About Us

Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center, Bethel, Alaska

University of Alaska Fairbanks, Kuskokwim Campus

About Us

· The Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center (YPCC) was constructed in early 1990s when state appropriations were available from oil revenues. The grand opening for YPCC was March 1995. YPCC is a community facility shared by a number of partner organizations including the Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD), the City of Bethel, the Traditional Eskimo Village of Bethel (ONC), and the Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP). AVCP rents the museum and gift shop and the City of Bethel supports the consortium library. KuC realizes YPCC plays a pivotal role in maintaining the cultural and artistic vitality of the community. KuC has received funding from HUD for Project: Strong Cultures Build Strong Futures which will utilize the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center as well as other community buildings for entrepreneurial development. Other locations include the ONC Senior Center, City of Bethel Parks and Recreation buildings, Village Technology Centers and KuC main campus. Entrepreneurs in the project will be given opportunities to use YPCC as an incubator for selling their goods.

· The nine areas of focused activities have been selected to encourage entrepreneurship among local storytellers, toy makers, tool makers, traditional foods, artists, crafts people, games, language, and dancers. KuC strongly believes that the Native Eskimo culture can be a natural economic boon the same way oil is for the North Slope. Micro enterprises can utilize the cultural strengths of the region to build sustainable businesses, including eco-tourism. The strong culture is in place in the region; the strong businesses that will be developed from it with this project will ensure the longevity of the developed businesses.