What is a qargis?

In traditional Iñupiaq communities, the Qarigi was the proactive center of village life: the centralized means supporting cross-generational expression, inclusion, and survival.

By maintaining clarity at the center of the village, through exchange that fostered the mental, spiritual, and physical well being of the people, the community adapted, evolved, and endeavored to thrive. While outcomes were not guaranteed, the community's will was expressed in the Qarigi, problem-solving occurred, and decisive action taken. By any measurement, these are the basic units of empowerment.