Contact and Postcontact Iñupiat Ethnohistory

Abstract

This chapter covers the contact and postcontact period of Iñupiat history in northern and northwestern Alaska, drawing on archaeological and ethnohistorical records. The period of interest saw gradually increasing interaction with Europeans—initially Russian, and eventually British and American. In terms of archaeology, though, the contact period, and in particular the nineteenth century, is under-represented. This chapter covers the radical changes impacting Iñupiat society in terms of settlement patterns, warfare, trade, architecture, social relations, mortuary practices and the history and effects of contact with Euro-Americans. Several areas that could benefit from additional research are highlighted, including continued research on early political and social organization, as well as projects aimed at understanding early non-Native sites in the region.