Each year, students at Shishmaref School trade in their textbooks for hands-on learning during Inupiaq Days-a week-long celebration that helps nearly 200 students connect with their cultural heritage.
Throughout the week, students take part in activities like singing, drumming, sewing, and traditional skills passed down through generations. Elders took turns singing traditional songs in both Inupiaq and English, while the children sheepishly joined in.
“They’re learning how to do traditional ways of life,” Josie Weyiouanna, an elder from Shishmaref said. “If they go hunting in the land to get our caribou, our reindeer, our fish, they need to learn how to camp. We need to bring back the traditions hands on, and that’s very important.”
In one classroom turned woodshop, students sawed thin strips of wood to make their own fish hooks, which they used later in the week for ice fishing.
Across the hall, another group learned to sew vespuks: bright, floral cotton vests – with help from Autumn Barr of Shishmaref and Maggie Miller of Nome.
Inupiaq Days continue to be a meaningful tradition in Shishmaref, reminding students of the strength and beauty of their culture. Nearby villages like Golovin and Gambell also hold similar week-long celebrations.
