Nunam Yua, 'the person of the land', is the spirit-owner of the earth in Yup'ik cosmology. The Yup'ik world is pervaded by yua, the inner person or owner that dwells within animals, objects and places, and Nunam Yua is the yua of the land itself, an indwelling presence that watches over the ground and its creatures. To live well on the land is to keep right relations with this owner through restraint and respect, and its goodwill secures the continued generosity of the earth to those who hunt and gather upon it. The being is closely paired conceptually with the owners of other realms, such as the master of game in the moon and the spirit-owners of the water and the animals.