Student Speaker Series Media: Kiliii Yuyan
Known for his joyful grin, photographer Kiliii Yüyan has reasons to be thankful. He's survived a hunting polar bear and charmed sea snakes. He's found community at the edges of the world. But perhaps it is easiest to say that Kiliii is a storyteller who seeks to understand the world from many human perspectives.
From his Chinese and Nanai/Hézhè (East Asian Indigenous) ancestry, Kiliii was driven to be curious about the natural world. For two decades he built and paddled traditional kayaks, exploring his grandmother's culture through the craft of his ancestors. Today, he is a photographer committed to telling stories that help humanity understand itself and its relationship to mother earth.
Visit Kiliii’s website to learn more about him and see some of his amazing photographs.
Learn even more about Kiliii at Changemaker Talent.
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Background Information
Articles and Books
Hutchinson, Natalie. “Kiliii Yüyan: Illuminating the human relationship to the natural world.” National Geographic Magazine, National Geographic Society, 9 Jun 2022, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/impact/article/kiliii-yuyan-explorer-story. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
Werk, Jarrett. “From A Traditional Kayak Builder To National Geographic Photographer, Kiliii Yüyan Takes Indigenous Narratives to a Global Scale.” Medium, 27 Apr. 2022. https://medium.com/the-reynolds-media-lab/from-a-traditional-kayak-builder-to-national-geographic-photographer-kiliii-yuyan. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
Stone, Daniel. “Meet the bowhead whale hunters of northern Alaska.” National Geographic Magazine, National Geographic Society, Dec 2018. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/proof-whale-hunters-northern-alaska. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
Mann, Charles C. “‘There’s good fire and bad fire.’ An Indigenous practice may be key to preventing wildfires.” National Geographic Magazine, National Geographic Society, 17 Dec. 2020. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/good-fire-bad-fire-indigenous-practice-may-key-preventing-wildfires. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
Mann, Charles C. “North America’s Native nations reassert their sovereignty: ‘We are here’.” National Geographic Magazine, National Geographic Society, 14 Jun. 2022. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/north-americas-native-nations-reassert-their-sovereignty-feature. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
Raygorodetsky, Gleb. “What Inughuit hunters can teach us about the revered narwhal.” National Geographic Magazine, National Geographic Society, 28 Jun. 2024. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/greenland-inughuit-hunters-narwhals. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
Film and Video
“Chronicling a traditional whale hunt in northern Alaska.” YouTube, uploaded by National Geographic Society, 7 May 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-pYFbZ2zQo. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
“GO THERETM Vol. IV — Kiliii Yuyan.” YouTube, uploaded by Danner Boots, 25 Sept. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk_zdCSUt4M. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
“WaterBear & Nikon present: A Lens on the World with Kiliii Yuyan.” YouTube, uploaded by Nikon Europe, 31 Jan. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L24pgwUsN0. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
“The Season of Twilight | National Geographic.” YouTube, uploaded by National Geographic, 5 Jun. 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pWHz-StfmE. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
Websites
“Native Knowledge 360° | Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.” National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
“Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center in Alaska.” Smithsonian Learning Lab, Smithsonian Institution, https://learninglab.si.edu/org/ sasc-ak. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
“CLEAN: Committed to Climate and Energy Education.” CLEAN, 27 Nov. 2023, https://cleanet.org/index.html. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
“NOAA in the Arctic.” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, https://arctic.noaa.gov/. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
“Home - Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants.” Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants, 2023, https://www.exploringbytheseat.com. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
“Kate Mussett | Indigenous Fisheries and Two Eyed Seeing.” YouTube, uploaded by Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants, 7 Jun. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyzsFyTZkjY. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
“Salanieta Kitolelei | Indigenous and Local Knowledge of Fishers in Fiji.” YouTube, uploaded by Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants, 21 Jun. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BPlC2PlDGs. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
“Andrea Jane Reid | Indigenous Fisheries Science.” YouTube, uploaded by Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants, 9 Jun. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29tS2ORJZ1w. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
“Educators: Join the Conservation Nation Academy!” Conservation Nation 2024, https://conservationnation.org/ educators-join-the-conservation-nation-academy/. Accessed 17 Oct. 2024.
Activities
“Fighting Fire with Fire: Can Fire Positively Impact an Ecosystem?” The Nature Conservancy, https://www.nature.org/content/ dam/tnc/nature/en/documents/nature-lab-lesson-plans/FightingFireTeacherGuide.pdf. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
“Arctic Climate Connections.” Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, https://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/climatechange/activities/82345.html. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
“Polar Climate Change Lesson Plans | AMNH.” American Museum of Natural History, 2015, https://www.amnh.org/learn- teach/curriculum-collections/polar-climate-change-lesson-plans. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
“The Great Inka Road: How Can a Road System Be an Example of Innovation?” National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/resources/The-Great-Inka-Road-How-Can-a-Road-System-be-an-Example-of-Innovation. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Interpreting Kiliii's photos. Download a pdf of Kiliii Yuyan's photographs to discuss using the questions found in the Vital Impacts Educator Resources for Kiliii Yuyan.
Read and Discuss
Elitsa. “How can polar bears survive longer in a changing climate?” Science Journal for Kids and Teens, Dec. 2022, https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-can-we-keep-our-mountains-healthy/. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
Elitsa. “The Arctic is melting - so what?” Science Journal for Kids and Teens, Oct. 2015, https://www. sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/the-arctic-is-melting-so-what/, Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.
Elitsa. “A burning question: How much will climate change cost?” Science Journal for Kids and Teens, Mar. 2017, https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/a-burning-question-how-much-will-climate-change-cost/. Accessed 1 Sept. 2024.