We Are Yupiit

We call ourselves Yupiit, “Real People.” In our language “yuk” means “person” or “human being.” Then we add “pik”, meaning “real” or “genuine.” We are the real people.

– Paul John, Calista Elder

tangruarutvut

Our Vision

Calista Education and Culture-aam tangruarutii ciunerkamtenun Yuuyaram pinia aturluku, elluarluteng yuuluteng, picirkiuterluteng, piciyaramteggun atauciurluteng.

Calista Education and Culture envisions future generations rooted in the strength of Yuuyaraq, thriving in a world that celebrated sustainability, purpose, and cultural unity.

picirkiurarput

Our Mission

Calista’m avatiini uitalriit kevgiullrat piciryaramteggun, cumigutii eliiqurallrat, Yuuyaram elitnaurutiikun elluarlluni ciunerkaatnun.

To serve the people of the Calista region by preserving culture, empowering education, and facilitating Yuuyaraq, our traditional Way of Being, to ensure a vibrant and sustainable future.

Preserving
Culture

documenting & sharing our Way of Being

gelkurallara piciryaraput

Igatgun qelkurluki piciryaraput

Educational Empowerment

empowering our People through education & promoting self-determination

elitnaurutem cumigutellra

Ciumarluki yuut elitnaulerkaatnun

Yuuyaraq
Guidance

teaching our People the Way of Being

yuuyaraq aturluku ciuliqagluki

Igatgun qelkurluki piciryaraput

CEC strategic priorities…

Ciunerkiungnaqellerkam piiyutii…

The Symbolism of Our Logo

Blue is the color of the ocean, sky, and waters, serving Our People with marine and air resources.

Green is the color of our land, symbolizing a renewal of the seasons, the plants we harvest, and the connection to our environment.

The outer circle (blue) of our logo represents the “universe” with all that it brings. The four directions show our place in our universe, guiding us to the resources that sustain us.

The inner circle (green) is the Cauyaq (drum), representing the heartbeat of Our People and Our Ancestors. The Cauyaq brought Our People together, guided us in prayer for favorable weather, led us in celebration of the harvest, and helped us bring peace.

The center of our logo is the Qasgeq, just as it is the center of our villages. The Qasgeq is where Yuuyaraq (Our Way of Being) is shared to guide our youth and Keviq is held to gather Our People. It is the symbol of sharing knowledge, spirituality, and skills.

Caucirput // who we are

Calista Education and Culture (CEC) is a nonprofit 501c3 organization, governed by a Board of Directors and providing cultural preservation, educational empowerment, and Yuuyaraq guidance.

Igatgun qelkurluki piciryaraput, ciumarluki yuut elitnaulerkaatnun, elitnaurluki yuut  yuuyaraq aturluku.

Through these strategic priorities, our programs include cultural education, documenting and sharing traditional and historical knowledge, scholarships for higher education and career and technical education, and burial assistance for Shareholders and Descendants of the Calista Corporation.

Kevgiurluta // who we serve

Calista Education and Culture is a public charity that primarily serves the people of Alaska’s Calista region.

Calista Education and Culture-aaq public charity-iuguq yugnun Alaska’mi uitalriit Calista region-aami.

While several of our programs may be open to the public, our scholarship and burial assistance programs are open only to Shareholders and Descendants of the Calista Corporation. Spanning the globe, Calista’s more than 38,000 Shareholders can trace their heritage to 56 villages in Southwest Alaska’s Yukon Kuskokwim region and are of Cup’ik, Yup’ik and Athabascan descent.

Ellarpiim iluani, Calista ukunun 38,000 Shareholder-aanun kinguliutengqertut makunun 56-aanun nunacuarnun Kusquqviim Kuigpagmi-llu uitalriit Cupignun, Yup’ignun ukunun-llu Ingqilinun.

Language, a vital part of culture, is critical to keeping our communities healthy and vibrant.

Qaneryaraq, arcaqalriaruuq piciryaramtenun, nunacuaraat calritlerkaatnun.

The Yugtun language is spoken by about 17,000 people and is the primary language of many we serve. Preserving language, along with cultural traditions, supports a vibrant and sustainable future for Our People.

Kevgiurteput // who supports us

The Calista Corporation is the second largest Alaska Native Regional Corporation and our most generous donor, providing significant financial and in-kind support to make our work possible. Calista Education and Culture also receives generous support from a wide variety of foundation funders, corporate supporters, and individual donors.

Calista Education and Culture-aaq akurturturaqluni allanek akinek ayuqenrilngurnek.

By the Numbers…

  • over $6.8 million

    awarded in educational scholarship

  • 100s

    of youths served through cultural immersion camps

  • dozens

    of 1st- & 2nd-year public school teachers serving the Calista region trained

  • over 30

    academic & nonfiction books published

  • over $750K

    provided in burial assistance to shareholders & their descendants

Our History

Calista Education and Culture (formerly Calista Heritage Foundation) was established in 2014 as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization serving Calista Corporation (“Calista”) Shareholders and Descendants. The organization combined the work of the Calista Scholarship Fund (formerly David K Nikolai Scholarship Fund founded in 1980) and the Calista Elders Council founded in 1991. The merger of the two nonprofit organizations serving Calista Shareholders brought educational and cultural programs together for the first time.

With generous seed funding from the Calista Corporation, Calista Education and Culture began seeking funding from public and private sources to complete its mission. This strategy built on the work of the Calista Elder’s Council by expanding its longstanding relationship with the National Science Foundation and adding programs funded through the US Department of Education, in addition to the generous funding provided by numerous corporations and individual donors.

Understanding the Development of the Calista region

Calista Education and Culture, in partnership with Calista Corporation, is committed to preserving and sharing the history of the Calista Region for future generations.

One valuable resource is ANCSA: Our People. Our Land. Our Future. — a film produced in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA).

The Film explores the history, people, and lands of the Calista Region, highlighting the landmark legislation that shaped the lives of our Shareholders and Descendants.

By learning about this history, we strengthen our cultural connection, deepen our understanding of the challenges and triumphs of our people, and honor the vision that continues to guide CEC’s work as a small non-profit serving our region.