Siberian Yupik Language: Moving Onwards

Gambell, AlaskaSt. Lawrence Island Yup'ik Land

A film by Janine Banguanga

Yupigestun or Siberian Yupik language is spoken by more or less 1000 people of St. Lawrence Island. About 90 percent of the people on the island still speak the language. Through this video, I would like to help preserve the language and be known to other parts of the world. With the vast changing technologies of today, I want the younger generation to appreciate the language that they have, because language is a gem and it should be preserved. I also strongly encourage the people on the Island to use the language through my students by using it daily in songs and games, or even through writing more poems and stories in Yupik.

This film was created at See Stories’ Professional Development Retreat for Educators in Homer Alaska, in June 2024 as part of the Digital Storytelling as a Culturally Responsive Teaching Tool course.

Lesson Plans

Siberian Yupik Language

Yupigestun or Siberian Yupik language is spoken by more or less 1000 people on St. Lawrence Island. About 90 percent […]

Classroom Guide

Essential Questions

What is your contribution in the goal of preserving the Siberian Yupik language?
How are you going to encourage or motivate others to preserve the language?
In what ways are you going to establish a strong foundation to the youth when it comes to language preservation despite the gen z’s use of technology

Standards

Alaska State Standards A student should understand that history is a record of human experiences that links the past to the present and the future. A student who meets the content standard should: 1) understand chronological frameworks for organizing historical thought and place significant ideas, institutions, people, and events within time sequences; 2) know that the interpretation of history may change as new evidence is discovered;
Alaska Cultural Standards Culturally Knowledgeable students demonstrate an awareness and appreciation of the relationships and processes of interaction of all elements in the world around them. Students who meet this cultural standard can: 1) recognize and build upon the interrelationships that exist among the spiritual, natural, and human realms in the world around them, as reflected in their own cultural traditions and beliefs as well as those of others;

Resources

Workshop Info

These films were created at See Stories' Professional Development Retreat for Educators in Homer Alaska, in June 2024 as part of the Digital Storytelling as a Culturally Responsive Teaching Tool course.