Culture Day

Wednesday was all about Yup'ik culture. Before getting sent to our villages, teachers were provided with a crash course in Yup'ik customs and traditions. Here are a few tidbits:

-Village elders yield considerable power in the village. Elders are never told what to do and seemingly everything must have their approval.

-Villages have places called gasgiqs where people go to steam and wash.

-Names do not denote gender in Yupik society. There are not strictly boy or girl names.

-When a child is born, they are given the name of the person who last died in the village. It is believed that the spiritual essence of the deceased individual is carried within the newborn child. 

-Non-verbal actions are just as important as verbal cues. For instance, raising one's eyebrows means "yes." 

-The three most prominent religions in Yupik villages are Russian Orthodox, Moravian, and Catholic. However there are other religions represented. 

-Subsistence is everything in Yupik culture. It's how these villages have persisted for thousands of years. Subsistence is utilizing everything in your environment to survive. It's a way of sharing are helping others survive with you. We were taught how to cut fish on Wednesday, basic subsistence skills.