Such a dramatic change occurring over a few short years seems almost unbelievable to those who once hauled ice for water and used dog sleds for travel. Today, Inupiat elders express considerable concern over such matters. By contrast, younger Inupiat, while encouraged to respect their elders views, often have different agendas. Of course they are. While such activities may not characterize the Inupiat of the past, neither do they necessarily lessen their cultural participation in the future.
Culture is never something static, composed only of isolated activities.
The systems of meaning that social scientists refer to as culture contain an immense range of flexibility while at the same time offering a blueprint for shared behavior. Thus, I do not think that my living here makes me an Inupiaq. This is probably not so because earlier today I saw a White man eating dried Eskimo meat and seal oil although he is not an Inupiaq. Along with questions of cultural identity, the Inupiat of Alaska's North Slope are having to address additional problems common to all circumpolar peoples impacted by the economic, social and political realities of southern-based industrial societies. Of these problems, the one often producing the greatest apprehension is the fear of losing their land.