Cultural History of Bering Strait Shared Through Yupik Storytelling

Submitted by Carla Browning
Phone: (907) 474-7778
10/09/03

A collection of stories first told by Yupik-speaking people on the Russian side of the Bering Strait has been published by the Alaska Native Language Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

"Ungipaghaghlanga: Let Me Tell A Story" includes 35 ancient tales that illustrate the linguistic and cultural heritage that Siberian Yupiks in Russia share with their relatives on Alaska's St. Lawrence Island. Although now separated by an international border, people of the Bering Strait recognize a shared history of hunting, trade and intermarriage.

The stories were originally written down by Russian linguist and teacher G.A. Menovshchikov in the Cyrillic alphabet. Christopher Koonooka of Gambell carefully transliterated them into the Latin-letter alphabet to make them readable for St. Lawrence Island Yupiks and then translated them into English.

"The result is a beautiful book of rich Yupik oral folklore," said Tom Alton, ANLC editor. "The introduction, written by professor of Yupik Steven Jacobson, provides essential background on the Siberian Yupik language, giving readers a greater understanding and appreciation for Menovshchikov's and Koonooka's work."

On an accompanying audio CD, Koonooka reads six of the stories in his Native Yupik. The book is illustrated by artists Jeffery Apatiki and Percy Avugiak.

Koonooka is a 1995 graduate of UAF's Rural Alaska Honors Institute (RAHI) and a 2002 graduate of UAF with a bachelor's degree in Yupik Eskimo and a minor in anthropology. The book and CD set is available from ANLC for $26.

Listen to a sample from Story of the Butterfly.

Listen to a sample from Story of the People.

Note to editors: These .mp3 files are available for download at http://www.uaf.edu/news/download/releaseaudio/Yupik/

CONTACT: Tom Alton, Alaska Native Language Center (907) 474-6577 or by e-mail at fyanlp@uaf.edu , or Carla Browning, public information officer at (907) 474-7778 or carla.browning@uaf.edu or visit the ANLC website www.uaf.edu/anlc/publications.html for more information.

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