Shareholders and Descendants,

Each November, we proudly join the nation in celebrating Native American Heritage Month. While we honor our culture every day, this annual observance offers an opportunity to celebrate the traditions and languages that connect us with one another and our ancestors.

This year, we invite you to practice Iñupiuraġluta, speaking our traditional language. In collaboration with Josie “Tatauq” Bourdon, we created phonetic pronunciations for several Inupiaq values. We hope Shareholders and Descendants will submit videos or voice recordings of themselves and their families practicing Inupiaq. Submissions may be used in future marketing, but our primary goal is to encourage language preservation and inspire our youth to take an interest.

Shareholders and Descendants who share videos or voice memos of themselves practicing Iñupiuraġluta will be entered to win $100. Each video or audio submission equals one entry. The deadline is December 1, 2026, at 5:00 PM.

Feel free to send as many videos of yourself or your family Iñupiuraġluta as you’d like to communications@snc.org. If you know an Inupiaq value, phrase, or word you’d like to share in addition to those we’re highlighting, we’d love to hear it! Shareholders and Descendants who submit videos will be asked to complete an authorization form for future marketing use. Parents must complete the form for any youth featured in a video.

Quyana for joining us in this effort. Language is vital to our culture and serves as a direct link to our ancestors. What better way to honor them than by continuing our culture and traditions?

A special thank you again to Josie for her assistance with this important project.

If you have any questions, please email communications@snc.org or call (907) 929-7032.

INUPIAQ VALUES WE ARE SPOTLIGHTING:
“Iñupiuraġluta” 
Speaking Our Traditional Language
(In-oo-pew-rawg-loo-tah)

“Puyaunau Inupiaqtun Iłłusiq”
Pride in Culture
(Poo-yoe-no  In-oo-pee-ak-toon  ILL-oo-sik)

“Saġiknatuak Sauaq”
Hard Work
(Sag-ik-na-too-awk  Saw-awk)

“Munnakłui Kiŋunnaisi”
Commitment to the Family
(Moon-awk-LLoo-e  King-oon-nai-si)

“Nagguagiktut Ilagit”
Love of Children
(Nag-guag-ik-tut  Ee-la-git)

“Utuqannat Kammagiralui”
Respect of Elders
(Oo-too-kah-not  Ka-mah-gee-rah-loo-ee)

“Pikkaagupsi Aitturalui”
Sharing
(Pik-kah-goop-si  Ai-too-rah-loo-ee)

“Quyniuŋniq”
Humor
(Qoo-newn-nik)