Iñupiaq Knowledge and Skills
Iøiññiaånikun Apqusiuqtit
“Iøiññiaånikun Apqusiuqtit,” which means “People who break the trail for learning,” was
formed as a group during the 2009-2010 school year. Ten community members from across the
North Slope gathered together on four occasions in Barrow, Alaska to forge a new trail for
education. The Iñupiaq Learning Framework and the Iñupiaq Knowledge and Skills that follow
are a result of these gatherings, facilitated by Pausauraq – Jana Harcharek and supported by Pat
Partnow, Peggy Cowan, and Kuutuuq – Fannie Akpik. This work was created through reflection
and dialogue and forms the ongoing curriculum framework development effort. In the spring of
2010, Nasuåraq – Rainey Hopson was asked to create a visual depiction of the resulting work.
She brought our knowledge to life with a powerful metaphor, which we titled “Mapkuqput
Iñuuniaåniåmi,” which means “Our Blanket of Life.”
Quyanaqpak to the members of the group including:
Kakianaaq – Molly Pederson; Qaiyaan Harcharek; Aÿutuqsana – Rex Okakok; Iyaaq –
Rossman Peetook; Ugiaqtaq – Wesley Aiken; Sisualik – Rachel Riley; Kisautaq – Leona
Okakok; Aanauraq – Lillian Lane Johnson; Tagnak – Cathy Rexford; Napaaqtuq – Mario
Gamboa.
Mapkuqput Iñuuniaåniåmi—Our Life Blanket
1
IÑUPIAQ EDUCATION 4/15/11
“A full and successful life can be characterized by how one interacts with the world and
all of its components. The Iñupiaq World consists of four major areas to be considered:
the Environment, the Community, History, and Self: pieces in the blanket that are needed
to carry and elevate an individual to success. Surrounding this blanket are the people
making this happen, the community at large and our ancestors. There are eight pairs of
people to represent the eight villages of the North Slope. They are all looking up at the
goal, which is to raise their children to new heights of achievement. The attributes
needed to obtain those heights are all intertwining pieces in the blanket.”
–Nasuåraq
COMMUNITY
“Our Community Interactions are represented in this drawing on the right side of the
blanket from top to bottom as: Two Elders—a symbol for reverence and care of our
Elder community members; the Raised Bones—celebrations and ceremonies; the
Dancer—song and dance; the Speaker and the Audience—storytelling and oral lore; the
Mask—art and decoration; Parent and Child—parenting skills; Skin Ball—games and
competition; and the Family—our unique relationships.”
- Nasuåraq
2
IÑUPIAQ EDUCATION 5/18/11
Elders
Social protocols i.e. not running in front of Elders
Caring for Elders and widows and the sick
Always help Elders without asking if they need it i.e. removing snow etc.
Listening to Elders
Respect for Elders
Learn to volunteer, not expect pay
Be willing to pass on the knowledge
Be willing to bridge gap between Elders and non-speakers
Be willing to be a bridge between Elders and youth
I’m willing to teach what I know, but feel that my English is inadequate
We need to speak up for our rights
As Elders, let’s siimmak (get stirred into action) encourage curiosity and just
do it Iñupiatun (in Iñupiaq). They will learn.
Pass on hunting techniques, i.e. different types of netting seals
The role of Elders is to give advice
Elders
Respect and honors Elders
Willing to share with Elders and younglings
Celebrations and Ceremonies
Kivgiåñiq (Messenger Feast)
Qagruåniq-Nalukataåniq (Whaling Celebrations)
Piuraaåiaqta (Spring Festival)
Aååiñiq iglaaliåmata (Dancing with the arrival of guests)
Qitigniq (Physical Games)
Aniuraaq (To slowly file out of a dancehall as part of a dance)
Yuåaåniq (A series of ceremonies, games, dances and feasts held during the
fall.)
3
IÑUPIAQ EDUCATION 5/18/11
Kalukaåniq (Box Drum Dance)
Puuqtalugniq (To Celebrate Halloween)
Niqinaqiniq (Feasting)
Uiÿuraåniq (Masquerade Dance)
Quyyavik (Thanksgiving)
Utuqqaqtaåniq
Kraismaåvik (Christmas)
Amummata Aÿiruqtuåniq (Sharing whale flukes when they’re taken out of
the cellar)
Atuåaaåniq (Singspiration)
Kivaliñaaguÿarugut Niåliåmun (Participating as guests at the annual trading
fair at Niåliq, near Nuiqsut)
Kanaakkiusuurut (jigging)
Marriage
Birth of 1st child
Young man first catch
Young woman first menses
Labrets and chin tattoos – rites of passage
Singing and Dancing
Songs and dancing
Mothers gathering on beach with children to learn games and songs
Songs for daily life i.e. songs that teach morals, songs for games such as
Igøukisaaq (juggling)
Motion and common dance songs
Celebrations
Music and songs are a form of expression
Learn protocols- who’s song, who’s dance, inheritance and giving songs
Learn about Kivgiq (Messenger Feast)
4
IÑUPIAQ EDUCATION 5/18/11
Storytelling
Storytelling – everyday, every night
Carving bone, wood, ivory to tell stories
Unipkaaåniq (telling legends and old stories)
Quliaqtuaåniq (telling life experiences, stories or reporting events or
happenings)
Uqaluktuaåniq (telling true stories or accounts of events which happened in
the past two or three generations)
Builds memory
Learn historical events
Stories lift spirits
Stories can save lives
Masaqsriñaqtut (masaqsri- to be pleased, contented with a situation, often a
story one is listening to)
They define our worldview
Learn storytelling protocols
Intellectual property rights
They are owned by someone
Oral tradition in storytelling gives you a more well rounded picture as
opposed to only reading.
There are lessons in stories
Stories become legends eventually
They’ll eventually turn us into legends
Storytellers always had a responder, to ensure accuracy.
Arts
Symbolize who we are
Everything in life is art i.e. harpooning whale
Art teaches patience, vision
Sewing is a form of art
5
IÑUPIAQ EDUCATION 5/18/11
Teaches us appreciation for others
Form of expression-it brings something out from inside of you
There’s no right or wrong – it’s you
Opportunity for elders and youth to come together
Art is also a part of survival
Music is a form of art
It’s encouraging
Provides financial stability
Art is culture and tradition
Artists tap into life force i.e. storytelling, it’s an artists job to stay open to
that.
Artists are conduits
Performing arts that tell about local historical events, including mitaaq
(joking stories)
Do contemporary and traditional interpretations in the performing arts – i.e.,
guitars and Eskimo drumming together
Interpretive performance art show encompassing Iñua (our philosophies,
history, language and interconnectedness with all living things)
Parenting
Reach young parents today how to be effective, caring parents
Raising children
-Let them know right from wrong; consequences
Correcting behavior
Child rearing practices/dressing/clothing children and family appropriately
Passing on knowledge necessary for survival to children and others
Not to yell at children for if you do they will learn to not listen
Men were disciplinarians i.e. if rowing too slow hitting them on the head
with paddle so they won’t forget
Not disciplining children when in anger. My father advised me not to
discipline my children if I am angry.
Concept of “obey your parents”
Role as a parent, as well as responsibilities
6
IÑUPIAQ EDUCATION 5/18/11
Responsibility as a father or mother of a child.
Parenting –quality
Learn to be a parent
Open to constructive criticism regarding parenting styles
Learn how to be a couple
Participate as a family in community events
Learn what it costs to have a family
Learn how to take care of babies
Preparing wills
Not tell children “you dummy!”
Learn to be open to family or community member’s advice and discipline
measures
Be supportive of our children’s effort to learn our language and traditions
Our schools taught us to be ashamed of our language, we should do the
opposite
Learn to be of service to community, i.e. corporation, NSB, council, etc.
Learn Iñupiaq laws and rules about camping
i.e. respecting other’s property, keep camp clean, not taking another’s
pile of wood – they belong to someone, not dumping quqtat ( honey
buckets) when they leave, marking siøu (carcass of sea mammal
washed to shore) to indicate claim
Parenting skills
Deeper understanding and appreciation of family
Knows what a healthy family is and the ability to make healthy choices
Games
Anaktautit – Traditional games of skill and endurance including any
associated songs
Aqamak (finger pull)
Avluåaatchiaq (broad jump)
Aqsraatchiaq (high kick)
Ayaqhaaåniq (telling stories using string figures)
Imigøuktaaq (toy noise maker of bone or wood and braided sinew)
Igøukisaaq (juggling)
Napaatchak (dart game)
7
IÑUPIAQ EDUCATION 5/18/11
Kalviqtaqtuat (jump rope)
Manna Mannaa (Iñupiaq game with two teams opposite each other, both
teams with circular home bases and a smaller circular jail situated to
the right of the home base. The object of the game is for one team to
circle the opposing team’s home base and return to home base without
getting tagged. A player is put in jail if he is tagged, and he can be
taken out only if a member of his team runs into the jail and tags him.
A player is considered “safe” if he enters the opposite team’s home
base before being tagged. The team with the highest score wins the
game.)
Aatchakisaaq (jumping board)
Maq (game where players take turns making silent gestures and funny faces
to make others laugh; object of the game is not to laugh or smile
throughout the game to win; the exclamation “maq” signals the
beginning of the game)
Tuunåauraq (An Iñupiaq game)
Iriåauraq (Hide and go seek)
Qiputaq (Iñupiaq game (similar to horseshoes) played with a hard stick
usually 5 to 7 inches in length where the sticks are thrown toward a
stake in the ground and the person whose stick is closest to the stake
wins; a piece of bone thrown in game, the point of which is to throw
this piece as close as possible to a peg in the ground; hard stick
usually 5 to 7 inches in length used in re-enforcing a bow; (i) to play a
game of qiputaq)
Iøuaqsuåaaq – tuttu (caribou) natchiq (seal) vertebrae catch
Kattagaaq (jacks)
Anauraåauraq (baseball)
Agrauraqti
Ipuktaaq (See-saw)
Aakkuu aakkuu (An Iñupiaq game)
Aayyutaaq (To play by hitting something with a stick: to play golf)
Mitaaåniq (To tell joking stories)
Kamasaaåniq sanmirautivlutiÿ (To be boastful teasing another mercilessly
in good jest.)
Elders Youth Conference tapes 1980’s- possible source
8
IÑUPIAQ EDUCATION 5/18/11
Relationships
Knowing relations, how you’re related and how to refer to each other using
kinship terms
As Taåiuåmiut, (people from the coast) people anticipated visiting Nunamiut
(inland people) and prepared for it
Niuviqatigiiksinniq (becoming trading partners)
Family harmony
Having healthy relationships
Having the ability to take care
Understanding the spiritual connections between human and animal
Embracing diversity and differences in others
Aboriginal concepts of relationships
Character building
Creative Thinking
Learning Skills
Sponsor events that enhance family strengths
Sponsor Lock-Ins to give parents a break from kids
Qataÿutigiit – relationship of siblings who share a common parent
With each other
Help each other
Understand it’s ok to be different
Mutually respectful of each other
Honest with each other
Initiate resolution to conflict
Being faithful
Volunteer in the community, Senior Centers, Health Clinics
Respectful of others and active in community
Have respect for everything
They are respectful, thoughtful, care for others and are able to work well
with others.
Respectful of his/her culture with choices and abilities to look to the future
and contribute abilities/skills to improve.
Has respect for other cultures
Respectful of self, others and environment
9
IÑUPIAQ EDUCATION 5/18/11
Respectful of others and accepts others for who they are and where they
come from.
Respect other peoples thoughts and ideas (even though they might not agree)
is willing to try things, believe in themselves and continues to want to learn
Respectful member of society
They learn to respect all people not just their own
Show respect for self and others
Well mannered with lots of respect for his school and the Iñupiat world.
Can respect authority and respond well to expectations
Productive member in society
Someone who can contribute back to their community
Positive Character
Discipline
Respect, etc.
Be a good role model for younger students and community
Compassionate and cares about others
Understands the concept of TEAM
Able to work capably with other people
Understands teamwork no “I” or “me”
Is interested in helping others
A person who is an asset to their community
Community minded
Works with community to help with progress
Community oriented
Interacts with the community at large
Involved in community
Community activist
Committed to improving their own communities or broadening their
horizons
Able to contribute to the community in a positive way
A person that has a clear understanding of what they “big picture” of life is
as it pertains to life outside of his or her own culture, and can bring what he
or she has learned back to their own community to teach others.
Ability to be a positive community member
Able to have a commitment to family, community, the greater good
Engaged in life
Active participant and gives something back to community
Contributes to society and to his/her local community
Works well with others
10
IÑUPIAQ EDUCATION 5/18/11
Prepared with the tools to be a contributor in their community
Trusts family, school and community that their basic needs are being met in
order to be successful learners
Gives back to school setting as role model or volunteer when possible.
Family centered
Be able to have and perpetuate a healthy family
Family oriented
If they are a teen mom or dad parenting skills
Appreciation of family and heritage
Able to provide for self or extended family
Close family ties
Provider
Prepared for life outside of school (work, family)
With Siøa
Respect siøa (environment) by keeping it clean
Learn to read weather, including Iñupiaq terminology
Know and be mindful of weather patterns i.e. wind from south is a predictor
of bad weather to come. Clothes get wet and freeze
Respect weather – you may have to put off trips
Qimuagruum isuginiaåaatin arguaktuaq (You’re going to end up being the
end of a snow drift if you doubt what’s obvious in the weather.)
With Animals
Catch only what you will eat
Do not mock animals
Know terminology of anatomy and butchering
Be aware of animal behavior
Whales can smell- never leave human waste on edge of ice
When you find any wounded animal, finish it off and sever the head from
the rest of the body
Never mock even the smallest of birds, never let them suffer, even lemmings
Respect all animals even the smallest i.e. lemmings
Qukigisuugait (They are highly regarded)
Qiksigilugit qanusipayaat (Respect animals of all kinds)
Never kamasaaq (boast) about what you are going to catch
11
IÑUPIAQ EDUCATION 5/18/11