Adoption and adaptation in Iñupiat fashion: Past and present.

This article examines the historical and contemporary development of Iñupiat (North Alaskan Inuit) fashion, focusing on the inner garment atikłuk and outerwear atigi, through the lens of cultural authentication—a process involving selection, characterization, incorporation, and transformation of external cultural elements into valued indigenous forms. Drawing on fieldwork from the late 1990s and a 2022 case study of Apayauq, a young Iñupiat trans woman and her mother who collaboratively designed a female atikłuk adapted to her gender identity, the study highlights how Iñupiat clothing has evolved by adopting and adapting materials and styles introduced by Euro-American contact while maintaining cultural significance. The article also discusses how traditional garments have been modified over time, including the influence of Christian missionaries and contemporary economic and ecological factors, and underscores the ongoing dynamic nature of Iñupiat fashion as an expression of identity, including for transgender individuals.