Knowledge is like food: qanruyutet on change and subsistence from John Smith

Yup'ik Elder John Smith (Hooper Bay) recounts wise words (qanruyutet) about growing up during a time of rapid change in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) Delta. His oral histories include instructions (alerquutet), prohibitions (inerquutet), and cautionary tales (neq'ayarat) regarding Yup'ik subsistence practices known collectively as Yuuyaraq. Taken together, these oral histories, represent a genre of performance sometimes overlooked in contemporary scholarship that explores the role that modernization and outside contact have on indigenous subsistence practices. While John's qanruyutet discuss the plants, species, and practices of the Y-K Delta, his words - meant to be read aloud - also provide valuable insight for individuals interested in animal-human relations and posthuman performance.

Automated summary

Yup'ik Elder John Smith shares wise words about growing up in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta during a time of rapid change, including instructions, prohibitions, and cautionary tales related to Yup'ik subsistence practices. His oral histories provide insight into the impact of modernization and outside contact on indigenous subsistence practices, offering valuable lessons on animal-human relations and posthuman performance.