The Central Alaskan Yupik of United States

The Central Alaskan Yupik of United States, numbering approximately 29,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are the largest Indigenous Alaska Native people group and the largest Yupik subgroup, with a deep cultural, linguistic, and historical presence in western and southwestern Alaska. They mostly adhere to Protestantism and Central Yupik is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite: Yupik, Central Alaskan

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: North American Peoples
Country: United States
People Cluster: Arctic Peoples
Primary Language(s): Central Yupik (esu)
Primary Religion(s): Protestantism
Population: 29,500
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG043680
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Central Alaskan Yupik of United States

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Protestantism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

—
%
Protestantism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Central Yupik
Language Family: Eskimo-Aleut

40%
%
Yupik, Central Speakers

Media Resources in Central Yupik:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Central Yupik:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Central Yupik bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Central Alaskan Yupik are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Central Alaskan Yupik:
Continue prayer and fasting for this group
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Pray specifically for the Central Alaskan Yupik of United States

For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
readRomans 5:7-8

Pray for the many who don't yet understand the hope of the gospel, and pray that God will reveal to them that while they were in darkness, Christ died for them.

There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.
readPsalm 19:3

Pray that God will lead them to His Word, and where it is not available, ask that He will raise up those who will produce gospel media in their heart language.

But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.
readHebrews 10:32-33

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will remember the day of their salvation and persevere in their faith despite hardships and suffering.

You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
read2 Corinthians 1:11

Pray that many people will join in praying for the spread of the gospel here, and that God will answer these prayers by drawing more people to Himself.

Yupik, Central Across Countries (ROP3 - 110751) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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