Joseph Senungetuk was of Inupiaq descent and was born in Wales, Alaska. He attended the local school in Wales until age 10, when he moved to Nome with his parents and two older brothers. Joseph attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks for two years before teaching art at Mt. Edgecumbe in Sitka. He later studied at the San Francisco Art Institute for three years and went on to work at a Native American publishing house.

Throughout his career, Joseph served in several educational and public service roles, including as an administrator at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, an art instructor at Sheldon Jackson Junior College, and a public member of the Alaska State Board of Nursing. He also served as an Elder in Residence for Alaska Pacific University’s art program, working alongside his wife, Martha. Joseph expressed his thoughts and concerns through art and writing, using his platform to share the concerns of fellow Elders. From the mid-1980s through the late 1990s, he did so as a columnist for the Anchorage Daily News. In 1971, Indian Historian Press published his book, Give or Take a Century: An Eskimo Chronicle, which recounts his life in Wales and Nome, Alaska.

Through his art, writing and work in education, Joseph shared his experiences and perspectives while bringing attention to the voices and concerns of Alaska Native Elders.