Nunamiut

The Nunamiut or Nunatamiut people (Iñupiaq Nunataaġmiut) are semi-nomadic inland Inupiat, located in northern and northwestern Alaskan interior, mostly around the Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska.

The name Nunatamiut means "people of the land."

Languages

Iñupiaq

The native language of the Nunamiut is a dialect of the Iñupiaq language. In the late 1960s, University of California, Berkeley undergraduate linguistics student (now Arctic explorer) Dennis Schmitt to the Nunamiut to study their dialect.

There are few native speakers today (2016).

English

The Nunamiut speak English.

"Uncertainty language game"

Their culture is contrasted by strong collectivist and individualist tendencies, both of which are a reflected in their "uncertainty language game".

This involves one of five statements as part of a response:

• "I don't know"
• "Maybe"
• "Probably"
• "I guess"
• "Might be"

Choosing the neutral "maybe" over "yes" or "no" reflects the cultural importance of a collectivist community.

It also reflects behavior avoidance of an individual making a false statement.

External links

• Nunamiut @ Wikipedia