The author was an Inupiaq elder from Wainwright, a village on the Arctic Coast of Alaska, his life story enhances our understanding of North Slope history and culture. Bodfish was a good observer with a keen interest in people and an excellent memory for detail. Perhaps most important, he had a strong appreciation of the significance of the things he experienced.Kusiq includes seven appendices containing information on pronunciation, personal names, genealogical relations, and place names. Chapter notes and indices follow.