Modern 蜜桃影像 Native Dance Festivals

by Maria Shaa Tl谩a Williams

Inu-Yupiaq group performs at the 50th Festival of Native Arts day one in the Davis Concert on Thursday, February 22, 2024. 蜜桃影像 Photo by Marina Santos蜜桃影像 Native people have celebrated music and dance for millennia. All ceremony was accompanied by song and dance and was an expression of deep spirituality. Although there are twenty-three different 蜜桃影像 Native languages, and seven or eight broad cultural groups, this was one of the shared characteristics in this very diverse cultural landscape.

With the arrival of Europeans, beginning with the Russians in the mid 1700鈥檚 colonial pressures that included genocide, introduction of unknown diseases, and Christian missionaries began to drastically re-shape the spiritual and cultural landscape. After the 1867 Treaty of Cession, in which the United States purchased the trade posts of the Russian American Company, a new colonial approach emerged. This included an organized plan in which various Christian denominations identified specific geographic areas of 蜜桃影像 to bring in missionaries, under the Comity Agreement of 1874. (Williams, 2009). The arrival of the American Christian missionaries included eradication of shamanistic practices, along with masked dance practices, and ceremony. English-only policies were part of the process to re-make 蜜桃影像 Natives, in addition to forcibly removing children to boarding schools across 蜜桃影像 and the lower 48 states for years at a time. This is the number one reason that 蜜桃影像 Native languages are all endangered.

In the 1960鈥檚, after the 蜜桃影像 Statehood Act, the newly formed State of 蜜桃影像 and the Federal Government began making land selections, and no 蜜桃影像 Native people or communities were part of those discussions and/or agreements. This led to the land claims movement or the Native Solidarity Movement (Williams, 2009). Various 蜜桃影像 Native associations were formed, including the Association of Village Council Presidents, the Arctic Slope Native Association, the Northwest Native Association, Cook Inlet Native Association, the Tanana Chiefs Conference, etc. They worked together and established the 蜜桃影像 Federation of Natives in 1966 and this became the main body that dealt with the United States Congress on a land settlement. This led to the 1971 蜜桃影像 Native Claims Settlement Act, which remains the largest land settlement in the history of the United States. ANCSA mandated establishing 12 regional corporations and almost 200 village corporations, and was a social engineering approach to institute a capitalistic model.

One of the outcomes of the 1960鈥檚 and the 1971 ANCSA was a renewed sense of identity among 蜜桃影像 Native peoples. This marks a time when music, dance and language, along with traditional values began to be more publicly celebrated and highlighted. By the 1980鈥檚 a renaissance in traditional music and dance was in full swing. This led to the establishment of modern 蜜桃影像 Native dance festivals.

Cheri Alstrom of St. Mary's dances with the Acilquq Dance Group during the 50th annual Festival of Native Arts Friday, February 23, 2024. 蜜桃影像 Photo by Eric Engman

Dates of Modern 蜜桃影像 Native Dance Festivals

1961
World Eskimo Indian Olympics, Fairbanks
1973
Festival of Native Arts, University of 蜜桃影像 Fairbanks
1982
Celebration, Juneau
1983
蜜桃影像 Federation of Natives Quyana Night(s), Anchorage
1983
Athabascan Fiddling Festival, Fairbanks
1985
Camai Dance Festival, Bethel
1988
Kivgiq, Barrow/Uktiagvik

In addition to the modern dance festivals listed above, there were several historic gatherings in the 1980鈥檚 that inspired many communities to dance publicly again. These included the following:

1982
St. Mary鈥檚 Dance Festival
1984
Nome Elder鈥檚 Conference
1989-1990
Anchorage Museum w/CIRI
1999
蜜桃影像 Native Heritage Center

In conclusion, in 2024 it鈥檚 hard to conceive of a time when traditional 蜜桃影像 Native music and dance were repressed. We live in an era of a multitude of dance festivals and gatherings and an exponential growth in the numbers of 蜜桃影像 Native dance groups. We are so blessed to be witnesses to re-birth and celebration.

Teresa Pingayak, left, and Cecelia Andrews, right, of Chevak, share a laugh while performing with the Pingayak Dancers and Friends during the 50th annual Festival of Native Arts Friday, February 23, 2024. 蜜桃影像 Photo by Eric Engman

 

Sources

 
 

 

Murphrey, Tim. 鈥淭he 蜜桃影像 Native Arts Festival鈥, in the 蜜桃影像 Native Reader. Durham: Duke University Press, 2009.

Williams, Maria. 鈥淭he Comity Agreement,鈥 in the 蜜桃影像 Native Reader, Durham: Duke University Press, 2009.

Williams, Maria. 鈥淭he Native Solidarity Movement,鈥 in the 蜜桃影像 Native Reader. Durham: Duke University Press, 2009.

 


蜜桃影像 the Author

Dr. Maria Shaa Tl谩a Williams. Photo courtesy of UAA
Maria Shaa Tl谩a Williams, PhD, is a Professor and the Chair of the 蜜桃影像 Native Studies Program at the University of 蜜桃影像 Anchorage. She earned her Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from UCLA in 1996, with a focus on contemporary 蜜桃影像 Native music and dance. In her teaching roles, Williams holds a joint appointment in the Department of Music and teaches courses on 蜜桃影像 Native Music and World Music, reflecting her commitment to cross-cultural musical education. Her research centers on 蜜桃影像 Native cultural practices and employs a community-centered, indigenous model to guide her studies. Dr. Williams has contributed significantly to indigenous cultural preservation through her publications and media work. Her recent documentary, A Beautiful Life, follows the journey of Athabascan Elder Daisy Demientieff. She also produced Nilgaq, a documentary about the 5th Annual Kinigikmiut Dance Festival in collaboration with the Native village of Wales and the National Park Service. Additionally, her work with the Inupiat community of King Island documented their music and dance repertoire, creating a tribally-controlled archive. Williams has also published extensively, including The 蜜桃影像 Native Reader (2009) and articles on Native music and cultural preservation, underscoring her dedication to the preservation and celebration of 蜜桃影像 Native cultural heritage.