Yuuyaraq: The Way of the Human Being

by Harold Napoleon, Eric Madsen (Editor)

Societies acquire scars from war, economic crises, environmental disasters or, as Harold Napoleon tells us, from epidemics. Afflicted by epidemics and their consequences from the 1770s until the 1940s, Alaska Natives are still feeling traumatic effects in the form of alcoholism, suicide and violence. The wholeness of a society that maintained health and vigor for thousands of years was broken by the Great Death and has not been repaired by anti-poverty programs, welfare, government-sponsored health and education programs, or prohibition laws. Through bitter experience, Napoleon, a Yupik Eskimo, has acquired clarity in understanding the roots and tenacity of these problems, articulating them clearly and powerfully. But more than this, he offers a message of hope pointing the way toward cultural revitalization that can begin now. The steps in the journey to reclaiming health and well-being depends on communicating the sorrow and loss and embracing a new way of thinking about the problem. While there is much work to be done, this work shows a way that individuals and villages can transform the Great Death into new life.

Napoleon’s narrative is followed by commentaries from elders and academics concerned with understanding and overcoming the challenges that Alaska Natives face today.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Historical, Psychology, School, Sociology, Biography

66 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1991

Reviews

[Myra Scholze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe the most impactful book I read in 2019. If you're in Alaska, make this your first read of 2020.

[Haniye safarpour · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how the writer explained the problem, found the roots, and gave recommendations to solve it. Although there are lots of questions in my mind (because of lack of information) that I need to find their answers.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book an amazing read for an Alaskan

[Meredith Katzenberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful. Moving. Beautiful picture of grace and hope for a people who are hurting and suffering.

[Linnea Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone who lives in Alaska must read

[Alex Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sombering read that is still very relevant now, close to 30 years later. In this essay, Napoleon provides some historical context on how the cultural decline of the Yup'ik people and other Alaskan tribes stems from the initial arrival of colonizers and their diseases, culminating in the devastating influenza outbreak of the early 1900s. The after-effects of this epidemic among the population and their descendants have resulted in what can be considered a spiritual drought, contributing to severe increases in depression, alcoholism and substance abuse in their community.

While there are many other books on this subject, Napoleon's insight comes from his own personal experience working closely with members of his tribe and his own battles with alcoholism-- he penned this essay during the fifth year of his incarceration, serving time for causing the death of his son. Although it is a painful history, he ends the essay with a message of hope, that there is a path forward, as long as the community is able to unite as one, maintain self-government, and create an open environment (referred to as a Talking Circle) for elders and children alike to discuss their past, present and future.

Highly recommend this quick read to anyone interested in learning more about a small facet of native Alaskan culture and the great sadness that so many tribes experience to this day.

[Alexander Moriarty]

Reading this book, an essay also titled "Yuuyaraq: The Way of the Human Being," and a collection of commentary/essays on the title essay by various Native writers and teachers, was a very good glimpse/first introduction into the "why" behind the need for Native folks (specifically, Alaska Native peoples) to individually & collectively reclaim their own cultural, linguistic, and spiritual heritage(s) for the healing of themselves, their communities, and the world at large from the ravages of racism, colonialism, and the legacies of these harmful practices imposed on them and their culture by outsiders.

It is also a handbook on organizing principles for creating programs that help AK Native people bring their own healing practices to their own communities, rather than having non-helpful (or actively harmful) programs imposed on them from outside, which do not understand the shifts that individual people and the cultural practices as a whole have been through.

It is also a case study of the effectiveness of some of the early 90's efforts to use the organizing principles espoused in the book in actual Native-led, Native-focused, Native-created programs.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very short book. But it says so much. The man found for himself the Truth. The man wrote out a plan of action, for individuals and community. He is so right. Not one of his people spoke against it. All agreed.

I have read one review that mentions a thing that this man did and went to jail for. But can he truly be judged by this system or anyone of this system, that destroyed a whole land of people and nature? When this system has ways more horrific for all times than what this man did in an instance that was ultimately created by the system?

This man walked through hell to bring this message to the people.

It takes a man of great strength and power to do what he has done in life, to bring the Gift of this message out into the light. May he be Honored. May the power be with the people to receive this Gift and recognize the Truth and be Healed.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have recently moved to Alaska and have been burning inside with questions about the hurt and pain I see within the native communities here. Harold Napoleon tells his own story as well as the story of his people. He gets to the root of the pain of the Yupiit beginning with the Great Death in 1900. He explains that the death was really a spiritual one even though from the surface some may just see it as a physical one. It is such an important read for understanding not only the Alaska natives but also similar minority/majority conflicts and colonialism around the world. In the commentaries one scholar compares the Maori people of New Zealand with the Yupiit and it was really eye-opening to see some of the similarities and differences.

[Alyssandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a thought-provoking book. I read it as part of a required reading list for a university class, and I found that the essays in the back were definitely one of the most helpful parts of this publication. Napoleon murdered his own son and that's why he ended up in prison, which made it very difficult for me to sympathize with the author. It is a beautiful story of healing though, considering the fact that Napoleon is able to write this and become a more whole person through his life.

[Marlo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written essay that fosters active thinking and understanding. A brief history of the Yup'ik tribe of Alaska and a thought provoking proposition for healing their past and present afflictions. His own devastating tale inspired Napoleon's reflective look at the historical, psychological and spiritual factors involved in alcohol abuse in his own village as well as in many other Alaska Native tribes.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a re-read, so it felt very familiar the second time around. The facts of generational trauma, of Alaska Native culture suffering the loss of a full generation of elders due to disease, has profound effects on Alaska and its people. I appreciated the comments by the Maori reviewers.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very insightful, thoughtful, and honest reflection on Alaska Native collective trauma. The commentary by experts at the end was also meaningful and helpful for context.

[Callie Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basically essential reading if you want to begin to understand Alaska but it has wider applicability too and is well-written.

[Löki Gale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to give this book four stars, but I hesitate. I found Yuuyaraq to provide a unique and critical insight into many social problems experienced by Alaska and could, in many ways, be generalizable to a larger audience. I think it was the assessments and critiques at the end of the book that made me hesitate to the give the book 4 stars ad I found them to not really add anything to the discussion, but instead simply agree. I was hoping for more discussion.

[Brent Ranalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

(1) A moving personal story, (2) a compelling argument about the cultural dislocation the "great dying" from European diseases had on Alaskan natives (like other indigenous peoples) several generations ago, and (3) a call for natives to talk openly about this painful subject, as a way to begin healing the despair, substance abuse, violence, and dependence that characterizes native communities today. A short, well-written, and thought-provoking read, highly recommended.

[Astrila · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really an interested paper. I never thought about how all those epidemics in the past really affected the Native cultures. I'm not sure if I agree with all of the rights he had listed, that will require a lot of thought. But overall, it's really an eyeopener.

[Jessbop · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one man's idea of how the Great Death and its' aftermath largely contributed to current state of Alaska Native peoples. Harold discusses many aspects of Alaska Native peoples life and history. It is a good first person perspective not heard in mainstream history textbooks.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a worthwhile read for outsiders that may find themselves working with Alaska Native populations. Napoleon has had time to reflect upon the cultural situation and he shares his thoughts, both the causes and paths forward. The commentary helps to provide a larger contextualization of the issues by framing them from different perspectives.