Uyaquaa

The short film portrays the remarkable achievements of Uyaquaa, a Yup’ik man who understood the value of language and identity. He invented and perfected the Yup’ik orthography, which was a significant step in turning a spoken language into a written form. Uyaquaa, being the son of a shaman, was initially opposed to Christianity and advocated for the return to native beliefs. However, his religious beliefs changed after the arrival of Moravian missionaries in Bethel, who believed in learning the language and wearing the clothing of the native people while spreading the word of God.
Despite his belief that speaking and thinking like a white man was unacceptable, Uyaquaa saw the importance of supporting Yup’ik literacy. He wanted them to be able to read and discover God’s word for themselves. The film depicts Uyaquaa’s significant contribution to the Yup’ik community, which helped preserve their language and identity.

Workshop Info

In this professional development course, educators received comprehensive support to engage students in documentary filmmaking. Participants learned how to utilize primary sources from the Library of Congress and incorporated local resources such as Elder interviews, artifacts, photos, and documents. This training equipped teachers with the tools to create enriching, historically grounded educational experiences through the art of documentary filmmaking.

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Land Acknowledgement

This video was filmed on Yup'ik/Cup'ik Land. Learn more about land acknowledgements at native-land.ca.