Half a hundred tiny villages, each populated by between 100 and 500 Yupik Eskimo, lie spread along the coast of western Alaska between the mouths of the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers. First appearances convey isolation and austerity, with man pitted against a cold and inhospitable environn1ent. However, the Yupik area is actually the home of a people committed to harvesting a tremendous natural bounty, including sea and land mammals, birds, and a variety of fish. Thanks to relatively late contact with outsiders and infrequent economic intrusions, it remains one of the most culturally vital areas in Alaska, where English is still the second ...