Alaska Native Cultures Part 2 Yup’ik and Cup’ik People

Yup’ik and Cup’ik People Who are they and where are they located? The southwest Alaska Natives are named after the two main dialects of the Yup’ik language, known as Yup’ik and Cup’ik. The Yup’ik and Cup’ik still depend upon subsistence fishing, hunting and gathering food. Elders tell stories of traditional ways of life, as a way to teach the younger generations survival skills and their heritage. European contact—began trading with Russian Fur Traders/Explorers in the late 1800s

Yup’ik and Cup’ik People Traditional House Types & Settlements Yup’ik & Cup’ik people were historically mobile, traveling with the migration of game, fish and plants Ancient settlements & seasonal camps contained small populations, with numerous settlements throughout the region consisting of extended families or small groups of families

Yup’ik Cupi’ik Housing Males lived in a qasgiq, or men’s house/community center Boys old enough to leave their mothers joined male relatives in the qasgiq, where they lived, worked, ate, bathed, slept and learned how to be men. Women prepared and brought food to the qasgiq. Ceremonies, singing, dancing and events usually occurred in the qasgiq, thus making it a community center. Women and children lived in an ena Architectural features similar to the qasgiq, although the qasgiq was twice as large. Bearded seal or walrus intestine provided a removable “skylight” window Like most other winter dwellings, the qasgiq and the ena shared the distinctive, partially semi-subterranean winter entrance passageway – which in the ena also provided space for cooking

Yup’ik and Cup’ik People

Yup’ik and Cup’ik People Tools & Technology Technology was highly adapted to survival in the sub-arctic environment and was fine-tuned through the centuries by trial and error Technology was mostly geared toward the marine environment along the coastline river habitats in the delta regions Kayak

Yup’ik and Cup’ik People Fish Trap 1886

Yup’ik and Cup’ik People Men’s tools were associated with hunting and were elaborately decorated with appropriate spiritual symbols to aid in hunting success. These items included a variety of spears, harpoons, snow goggles, ice cane & bow and arrows for hunting and warfare

Yup’ik and Cup’ik People Women’s important household items included the versatile, fan-shaped, slate knife (uluaq), stone seal-oil lamp & skin sewing implements made from stone, bone & walrus ivory.

Yup’ik and Cup’ik People Clothing Traditionally, skins of birds, fish & marine and land animals were used to make clothing Wastefulness being disrespectful, Yup'ik elders made use of every last scrap from hunts and harvests: seal guts, skins of salmon fish, dried grasses Hunting clothes were designed to be insulated and waterproof. Fish skin & marine mammal intestines were used for waterproof shells and boots. Grass was used to make insulating socks & as waterproof thread.

Yup’ik Regalia

Yup’ik and Cup’ik People Culture & Social Organization Social culture and behavior were all geared toward survival & compatibility among family-village groups Cultural roles and social rank were largely determined by gender & individual skills. Successful hunters, nukalpiit, usually become group leaders. Women roles included child rearing, food preparation and sewing

Yup’ik and Cup’ik People Religious Beliefs—Yup’ik and Cup’ik people believed in reincarnation—nothing in the universe ever finally dies away, but is instead reborn in succeeding generations Animism—the belief that all things have a spirit

Yup’ik and Cup’ik People Role of shaman There were good & evil shamans that had separate roles within the village Good shamans would heal, search out animal spirits for the hunters, ask for survival necessities such as driftwood & good weather Bad shamans battled good shamans for power, placed curses on people, generally made life miserable for others and could even kill

Yup’ik and Cup’ik People Ceremonial Masks

Yup’ik and Cup’ik People Trade Coastal villages traded with the inland villages for items not locally available Seal oil was highly desirable by inland villages who usually bartered moose/caribou meat & furs such as mink, marten, beaver & muskrat for seal oil & other coastal delicacies such as herring and herring eggs