Traditional Iñupiaq wellness practices — healing through culture, land and community

Iñupiaq values and teachings hold deep wisdom for keeping individuals and communities well. Whether it is through time on the land, connecting with Elders, practicing subsistence, or embracing cultural values like aviktuaqatigiigñiq (sharing with others), these traditions support strong minds and hearts. The NSB Health & Social Services wellness guide lists examples of Iñupiaq wellness practices: spending time outside on the tundra or sea ice; preparing traditional foods with family; sewing, beading or carving; attending cultural events, singing, dance or drumming; storytelling with Elders; teaching youth how to be safe, skilled and respectful hunters; practicing forgiveness and gratitude; and fishing, hunting and subsistence activities. Sometimes the best way to care for our emotional health is through expression, reflection and connection with traditions, on your own, with family, or as part of a healing journey. For parents and families, the guide describes the Positive Indian Parenting curriculum, which reconnects Native families with traditional child-rearing practices, blending timeless cultural teachings with modern parenting challenges to nurture strong families, preserve traditions and empower future generations. The guide also notes that the North Slope Borough School District grounds student wellness in Iluaġniq, balancing the physical, spiritual, social, cultural and emotional domains of the whole child through Iñupiaq values. (Source: North Slope Borough Health & Social Services resource guide.)