2013 QATNUT DANCERS

I’ve been re-watching my videos of the 2013 Qatnut (trade fair) dance performances recently. For those who may not know, the trade fair was historically held at camp Sisaulik, when people from different communities gathered to trade, dance, and participate in traditional events and competitions such as the blanket toss, kayak races, food eating contests. The tradition continues today as there is dancing, fashion shows and crafts.

2013 Qatnut at Kotzebue: all-dancers circle.

Anyways,  I love to watch Inupiaq dancers perform. The beat of the drum gives me goosebumps and I love how the dances tell stories. If I weren’t too self-conscious I would learn. As a child I remember that Inupiaq dancing was discouraged, at least in my family it was. According to the missionaries, Inupiaq dancing was considered “evil,” thus forbidding us to dance. I remember when we had “Inupiaq days” at school we would learn various aspects of Inupiaq culture - the language, dancing, crafts, etc. A teacher would come and show us dance moves, during which time I would sit out and watch. I really wanted to join but not wanting to displease my aana, I watched from the back of the classroom.

Traditional dancing is making a comeback as it is now viewed as a reflection of the culture, rather than as “evil” practices. It is an expression of Inupiaq culture, a chance for community members to gather and celebrate. At Qatnut performers from different communities traveled to Kotzebue to dance. There were our Russian neighbors (Siberian Yupik), dancers from Point Hope, Kivalina, Kotzebue, Noatak, Wainwright and Barrow. Our Russian neighbors caused quite a commotion with their arrival, with people often asking “Did you see the Russians?” There were fantastic dancers and their array of dances included a "Brother and Sister" dance that made the audience chuckle, as the dancers reversed roles, the woman dancing as the brother and the man as the sister. The movements were comical and exaggerated.

I enjoyed watching the Kivalina dancers as well and thought that they were good performers. Their male dancers were tall and athletic, a reflection of how active they are and the traditional food they eat. I think that the more remote the village, the better the dancers. Barrow stood out in that their dancers were young - an adolescent boy who won the male youth contest and two tiny, perhaps 4 years and younger, boy and girl dancers. The younger dancers often looked to the older dancers for guidance and the ladies in the audience moaned sighs of affection as the little dancers performed.

The strongest performers hailed from Wainwright - the Utuqqagmiut dancers. The Utuqqagmiut dancers were actually invited to and performed at the 57th Presidential Inauguration Parade in Jan. 2013 in the nation’s capital. At Qatnut, they were exceptional performers, especially their female dancers. They wore matching dancing regalia - black atikluqs and pants with multicolored lining, mukluks and gloves. The women dancers were mesmerizing as they danced in sync, their movements controlled and deliberate. Their feet were planted firmly to the ground, their knees bent lower than most women dancers. The most talented dancers danced in near-perfect rhythm with the drumbeat. What’s more - they weren’t flashy or trying to show off. As my friend remarked, “their strength comes from within.”

Usually in any dance group you can tell which dancers are the most talented but it seemed that most of the women dancers were strong performers. In fact, I would argue that they were better dancers than the men. I enjoyed all of their dances but one of my favorite dances was the whaling dance. Three men and one woman performed, the dance starting out somewhat slow and calm, as most dances do. Then, as the drumbeat quickened and the singers sang louder, the dancers began to “chase” the whale in their boat. In this dance, the performers moved as if they were really giving chase. You could feel the energy of the crowd as people cheered while the dancers pursued the imaginary whale. The dance was so good that the dancers performed an encore.

It was especially touching to see the elders dance at the end of the performances. Wainwright's elders, for example, danced for us, each dancer flaunting his or her own style. The audience cheered loudly and applauded their performances. My heart swells with pride and respect to see our elders dance.

I'm trying to upload some of my videos but it takes forever! I will keep trying and I would like to include more photos. Stay tuned.