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I hiked into Herbert Glacier once and I hope to CrossCountry ski into it in the future.
Village: In the village, they have a Potlatch, which is a big Yup'ik ceremony in the community center. I went to 3 and a few other community gatherings in the center. The Potlatches are kind of like a religious ceremony. I did not take any pictures in the Potlatch because it felt kind of spiritual. I was one of the few whites there during the ceremony. The men drum, women dance and the men dance at times. The dances tell stories of traditions and family histories. The drumming was very loud and rhythmic.
This is when the natives wore their traditional dress and it was remarkable. The seal skin coats with fox trim were something to see. They were also light and warm.
The memories are pretty intense related to the Potlatch. Pictures could not have done it justice. I saw a Potlatch here in Juneau and it was great but it did not have the intensity of the village. We would have over 100 snow mobiles outside the community center when we had a Potlatch. Many had come from many miles to take part in it.
2 comments:
That is one thing I realy admire the eskimos for and that is never forgetting their roots. It sounds like an incredible experience. I can't get over the fact that you all have to go around town w/ snowmobiles. Talk about rough living!
They do but some don't. There is a real solid group who truly believe in legacy and learning from the elders. There is also a group who make fun of the elders and disrespect their heritage. Even well to do are merely middle class in the village, but some of the best off were some of the most disrespectful to their culture. For the most part though, the cultural heritage was very important. Even in Juneau, we are learning native ways and languages.
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