Helen Marrs

My Yupik Counting Book: Counting to "10" in Yupik Helen Marrs

Sharing "My Yupik Counting Book" with children (in or out of a classroom) is a great way to introduce a piece of Alaskan Native culture to inquiring minds. While reading and counting in Yupik, children will love the charming artwork depicting Alaskan Wildlife. Polar bears, reindeer and otters (among other critters) grace the pages of this unique book. As a teaching tool, get your map of Alaska out and let the kids know most Yupik people live in small villages along the Bering Sea and the lower Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers. Many Yupik people still speak the Yupik language. There are many dialects in the language. The same word can have different meanings between villages, but the most common language is called Central Yupik. About a third of the Yupik children learn Central Yupik as their first language.