Paul Joseph John (1929 – March 6, 2015) was an American Yup'ik elder, cultural advocate, and commercial fisherman.
[1] A traditional chief of the Nunakauyarmiut tribe, he was a member of the Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP), which is based in Bethel, Alaska.
[1] John, who spoke very little English and conversed in fluent Central Alaskan Yup'ik language, recalled living with seals as a child to promote respect for animals.
[3] Paul John, who possessed an in-depth knowledge of Yup'ik traditions and language, was featured in a number of books by Ann Fienup-Riordan, an Alaskan cultural anthropologist.
[1] He was among a group of Yup'ik who travelled to museums as far away as Berlin, New York City, and Washington D.C. to view and identify artifacts from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.