The Iñupiat (singular: Iñupiaq), also known as Alaskan Inuit, are a group of Alaska Natives whose traditional territory roughly spans northeast from Norton Sound on the Bering Sea to the northernmost part of the Canada–United States border. Their current communities include 34 villages across Iñupiat Nunaat (Iñupiaq lands), including seven Alaskan villages in the North Slope Borough, affiliated with the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation; eleven villages in Northwest Arctic Borough; and sixteen villages affiliated with the Bering Straits Regional Corporation."Inupiaq (Inupiat)—Alaska Native Cultural Profile." www.nnlm.nlm.nih.gov National Network of Libraries of Medicine. Retrieved 4 Dec 2013. They often claim to be the first people of the Kauwerak.
Name Iñupiat () is the plural form of the name for the people (e.g., the Inupiat live in several communities.). The singular form is Iñupiaq () (e.g., She is an Iñupiaq), which can also refer to the language (e.g., She speaks Iñupiaq). In English, both Iñupiat and Iñupiaq are used as modifiers (e.g., An Inupiat/Iñupiaq librarian, Inupiat/Iñupiaq songs). The language is called Iñupiatun in Iñupiatun and frequently in English as well. Iñupiak () is the dual form.
The roots are iñuk "person" and -piaq "real", i.e., an endonym meaning "real people".Frederick A. Milan (1959), The acculturation of the contemporary Eskimo of Wainwright Alaska via books.google.comJohnson Reprint (1962), Prehistoric cultural relations between the Arctic and Temperate zones of North America via books.google.com
Groups
Ethnic groups The Iñupiat are made up of the following communities:
Bering Strait Iñupiat (Sivunmiut) South Seward Peninsula Iñupiat (Qawiaraq Inupiat) Nunamiut,"Inupiat." Alaska Native Arts. Retrieved 26 July 2012. the inland Inuit Northwest Arctic Iñupiat (Malimiut) North Alaska Coast Iñupiat (Taġiuġmiut, people of the sea, or Siḷaliñiġmiut)
Regional corporations
In 1971, the Alaskan Native Claims Settlement Act established thirteen Alaskan Native Regional Corporations. The purpose of the regional corporations were to create institutions in which Native Alaskans would generate venues to provide services for its members, who were incorporated as "shareholders". Three regional corporations are located in the lands of the Iñupiat: Arctic Slope Regional Corporation Bering Straits Native Corporation NANA Regional Corporation
Tribal governments
Prior to colonization, the Iñupiat exercised sovereignty based on complex social structures and order. Despite the transfer of land from Russia to the U.S. and eventual annexation of Alaska, Iñupiat sovereignty continues to be articulated in various ways. A limited form of this sovereignty has been recognized by Federal Indian Law, which outlines the relationship between the federal government and American Indians. The Federal Indian Law recognized Tribal governments as having limited self-determination. In 1993, the federal government extended federal recognition to Alaskan Natives tribes. Tribal governments created avenues for tribes to contract with the federal government to manage programs that directly benefit Native peoples. Throughout Inupiat lands, there are various regional and village tribal governments. The tribal governments vary in structure and services provided, but often are related to the social well-being of the communities. Services included but are not limited to education, housing, tribal services, and supporting healthy families and cultural connection to place and community.
The following Alaska Native tribal entities for the Iñupiat are recognized by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs:
Community Native tribal entities Native village corporation Native regional corporation Alatna (Alaasuq) Alatna Village None Doyon, Limited Ambler (Ivisaappaat) Native Village of Ambler None NANA Corporation Anaktuvuk Pass (Anaqtuuvak/Naqsraq) Village of Anaktuvuk Pass Nunamiut Corporation Arctic Slope Regional Corporation Atqasuk (Atqasuk) Native Village of Atqasuk Atqasuk Corporation Arctic Slope Regional Corporation Brevig Mission (Sitaisaq/Sinauraq) Native Village of Brevig Mission None Bering Straits Native Corporation Buckland (Nunatchiaq/Kaŋiq) Native Village of Buckland None NANA Corporation Council (Akauchak/Kaułiq) Native Village of Council None Bering Straits Native Corporation Deering (Ipnatchiaq) Native Village of Deering None NANA Corporation Diomede (Iŋaliq) Native Village of Diomede None Bering Straits Native Corporation Elim (Nivviaqhchauġluq) Native Village of Elim None Bering Straits Native Corporation Golovin (Siŋik/Chiŋik) Chinik Eskimo Community None Bering Straits Native Corporation Kaktovik (Qaaktuġvik) Kaktovik Village Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation Arctic Slope Regional Corporation Kiana (Katyaaq) Native Village of Kiana None NANA Corporation King Island (Ugiuvak) King Island Native Community King Island Native Corporation Bering Straits Regional Corporation Kivalina (Kivalliñiq) Native Village of Kivalina None NANA Corporation Kobuk (Laugviik) Native Village of Kobuk None NANA Corporation Kotzebue (Qikiqtaġruk) Native Village of Kotzebue Kikiktagruk Corporation NANA Corporation Koyuk (Kuuyuk) Native Village of Koyuk None Bering Straits Native Corporation Mary's Igloo (Qawiaraq/Iglu) Native Village of Mary's Igloo None Bering Straits Native Corporation Noatak (Nuataaq) Native Village of Noatak None NANA Corporation Nome (Sitnasuaq) Nome Eskimo Community Sitnasuak Corporation Bering Straits Native Corporation Noorvik (Nuurvik) Noorvik Native Community None NANA Corporation Nuiqsut (Nuiqsat) Native Village of Nuiqsut Kuukpik Arctic Slope Native Corporation Point Hope (Tikiġaq) Native Village of Point Hope Tikiġaq Corporation Arctic Slope Regional Corporation Point Lay (Kali) Native Village of Point Lay Cully Corporation Arctic Slope Regional Corporation Selawik (Akuliġaq/Siiḷivik) Native Village of Selawik None NANA Corporation Shaktoolik (Saqtuliq) Native Village of Shaktoolik None Bering Straits Native Corporation Shishmaref (Qigiqtaq) Native Village of Shishmaref Shismaref Native Corporation Bering Straits Native Corporation Shungnak (Isiŋnaq) Native Village of Shungnak None NANA Corporation Solomon (Aaŋuutaq) Village of Solomon None Bering Straits Native Corporation Teller (Tala/Iġaluŋniaġvik) Native Village of Teller Teller Native Corporation Bering Straits Native Corporation Unalakleet (Uŋalaqłiq) Native Village of Unalakleet Unalakleet Native Corporation Bering Straits Regional Corporation Utqiaġvik Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Traditional Government Ukpeagvik Corporation Arctic Slope Regional Corporation Wainwright (Ulġuniq) Village of Wainwright Olgoonik Corporation Arctic Slope Regional Corporation Wales (Kiŋigin) Native Village of Wales None Bering Straits Regional Corporation White Mountain (Nachizrvik) Native Village of White Mountain None Bering Straits Native Corporation
Languages The Inuit languages has been described as historically “the most widespread language in the world”, spoken across the circumpolar Arctic from the western edges of Siberia through Alaska, northern Canada to Greenland. They form a dialect continuum and have differing names depending on the region it is spoken in. In Northern Alaska, the language is called Iñupiatun, and is further divided into four major dialects: North Slope, Malimiut, Bering Straits, and Qawiaraq. Before European contact, the Iñupiaq dialects flourished. Due to harsh assimilation efforts in Native American boarding schools, Natives were punished for speaking their language. Now only 2,000 of the approximately 24,500 Iñupiat can speak their Native tongue, and most are elderly.
Revitalization efforts have focused on Alaskan Native languages and ways of life. Located in Kotzebue, Alaska, an Iñupiaq language immersion school called Nikaitchuat Iḷisaġviat was established in 1998. The immersion school's mission is to "instill the knowledge of Iñupiaq identity, dignity, respect and to cultivate a love of lifelong learning". June Nelson Elementary school is another school in Kotzebue that is working to include more content into their curriculum about Iñupiaq language and culture. Nome Elementary School in Nome, Alaska has also put in place plans to incorporate an Iñupiaq language immersion program. There are many courses being offered at the various campuses a part of the University of Alaska system. University of Alaska Fairbanks offers several course in the Iñupiaq language. University of Alaska Anchorage offers multiple levels of Elementary Iñupiaq Language and Alaskan Native language apprenticeship and fluency intensive courses.
Since 2017, a grassroots group of Iñupiaq language learners have organized Iḷisaqativut, a two-week Iñupiaq language intensive that is held throughout communities in the Inupiaq region. The first gathering was held in Utqiaġvik in 2017, Siqnasuaq (Nome) in 2018, and Qikiqtaġruk (Kotzebue) in 2019.
In 2014, linguist and educator Edna Ahgeak MacLean released an Iñupiaq-English dictionary after three decades of research, compiling over 19,000 entries. Kawerak, a nonprofit organization from the Bering Strait region, has created a language glossary that features terms from Iñupiaq, as well as terms from English, Yup'ik, and St. Lawrence Island Yupik.
Several Iñupiat developed pictographic writing systems in the early twentieth century. It is known as Alaskan Picture Writing.
History Along with other Inuit groups, the Iñupiaq originate from the Thule culture. Circa 300 B.C., the Thule migrated from islands in the Bering Sea to what now is Alaska.
Iñupiaq groups, in common with Inuit-speaking groups, often have a name ending in "miut," which means 'a people of'. One example is the Nunamiut, a generic term for inland Iñupiaq caribou hunters. During a period of starvation and an influenza epidemic, most of these people moved to the coast or other parts of Alaska between 1890 and 1910. A number of Nunamiut returned to the mountains in the 1930s.
By 1950, most Nunamiut groups, such as the Killikmiut, had coalesced in Anaktuvuk Pass, a village in north-central Alaska. Some of the Nunamiut remained nomadic until the 1950s.
The Iditarod Trail's antecedents were the native trails of the Dena'ina and Deg Hit'an Athabaskan American Indians and the Inupiat.The Iditarod National Historic Trail/ Seward to Nome Route: A Comprehensive Management Plan, March 1986. Prepared by Bureau of Land Management, Anchorage District Office, Anchorage, Alaska.
Subsistence
Iñupiat are hunter-gatherers, as are most Arctic peoples. Iñupiat continue to rely heavily on subsistence hunting and fishing. Depending on their location, they harvest walrus, seal, whale, polar bears, caribou, and fish. Both the inland (Nunamiut) and coastal (Tikiġaġmiut) Inupiat depend greatly on fish. Throughout the seasons, when they are available, food staples also include ducks, geese, rabbits, berries, roots, and shoots.
The inland Iñupiat, known as Nunamiut, also hunt caribou, Dall sheep, grizzly bear, and moose. The coastal Inupiat hunt walrus, seals, beluga whales, and bowhead whales. Cautiously, polar bear also is hunted.
The capture of a whale benefits each member of an Iñupiat community, as the animal is butchered and its meat and blubber are allocated according to a traditional formula. Even city-dwelling relatives, thousands of miles away, are entitled to a share of each whale killed by the hunters of their ancestral village. Maktak, which is the skin and blubber of bowhead and other whales, is rich in vitamins A and C. The vitamin C content of meats is destroyed by cooking, so consumption of raw meats and these vitamin-rich foods contributes to good health in a population with limited access to fruits and vegetables.