I am Yup’ik

ESPN.com has just shared an excellent short film, I am Yup’ik, about the importance of basketball in remote Alaska.

As some of you know I originate from Alaska. I grew up migrating between Anchorage in the winters to attend a mainstream school, and Naknek on the western coast in the summers to commercial fish for salmon. In the winters, villagers would fly into Anchorage for the basketball tournaments. It was our chance to see our relatives from throughout the state. My father and brother-in-law would also fly back to Naknek for the regional tournaments. They played on our cousin’s team.

For Alaska Natives, basketball isn’t just a sport. It’s a way of life. The western coast of Alaska thrives on basketball.

I am Yup’ik Includes glimpses of village life and the most insightful line I’ve seen anywhere explaining what it means to be Alaska Native. It captures a core principle I was raised with as an Aleut and Inupiat, and that is central to healthy Native life. As an Alaska Native your contribution is the most important aspect of who you are. Whatever you do, “You do it for the community. You do it for the elders. You do it for the ancestors.”

The following short film, I am Yup’ik, is one of the most insightful looks at Alaska Native life I’ve seen anywhere. Enjoy!

Great thanks to ESPN.com for sharing this movie, and to those that made the film. It was healing to see.