01/15/2026
As I reflect on starting my business in January 2025 and all the families, individuals, and Native corporations I was honored to help, I can’t help but feel incredibly grateful for the support I’ve received. Looking ahead to this year, Lord willing my business continues to operate, I just want you to know how much I truly enjoy helping you. Some days I feel a little lazy 😅, but honestly, it brings me so much joy hearing how grateful you are to be able to “shop” for a wider variety of food and items at a more affordable cost 🤍
A little backstory on the name iluperaq (Yup’ik for great-grandchild): when I first moved to Anchorage in 2013, my grandma (who I called Qiic, and many of you knew as Qiic) would call and ask things like, “Shell, does Anchorage have curtains?” or whatever item she was looking for at the time. That eventually grew into helping more immediate family members shop for items and ship them out.
Qiic was pretty much my mom growing up and into adulthood. My son and daughter were blessed to grow up with her, and she spent a lot of time with my daughter during the first 5 years of Natalie’s life. She called her “little glus,” my iluperaq, or my ilup for short. She called Jonah, her "hunny", as he was named after my uppa Nick. To honor Qiic and her love for her great-grandchildren - and how helping people began with her as my very first “customer” - I named my business iluperaq. Yes, it’s hard to pronounce and I get asked what it means all the time lol, but it carries so much meaning to me.
Quyana for being part of this journey ✨