THIS IS OUR SCHOOL, THE LARGEST BUILDING IN THE VILLAGE. NOTICE THAT THERE ARE NO ROADS, BUT THERE ARE BOARD WALKS CONNECTING ALL THE HOUSES AND BUILDINGS.

Bashful No Longer : An Alaskan Eskimo Ethnohistory, 1778-1988 (Civilization of the American Indian, Vol 199) by Wendell H. Oswalt. Hardcover (March 1990) Univ of Oklahoma Pr (Trd); ISBN: 0806122560

Traces the change of the Kuskokwim Eskimos of southwestern Alaska from an ethic of modesty and deference to one of self-assertion in response to the aggressive behavior of first Russian, and then American traders and settlers. Oswalt (anthropology, UCLA) augments his field work with Russian-American company records; writings of missionaries, traders, and explorers; and newspaper accounts. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

I found this book to be facinating, but visually lacking. I mean much of what the author writes about is very difficult to imagine, but it is packed with interesting history of southwestern Alaska. It give a pretty objective picture of the difficulties that Yup'ik people are having and the complicated web of reasons leading to the problems.

Eskimo About Bering Strait by Edward William Nelson. ASIN: 087474671X

This book is out of print now, but used copies are available for around $30. It is an excellent study of the Eskimo peoples of western Alaska in the 1800's. Nelson traveled extensively and wrote about the people he met, their life styles, cultures, religions, and he includes many photo plates of the people, their homes, clothing, decorations, and the tools and weapons that they made and used. It gave me a very real sense of how much change the Eskimo have gone through in such a relatively short time.

Bethel; The First 100 Years by Mary Lenz and James H. Barker

Libraray of Congress Catalog Card Number 85-073911. I do not think this book is still in print and I have no idea where it can be purchased, but it is an excellent book about the history of Bethel and the lower Kuskokwim area including many historical photos. This is a "must have" for anyone interested in the history of the Yup'ik Eskimo and the lower Kuskokwim River area.

The Akulmiut: Territorial Dimensions Of A Yup'ik Eskimo Society by Elizabeth F. Andrews. Technical Paper No. 177, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Subsistence, Juneau, Alaska. May 1989.

This over 500 page research manual has just about everything there is to know about Nunapitchuk, the other Akulmiut villages of Kasigluk and Atmautluk including maps with Yup'ik place names on them. It is very dry reading, but at the same time very informative. The emphasis is on types, amounts, and locations of resources traditionally used for subsistence by the Akulmiut peoples. We have a copy in our library. I do not know where else a copy could be found or purchased.