The Inupiat and Development: How Do They Mix?

Abstract

One hundred and fifty years ago, the North Slope Inupiat organized their way of life around caribou, seal, bowhead whale, and other prey. After successive developments brought commercial whalers, missionaries, traders, military personnel, government administrators, and, most recently, the oil industry to the North Slope, the traditional Inupiat way of life has changed dramatically, but it has not disappeared. It is also clear that the development activities themselves account for only part of the story. The Inupiat have made a substantial impact on their own society, and it is the interaction between external and internal forces that make the North Slope a fascinating lesson in regional, social, and economic change.