Alaska native Unangan (Aleut) messenger – Kuuyux Ilarion (Larry) Merculieff

30 years ago, Ilarion (Larry) Merculieff held positions such as: Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Commerce and Economic Development; Vice-chair of the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Committee, Deputy Director of the Alaska Native Science Commission; Chairman and/or board member in 17 corporations and organizations.

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One day, he decides to drop all that, jump head first into his heart, and go back to the traditional role he was given, at the age of four, on a small island in the Bering sea of Alaska. Merculieff was traced then by the former “Kuuyux”, who felt that his day to finish visiting this world was coming, and went out searching for next “Kuuyux” of his people – the Unangan (or “Aleuts”, as their white oppressors called them).

“Kuuyux” in the Unangan tradition means: to be an arm extended out of the body, a messenger, a bridge, a mediator between cultures, carrier of ancient wisdom into modern times. And according to the Unangan ways there’s one Kuuyux for every lifetime. One summer, during his searches, the old Kuuyux came to the magical island of St. Paul in the Bering sea, where there were 2.5 million sea birds, 1.2 million seals, 1,000 reindeer and 450 Unangan people, amongst which he found 4 year old Ilarion Merculieff (A.K.A Larry), and immediately recognized the boy to be his Heir and gave the boy his traditional Unangan name: “Kuuyux”.

Merculieff got a fully intact traditional upbringing: he spent two consecutive years at his grandfather’s side 24/7, learning from him his life’s wisdom, and respect for the Elders. According to the Unangan, there is a great spiritual and emotional connection between the younger generation and the older one.

The young Kuuyux had to spend equal time between: the men of the tribe, the women of the tribe, the Elders and his peers.
He also had an Aacha – a spiritual mentor, who taught him, as Merculieff says: “My Aacha taught me everything I know about relationship to self and to others, be it women, other human beings, nature and all creation; in short, to be ‘the real human being’ – – as Native peoples in Alaska call it. He taught me all this beginning at age five until I was 13, with no more than 200 words.” According to the Unangan, words are limited and limiting, and so are not to be used unless necessary.

Being an Unangan, the boy was sent to correctional boarding school for the “socially and culturally challenged” by the government. Only, he was found to be gifted by his teacher, and was sent to a better boarding school, where he passed with flying colors, and was awarded for his accomplishments. He said, “I was elected by the girls at the school to be the first male of the girls dormitory!” Then he went on to the University of Washington, and on to major roles in the “normal” western society, till he decided to jump, drop into his heart, and live his legacy as a Kuuyux.

Ever since then he has been traveling, spreading the words, messages and ancient wisdom of the Unangan and other traditions at the request of Elders he encounters in his travels, who have asked him to carry the messages on their behalf as well.

Kuuyux continues to give presentations, workshops, and talks, like he does in this TEDx talk:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6cmKeRV3Z0
and these videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMkKrq_cruU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkCIIRCnW-k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoP1rwz2YIE

and many more.

Kuuyux continues to roam the world, seeking to meet other Elders and share Unangan wisdom and their wisdom with any open heart in any corner of the world the massages may reach.

This blog is a part of this quest.
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And this coming May 2019 Kuuyux is coming to visit Israel again!!