IDENTITY: BORDERLESS

Yup’ik / Cup’ik / Cup’ig / Yupik

Yup’ik (with an apostrophe) is a cultural and language group of southwest Alaska. Cup’ik is the dialect of Hooper Bay and Chevak, and Cup’ig is the dialect of Nunivak Island. Yupik spelled without an apostrophe is a distinct culture and language group of St. Lawrence Island and part of the Chukchi Peninsula.

Inupiaq / Iñupiaq

The use of a tilde (Inupiaq or Iñupiaq) is often dependent on the location of the community and dialect spoken. In general, “Iñupiaq” with a tilde is used with the North Slope dialect and the Malimiut dialect of Kotzebue and the Kobuk River, but “Inupiaq” without a tilde is preferred in communities speaking the Qawiaraq dialect of the Seward Peninsula, Norton Sound, and the Bering Strait.

Athabascan

The Athabascan region in Alaska includes eleven separate language/culture groups: Ahtna, Denai’ina, Deg Xinag, Gwich’in, Han, Holikachuk, Koyukon, (Lower) Tanana, Tanacross, Upper Kuskokwim, and Upper Tanana.

Sugpiaq / Alutiiq

“Sugpiaq” is the way Native people in this area described themselves prior to Russian contact. “Alutiiq” is the way Sugpiaq people say “Aleut” in their own language. Both are used today, determined by personal preference.

Unangax̂ / Unangan / Unangas / Aleut

Russian traders brought the word “Aleut” (derived from a Siberian Native language) to describe coastal people in the North Pacific. Collectively, “Unangax̂” is the Native language term for the people of the Aleutian region. The dialect east of Atka Island uses “Unangan” and west uses “Unangas”.