An index to the Indigenous peoples of Alaska. Start here, then follow the links to each people and every major topic.
By Raven SiJohn, alaskan-natives.com. I have spent years traveling to Native American powwows and gatherings around the country, selling traditional crafts and supplies alongside tribal members and fellow enthusiasts.
"Alaska Native" peoples are the Indigenous nations of Alaska, and they are not one single culture. They belong to about eleven major cultural groups, speak 20 official Native languages, and make up roughly 229 federally recognized tribes. That is more tribes than any other state in the country. This page is your starting point. It gives a short overview of each people and each major topic, then points you to fuller articles.
Who are the Alaska Native peoples?
Alaska Native is an umbrella term for the Indigenous peoples whose homelands lie within Alaska. It covers many distinct nations, each with its own language, art, and way of life. More than 180,000 people are enrolled in Alaska tribes today, so this is a living, present-day story, not something left in the past.
A note on names. Use the specific people's name when you can, such as Iñupiat, Yup'ik, or Tlingit. Many Alaska Natives consider the old blanket word "Eskimo" outdated or offensive. "Alaska Native" and "Indigenous" work well as general terms.
It helps to picture five broad regions: the Arctic north, the southwest coast and delta, the southcentral coast and Aleutian Islands, the vast interior, and the southeast panhandle. Each region shaped the peoples who lived there. The sections below follow that order.
Who lives in the Arctic north?
The Iñupiat are the people of Alaska's Arctic coast and far north, in towns such as Utqiaġvik and across the North Slope and Northwest Arctic. Whaling is central to Iñupiat life. Crews still hunt the bowhead whale in skin boats called umiaks, and a whole community shares the catch. Families also rely on seal, walrus, caribou, and fish, and the practice of sharing food across the village remains a core value.
After a successful spring hunt comes Nalukataq, the whaling festival, famous for its blanket toss made from sewn seal skins. On St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea live the St. Lawrence Island Yupik, who share deep family and language ties with Native peoples across the water in Russia. Their ivory carving is known worldwide.
Who lives in the southwest delta?
The Yup'ik people live across the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in southwest Alaska. Central Alaskan Yup'ik has more speakers than any other Alaska Native language, so you will still hear it spoken in homes and villages every day.
Yup'ik culture is known for carved ceremonial masks and for Yuraq, a lively form of group dance and song. Along the Nunivak Island area and nearby villages, the closely related Cup'ik people keep their own dialect and traditions. Salmon fishing and other subsistence harvests remain central to daily life through the year.
Who lives along the southcentral coast and the Aleutians?
The Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) people live around Kodiak Island, Prince William Sound, and the Alaska Peninsula. They were skilled sea mammal hunters, and Russian contact in the 1700s changed the region in lasting ways, including the Russian Orthodox faith many families hold today. The Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak is a strong place to learn more.
Farther out along the Aleutian chain live the Unangax̂ (Aleut) people. They built fast skin kayaks called iqyax and wore beautifully painted bentwood hunting hats. During World War II, the U.S. government forced many Unangax̂ from their island homes into hard camps, a history their communities still carry.
Who lives in the interior?
The Athabascan peoples, who often call themselves Dene, live across Alaska's huge interior, along the great rivers such as the Yukon and the Tanana. They are not one group but many, speaking eleven related Athabascan languages in Alaska alone, including Gwich'in, Koyukon, Dena'ina, and Ahtna.
Interior families lived by hunting moose and caribou, fishing the rivers, and traveling with the seasons. They moved by snowshoe and dog team in winter and traded goods over long distances, including the glass beads that later filled their artwork. Athabascan artists became known for delicate floral beadwork on tanned moosehide, along with birchbark baskets and fur clothing made for deep cold. Potlatch gatherings still mark important moments in community life.
Who lives in the southeast panhandle?
Alaska's southeast is home to the peoples of the Northwest Coast, known for towering totem poles and bold formline art. The Tlingit are the largest of these nations. Tlingit society is matrilineal and organized into two halves, the Raven and the Eagle, with clans that own crests, songs, and stories passed down with great care.
The Haida people live mainly on Prince of Wales Island and are famous for monumental canoes, carved poles, and fine argillite carving. The Tsimshian community centers on Metlakatla, on Annette Island, the only Indian reservation in Alaska. The Eyak people of the Copper River delta are working hard to bring back their language after the last first-language speaker passed in 2008.
How are Alaska Native communities governed today?
Most Alaska Natives do not live on reservations. In 1971, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, or ANCSA, changed how land and money were handled. Instead of creating reservations, it set up Native-owned corporations. Annette Island remains the single exception.
ANCSA conveyed about 44 million acres of land and roughly $962.5 million to these corporations. It created 12 regional corporations inside the state, plus a 13th for Alaska Natives living elsewhere, and more than 200 village corporations. These corporations manage land and resources and pay dividends to their Alaska Native shareholders. You will not find this arrangement anywhere else in the country. You can read a fuller explanation on the ANCSA overview page.
Alongside the corporations, roughly 229 federally recognized tribes handle self-government at the community level. The Alaska Federation of Natives is the largest statewide Native organization, and its yearly convention draws leaders and families together each fall.
Are Alaska Native languages still spoken?
Yes. Twenty Alaska Native languages are now official languages of the state, alongside English, thanks to House Bill 216, signed in 2014. Alaska was the second state after Hawaii to give Indigenous languages that legal standing.
The health of each language varies a great deal. Some, such as Central Alaskan Yup'ik, still have many speakers. Others have very few fluent elders left. In 2018 the governor declared a state emergency for Native languages, and communities run immersion schools, apps, and mentor programs to raise new speakers. You can explore this further on the Alaska Native languages page.
What art and crafts come from Alaska Native cultures?
Alaska Native art varies widely by region and people. The southeast is known for formline design, totem poles, and woven Chilkat and Ravenstail robes. The Yup'ik carved expressive masks. Iñupiat and St. Lawrence Island artists carved walrus ivory, and Athabascan and interior artists sewed dazzling glass-bead florals onto hide.
You can learn the traditions behind these pieces on the Alaska Native art guide, the totem poles and formline article, and the Native beadwork guide.
If seeing this work makes you want to try beadwork or hide sewing yourself, we supply the raw materials for it. We are not tribal artisans. We sell beads, hides, feathers, and tools so you can make your own pieces, and you can find them at NativeCrafts.us.
How can you respectfully learn about Alaska Native cultures?
The best way is to learn directly from Alaska Native people and the places they run. The Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage, the Sealaska Heritage Institute in Juneau, and the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak all share culture on the community's own terms.
Public gatherings welcome respectful visitors too. Sealaska's Celebration brings thousands of Northwest Coast dancers to Juneau every two years, and many villages hold festivals and dances through the year. When you buy art, look for the state's Silver Hand seal, which marks work made by Alaska Native artists. Buying direct keeps your money with the artists. You can find more ideas on the visiting and cultural etiquette page.
Frequently asked questions
How many Alaska Native tribes are there?
Alaska has about 229 federally recognized tribes, more than any other state. They range across the Arctic, the interior, the southwest delta, the Aleutians, and the southeast. Alaska Natives make up a larger share of their state's population than Indigenous people in any other state.
Is it okay to say "Eskimo"?
Many Alaska Natives view "Eskimo" as outdated or offensive, so it is best avoided. Use the specific people's name when you know it, such as Iñupiat or Yup'ik. When you need a general term, "Alaska Native" or "Indigenous" is respectful and widely accepted.
Do Alaska Natives live on reservations?
Mostly no. The 1971 ANCSA law created Native-owned corporations instead of reservations, so land is held in a very different way than in the Lower 48. Annette Island, home to the Tsimshian community of Metlakatla, is the only reservation in Alaska.
Are the languages really still spoken?
Yes, though many are endangered. Twenty Alaska Native languages hold official state status. A few remain strong, while others have only a handful of fluent elders. Immersion schools and language programs are working to raise a new generation of speakers.
How do I buy authentic Alaska Native art?
Look for the Silver Hand seal, a state program that certifies art made by Alaska Native artists. Buy from the artist, a tribal cultural center, or a trusted gallery when you can. That keeps the money and the credit with the people who created the work.
Start exploring
Alaska Native cultures reward slow, curious learning. Each people below has its own page, and each major topic, such as language, art, and history, has its own guide. Use this index as your starting point and follow the links that interest you.
I have spent years at powwows and gatherings, selling supplies beside Native artists and hearing their stories firsthand. Everything I share here comes from that real experience, rather than research alone. If you make your own crafts, you will find the beads, hides, and materials to get started at NativeCrafts.us.
Raven SiJohn, alaskan-natives.com