Arctic

Inupiat

~20,000Inupiaq, EnglishSince 1000 CE

About the Inupiat People

The Inupiat of Alaska's Arctic coast are sea ice people whose lifeways revolve around bowhead whale hunts, caribou, and communal drumming that sustain villages across the tundra.

Cultural Traditions

Whaling Festivals

Inupiaq Drumming

Caribou Hunting

Seal Skin Crafting

Historical Timeline

1972

North Slope Borough home rule strengthens local governance

1977

Trans-Alaska Pipeline begins operations across Iñupiat lands

1980

ANILCA protects subsistence rights and Arctic homelands