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Joshua "Acurunaq" Phillip

Joshua Acurunaq Makista Phillip was a Yup'ik elder born on January 1, 1912 to Anna (Jackson) Phillip, from Kwethluk, and Phillip Anglluralria in Akiachak, Alaska. His father served as a lay pastor at Qinaq, an abandoned village near what is now Tuntutuliak, and Joshua's grandfather, Wassilie Anguyagpaq, was the first lay pastor with the Moravian Church in Akiachak. Joshua's first wife was Carrie Ayak'aq Lomack, with whom he had four children: Jacob Amell'aq Phillip (deceased), Elnathan Phillip (deceased), Louie Ilegvak Phillip (deceased) and Eddie Kun'aq Phillip. Joshua's second wife was Emma (Paul) Phillip, with whom he had eight children, two of whom were deceased as of 2006: Paul & twin sister (deceased), Anna Davidson, Sarah Owens, Joseph Phillip (deceased), Willie Phillip, David Phillip and Sophie Paul. His third wife is Agnes (Charles) Phillip of Akiachak. Joshua was a fur trapper, a carpenter for Bureau of Indian Affairs schools, and helped maintain schools in the Kuskokwim River region. He served in the Alaska Territorial Guard during World War II, in 1960 became a lay pastor for the Moravian Church in Akiak and Tuluksak, and was a commercial fisherman on the Kuskokwim River. In his younger years, Joshua was a reindeer herder and had 14 reindeer company shares that he inherited from his father. He herded reindeer year-round at a corral located on the Kuik (Gweek) River and reached by a trail called Casgucaraq.

Joshua was a strong Yup'ik tradition bearer who was eager to pass his knowledge and experiences on to the younger generation, especially of places out on the land. In the 1980s, Joshua provided a series of richly detailed interviews to U.S. BIA ANCSA 14(h)(1) researchers formally released for use by the Yupiit School District. Excerpts of his 1988 interview is included in this project where he narrates historical movement of the Yup'ik families who over time came to settle in what was called Akiacuaq (Akiachak). He recounts their story of relocation in the early 1900s from Qikertarmiut, the old island site altered by the changing Kuskokwim River. Joshua Phillip passed away in 2008 at age 96.

Biography written by Sophie Kasayulie and Frank Chingliak of the Yupiit School District.

Date of Birth:

Jan 1, 1912

Date of Death:

Jul 30, 2008

Joshua "Acurunaq" Phillip appears in the following new Jukebox projects:

Interview Title	Abstract	Archive #: Oral History	Project	Date of Interview
Joshua Acurunaq Phillip, Interview 1	Joshua Acurunaq was interviewed on July 1, 1988 by Robert Drozda and Vernon Chimegalrea in Tuluksuk, Alaska. Vernon was the Yup'ik language interpreter during the interview. It is unknown whether Vernon provided the written English transcript of the interview or if someone else did it. In this excerpt of the interview, Joshua speaks in Yup'ik about the historical site of Pugcenar, the meaning of the place name, the history of uses of the site, spring and fall hunting and fishing in the area, and leadership at seasonal camps.	BIA ANCSA 88CAL048	Pugcenar	Jul 1, 1988
Joshua Acurunaq Phillip, Interview 2	Joshua Acurunaq Makista Phillip was interviewed on July 9, 1988 by Robert Drozda and translator Vernon Chimegalrea at Joshua's home in Tuluksak, Alaska. In this excerpt of the interview, Joshua speaks in Yup'ik to explain the early history and village migrations of Yup'ik families from Nunapiarmiut and Qikertarmiut (the old island site altered by the changing Kuskokwim River) in the early 1900s who over time came to settle in what was called Akiacuar (Akiachak). This recording is part of a series of richly detailed interviews Joshua did with researchers from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, ANCSA 14(h)(1) Program in the 1980s, which he formally released for use by the Yupiit School District. The original full recording (Tape #88CAL057) is available at the BIA ANCSA Office in Anchorage, Alaska. For more information about the BIA ANCSA oral history collection, contact Ken Pratt, ANCSA Program Manager at Kenneth.pratt@bia.gov or (907) 271-3695. View a written English translation by Marie Meade of this excerpt of the recording. View a short video clip of Joshua Phillip speaking in Yup'ik about the early history of Akiachak produced by Frank Chingliak of the Yupiit School District, along with a written English summary of the video.	BIA ANCSA 88CAL057	Akiachak - Then and Now	Jul 9, 1988

Interview Title

Abstract

Archive #: Oral History

Project

Date of Interview

Joshua Acurunaq Phillip, Interview 1

Joshua Acurunaq was interviewed on July 1, 1988 by Robert Drozda and Vernon Chimegalrea in Tuluksuk, Alaska. Vernon was the Yup'ik language interpreter during the interview. It is unknown whether Vernon provided the written English transcript of the interview or if someone else did it. In this excerpt of the interview, Joshua speaks in Yup'ik about the historical site of Pugcenar, the meaning of the place name, the history of uses of the site, spring and fall hunting and fishing in the area, and leadership at seasonal camps.

BIA ANCSA 88CAL048

Pugcenar

Jul 1, 1988

Joshua Acurunaq Phillip, Interview 2

Joshua Acurunaq Makista Phillip was interviewed on July 9, 1988 by Robert Drozda and translator Vernon Chimegalrea at Joshua's home in Tuluksak, Alaska. In this excerpt of the interview, Joshua speaks in Yup'ik to explain the early history and village migrations of Yup'ik families from Nunapiarmiut and Qikertarmiut (the old island site altered by the changing Kuskokwim River) in the early 1900s who over time came to settle in what was called Akiacuar (Akiachak). This recording is part of a series of richly detailed interviews Joshua did with researchers from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, ANCSA 14(h)(1) Program in the 1980s, which he formally released for use by the Yupiit School District. The original full recording (Tape #88CAL057) is available at the BIA ANCSA Office in Anchorage, Alaska. For more information about the BIA ANCSA oral history collection, contact Ken Pratt, ANCSA Program Manager at Kenneth.pratt@bia.gov or (907) 271-3695.

View a written English translation by Marie Meade of this excerpt of the recording.

View a short video clip of Joshua Phillip speaking in Yup'ik about the early history of Akiachak produced by Frank Chingliak of the Yupiit School District, along with a written English summary of the video.

BIA ANCSA 88CAL057

Akiachak - Then and Now

Jul 9, 1988