by Peter Twitchell
My relative Lillian Lliabon of Akiak, Alaska told me a story about Two Good Shaman in the Yupiaq culture who helped members of their tribe with their powers. She also told me about a grandmother of a woman who encouraged her granddaughter to use one of the shaman’s names to name her child when he was born.
My relative through our families, Elder Walter Larson told me a name given to an individual within a tribe owns his/her name. If the person dies the name they were given is like property. As an example, if a son passes on to the spirit world, we can’t just name our son after the person who died. Permission to use a given name may be used only after permission is granted by the elder who lost th son.
I know when a name is used of a person who passed on, it is appreciated. We just have to ask. Case in point. When I was born, my dad David Twitchell who was raised by Grandma Williams of Akiak named me after his childhood friend’s given Yup’iaq name. “Naparyaq” means a post standing strong in the ground.
Mom gave me Dad’s name, “Aq’acuugaq”. The missionaries who came to Bethel also changed the Yupiaq tribal names to English names. Mom’s Dad was given the English name Peter.
The Yupiaq Tribe stood strong and retained their Yupiaq names, and the naming of newborns continued and is practiced today.
When census time rolled around, it became a confusing and a little comical. For instance, the census taker asked a Yupiaq what his name was. He said, “Moses.”
Next question was, “What’s your last name?”
“Moses.”
The Yupiaq answered correctly, but the government counter kept asking Moses, “What is your first name?”
“Moses,” the man replied again.
“What is your last name?”
“Moses.”
The visitor and census taker didn’t realize people had the same first name and last. You can go round and round only so many times.
