Yupik peoples

The Yupik Peoples

The Yupik peoples are a group of Indigenous groups who live in parts of Alaska and the Russian Far East. They share many traditions and languages with the Inuit and Iñupiat.

Yupik groups include the Alutiiq, who live on the Alaska Peninsula, and the Yup’ik or Central Alaskan Yup’ik, who live in places like the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta and along Bristol Bay. There are also Siberian Yupik people who live in parts of the Russian Far East and on St. Lawrence Island in Alaska.

The Yup’ik are the largest group of Alaska Native peoples. They speak the Central Alaskan Yup’ik language, which is part of the Eskaleut language family. Many Yupik people still speak their language today.

The name Yup’ik comes from their word yuk, meaning “person,” and -pik, meaning “real” or “genuine.” So, it means “real people.” Some Yupik groups are also called Cup’ik or Cup’ig.

Yupik families have long traditions of living close to nature. In the past, they would spend spring and summer at special fishing places and come together in villages for the winter. They rely on natural resources like Pacific salmon and seal for food. Traditional clothing, like the kuspuk, keeps them warm.