Yup’ik Seal Hunters: Lessons in Subsistence on the Tundra

MAC McCARTHY

Abstract:
Subsistence hunting for marine mammals and sea birds is widely practiced by the Yup’ik people who reside on the west coast of Alaska. The practice not only culturally ties these indigenous people to their land but also provides them with a slim margin of freedom from the pressures of a growing cash economy. This article presents the subsistence lifestyle through the eyes of these hunters.