Igiugig has cultural influences from our elders, and the ever-changing world we are in today. Dances, traditions, and stories have been collected and documented to further our knowledge of our history.
In this new century, old and new are converging, making our village one that rides between two ways of life. Living between two worlds, the villagers of Igiugig know both about their history and culture and the technological world we live in today. Our culture and history are passed down from our elders, through stories and experiences shared with the younger generations.
Subsistence is the practice of hunting, fishing, or gathering food to live on (not to resell), and is practiced by almost all the residents of Igiugig. Fishing for red salmon and gathering berries in the summer as well as hunting caribou or moose in the fall and winter constitute the primary subsistence activities of the village. In the past, our elders survived primarily on subsistence hunting and fishing, spending summers in Igiugig at the fish camp; tracking caribou in the fall.
Summers today are spent setting out the net to catch sockeye swimming up to spawning locations. It is not unusual to see the elders of Igiugig surrounded by the younger generations, eager to learn the old ways.
Igiugig is one of many villages that hold onto the old Yup’ik language. Communication between the elders is mostly in Yup’ik. Persons in Igiugig have a thirst of this language, and many adults can understand when elders talk amongst each other, but they have little knowledge of speaking it.
Stories from elders such as Mary Olympic, Mike Andrew, and Georgie Wilson tell us more about how they grew up. As a child, Mary Olympic and her family lived in Kukaklek and traveled to Igiugig for the summers. On clear days, she can see the mountains she lived near as a young girl. Mike Andrew grew up in Branch River and shares his stories of hunting and fishing. Georgie Wilson trapped as a young man and still does today.
Our culture and way of life is taught to us by the elders and by the ever changing lives we lead, but we still know where we came from and how we got here.
