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In Toksook Bay, it's akutaq, elder blessings and throw parties for graduating class

High school graduates hug friends and family after graduation.
Gloria Yucaq Sipary hugs an elder after receiving her high school diploma on graduation day, May 12, 2023. (Valerie Kern/Alaska Public Media)

Nelson Island School is the only school in Toksook Bay, a Yup'ik village of roughly 650 people, about 115 miles northwest of Bethel.

About 170 students attend the school. Kindergarteners walk the halls alongside 12th graders.

But on Friday, May 12, all the attention was on the 11 graduating seniors. In some ways, the event felt like a typical American high school graduation with caps, gowns and confetti. But it also included Yup'ik customs like akutaq, mukluks, throw parties and blessings from elders. The event was a powerful moment of joy after the village grieved a string of deaths from cancer, suicide and COVID-19.

Here are some of our favorite photos from the day:

Valerie Lake worked at Alaska Public Media from 2017 to 2025. She was the managing producer for Indie Alaska, director for Alaska Insight, and led the video production team. Valerie Lake has previously gone by the names, Valerie Lloyd and Valerie Kern.