What is the meaning of all this?
Our goal in operating Qupqugiaq Inn is to express, in the ways that we can, our vision of the kind of world we want to live in. It is a place in which human interactions are prior to economic ones. It is a human-scale, thoughtful, and ecologically responsible place where independent travelers can be inspired and get organized for their explorations of Alaska.
Qupqugiaq Inn is the proud founding sponsor of People in Need Partnership, an innovative way to connect people in extreme poverty with others by forming a dynamic, genuine relationship. Take a look at the PINP website to explore the profiles, learn about the program, and consider forming your own partnership. It can transform a life - not just your partners, but yours too!
The Qupqugiaq myth:
How the Qupqugiaq bear decided to create ‘centers’
Arctic bears, living mainly on the ice pack in the Far North, must kill animals (mostly sea mammals and caribou) in order to survive. But some polar bears—the ten-legged Qupqugiaq—were particularly sensitive. They resented that they were forced by nature to lead such a violent existence. But what choice did they have?
One day a Qupqugiaq ate a caribou which had tundra grass in its stomach. This was a revelation for the Qupqugiaq: it is possible to live without violence, without selfishness.
The Qupuqiaqs asked themselves: How can we live with love, even though we must eat meat? They answered this question by establishing schools. On the tundra and on the ice, they held classes to examine ideas of every kind, from every perspective, including those of the four-legged polar bears and human animals. They then started newspapers, and theaters, and centers that were meant to be places to cultivate what is most beautiful and to be the center of a new polar society.
If you’re ever on the ice, alone, in that desolate and dangerous land, remember: Qupqugiaqs (and their friends, Huzan beings) may be just over the next ice ridge. (see huzanity.org for details)
Huzanity Cafe [Link to the 'Meaning of huzanity cafe' coming soon.] At Huzanity Cafe customers prepare their own food at various stations. The elimination of the cook and most other staff transfers responsibility for the food to the person who consumes it. This reduces specialization, hierarchy, and authority, which characterize our age. And it sets the stage for a change in the dependent, structured human relations, which are typically a result. It also puts strangers side by side in one of the most fundamental acts of humanity—food preparation. Click here for more.