ABSTRACT
In many respects, the oral literatures of Alaskan Yupik and Inupiaq peoples are thematically and structurally varied, yet the range of variation is consistent. Alaskan traditions are clearly related to the verbal art of Inuit peoples in Canada, Greenland, and Siberia, and many elements are also shared with other Native North American groups.1 Rather than considering the distribution of specific forms and motifs, however, the following concentrates on features of genre, performance, transmission, function, and content specific to Alaskan Inuit oral literature.
