Introduction to the Iñupiat
Over the centuries the Iñupiat Eskimos built a lifestyle and developed a unique culture in harmony with the harsh environment of the Arctic, a culture found nowhere else on earth. The traditional hunt for the bowhead whale and the activities involved in preparing for the hunt are central to the Iñupiat lifestyle and binds families, elders, youth and communities together. It sustains and perpetuates the culture both physically and spiritually.

No other subsistence activity exists in any of the traditional whaling villages with roots so deeply embedded in preparation for or in celebration of a successful hunt. The importance of the bowhead whale to the Iñupiat culture cannot and should not be understated. The Iñupiat way of life is dependent upon this greatest of creatures.

Draft Mission Statement/Goals of the Iñupiat Heritage Center
The Iñupiat Heritage Center will provide a place where the language and knowledge of the Inupiaq people can be passed on to all North Slope residents. The philosophical foundation of the Heritage Center is based on the ancient qargi or community house, where many community activities traditionally took place. The Heritage Center will provide activities for the collection, preservation and exhibition of historical materials, art objects and scientific displays.

Goals

1. To preserve, maintain and revitalize the use of the Inupiaq language;
   
   
2. To serve as a repository for artifacts and other cultural material for all villages of the North Slope, facilitating the procurement, creation and display of traveling exhibits to and from these villages;
   
   
3. To assume the role of qargi through which we shall strengthen the Inupiaq traditions;
   
   
4. To foster appreciation of the Iñupiat way of life through education and outreach, presenting information from an Inupiat perspective and world view;
   
   
5. To create an atmosphere in which the Inupiaq way of life is cherished and sustained by gathering and preserving the traditional knowledge an the material culture unique to the Inupiat of the North Slope;
   
   
6. To preserve and perpetuate traditional activities by providing a dedicated place to practice and perform those traditional activities;
   
   
7. To nurture, support and provide a base for comprehensive research which broadens and strengthens the knowledge of the Inuit culture, both local an circumpolar; and
   
   
8. To preserve and perpetuate Inupiaq art through support of Inupiaq art through support of Inupiaq artists their work.

For more information contact:
Inupiat Heritage Center
The Iñupiat History Language and Culture Commission (IHLC)


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