show that these people reached North America before others. They traveled across the Bering land bridge during cold periods long ago. By about 3,000 years ago, the ancestors of the Yupik people settled along the coasts of what is now western Alaska. They moved up rivers like the Yukon and Kuskokwim, reaching places such as Paimiut and Crow Village. The Siberian Yupik may have been people who moved back to Siberia from Alaska.

Culture

Traditionally, Yupik families would spend spring and summer at special fishing places and then come together in villages for the winter. Many families still rely on natural resources like Pacific salmon and seal for food.

The men had a special house called the qasgiq, where they held ceremonies, festivals, and storytelling, especially in winter. Boys learned important skills like hunting and making tools there, including qayaq (small boats). Girls learned from women in another house called the ena, where they were taught skills like sewing and preparing food.

For a few weeks each year, boys and girls would switch places, learning each other's skills. Yupʼik dancing is special, with dancers moving their arms and upper bodies while holding fans.

The kuspuk is a traditional warm garment worn by everyone. The seal-oil lamp (naniq) was an important tool for lighting and warmth.

Languages

Main article: Yupik languages

There are five Yupik languages that many people still speak today. Yupʼik is the most spoken Native language in Alaska. It is the second most spoken indigenous language in the United States, after Navajo.

Long ago, Moravian Church missionaries helped create a writing system for the Yupik people. They used Yupik in church services and translated important religious texts into the language.

Russian explorers once thought the Yupik near the Aleut territory were Aleut too. They called them Alutiiq or Sugpiaq. These names are still used today for the Yupik living in Southcentral Alaska and Kodiak.

Notable people

• Mary Peltola (born 1973), a former U.S. representative from Alaska.
• Rita Pitka Blumenstein (1936–2021), the first certified traditional doctor in Alaska.
• Callan Chythlook-Sifsof (born 1989), an Olympic snowboarder.
• Moses Paukan (1933–2017), a businessman and politician.
• Saint Olga Michael (1916-1979), an Eastern Orthodox priest's wife who became a saint in 2023.
• Crow Village Sam (1893–1974), an Alaskan Native leader.
• Elizaveta Dobrieva (born 1942), a researcher and teacher who is an expert in Naukan.