Template:Short description Template:For Template:Main other {{#invoke:infobox|infoboxTemplate | bodyclass = vcard

| titleclass = fn org | title = {{#if:Siberian Yupik|Siberian Yupik|Template:PAGENAMEBASE}}

| aboveclass = nickname | abovestyle = font-size:115%; font-weight:normal;

| above = {{#if:Юпик, йупигыт |

Юпик, йупигыт

}}

| image1 = {{#invoke:InfoboxImage|InfoboxImage |upright=|image=|alt=|border={{#ifeq:no|||yes}}}} | caption1 =

| image2 = {{#invoke:InfoboxImage|InfoboxImage |upright=|alt=|image={{#if:|{{{rawimage}}}|Siberian-eskimo-Nabogatova-.PNG }} }} | caption2 = A Siberian Yupik woman holding walrus tusks, photo by Nabogatova

| headerstyle = background-color:#b0c4de; color:inherit; | labelstyle = font-weight:normal;

| header1 = {{#if:Template:Circa 2,828 |Total population}}

| data2 = Template:Circa 2,828 {{#if:|(Template:Comma separated entries)}} {{#if: | (including those of ancestral descent)}} | label3 = {{#switch: |census = (census) |estimate|est = (est.) }} | data3 = | label4 = {{#switch: |census = (census) |estimate|est = (est.) }} | data4 = | label5 = {{#switch: |census = (census) |estimate|est = (est.) }} | data5 =

| header6 = {{#if:Chukotka in the Russian Far East, St. Lawrence Island in AlaskaRussia:

| data7 = Chukotka in the Russian Far East, St. Lawrence Island in Alaska | header8 = | data9 =

| label11 = Russia:

| data11 = 1,728<ref name="пер.2010">Официальный сайт Всероссийской переписи населения 2010 года. Информационные материалы об окончательных итогах Всероссийской переписи населения 2010 года</ref> | label12 = United States:

  • Alaska

| data12 = 1,100 | label13 = | data13 = | label14 = | data14 = | label15 = | data15 = | label16 = | data16 = | label17 = | data17 = | label18 = | data18 = | label19 = | data19 = | label20 = | data20 = | label21 = | data21 = | label22 = | data22 = | label23 = | data23 = | label24 = | data24 = | label25 = | data25 = | label26 = | data26 = | label27 = | data27 = | label28 = | data28 = | label29 = | data29 = | label30 = | data30 = | label31 = | data31 = | label32 = | data32 = | label33 = | data33 = | label34 = | data34 = | label35 = | data35 = | label36 = | data36 = | label37 = | data37 = | label38 = | data38 = | label39 = | data39 = | label40 = | data40 = | label41 = | data41 = | label42 = | data42 = | label43 = | data43 = | label44 = | data44 = | label45 = | data45 = | label46 = | data46 = | label47 = | data47 = | label48 = | data48 = | label49 = | data49 = | label50 = | data50 = | label51 = | data51 = | label52 = | data52 = | label53 = | data53 = | label54 = | data54 = | label55 = | data55 = | label56 = | data56 = | label57 = | data57 = | label58 = | data58 = | label59 = | data59 = | label60 = | data60 = | header61 = {{#if:Siberian Yupik, Russian, English |Languages}} | data62 = Siberian Yupik, Russian, English | header63 = {{#if:Shamanism
Christianity (Moravian church and Russian Orthodox Church) |Religion}} | data64 = Shamanism
Christianity (Moravian church and Russian Orthodox Church) | header65 = {{#if:Alutiiq, Central Alaskan Yup'ik |Related ethnic groups}} | data66 = {{#if:Alutiiq, Central Alaskan Yup'ik |Alutiiq, Central Alaskan Yup'ik Template:Main other }}

| belowstyle = padding-top:0.5em;text-align:left;

| below = {{#if: |


{{{footnotes}}} }}

}}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox ethnic group with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y | caption | flag |flag_alt | flag_border | flag_caption | flag_upright | footnotes | genealogy | group | image |image_alt | image_caption | image_upright | langs | languages | native_name | native_name_lang | pop | pop_embed | pop1 | pop10 | pop11 | pop12 | pop13 | pop14 | pop15 | pop16 | pop17 | pop18 | pop19 | pop2 | pop20 | pop21 | pop22 | pop23 | pop24 | pop25 | pop26 | pop27 | pop28 | pop29 | pop3 | pop30 | pop31 | pop32 | pop33 | pop34 | pop35 | pop36 | pop37 | pop38 | pop39 | pop4 | pop40 | pop41 | pop42 | pop43 | pop44 | pop45 | pop46 | pop47 | pop48 | pop49 | pop5 | pop50 | pop6 | pop7 | pop8 | pop9 | popplace | population | rawimage | ref1 | ref10 | ref11 | ref12 | ref13 | ref14 | ref15 | ref16 | ref17 | ref18 | ref19 | ref2 | ref20 | ref21 | ref22 | ref23 | ref24 | ref25 | ref26 | ref27 | ref28 | ref29 | ref3 | ref30 | ref31 | ref32 | ref33 | ref34 | ref35 | ref36 | ref37 | ref38 | ref39 | ref4 | ref40 | ref41 | ref42 | ref43 | ref44 | ref45 | ref46 | ref47 | ref48 | ref49 | ref5 | ref50 | ref6 | ref7 | ref8 | ref9 | region1 | region10 | region11 | region12 | region13 | region14 | region15 | region16 | region17 | region18 | region19 | region2 | region20 | region21 | region22 | region23 | region24 | region25 | region26 | region27 | region28 | region29 | region3 | region30 | region31 | region32 | region33 | region34 | region35 | region36 | region37 | region38 | region39 | region4 | region40 | region41 | region42 | region43 | region44 | region45 | region46 | region47 | region48 | region49 | region5 | region50 | region6 | region7 | region8 | region9 | regions | related | related_groups | related-c | religions | rels | tablehdr | total | total_ref | total_source | total_year | total1 | total1_ref | total1_source | total1_year | total2 | total2_ref | total2_source | total2_year | total3 | total3_ref | total3_source | total3_year }}Template:Main other Template:IPA notice

File:Skin boat frame and moon.jpg
Frame of traditional Yupik skin boat above the west beach of Gambell, Alaska.

Siberian Yupiks, or Yuits (Template:Langx), are a Yupik people who reside along the coast of the Chukchi Peninsula in the far northeast of the Russian Federation and on St. Lawrence Island in Alaska. They speak Central Siberian Yupik (also known as Yuit), a Yupik language of the Eskimo–Aleut family of languages.

They are also known as Siberian or Eskimo (Template:Langx). The name Yuit (юит, plural: юиты) was officially assigned to them in 1931, at the brief time of the campaign of support of Indigenous cultures in the Soviet Union. Their self-designation is Yupighyt (йупигыт) meaning "true people".

Sirenik Eskimos also live in that area, but their extinct language, Sireniki Eskimo, shows many peculiarities among Eskimo languages and is mutually unintelligible with the neighboring Siberian Yupik languages.<ref name=linfranc>Menovshchikov 1990: 70</ref>

Material cultureEdit

File:Asian Siberian Yupik Eskimo map.svg
Asian/Siberian Yupik settlements (in Russia and the USA)

Traditional craftsEdit

The Siberian Yupik on St. Lawrence Island live in the villages of Savoonga and Gambell, and are widely known for their skillful carvings of walrus ivory and whale bone, as well as the baleen of bowhead whales. These even include some "moving sculptures" with complicated pulleys animating scenes such as walrus hunting or traditional dances.

DwellingEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} The winter building of Chaplino Eskimos (Ungazighmiit) was a round, dome-shaped building. It is called yaranga in the literature, the same word referring also to the similar building of the Chukchi. In the language of Chaplino Eskimos, its name was {{#invoke:IPA|main}}.<ref name=outside>Рубцова 1954: 514</ref> There was a smaller cabin inside it at its back part, the {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, used for sleeping and living. It was separated from the outer, cooler parts of the yaranga with haired reindeer skins and grass, supported by a cage-like framework. But the household works were done in the room of the yaranga in front of this inner building, and also many household utensils were kept there. In winter storms, and at night also the dogs were there. This room for economical purposes was called {{#invoke:IPA|main}}.<ref name=note>Рубцова 1954: 100–101</ref>

Other types of buildings among Chaplino Eskimos {{#invoke:IPA|main}} include a modernized type,<ref>Рубцова 1954: 518–520</ref> and {{#invoke:IPA|main}} that was used for summer.<ref>Рубцова 1954: 521</ref>

Spiritual cultureEdit

ShamanismEdit

Many Indigenous Siberian cultures had persons working as mediator (between human and beings of the belief system, among others) — usually termed as "shamans" in the literature. As Eskimo cultures were far from homogeneous (although had some similarities), thus also shamanism among Eskimo peoples had many variants.

Siberian Yupiks had shamans as well.<ref>Menovščikov 1968:442</ref><ref name=ssipr>Духовная культура (Spiritual culture) Template:Webarchive, subsection of Support for Siberian Indigenous Peoples Rights (Поддержка прав коренных народов Сибири) Template:Webarchive</ref> Compared to the variants found among Eskimo groups of America, shamanism among Siberian Yupiks stressed more the importance of maintaining good relationship with sea animals.<ref name=submit/> Ungazighmiit people (the largest of Siberian Yupik variants) had {{#invoke:IPA|main}}s, who received presents for the shamanizing, healing. This payment had a special name, {{#invoke:IPA|main}} — in their language, there were many words for the different kinds of presents and payments and this was one of them.<ref name=shamfare>Рубцова 1954:173</ref> (The many kinds of presents and the words designating them were related to the culture: fests, marriage etc.;<ref name=shamfare/> or made such fine distinctions like "thing, given to someone who has none", "thing, given, not begged for", "thing, given to someone as to anybody else", "thing, given for exchange" etc.<ref>Рубцова 1954:62</ref>).

Fighting the spirit of smallpoxEdit

The Even people, a tribe that lived on the far eastern side of Russia, believed that the spirit of smallpox could be seen as a Russian woman with red hair. A local shaman would be there to greet migrating reindeer herders (who sometimes brought the disease with them). If the shaman saw the spirit of the disease in the caravan, several shaman worked together to fight it off with a seance. Others in the tribe helped with this ritual.

Tradition says that the smallpox spirit changed from a woman to a red bull when she was attacked. The spirit of smallpox was supposed to be very powerful, and if the shaman's ritual failed, all the local people would die. The spirit would only spare two people to bury all the rest. But if the ritual worked, the spirit would be forced to leave.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Name givingEdit

Similarly to several other Indigenous cultures, the name-giving of a newborn baby among Siberian Yupik meant that a deceased person was affected, a certain rebirth was believed. Even before the birth of the baby, careful investigations took place: dreams, events were analyzed. After the birth, the baby's physical traits were compared to those of the deceased person. The name was important: if the baby died, it was thought that he/she has not given the "right" name. In case of sickness, it was hoped that giving additional names could result in healing.<ref>Burch & Forman 1988: 90</ref>

AmuletsEdit

Amulets could be manifested in many forms, and could protect the person wearing them or the entire family, and there were also hunting amulets. Some examples:

  • a head of raven hanging on the entrance of the house, functioning as a familiar amulet;<ref name="Рубцова 1954:380">Рубцова 1954:380</ref>
  • figures carved out of stone in shape of walrus head or dog head, worn as individual amulets;<ref>Рубцова 1954:380,551–552</ref>
  • hunting amulets were attached to something or worn.<ref name="Рубцова 1954:380"/> About the effigy of orca on the tools of the marine hunter,<ref name=ssipr/> see the beliefs concerning this particular marine mammal below.

Concepts regarding the animal worldEdit

The orca, wolf,<ref name=ssipr/><ref name=rubow>Рубцова 1954:156 (see tale The orphan boy with his sister)</ref><ref name=menow>Menovščikov 1968:439,441</ref> raven, spider,<ref name=menrs>Menovščikov 1968:440–441</ref> whale,<ref name=menw>Menovščikov 1968:439–440</ref><ref name=rubw>Рубцова 1954:218</ref> were revered animals. Also folklore (e.g. tale) examples demonstrate this. For example, a spider saves the life of a girl.<ref name="menrs" /><ref>Рубцова 1954, tale 13, sentences (173)–(235)</ref> The motif of spider as a benevolent personage, saving people from peril with its cobweb, lifting them up to the sky in danger, is present also in many tales of Sireniki Eskimos<ref>Меновщиков 1964: 161–162 163 (= 165)</ref> (as mentioned, their exact classification inside Eskimo peoples is not settled yet).

It was thought that the prey of the marine hunt could return to the sea and become a complete animal again. That is why they did not break the bones, only cut them at the joints.<ref>Рубцова 1954:379</ref>

Orca and wolfEdit

In the tales and beliefs of this people, wolf and orca are thought to be identical: orca can become a wolf or vice versa. In winter, they appear in the form of wolf, in summer, in the form of orca.<ref name=ssipr/><ref name=submit>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=rubow/><ref name=menow/> Orca was believed to help people in hunting on the sea — thus the boat represented the image of this animal, and the orca's wooden representation hang also from the hunter's belt.<ref name=ssipr/> Also small sacrifices could be given to orcas: tobacco was thrown into the sea for them, because they were thought to help the sea hunter in driving walrus.<ref name=radio>Template:In lang A radio interview with Russian scientists about Eskimos</ref> It was believed that the orca was a help of the hunters even if it was in the guise of wolf: this wolf was thought to force the reindeer to allow itself to be killed by the hunters.<ref name=submit/>

WhaleEdit

It is thought that during the hunt, only those who have been selected by the spirit of the sea could kill the whale. The hunter has to please the killed whale: it must be treated as a guest. Just like a polite host does not leave a recently arrived dear guest alone, thus similarly, the killed whale should not be left alone by the host (i.e. by the hunter who has killed it). Like a guest, it should not get hurt or feel sad. It must be entertained (e.g. by drum music, good foods). On the next whale migration (whales migrate twice a year, in spring to the north and in the autumn back), the previously killed whale is sent off back to the sea in the course of a farewell ritual. If the killed whale was pleased to (during its being a guest for a half year), then it can be hoped that it will return later, thus the future whale hunts will succeed.<ref name=menw/><ref name=rubw/>

Celestial conceptsEdit

In a tale, the sky seems to be imagined arching as a vault. Celestial bodies form holes in it: beyond this vault, there is an especially light space.<ref>Рубцова 1954:196</ref>

See alsoEdit

Template:Portal

ReferencesEdit

CitationsEdit

Template:Reflist

BibliographyEdit

EnglishEdit

Template:Refbegin

Template:Refend

RussianEdit

Template:Refbegin

Template:Refend

Further readingEdit

  • Krupnik, Igor, and Nikolay Vakhtin. 1997. "Indigenous Knowledge in Modern Culture: Siberian Yupik Ecological Legacy in Transition". Arctic Anthropology. 34, no. 1: 236.

External linksEdit

  • Template:Cite book Tales rendered in English; the song texts both in English and in original. Large PDF file requiring considerable computation resources.
  • Template:Cite book HTML format, the original language versions of the song texts are omitted.
  • Template:Cite book Collection of 27 texts collected by Rubtsova in 1940–1941. Translated into English and edited by Vakhtin. (The English version is the last file at the bottom of the page.) Downloadable from UAF's site licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

|CitationClass=web }}

Photographs

Template:Sister project

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }} Rendering in English: Ungaziq settlement, Kunstkamera, Russian Academy of Sciences.

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }} Ungaziq is the name-giving settlement for the largest Siberian Yupik group, Ungazighmiit. Enlarged versions of the above series, select with the navigation arrows or the form.

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }} Rendering in English: Naukan settlement, Kunstkamera, Russian Academy of Sciences.

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }} Enlarged versions of the above series, select with the navigation arrows or the form.

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }} “Nita Tokoyu of Gambell, St. Lawrence Island, sews a gut parka with Kakhsogon (left) and Wiyi (right) standing by".

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }} “Yupik men wear gut parkas in this image of a St. Lawrence Island house interior, c1825".

Template:Yupik Template:Indigenous peoples of Alaska Template:Indigenous peoples of Russia Template:Authority control