Iñupiaq Facts Total Population 30,000 Arctic Homelands Northern Alaska & Canada Origins Siberia, 15,000 years ago Languages Inupiaq Traditional Activities Fishing, hunting, trapping, crafts Religion Animistic & shamanstic Did you know? At present, several Inupiaq families have surnames brought in by the European whalers. Though initially in opposition to Inupiaq whaling rights, the International Whaling Commisssion (IWC) has allowed continued whaling in the Bering Sea region though the number of whales to be taken by each community is strictly limited. The discovery in 1960 of rich oil fields at Prudhoe Bay in the middle of Inupiaq country has brought accelerated change. The North Slope Borough (formed by the Inupiaq people) taxes oil development is now the wealthiest borough/county government in the United States.

Iñupiaq People

Iñupiaq tundra homelands are frozen much of the year, and ocean ice is continuous from the north Alaskan shore across the North Pole much of the year. Highly competent hunters and naturalists, these hardy people had an intimate knowledge of their environment and a deep respect for both the land and its wildlife.

Traditionally, Iñupiaq people hunted polar bear, caribou, walrus, seal, musk-ox, and whales, and fished for salmon, cod, and Arctic char. They also gathered berries, and other vegetation during the short summer season. Traditional trade and bartering extended hundreds of miles. This trade, like many other customs, remains strong today and Iñupiaq people continue to hunt and utilize tradition foods and clothing. However, their life styles have greatly changed since contact with Europeans. Today, Iñupiaq people have a strong economic base in western society, and have homes, cars, education similar to that of other Americans.

The Inupiaq are one of the few indigenous people presently continuing to hunt whales. Whales spend the winters further south in the Pacific, and then come to the Arctic Ocean in the summer, when food is plentiful. Before contact with Europeans, Inupiaq people built boats of walrus skin on wooden frames. There are no trees in this part of the world, however enough drift wood was available for boat building.

A whale hunt traditionally involved much cooperation between hunters. Several boats would hunt together and if one crew harpooned a whale, the others would come and help. If a whale was killed, the captain and the crew of the boat that first struck the whale received choice parts of it. Everyone in the community helped divide and share the whale. Today, the Iñupiaq use outboard motors and explosive harpoon heads although some still prefer skin boats, because aluminum and fiberglass are too noisy.