Yaaruin Collective Launches Monthly Magazine for Alaska Native Children and Families

Yaaruin Collective is launching Yaaruin Kids, a new monthly magazine designed to help Alaska Native children and families connect with Indigenous languages, cultures, stories and people.

The magazine’s first edition will debut Oct. 18–21 at the 43rd Annual Statewide Elders & Youth Conference, hosted by First Alaskans Institute at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center in Anchorage. Through the support of Calista Corporation, every youth attending the conference will receive a free copy.

Yaaruin Collective partnered with First Alaskans Institute to introduce the publication, which aims to provide Alaska Native children with positive cultural representation while encouraging them to learn about the diverse Indigenous communities across the state.

The magazine takes its name from the yaaruin, a traditional Yup’ik storyknife that girls have long used to draw pictures and tell stories in mud and snow. Each issue builds on that storytelling tradition through stories, language and activities rooted in Alaska Native cultures.

“I’m grateful to be creating a world where my son will be able to see Alaska Native culture in a positive way in the media while also learning about our languages, stories, and people,” said Lexi Qass’uq Trainer, a Cup’ik and Yup’ik woman and founder of Yaaruin Collective.

“Yaaruin Kids is not just for our children, but for the adults, like myself, who love them and are learning right alongside them,” Trainer said.

Jitshla Tobitha Woods, Indigenous Leadership Continuum director at First Alaskans Institute, said the magazine supports the organization’s commitment to developing Indigenous leadership through cultural identity and community connections.

“At First Alaskans Institute, we believe leadership begins with knowing who you are and where you come from,” Woods said. “Yaaruin Kids helps young people see themselves, their cultures, and their values, reflected in stories made for them.”

Woods said the institute is honored to support a resource that fosters pride, belonging and connection to community.

Calista Corporation, an Alaska Native regional corporation representing the Calista region of Southwest Alaska, is supporting the launch by providing free copies to youth attending the conference.

“Our corporate values reflect our cultural values,” said Thom Aparuk Leonard, Calista Corporation’s vice president of corporate affairs. “Our value of Continuous Improvement allows us to learn as a youth all the way through adulthood. Our Elders help guide us on that path, and publications like this are a great way to supplement their learning.”

Following the conference, subscriptions to Yaaruin Kids will be available through the Yaaruin Collective website.

Families, schools, tribes and organizations interested in obtaining copies or sponsoring the publication can visit yaaruincollective.com or email lexi@yaaruincollective.com.