Reflections on the Significance of Names in Inupiaq and Sugpiaq Traditions

Creators and Contributors Berlin Ethnological Museum (Contributor)
Chugach Alaska Corporation (Contributor)
Chugach Heritage Foundation (Contributor)
Chugachmiut (Contributor)
Dawn Randazzo (Contributor)
Deborah McMullen (Contributor)
John F.C. Johnson (Contributor)

Summary Dawn Randazzo describes receiving her name Alqaq, meaning “older sister,” and her Inupiaq name, which was given by her grandmother’s younger sister. She explains the Inupiaq belief that an individual takes on characteristics of the person whose name they receive. Deborah McMullen and others echo a similar understanding within Sugpiaq communities, emphasizing the weight and familial significance of names. John Johnson shares a story about an ancestor who was stabbed in the ribs for evading a village ritual of jumping into the ocean; after that name was passed on, a child was born with a mark on their side in the same place the ancestor was injured. Johnson underscores the deep connections between generations carried through names.